Have you ever thought about the potential profit you could have made if you had followed up on every lead/enquiry/opportunity that has come across your path?
Well, maybe you don’t want to linger on that point, as it might depress you!
I attended an exhibition recently, where I was interested in purchasing a product. I gave my details to six suppliers. TWO weeks later, ONE of the suppliers followed up, and that was it!! What a loss, as I was a potential customer, genuinely wanting to make a purchase.
It makes no sense to invest money on marketing, only to then waste this, by not following up opportunities (especially when served up on a plate!).
It is imperative that you have a follow-up system in place – whether using pen/paper, a spreadsheet or purpose-built software – to immediately contact people who have expressed an interest in your product/service. I stress the word ‘system’, so that there is a methodical way of immediately and periodically contacting customers which can be recorded. It’s important to keep in touch with new and existing customers – with industry/professional news, new products, tips, etc.
Although it’s exciting when you get immediate custom for a customer/client, many potential customers may not make a purchase immediately, and so will need to be nurtured over a period of time. This could be a very long period of time. It is not uncommon for sales to be made months or years after an initial contact with a potential customer, so having a system to nurture leads will prove invaluable.
To capitalise on the potential, have a systematic follow-up program in place using things such as newsletters, lead follow-up software, phone calls, etc. In most businesses there are hundreds of thousands of pounds of revenue to be had simply by following up rigorously. It could quite easily be the most productive and profitable thing you ever do: to put in place a comprehensive follow-up programme.
Featured Image: courtesy of Lukas Blazek, Unsplash
