Business Development Tuesday — Following Up

If you’re not actively following up with your clients and potentials then you are actively leaving money and opportunity on the table.

One of the biggest things I learned while working in telemarketing that helped me excel at the job and in my writing business, is that following up no matter what the result of the appointment is the single most important thing you can do to increase sales, customer rapport, and your pipeline of business.

While working either in sales, for yourself, or practically any industry, you’ll learn that people love to cancel appointments! It’s just a fact of life. For example, last week I contacted three people and was reached out to by one other person to discuss their marketing strategy; It just so happened that every single appointment fell through. Do you not talk to those people again? Do you keep looking for other businesses and consider the past a burned bridge of uninterested individuals? (hint: the answer is no.) Of course not! At the beginning of the next month, I’ll schedule time to revisit those clients and get them back on the schedule to discuss their need for a successful marketing strategy.

Then there are those who you meet with and you both couldn’t come to an agreement of terms. I have a few of those also. So far, I have two for the month of August to be completely transparent. At the beginning of September, I’ll give them both a call and see how their project is coming or came along. Note that I wouldn’t do it if I sincerely wasn’t interested. The point of this is to see if we can revist the project so I can help them succeed, or take notes on what one of my competitors did that I could not do. It shows that I care and have a passion for the industry. It also keeps my name in their mind for future projects.

Lastly, there are those that I may have written a brochure for or an email campaign. After we worked on one project and solved the company’s need the relationship is over, right? Wrong. (Now you’re catching on!) Like the previous example, call up the client and check on them. Shoot the shit. Ask what they’re looking to do in the future.

The idea is to always be there to add value for others. Not only will it help you and your business thrive by always having clients to write for, but more importantly, it’ll also keep you on track to do what you set out to do in the beginning — help people. Be persistent. Be consistent. Follow up and get to business.

Feel free to share or recommend this article to someone that could also find this information valuable. If you have any questions, shoot them over to me on Twitter @ErickHoxter, I’d be more than happy to answer them!