No one enjoys being rejected and just because you’re a salesperson doesn’t mean you’re immune to that feeling. And fear of rejection can keep you from following up on your sales leads, which in turn can keep you from landing that big account. Fortunately, knowing how to follow up on sales leads can minimize rejections and increase the number of prospects that say “yes” to your proposal. These tips can help make that happen.
Time Your Follow Ups Appropriately
There is definitely a point where too many follow ups too soon will scare away your prospects. You don’t want to send them an email every day until they finally tell you to buzz off. You want to give your prospects enough time to consider your proposal and think about what your solution could do for their company. The more money you’re asking them to spend, the longer time they’ll usually need to make a decision, so account for that extra thinking time before you follow up on your last contact.
In the B2B world, most companies will need at least a week to bring up the possibility of going with your solution to their team. This is because most teams meet about once a week for these types of issues. Sometimes, they only meet once a month. Now, waiting a full month might be too long to go between touchpoints, but there are ways you can check in without seeming like you’re pushing them to make a decision.
Use Different Platforms
Using various platforms for your follow ups can help you stay in contact with a lead without bombarding them with sales materials. For example, you might send them an email a few days after your last contact and if that doesn’t spurt them to action, try messaging them on LinkedIn with a tip or two that they can use to benefit their business. Don’t just repeat the content in your email in your LinkedIn message. Chances are they already read your email and don’t need to read the same content again. Give them another reason to contact you sooner rather than later.
Refine Your Calls to Action
No matter how you follow up with your prospects, you need to have a strong, clear call to action on every single contact. What is it you want your prospect to do when they read your message? Do you want them to call you to set up an appointment? Do you want them to visit your website to download a case study that will further demonstrate your value? Don’t hint at what you want your lead to do. Tell them exactly what you want them to do and how to do it.
Moreover, make it easy for your lead to do what you want them to do. For example, if you want them to book an appointment with you, give them the link to your calendar so they can choose a time that works for both of you. If you want them to download a case study, provide the link directly to the website page where it can be downloaded. It’s human nature to want these things to be easy, especially for people who don’t have a lot of time to spend looking for how to respond to your call to action.
Conclusion
Following up on your leads doesn’t have to be hard, but it does have to be intentional. Well-crafted and perfectly timed follow ups will not only help nurture your leads, but will also generate more sales.
