Are You Afraid to Follow-up?

No matter what line of business you are in, sticking to a well thought-out marketing strategy can give you a competitive advantage, especially as we close out one of the toughest years on record. The fact is no direct mail, ad or press release can stand on its own—building relationships by following up consistently is the key to successfully drumming up business, no matter what the economic climate is like.

It can seem much easier to simply send one follow-up e-mail or call once rather than several times to really get a prospective client’s attention. There are a whole handful of reasons why we don’t follow up as rigorously as we should, even though technology has made it tremendously easier to communicate more frequently than ever before.

It’s important now more than ever to set aside that fear of rejection and stop taking it so personally. When a prospect turns down your product or service, they are doing exactly that—turning down your product/service, not you.

Following up more than once also makes you stand out to the prospect simply because most people do not. Most people don’t like cold calling and don’t do it. But consider this. A call following two direct mail pieces is not a cold call at all; it’s a warm offer to continue the conversation.

I’ve written about this concept before but it’s worth repeating—opportunity favors those who are knocking at the door consistently. Circumstances change almost every second of every day. That prospect that had no need for your product or services last week may now be looking for exactly what you have to offer.

Unsure where to start? Let CMA know if we can help you develop the key messages and strategies needed before you even pick up the phone.

Jeffrey Barnhart
CMA President & CEO
jbarnhart@cmasolutions.com