What is Your Follow-up Process? Last of a 3 part series

If you have been following my blog, you know this is the last of three installments regarding Closing More Deals. Previous blogs covered:

1. What were their buying signals – the triggers that drove you to know how they would be making a decision?
2. What “call to action” do you ask of them before they leave or hang up the phone?

Today, I want to cover your follow up process by offering these suggestions:

Don’t let unanswered emails fall by the wayside.
In today’s world of electronic communication, we send emails instead of making a phone call. Our hope is the recipient will respond to it faster than calling us back. However, many times the receiver does not email back and the sender forgets about it or just lets it go. I suggest that you always send it a second time. Forward it to the recipient with an opening comment that you are concerned it was lost along the way on the first try. You will be surprised how many times you will receive a response on this second go around.

Send hand written notes whenever possible.
Again, in today’s world of electronic communication, one way to set yourself apart from your competition is to send a handwritten note. I recommend getting stationery that has your company name on the outside of the card and is blank inside along with blank envelopes. Send a thank you note after meeting with someone for the first time or after receiving your first order. Commit to sending 2-3 cards each week and do not enclose your business card. Just simply sign your name as it keeps the message personal. And hand write the envelope!

Stay in touch.
One more note about electronic communication…it is easy to stay in touch with your contacts. Take time each month to review your email address book and send out short messages that serve as a reminder of you and your company. Whether you are informing them of a new service offering or simply saying “Hello”, you will be surprised by the amount of business that can suddenly develop by staying in touch with your contact list.

As you look back over this 3 part series, please feel free to comment and share with me and my readers your tips and recommendations. We can all use new ideas and reminders of how we can build our business by Closing More Deals.