Following Up and Following Through

One of the biggest killers of sales is a salesperson who is terrible at following up on things they promise to do for a potential or existing client. They don’t get back to the client when they said they would. They don’t return a phone call ASAP. They don’t get the client the information that they said they would, in a timely manner. This article will focus on how to make Following Up and Following Through a tremendous asset to your sales ability, while improving your sales results dramatically.

The first step in becoming a more professional salesperson in this Critical Success Factor (CSF) of sales is to recognize you need to focus on improving this because the bottom line results to your sales increase for the year will be sizeable when you do. Following Up properly and in a timely manner also offers us as salespeople, the opportunity to under promise and then WOW our existing and/or potential new client by over delivering (i.e. we tell them we will have that information for them or that material for them no later than such and such a date and time, we make sure that is OK with them, and then we knock ourselves out to deliver well before that promised date and time).

There is another step to professionalizing your sales efforts, once you master Following Up and that is learning how to Follow Through properly. What’s the difference you say? Well, Following Through is doing more than is expected of you when you Follow Up. It’s that simple. For instance, let’s say a potential client asks you to get them some additional information you do not have readily available for them at the time and they seem likely to buy, but they need more information. You sense the emotional urge to buy is definitely there, but now they need to accomplish some due diligence to justify their emotional urge to go ahead with the sale.

First you tell them when you will get that information to them, whatever the means you and they chose to make it happen. Then you tell them a date and time that is a little longer than you know you can get this information back to them (i.e. the under promise and over deliver process is being set up at this point). Next, you get a verbal OK from them that your promised date and time (sometimes just a later time that day). When it comes to information—such as… “You know, I do not have that technical information but I know the exact person who does. It appears to me you feel comfortable with going ahead with this purchase once you get more information, right? (Trial Close) Great, I can have that information for you no later than 4:00 pm today. Will that be OK?” Once you get the verbal agreement, ask them if there is any other information you can get them at this time to help them in their decision (this keeps you from constantly chasing your tail again and again by getting them one thing, then another, then another).

Now you go to work and beat your promised deadline by a significant amount of time and you do it at all costs. Then once you deliver it, you Follow Through by contacting them within a reasonable period of time and (1) make sure they got it and (2) make sure you are readily available to clarify anything within that information and (3) share with them some new information since you and they talked. (4) Finally, finesse your way into a time when you and they can meet again to culminate the agreement. Many times at that point they have told me over the phone they are ready to go ahead with the deal.


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