Here's an article that I had published back in 2003 in the Profesional Marketing (The world journal for marketing professional services). It might be an old piece but it's still up-to-date.

I accuse members of the professional and financial communites of being networking criminals because generally they don't follow up and keep in touch.

Let's explore why and how you can be exonerated and as a consequence attract more clients.

The First Call

You have met Priscilla, the prospect at a networking event and you have agreed you are going to call her the following Wednesday afternoon. The following Wednesday afternoon comes, you look on your to do list and, dare I suggest it, you are not quite as enthusiastic about the call as you were at the networking event three or four days previously?

When you hesitate making that first follow-up call consider:

· Priscilla is expecting your call.
· Priscilla has agreed to take your call.
· You actually met her, eyeball to eyeball at the networking event.
· You were given the distinct impression that she does have an interest in your services.
· You believe (I hope) that what you are offering will substantially benefit her business.
· You can clearly demonstrate those benefits quickly and easily.
· Does your service at least match the best there is in the marketplace?
· How are you able to support your claims? Have you got proof of results and/or testimonials?
· You are continuing the conversation you were having last week.
· All the time you spent at the event. Are you going to let it go to waste?
· How much money will you make out of turning Priscilla the prospect into Priscilla the purchaser? Could there be an ongoing relationship? If so, start to value the lifetime income of this follow call.
· When you get the business and you have deducted the tax (yes, sorry, don’t forget you have to give part of your extra to the Government). What can you do with the balance? New Car? House extension? Extra holiday? Or just boring things like reducing your overdraft, reinvesting in your business, take on a new member of staff etc.
· WHAT’S THE WORST THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN? The very worst is she doesn’t want your service or product. And actually says she has changed her mind.

Calamity! A crisis…you have been rejected. Help the end of the world is nigh!!

What do you Want from This Call?

Ideally you want to set up a meeting with Priscilla who, of course, might not always be the person you really need to meet after the event. But at this juncture she is the best bet to get you into this prospect company.

What are you going to say?

· Remind Priscilla where you met.
· Recall some of the small talk topics she told you at the event.
· If you can’t get to see her because she is not ready suggest that you spend 3 or 4 minutes on the phone.
· Reiterate what business issues she told you she had and try to find out what impact it would have on her business if you were able to help her with those issues.
· Ask more searching (but gently probing) questions and start to make proposals.

What are the various scenarios that could happen in this conversation?

1. “Lovely to hear from you again. Of course I would like to get together, let’s get our diaries out”.
2. “It’s not actually me you need, Percy deals with that sort of thing. I have mentioned it to him and he would like to hear from you. He is not in at the moment but call him tomorrow, mention my name as part of your introduction”.
3. “Can you send me some information?” (At this point ensure in your letter that you refer primarily to Priscilla’s issues and how you believe you can help. Don’t talk about yourself, how big your company is, how brilliant you are, she is not interested. All she wants to know is what’s in it for her? Ask permission to call her in two weeks to see what she thinks about the information you are sending.

4. “On reflection, I don’t think what you have to offer is for us at the moment”.

5. “I am interested but not until the Spring” Ask if you can call her then AND DIARY IT FORWARD. This could well be just a gentle ‘push off ‘ but until you call next Spring, you’ll never know.

A 3 to 5 minute call is all that’s needed and you know where you stand.

I BEG YOU PLEASE DO IT.

The Second Call (Because You Sent Information)

What do you want from this call?

The same thing, a meeting or at least a reaction to the information you sent through some two weeks previously. Sorry but now Priscilla isn’t so easily accessible. Her gatekeeper, Gaynor, is in the way. You need to treat Gaynor with as much respect, if not more, than Priscilla. Do remember that gatekeepers, whilst keeping the gate closed can just as easily open the gate for you. Treat her with respect, no shmooze, and the chances are you will get her at least to say she will ask Priscilla to call you.

She doesn’t.

More rejection, more failure, more lack of success, wasting time etc.
No! The only failure here is if you don’t make the follow-up call.


Reasons She Doesn’t Return Your Call:

You are beginning to feel rejected now aren’t you? No, it’s not you that’s being rejected, it’s the service or product you have at that moment in the life cycle of Priscilla’s business, which has been rejected.

Why? Who knows? May be:

· After she met you she didn’t really want to buy at all.
· You’re in her pending tray but it’s not priority yet.
· When she got back to work she spoke to a colleague who had talked her out of taking it further.
· She just lost a big order, which she had been expecting.
· She just incurred an enormous bad debt, which she hadn’t been expecting.
· Her spouse or social partner walked out on her that morning.
· She couldn’t be bothered.
· She thought at the time you met it was a need to have. In the cold light of day it turned into a would be nice to have.
· She made some enquiries about you and for whatever reason decided you and/or your business weren’t the right people to deal with. OK, a bit of personal rejection here may be. But hey, so what, let’s look for the next deal.
· She hasn’t dismissed it out of hand and if she knows you’re persistent she will use you to remind her you’re still about.
· She isn’t the person who can make the decision but doesn’t want to admit it.

So why doesn’t she just call you to tell you any of these things. Because she’s normal; she’s nice and she hasn’t got the heart to say no.
But you don’t know which one of these reasons it is .The worst thing in life is uncertainty and until you make the call you just won’t know!

If you don’t make the call she’ll most likely forget about you and your literature moves down the pending tray until the quarterly clear out…and then the bin!

MAKE THE CALL FOR GOODNESS SAKE!


The Third, Fourth and Fifth Calls

If you had no response keep thinking “may be, but just not at the moment”. She can’t make up her mind yet so don’t give up.

Let’s assume you haven’t been able to get through to Priscilla but wow, you are very close to Gaynor. You know she has just split up with that rat Ronnie who has been cheating on her; she is going off on a wild week away with her mates to get over him and she has got her house on the market. In fact, you are even interested in buying it. She is also feeling guilty because Priscilla hasn’t returned any of your calls.

“I promise you I do keep putting a note on her desk, I really am sorry!”

Make It Easy – Offer the Easy Way Out

“Gaynor, please ask Priscilla to tell you if there is no interest just give me a call and tell me. That way I am not wasting her time, my time and most of all your time”. Now, what’s Gaynor thinking? She may of course think “Ah that would be a shame, I’m not going to be having a nice chat with you any more!” More likely she is going to say to Priscilla “Look he has offered to go away, what do you want me to tell him?” Gaynor call back says, “After long deliberations Priscilla has decided we are not able to use your services”. Fine. You have done everything you can. You have been persistent but no one can possibly accuse you of being a pest.

Don’t worry there is always another day. Me? I only hear “not yet” and diary to call Priscilla and Gaynor again in 6 months. The trouble is by then it’s Gaye; ah well such is life! Off you go again if the rewards are big enough.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. May I suggest that you cut and paste the following and stick it near your phone?

THIS FOLLOW-UP CALL IS BEING MADE FOR 5 VERY IMPORTANT REASONS:

1. IT’S GOING TO MAKE ME LOTS OF MONEY AND I CAN SPEND IT ON…
2. WE GOT ON WELL WHEN WE MET AND THE PERSON SEEMED TO LIKE ME.
3. THERE IS DEFINITE INTEREST IN AND THE NEED FOR WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER.
4. I GENUINELY BELIEVE IT WILL HELP MY PROSPECT MAKE MORE MONEY BY USING MY SERVICES.
5. I WOULD BE COMMITING THE NETWORKING CRIME OF NOT FOLLOWING-UP AND I’M A RUDDY FOOL IF I DON’T.