One of the areas that many small businesses fall down on is follow-up. When prospects or customers call or e-mail for information, we might get the packet or the info sent out to them, but then we neglect to follow up to see if we can finish or propel the deal. It will likely take some effort on our part to get them from a prospective customer, to an actual, paying customer.
It can take some record-keeping and time management to make sure that we don’t lose people in the information-seeking process. Consider setting up a system to deal with requests for information: writing in the name of the person, how they contact you, what they requested, and when it was sent. You can then create a tickler file or system to contact them after an appropriate amount of time has passed to see if they have any questions, or would like more information. Some people will simply send a note or e-mail that says “let me know if you have any questions or need more information” and then leave it at that. While some may contact us, many won’t and we might lose the sale or prospect due to lack of follow-up on our part.
Time can be a problem when it comes to follow-up—a person may let us know clearly that they are just gathering information and are not ready to make a purchase. We then put the prospect on the back burner and forget all about them. Again, some sort of a system or a tickler file for following up with those “floating” and undecided prospects can be valuable. Don’t worry about seeming too pushy, you can be tactful and considerate in approaching someone who has requested information by offering to be helpful and answer any questions (you don’t have to say: “Are you ready to buy yet?”).
Also: Collecting Names and Prospects Using a Drawing