How important is following up?
Does it really make a difference in the number of deals you close?
Well, Ryan and I pulled some data from his CRM on a random deal that he did recently.
Here’s how the entire thing went down…
- Lead finds Ryan’s website through SEO
- Lead schedules an appointment
- At appointment, offer is made and rejected
- 8 follow-ups ensue, including a “Thank You” post card, manual cold calls, and automatic text messages
- Offer is rejected again
- 3 more follow-ups ensue
- Lead calls back and accepts the offer
Ultimately, that entire deal took 2 months and 17 interactions to finally get the offer accepted.
And this is almost typical for the amount of time it takes to close a deal. I love how Ryan put it in a recent Facebook Post of his:
When I started out as an investor I made the mistake of thinking that if a seller said no to my offer it was a non-deal and I’d move on.
That behavior got me 5 wholesale deals in 2016.
Goal setting, consistent Marketing, and consistent follow up got me 74 in 2017.
In 2018 we purchased a total of 65 units in 3 metros. Closing on over 4MM in assets.
And that isn’t just Ryan’s experience. The stats agree…
Okay okay – so you know you need to follow up more (and if you’re like most salespeople, you’re not following up nearly enough).
But how do you do it without feeling like a nag? Without coming off, well, desperate? How do you ensure the that you and the prospect stay on the same team even when you feel like you’re nagging them?
Well, in the cliché (but true) words of some of the world’s greatest thinkers…
“How you say something is more important than the words that you say.”
In other words, how you follow up – the tone of your text messages, emails, and phone calls – all say a lot more about your business than the fact that you’re following up.
Most people don’t mind a salesperson following up with them (my car salesperson calls me every six months to see how I’m doing and I love it because he’s a great dude!)
Having said that, there is a wrong way and a right way to follow up.
Let’s start with the bad, shall we?
This follow-up email, for instance, feels desperate and awkward, kind of like your first dance in middle-school.
(Image Source)This one is aggressive and mildly frightening (what “options” exactly?).
And one of my favorites (sure! $40k seems fair for whatever it is you do my ol’ pal, Sales Rep!)
But what exactly are these emails doing wrong (other than the obvious things, of course)?
Well, here’s a helpful list of what not to do in your follow-up messages (whether text, phone, direct mail, or email).
Do NOT…
- Assume the sale too aggressively – 90% of the time, this just comes off irritating, desperate, and spammy.
- Lead with the pitch – Remember, you’re on the same team as the prospect. The relationship comes first. Start with something more friendly.
- Throw all the details at once – This is overwhelming. Give the details that are immediately pertinent and then ask to schedule a call where you can work through other details.
- Be vague – Be specific and honest. Say “Hello” and be friendly. Tell them why you’re contacting them, make your ask, and end it.
- Try to trick anyone – Again, the best thing you can do when following up is be honest and transparent, not deceptive.
Now that you know what not to do and have seen some bad examples of follow-up in action, here are 3 sales scripts you can use to follow up and close more deals without feeling like a nag or irritating your prospects.
You can adapt these scripts for whatever type of medium you’re using (phone, direct mail, email, text, etc) and for your own business tone.
And I encourage you to add even more follow-ups to the below 3 scripts since 80% of sales are closed between the 5th and 12th contact.
Use these scripts to get started off on the right foot.
Follow-up Script #1 (a few days after phone call):
Hey [name]!
I hope you’re having a wonderful [week/weekend]. 🙂
We talked on the phone a few days ago about your home that you’re looking to get rid of.
And I know that our offer wasn’t a fit for your situation when we made it, but I thought I’d just follow up and see if anything has changed. If it makes sense, we’d still love to help you out.
Feel free to contact me at any time if you have follow-up questions about our service: [phone number]
Best,
[your name]
Follow-up Script #2 (a week or so after first phone call):
Hey [name]!
How are things going for you?
I wanted to follow up again on the offer we made a little over a week ago to see if anything has changed and if that’s something you might be interested in now?
I know how quickly things can change and just wanted you to know that we’re here to help if you change your mind.
Best,
[your name]
Follow-up Script #3 (a couple weeks after first phone call):
Hey [name]!
I hope you’re having a wonderful day. 🙂
A few weeks back, we talked about your house and you needing to get rid of it. As it turned out, the offer we made wasn’t a fit for what you’re looking to get for the place.
And that’s totally okay!
But I just wanted to follow-up and see if anything has changed?
Feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions about our offer: [phone number]
We’d still love to help you out if it’s a fit 🙂
Best,
[your name]
Such a simple way to close more deals…
If you could automatically double the number of deals you do in 2019, would you?
Imagine it didn’t take you any more work. Imagine that it just meant closing more of the leads that you’re already generating. Better yet, imagine that you could automate the whole shebang.
Well, you can.
And it’s as simple as plugging a serious of follow-ups into an email, text, mail, or phone call drip sequence.
The truth is, many of the leads you don’t close are just waiting to be closed – they’re waiting for the right time.
And the more you follow up, the more of those leads that you’ll connect with when they’re ready to take action and work with you.