"Follow up" to Business Success

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Business relationships are one of the most important aspects of business life today. It is so much easier to maintain our relationships to current clients, than to find new ones!

But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to get new customers. And that's no easy task, but with consistent follow up, you can be successful.

You CAN make the dreaded phone call, dress professionally, and deliver a great presentation! But if you stop there, it's all just a waste of YOUR time.

Follow up is the single most important aspect of effective marketing. Some studies indicate that about 90% of sales are lost because of failure to follow up.

Here are some suggestions of follow ups that work:

1. Send a handwritten note to thank your contact for the time spent with you (send this no later than 48 hours after your presentation).

2. Send a piece of candy, or chocolate, or cookies wrapped in cellophane for added height, and tie a pretty bow with your logo on the ribbon.

3. Send a Rolodex card with a note that says, "We're always at your fingertips when you need us"! A professional printer should print the Rolodex card and the tab should list your main benefit, rather than your company name. This makes it much easier to find when they're in a hurry.

4. Send a Postcard saying: "Just To Remind You That We're In The Business of .......!"

5. Send a Mug with your logo on it and every time they drink their coffee (tea) they'll see your name. Include a few inexpensive treats, like cocoa, coffee and maybe a cookie in it.

6. Send a pen and pad with our logo/name on them. You can make these yourself. In the computer, divide your page into quarters. Put your logo at the top left side of each quarter. You could title it "To Do List" and have lines and numbers 1 - 10 on the page. Make the first "To Do:" Call (your name) today! Take these to a printer and have them print them in padded stacks of 25 sheets of paper.

These are just a few ideas. Let your imagination run and come up with more appropriate ones for your specific industry, but always make sure you have a follow up plan in place, and USE it.

In this day and age, the more we can build on forming a "real relationship" with the client, the better off we'll be and if we want our "seeds" to grow, we have to continually water and fertilize them! We water and fertilize our customer relationships by following up.
Copyright 2001, Adriana Copaceanu

About the Author

Adriana Copaceanu is a gift basket designer, specializing in Making YOU look good.

Affordable, Beautiful, Creative Gift Solutions
Don't waste your time looking for the perfect gift! We are only a phone call away and we'll custom design your gift for any occasion.

:To contact see details below.


adriana@shentel.net
http://www.abcgiftsandbaskets.com