Before we decided otherwise, Barbara and I were once investigating log homes and we did what any investigators might do. We purchased a log home magazine at the supermarket and sent away for all the free stuff that was not nailed down. We began planning our next home.
Send we did. Stuff we got. But here is where today’s lesson begins.
I am absolutely appalled at the lack of professionalism shown by the log home industry. (They do not have the monopoly on this, believe me.)
They got an “A” for sending stuff just the way many (but not all) other companies get an “A” for sending stuff from direct mail, trade shows, etc. Some send faster than others. Some don’t send anything.
But as it turned out, weeks passed after receiving the catalogs and I hadn’t received an anticipated follow up phone call. It never happened.
Haven’t log people ever been introduced to the Rule of 7? Didn’t anybody tell them the importance of looking and sounding interested? Don’t they realize that I just might have a few other things to think about during the course of a day and that I might appreciate a little reminder or nudge from their expert advisors?
I had no idea that log homes were in such demand that all you need to do is mail a few catalogs and start taking orders.
The smart log people (by my definition) would spot a guy from New Jersey (Exit 135) who was seeking information and respond accordingly.
I would have thought that they would follow the catalog with an easy to read brochure or email additional information explaining how a septic system works, or how to dig a well, or how to get “juice” from the pole to a remote location, or how to shoo bears off your back porch, or how to bake biscuits on a wood-burning stove and/or 1001 other trinkets of information that a rube from New Jersey might want to learn about prior to sticking himself along with his family on top of a hill in upstate New York.
Enough about me. What about you?
When you witness a potential client raising their hand, do you seize the opportunity by plugging them into a logical follow-up program? I certainly hope so. Because if you don’t, these very same would-be clients might be bad-mouthing you as an uneducated professional who isn’t motivated enough to play the game the way it is designed to be played. This is not the ideal situation.
Remember:
- When you are out of sight, you are out of mind.
- The Rule of 7 indicates that you must follow up more than once.
- It is not their job to follow up. It is yours.
Today is the perfect time to follow up. Put a little “bounce in your business” this week and make more people glad that they know you by doing what is right. Many will be waiting for you while others will be taken by surprise. It is fun to surprise people.
Mike Marchev is the author of the sales book titled Become The Exception and is a popular speaker at industry events. You can receive a complimentary copy of his Special Report titled “Your 12-Word Marketing Plan.” Email Mike and put the number “12” in the subject box. Also, ask about his 3rd Annual Training Cruise coming in November. Mike@MikeMarchev.com.
One thought on “Follow Up Is The Key Ingredient”
Mike, you make an excellent point. I am, however, inclined to email rather than call as people are so hard to reach by phone these days. Do you feel there must be a phone contact made vs. email?