Is your sales follow-up imposing on your prospects?

Because the online survey revealed that 80% of salespeople, independent professionals and small business owners who sell say they either find their follow-up a hit or miss process, or, feel like they bother people, here's something the sales reluctance coach would say: What is that all about?

Let's say you get a golden referral to your most perfect client.

You have the first meeting and the conversation goes seamlessly. Your prospect says they are interested, they think your product or service will do what they need and they want time to think it over.

You leave with knowing your follow-up is critical.

Darn!

You forgot to ask, "When would be a good time to talk next?"

You regret that and then you don't follow-up. You feel like you are bothering this - most perfect client.

There's some kind of belief you might have about follow-up that keeps you from following up. It's something to explore.

First, your prospect wants you to get back with them. Have you considered a nice handwritten, "thank you for meeting with me," kind of note?

Second, were you listening for more than buying signs? Were you listening to build your relationship by staying in touch with a phone call or email about something of interest?

Sales follow-up is not an imposition when your product or service does what your prospect wants or needs. You have an obligation to follow-up.

Patricia Weber
The Sales Reluctance Coach
What is the area of sales of your greatest reluctance?
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How did we give people this impression?

Today I was a guest at a BNI meeting - Business Networking International. My membership expired in my own chapter and I decided not to rejoin for a third year. Suddenly now I am being invited to other chapters as a guest. I must have been getting too comfortable with my own chapter because I either never noticed this or somehow the misperception about introverts continues!

A Mary Kay director asked me, "what kind of work do you do?" I told her I help introverts, shy and reluctant who sell so they can boost their confidence, their prospects and their business. While HER first reaction was, "Wow. How do you do that?" a man standing by put his arm around a friend of his, with his eyes cast down and a monotone voice he quipped, "Oh then please help me." Then he giggled like a school boy.

It may have been a misinterpretation but to me clearly, he was portraying a withdrawn and likely boring person.

Do you get the connection of what I saw?

How do you react to something like that? I'm asking before I tell you how I responded. Read more!