It’s an integral part of the marketing process yet most marketers don’t do it. Unfortunately, not following up on your marketing efforts leads to missed opportunities and sales.
We get it. You’re busy. You meant to follow up on the leads from the tradeshow or a marketing campaign or your latest email newsletter, but other things got in the way. Your boss called. Your kids got home from school. Life happened.
What’s the big deal?
The business-to-business (B2B) buying cycle is longer than business-to-consumer (B2C) and typically involves more people. You have to spend more time nurturing prospects and may have to touch them 7, 8 or 9 times (or more) before getting a sale.
While you would love to send out an email newsletter and have your website flooded with orders, that rarely happens. However, with the analytics available today, you can see who opened your newsletter the most and what links they clicked on, along with other data. Follow up with these prospects! They’re interested and may have been interrupted by life before reaching out to you.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” -George Bernard Shaw, author
Now here’s the fun part. How do you consistently follow up with people without being annoying?
- Get Social — It’s helpful to be connected to your customers and prospects on social media (business accounts at least), so you can engage with them. Each like of a post or retweet is a soft touch and reminds the person that you’re available.
- Note Communication Preferences — You have a slew of communication options at your fingertips today, but your customers and prospects probably have a preference. If Bob prefers Facebook Messenger, send him a message. If Sally would rather talk on the phone, give her a call.
- Be Customer-Focused — Yes, you want the sale but that’s not your customer’s or prospect’s issue. Let them know why you’re following up: so they don’t miss incredible savings or show up at their tradeshow next week empty-handed. How is closing this sale going to help them?
- Be Flexible — If you’re not hearing back, offer to schedule a quick call or visit when it’s most convenient for your customer or prospect. Let them know that you value their time and will be brief. It may be easier for your customer to meet you at a coffee shop for lunch or talk on their way to pick up their kids after work.
Following up is extra work but it also leads to more opportunities and sales, especially when done right. Use your data to decide where your best opportunities lie, but be human when reaching out to your customers and prospects. The art of follow-up is one of those things that computers just don’t understand, and that’s a good thing. 🙂
Feedback on Following Up
How do you decide when to follow up with customers and prospects?
Have you noticed your customers’ communication preferences?
Do you need more targeted leads to follow up on? CCC is Inbound Certified and we make marketing that people love. Let’s talk about how we can help you.
Happy Follow-Up Friday!
Jaime
Let’s chat (about follow-up, your marketing needs or otherwise):
clearly conveyed communications 
Great article!
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Thanks, Sarah! We appreciate you stopping by and taking the time to leave your feedback.
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The follow-up is really about fostering relationship with someone. People know if you care or if you are just chasing them for the sale. Strangers rarely buy but friends make great promoters! Even if a particular person doesn’t buy from you, the relationship you build could lead you to your best customer. That’s why it’s called networking. Great tips! Excellent read!
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Thanks for reading our post, Alice. Your comments are so true; people can tell if you’re genuine or not. It’s hard to fake it in the age of transparency that we’re live and work in today. Thanks for your kind words!
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