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Each of us understands how critical follow up is in most of life\u2019s endeavors. It is vital in business.<\/p>\n
My purpose in this article is to stress what we know \u2013 and should practice daily.<\/p>\n
We have all heard \u2013 or should know \u2013 that in sales, marketing, and business in general, the fortune is in the follow up. At the outset, let\u2019s define terms. \u201cFortune\u201d is defined as success, not just monetarily.<\/p>\n
Therefore, if you define \u201cFortune\u201d as success, this idea applies to broad areas of life.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The former Bob Schmidt, a legend in network marketing, someone who earned an annual seven-figure income for over 30-years, often said, \u201cFollow up was the key to his success.\u201d He would counsel each member of his audience to \u201cbe consistent\u201d, that, often, \u201cthe positive response sought may not come until between the 7th<\/sup> and the 12th<\/sup> contact.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n Successful follow up must be habit forming. \u00a0\u00a0Too 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u2013 initially \u2013 over other factors to include products and services.<\/p>\n The question on many prospective clients\u2019 mind, especially if they are new, is \u201cCan I trust what you\u2019re saying?\u201d \u201cAre you trustworthy?\u201d Your prospect or customer may not want what you\u2019re 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\u2019s curiosity, and that requires skill. Yes, skills are essential in building good relationships.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s 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 \u2013 you\u2019re like them \u2013 they will trust you! They will trust what you\u2019re saying.<\/p>\n 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 \u201cno!\u201d 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\u2019t know you \u2013 or any number of factors you do not control or are unaware of. Your prospect must feel that your emphasis \u2013 or priority \u2013 is the relationship, not making the sale.<\/p>\n Follow up necessitates an investment of time, so be prepared for it. Be patient and persist. This is important to avoid the trap of \u00a0\u201cI have to make this sale; my time is important and I have to move on.\u201d 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 \u201cmultiplier effect\u201d \u2013 the network of friends and contacts your prospect has. They may not become your customer but someone they know just may.<\/p>\n It was Winston Churchill who said, \u201cSuccess is the ability to go from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>What may appear to be a failed contact at the outset could very well evolve into Cinderella between the 7th<\/sup> and the 12th<\/sup> contact.<\/p>\n I am not suggesting that you invest equal time and energy into each and every contact; judgment is a prerequisite. Evaluate each contact independently \u2013 and you will miss a few. The objective is to avoid the \u201cBumble Bee\u201d approach: flitting from flower to flower trying to \u201cpollinate\u201d as many prospect as possible. While network marketing, for example, is a numbers\u2019 game, it does become a people business when others join you.<\/p>\n 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: \u201cSome will, some won\u2019t, some wait, so what!\u201d Think \u201cnext\u201d and move on. Ultimately, in life as in business, we work with those who show an interest and help to keep our spirits up.<\/p>\n 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.<\/em><\/strong> They agree that in your first encounter, and maybe even the 2nd<\/sup>, 3rd<\/sup>, or 4th<\/sup> encounter, your purpose is to create trust and collect the kind of information that educates you about their wants, needs, hopes, and frustrations.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Each of us understands how critical follow up is in most of life\u2019s endeavors. It is vital in business. 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