If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you’ve experienced the feeling of an exciting new lead.
Maybe you found a lead on new business, or maybe you were the new lead and had been tipped off to a fresh new product or service you thought might be interesting. In either case, however, the lead is a dead-end if it never gets followed up.
No matter how excited a person may have seemed about what you have to offer, you can’t count on that person to take the next step. We’ve all got busy lives to lead, and it doesn’t take much to get distracted.
That’s why you need to take the initiative in following up with your lead and making sure that business is in mind. You may need to follow up multiple times – that’s ok! If what you’ve got to offer is worthwhile (and it ought to be, or why are you offering it?) then people will not mind being reminded about it. We all need a nudge now and then.
One important tip is to make a note in your planner when you generate a new lead that you’re optimistic about. Set a time for a follow up – a phone call is best, as email gets lost in the shuffle all too easily.
Let them know that you’ll be following up, and when – and then be sure you make it on time. That punctuality is like a free endorsement of your product or service. Set a reminder alarm if you know you’re not the best at keeping tabs on your upcoming calls.
After all – wouldn’t you want to be reminded if you had spotted something great?
