Want a great way to CLOSE MORE GIFTS? FOLLOW UP!
Just last week we had all of our coaches together for a few days at Eagle Creek and we spent several hours on FOLLOW-UP.
In the For Impact world, there are three parts of a great ASK:
Many times the third piece is either completely dropped or mostly an afterthought, “I met with them. I’ll wait for them to get back with me.” UGH! This could be the worst mistake of any VISIT/ASK.
Going through the effort to Get a Visit… Share the Story… Present the Opportunity… and then NOT following up is not only wrong – it’s disrespectful! When it comes to Follow-Up, the ball is always in your court.
I believe FOLLOW-UP needs to be given as much (if not more) attention than the first two parts of an ask. At the very least, these are three equal parts. I don’t have exact numbers, but I can confidently say that most of my asks are CLOSED in the third act.
There is nothing worse than having an ask pend into oblivion. Use the FOLLOW-UP to maintain control of the relationship:
“Can we talk after your visit with your financial planner?”
“We have a Board Meeting in two weeks and I would love to be able to share your commitment with the Board.”
*It’s probably impossible to misquote or butcher one of Yogi Berra’s malapropisms, but here goes:
A quick nugget on Follow Up: Practice the 36-HOUR RULE.
Complete all follow-up (with your organization, with your prospect and with yourself) within 36 hours of the visit. 80% well done follow up (in 36 hours) beats 90% – 100% perfect (in 3 weeks). The more time elapsed, the less you remember and the less they feel!
