Each of us understands how critical follow up is in most of life’s endeavors. It is vital in business.
My purpose in this article is to stress what we know – and should practice daily.
We have all heard – or should know – that in sales, marketing, and business in general, the fortune is in the follow up. At the outset, let’s define terms. “Fortune” is defined as success, not just monetarily.
Therefore, if you define “Fortune” as success, this idea applies to broad areas of life.
Without the patience and perseverance required of diligent follow up, my earlier career as a Foreign Service officer would have been no more than the fleeting dream of a young man seeking an unusual direction for his life.
To anyone in pursuit of a goal, follow up should be rudimentary because it can be extraordinarily powerful. It is often and easily forgotten by the seasoned and the successful. I am continually amazed at how often this subject comes up during group meetings.
The former Bob Schmidt, a legend in network marketing, someone who earned an annual seven-figure income for over 30-years, often said, “Follow up was the key to his success.” He would counsel each member of his audience to “be consistent”, that, often, “the positive response sought may not come until between the 7th and the 12th contact.” Patience, perseverance (with enthusiasm), consistency, and maintaining a positive attitude are the attributes he stressed with each of his mentees. Of course, Bob was not the only successful businessman to offer this advice. He was, however, someone who lived as he counseled.
Successful follow up must be habit forming. Too often, many of you in sales are persuaded that your success in sales and marketing is a function of developing the perfect sales pitch; mastering the technical details of your product or service, and even projecting the right image. Each of these strategies may be contributing factors to success independent of each other or taken in the aggregate, but here is what I found in my experience.
People buy you and then they consider purchasing your product, service, or advice and counsel. Every successful person I ever encountered in public diplomacy, government and corporate relations, politics, business and sales, emphasized the power of relationships – initially – over other factors to include products and services.
The question on many prospective clients’ mind, especially if they are new, is “Can I trust what you’re saying?” “Are you trustworthy?” Your prospect or customer may not want what you’re selling in that first meeting, or may feel your product can be purchased elsewhere should they need it. Your initial challenge therefore is to strike interest, to stimulate someone’s curiosity, and that requires skill. Yes, skills are essential in building good relationships.
Let’s begin with people skills. How comfortable are you in establishing and building rapport with strangers? Rapport changes the outcome of your approach. Build rapport and you have a relationship characterized by harmony. Trust is a prerequisite for harmony. Here is a simple formula I heard recently in a conference call with a highly successful individual: Rapport leads to trust and harmony. If your prospect feels an affinity with you – you’re like them – they will trust you! They will trust what you’re saying.
So, how developed are your people sills? If your initial approach is to build trust, part of the process is giving your prospect the option to say “no!” This takes the pressure off both of you. The initial rejection might just be a question of timing, not always a lack of interest. It could be they don’t know you – or any number of factors you do not control or are unaware of. Your prospect must feel that your emphasis – or priority – is the relationship, not making the sale.
Follow up necessitates an investment of time, so be prepared for it. Be patient and persist. This is important to avoid the trap of “I have to make this sale; my time is important and I have to move on.” I have known sales people who harbored the mistaken belief that the goal is to make the sale, overcome the objections, sign someone up or get their signature on the contract at all cost. Then drag them onto their team through motivation and training. This is failure leading to disappointment. The benefits of exercising and perseverance are, you build an important relationship and, secondly, the all-too-valuable “multiplier effect” – the network of friends and contacts your prospect has. They may not become your customer but someone they know just may.
It was Winston Churchill who said, “Success is the ability to go from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” What may appear to be a failed contact at the outset could very well evolve into Cinderella between the 7th and the 12th contact.
I am not suggesting that you invest equal time and energy into each and every contact; judgment is a prerequisite. Evaluate each contact independently – and you will miss a few. The objective is to avoid the “Bumble Bee” approach: flitting from flower to flower trying to “pollinate” as many prospect as possible. While network marketing, for example, is a numbers’ game, it does become a people business when others join you.
Good and experienced judgment will equip you to determine when to avoid wasting energy on the habitual naysayer. There is that famous line each of us learns: “Some will, some won’t, some wait, so what!” Think “next” and move on. Ultimately, in life as in business, we work with those who show an interest and help to keep our spirits up.
I began this piece by sharing the wisdom of MLM legend Bob Schmidt. I will summarize by conflating a little more of Bob with Darren Hardy, the visionary force behind SUCCESS magazine. They agree that in your first encounter, and maybe even the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th encounter, your purpose is to create trust and collect the kind of information that educates you about their wants, needs, hopes, and frustrations.
Later, when you have the basis for a relationship, match their needs or hopes, etc., (as they shared them with you) with the product, service, and advice or counsel you offer. This will take time and perseverance, but it is the essence of successful follow up.
