Mastering the sales followup
Mastering Sales Follow-Up: Strategies and Best Practices
As sales professionals, we know that the key to success is not just making initial contact with a prospect, but also following up with them effectively. In fact, research shows that it can take up to 8 follow-ups to get a response from a prospect. That's why having a solid follow-up strategy is crucial to converting leads into customers.
In this article, we'll cover the best practices and strategies for mastering sales follow-up, and provide you with actionable tips to help you close more deals.
Timing
Persistence
Add value
Multi-channel
Automation
Social
Unused channels
Using data
Timing: When to Follow Up After Initial Outreach
Timing is everything when it comes to sales follow-up. You want to strike a balance between giving the prospect enough time to consider your initial outreach and being persistent enough to stay top of mind. Generally, it's best to wait 2-3 business days before sending a follow-up email or making a call. (Hubspot)
Personalization: How to Make Your Follow-Up Messages Relevant and Engaging
One-size-fits-all follow-up messages won't cut it if you want to stand out from the competition. Personalizing your messages is essential to getting a response. Use the prospect's name, reference their specific pain points or goals, and provide value in your message to make it more relevant and engaging. Things that can be useful for personalization can be triggers like job postings, social media posts, articles, or work anniversaries.
Persistence: The Art of Consistent but Not Pushy Follow-Up
Following up too frequently or aggressively can turn off a prospect. On the other hand, not following up enough can cause them to forget about you. Finding the sweet spot between persistence and pushiness is key. A general rule of thumb is to follow up to 10 times but if someone isn’t opening your emails or picking up the phone, it might be time to stop messaging them.
Adding Value: Answering So What
One effective way to add value to your follow-up messages is to provide actionable changes that the customer can implement on their own that makes their life easier. This serves as a way to position yourself as an Expert. Sending case studies or relevant thought pieces can be a way to do this. For Otto, I’ll run an analysis to see if there are any issues with someone’s website which might be impeding their outbound. These checks allow me to offer helpful tips before we hop on a call.
Multi-Channel: Utilizing Different Channels Like Phone, Email, and Social Media
Not everyone prefers the same communication channel. That's why it's important to use a multi-channel approach to follow-up. This could include sending follow-up emails, making phone calls, engaging with the prospect on social media, or even a good old fashion handwritten note. Experiment with different channels to see which ones work best for each prospect. (SalesHacker)
Automation: Follow-Up Processes Using Sales Tools
Sales automation tools can save you time and help you follow up more effectively. Using a tool like a CRM to schedule follow-up tasks, automate email campaigns, and track the prospect's engagement with your content saves countless hours throughout the week. (Hubspot)
Social: Social Media for added engagement
Social media can be a powerful tool for building relationships with prospects. Follow them on social media and engage with their posts to show that you're interested in their business and their success. Even if they don’t accept your connection request at first, commenting and liking posts can be an effective way to get in front of your prospect. (Forbes)
Unused channels: Handwritten Notes or Video Messages
In a world of digital communication, a handwritten note or a personalized video message can be a memorable way to follow up with a prospect. These personal touches show that you care about their business and are willing to go the extra mile to win their trust. (thanks.io)
Using Data and Analytics to Optimize Follow-Up Effectiveness
Data and analytics can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your follow-up efforts. Use tools like Google Analytics or HubSpot to track metrics like open rates and reply rates to iterate through different messaging.
These are all parts of the strategies we employ at Otto to generate a 3x increase in reply rates for our B2B customers. If you’d like to learn more about what we’re doing to change the Outbound game, book a meeting with us on our website.
