By Terri Maldonado, CTC, MCC

After my series of articles on being a trade show superstar, I received a request for a follow-up article. Before I go any further, I’d just like to say “WOW.” Writing these articles can be a real effort but one little E-mail from someone who says it mattered to them — or, that they learned from it — makes every minute worth it! So, if you read something in this publication that strikes a cord with you, let the writer know — you’ll make their day. Now, let’s get back to the request.
Lorelle Hardt wrote asking how to deal with leads and follow-up on actual sales. She said the whole follow-up process can be scary to “newbies.” Well, Lorelle, you might feel better to know that the follow-up process is so poorly managed by most sales people that one marketing expert, M.H. McIntosh, estimates nearly 75% of all sales leads are wasted because inadequate or inappropriate follow up is conducted. He said that most of us are “dropping out of the race too soon.” I think that’s because most of us don’t have a process in place for this important part of the sales cycle.
Calling strangers to get their business is frequently referred to as “cold calling.” Lead follow-up should not be confused with cold calling. Leads have already decided that they may want something you have to offer. Their interest is already piqued.
We all want leads to be short-term. That is, we want them to buy something right away. Only about one-quarter of our leads will buy within the first six months. But, they are easy to sell and will usually call you back if you make contact with them a few days after your trade show. Because of that, we tend to base our follow-up process on selling something right away rather than on relationship building. Sending brochures and providing quotes applies to this group of leads.
The reality is that most leads are longer term. One-quarter will buy within a 7 to 12 month period, another quarter will buy within a 13 to 18 month period and the final quarter will buy something after 18 months. They require a follow-up process that moves forward slowly and steadily. Each step in the process requires time, attention and information. There is no concrete list of how many times to contact someone. Each person is unique.
Try to base your long-term follow-up on what you learned about the prospect during your initial meeting and then ask tons of questions.
For example, if your lead filled out a form in your booth at a wedding show, your first call can be all about finding out more about the wedding they are planning. Ask lots of questions and begin to build a mutual attraction. You’re already attracted to them because you believe you can fulfill their need for honeymoon planning. By asking questions, you can learn the prospect’s needs or dreams. By listening carefully, you send the message that you just may have the solution. No hard sell is needed here and would probably send the potential client somewhere else. Think about this step in the process as building a foundation for trust and respect.
A natural next step would be to begin exchanging ideas. That is, you can send the prospect pertinent information about the questions you asked during the first phone call. Indicate a willingness to help with research and confirm findings. Still, no selling is going on, just the building of a friendship.
During this phase you can send how-to-guides and articles you find that match the prospect’s needs. You are beginning to show your skills and that you have solutions to the problems they might encounter. A positive outcome to this stage is that the prospect is eager to hear from you, returns your calls and even initiates some of the contacts. You can ask if you can add their name to your E-mail list. Find out when their birthday is and add them to your card list. Ask about the places they wish they could go and upcoming events in their lives.
At this point, you have built trust, demonstrated skills and knowledge, shared goals and are comfortable talking with each other. You are sending regular E-mail notices of specials going on that apply to the destinations your prospect is interested in and you’re calling them (or they are calling you) at least once a month to get caught up with each other. You will be the first one they think of when they enter the buying cycle. It hasn’t happened overnight and you have not done any hard selling. This is a real relationship marketing process. You have positioned yourself to gather much more of that 75% share of business that you used to ignore.
Following up on a client you’ve already sold something to isn’t a lot different. In fact, if you take these same steps, asking questions, exchanging ideas, building trust and respect and demonstrating your skills, you’ll have positioned yourself for repeat sales. A key thing to remember is to stay in touch. Send cards, E-mails and snippets of articles that may appeal to your client. Call them as soon as they return home to find out how their trip went. Ask what went right and what went wrong. Tell the client you’re going to work very hard to make the next vacation even better. Take action on resolving the problems they may have had. Remember, as soon as your client leaves on the vacation you helped plan, they again become a prospect!
Follow-up letters are also valuable. You can format letters that say thank you both for new business and for repeat business. These can be sent with brochures and with documents. They can include packing lists, customs and immigration information and destination-specific shopping or dining suggestions. The written word is a very powerful way to keep your name and skill level in front of your prospects and your clients. A word of caution here: nothing destroys the expert label as quickly as a letter that looks less than professional due to smudges or misspellings. Make sure everything you send from your office is top of the line.
Use these lead follow-up ideas to make sure your prospect will again become a client. That will make you a winner in the race to closing sales from leads. If you’ve read this whole article and would like some sample letters to use as a basis for developing your own, E-mail me at terri@cruisegal.com and I’ll send you some. Following up with your clients will lead to a lot more sales than cold calling. Don’t lose any more sales that could be yours.
For more information on M.H. “Mac” McIntosh, “Lead Nurturing: Are You Dropping Out of the Race Too Soon?” visit www.salesleadexperts.com/Leadnurturing.htm

Terri Maldonado, CTC, has been following up sales leads from trade shows and through her agency for almost nine years. Her agency is home based and serves as host to independent contractors all over the USA. She welcomes your follow-up questions and ideas for future articles.