Knowing how to follow-up with a contact from a sales pitch, a networking event, or from a service-oriented gig is essential, especially in professional contexts. However, it’s just as important to learn how to effectively do it because a follow-up that never gets a response is of no use. Not only do you fail to make an impression but lose an important opportunity.
The best way to get a response from your follow-up is to let the contact know about your identity, getting the timing right, showing value, creating a conversation, and being considerate. Proper graphics design and typography can also greatly increase your chances of success in marketing follow ups. All this will surely result in a successful follow-up response.
If you’re a salesman, digital marketer, or entrepreneur, then following-up can sometimes be the key to success. In this blog, we will discuss various aspects of following-up and cover some basic tricks to give you readers a better idea of how to successfully execute one.
Why Do You Need an Effective Follow Up?
Following up with a contact can be done in various contexts. Situations that arise a dire need for follow-ups can vary in how they are to be executed. In this section, we will be discussing a few common scenarios where effectively following-up with contact is crucial. Hence, scroll through as you please, and if you relate to one of the scenarios, be sure to read further.
Following Up With A Potential Customer After A Sales Pitch
Imagine yourself in a scenario of a Tech shop as a customer service provider/salesman. A customer who is looking forward to discussing a PC build that meets his budget approaches you. You ask him to sit and you instantly notice that this potential customer hasn’t done his research and is relying on you for relevant information.
You give him all the information he asks for with some extra advice/updates on recent computer trends and honest reviews from customers. You sound unbiased and make sure he is hooked. You end your pitch on a PC build that is within his budget and required needs.
The customer says he’ll think it through and decide on which computer parts he might need later on. You politely ask for his contact information and tell him you’re looking forward to speaking to him soon.
In this context, you can either choose to ignore and wait for the customer to contact you on his own or you can make a follow-up ensuring your sale. Sometimes owning things up on your own is the best way to deal with things. Following-up in this scenario ensures that the ball is in your court.
Following Up with A Client After A Service Gig
You’re a graphics designer who recalled having to design several typography templates for a digital marketer client. You decide to contact the client through an email letting them know you’re up for more of those gigs and you’re offering discounts in Adobe Photoshop-related typography orders this Christmas.
Just a simple email with a humble offer disguised as a follow-up can surely reignite your business with a client you’ve had built a good impression on. Service providers can benefit from simple follow-ups more than you can imagine.
In all these scenarios mentioned above, follow-ups are a major player. Not only do they offer you peace of mind but they ensure a successful negotiation as well. Although it can be argued that getting no response is also a response at times, but at times you have to throw your ego away and do it yourself.
Always remember, a successful follow-up can spell between an earned opportunity and a lost one. If you wish to learn more about this, please read further.
Tips on How to Nail Your Follow-Ups to Get A Response
Assuming you have been in similar situations or see yourself in the contexts above in the future. We suggest that you get to business and directly start following some of the tips we’ll be discussing in this section. Almost all of these tips mentioned here work for any sort of follow-up situations above and beyond. Hence, stick with us and you might just learn the best tricks yet.
- Timing is key: Don’t rush in or don’t be too late either. Evaluate your schedule while also making sure their schedule is loose as well.
Following up on weekends can do the trick but we urge that you do not take too much of their time. If you get the timing right, you can always get to the next step and set up a meeting.
- Keep it short and to the point: The fewer words the better. Get straight to the point and only include relevant things. Don’t start a conversation straight away but rather slowly direct towards a meeting or call.
- Acknowledge them and their interest: Whether it be a customer, client, or investor. Make sure you know what they want from what you’ve gathered from your initial contact. Sticking to the first impression you have of them on your follow-ups is important.
If a customer has asked you to update you about new generation processors on the market, then simply let them know. This way they will feel valued and heard and will be more prone to reply.
- Be confident and engaging: The ball may be in their court but you must serve right. As long as you believe in your pitch or idea, they will be automatically appreciative of it.
Making sure that they know that you’re confident with what you’re offering is just as important. For example, investors might think twice before letting down on your offer if you show enthusiasm. - Give them easy to respond options: Sometimes surveying can be just as important. If you feel like the contact is just not at all interested, simply ask them if they would like to stop receiving emails or calls from you.
This will be sufficient enough for a response and will always provide you peace of mind in any sort of scenario.
- Rethink and re-edit: Don’t ever make a follow-up impulsively. Think twice and then thrice. Proofread and fact-check what you say.
Make sure the impression that the follow-ups make are engaging and positive. It’s always quality over quantity in these situations. Never back down on revising them thoroughly before delivering.
- Let them know it’s you: One of the most common mistakes when following up is not making your identity clear.
Investors, customers, employers alike will seemingly forget you if you’ve only contacted them once or twice in the past. Hence, it’s always important to mention your name and company and a topic that was a big highlight from the initial conversation.
- Build Relationships: Seemingly there are always going to be professional boundaries that you will need to maintain.
However, being a little human and letting your contacts feel heard is just as important to get a successful response in your follow-ups. Never back out from a classic, “Hope you are doing good Mr. Mark” in your follow-up.
- A call to action: Always and most certainly be polite enough when you’re doing this. Tell them what it is that you seek. Be direct while also not being too pushy. Whether it’s a review, a call, a reply, an appointment that you seek, be vocal about it. As long as you seek something back, almost certainly they will respond if they care enough to return the formalities.
In case of sales follow ups an attractive image can greatly increase the chances of landing sales. For that you can consider hiring a company that specializes in graphics design like ours. So, contact us, if you are in need of such services.
That seems to cover all that we wanted to talk about in this article. We hope that this guide helps you understand how to properly follow up and increase your rate of success. For expert direction on marketing, you can contact us as our professional digital marketing team can help you skyrocket your business to success.
Best of luck on your business endeavors.
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