Make another outreach attempt
Remember the first mistake I mentioned? According to The Brevet Group,
44% of sales reps give up after 1 follow-up and data from Forbes shows that
reps call only 1.3 times. The prospect won't beg you for your services, so it's up to you to make another call. The experts say that
6 or more touches are necessary to nurture prospects and get a "yes" (or at least a "no"). It's unlikely that a B2B sale will happen during the first call. You have to consider how long your sales cycle is - if your price is on the higher end, you can expect that prospects will take longer to decide and multiple people will be involved. Be persistent across different channels – it doesn't have to be a call only, use email, voicemail, LinkedIn or other social networks. A
multi-channel strategy increases your number of touches and the probability of getting a response.
There are numerous success stories about companies who, after *double digit* follow-ups, got that life-changing deal. However, if you haven't had any discussion with the prospect, to avoid the risk of annoying someone who hasn't expressed interest in your product or service, it's safer to stick with the guideline of 6 touches.
Be as fast as you can
Statistics show that following up
within 10 minutes increases your chances of success tremendously. And five minutes is even better - so quit what you're doing and be as fast as you can! Immediately after an interaction is when leads are most excited about you and you are fresh in their mind. Wait too long, and they will cool off, forget about you or your competitors will have already swooped in. Moreover, responding quickly will leave a really good impression and create a personal connection based on mutual respect.
Set up reminders
It is appropriate to follow up in increasing intervals with time. It could be too intrusive to call many times over a short period of time. Say, after frequent follow-ups in the first two weeks, you wait another two weeks, then check in again in a month and so on. It is so easy to lose track of time, misplace your notes of the progress made with the prospect or let them slip from your memory. Setting up simple reminders, for example through a CRM tool, and
creating a follow-up schedule will keep you accountable and
ensure you stay on track. Send helpful content
Apart from following up regularly, make sure to
send prospects some valuable pieces of content instead of constantly asking them if they're ready to buy or "just checking in". The magic word is "value", which is what is going to set you apart from the competition, make you credible and build trust. You could answer the prospect's questions using
FAQs or blog posts, educate with ebooks or webinars, you name it. Be helpful and there is little chance you'll come across as annoying.
Get creative
Sometimes you can do everything right and still not get a response. Then, why not do something creative or funny to get your prospect's attention? I recently heard of an SDR at Gong.io sending lanterns to prospects gone "dark" with a funny note that had pretty amazing results. Another example is sending them a package with a personal touch - maybe connected to your prospect's hobbies or something they mentioned during your conversation, that will show that you were actually listening.
Make your message stand out, think outside the box and that will definitely make the client remember you.