Business Calcium Blog

Are you following up too much? Or, not enough? It’s a constant dilemma for sales, especially someone running a small business. There’s always a fear that perhaps, you’ve crossed the fine line of being persistent, over to the side of being obnoxious. Following up is important but it must be tempered to have the right balance. Without follow-up, you are missing HUGE opportunities. It is one of the best things a small business can do to keep itself exposed to the customer.

Remember, it’s competitive out there and people are busy. You and your business will not always be on the forefront of your customer’s mind. It’s your job to make sure you remind them you are there! Here are some suggestions:

1. Email your customer. Email is a great way to follow-up because it’s a passive, non-intrusive way to “check-in” with your customer. However, it shouldn’t be the only way as we all know that email messages can get stuck in Spam Folders.
2. Call your customer. Find out how close your customer is to making a decision and ask questions about the project or event. If you are not a front runner or you didn’t get the bid, find out why and make a note for the next time. Find out when that next time is!
3. Timing is everything. Understand the project timeline and how you can impact it positively. Some of my customers are extremely proactive and they want information six months before the project goes live or the event occurs. It can be a “hurry up and wait game” but it’s important for you to stay on top of specific dates because at some point, your customer will eventually make that decision. If you are rewarded the project, make sure you do your part to manage the timeline well and set clear expectations.
4. Have patience. Don’t get worried because your customer has not returned your call or responded to your email. Remember, they’re busy doing other things too. I’ve waited years on some prospects, who eventually became my customers.
5. Follow-up with follow-up. Even if you don’t win the project, check in with your customer and communicate regularly with them BUT don’t overdo it. Nobody ever wants to be bothered or feel like they are bothering someone. Gentle reminders and timely follow-up should always be in moderation. I have a colleague of mine that has a vendor who calls her every three months to ask for her business. She hasn’t had a need for them (yet) but when the time comes, she will give that vendor the opportunity to bid on her business. Why? Because they follow-up with her diligently. And if their follow-up is a prelude to the kind of service they will provide, then they are already ahead of the game in her mind.

Owning and running Mighty Milestones, a marketing and promotional products business, has opened my eyes to how following-up can lead to so many more opportunities. Upfront, it may be perceived more as a chore but the pay-off on the back end can be surprisingly lucrative and vital to sustaining long-term business.