Techniques To Following Up With Your Prospects
The follow up is in fact the most important part of the prospecting process so you need to give it some thought and time to make sure you get it right. We discuss a number of important points everyone should consider when preparing to follow up with prospects-a process that tells you whether you can form a long lasting business relationship with the prospect.
We’ve already talked about how important it is not to grab everyone who shows interest in the team. Just make sure you know why you are taking in a new recruit because if you know their skills then you can put them to good use. In this business you sift and sort, not convince.
2. Edification
When first starting out, it’s a good idea to have an experienced up-line or mentor to assist you with prospecting and follow-up. If you are meeting someone for the follow-up it wouldn’t hurt to bring a long a more experienced member. This will help boost your conversion rate and make you an expert within no time.
Before you drag your mentor to your next meeting, contact the prospect and let them know you intend to bring someone to the meeting. It would help if you mentioned some of the accomplishments your mentor has in the industry, and encourage the prospect to ask questions. If the follow-up is done through a phone call, you can ask them to join in on the three-way call, it works just as efficiently.
That process of highlighting your team mates’ achievements is what’s called edification and it helps build respect as your prospect learns more about your supportive network.
3. Remember what you’re selling
Try to recap on some of the basic marketing principles we mentioned earlier on; unless you’re trying to convert existing network marketers, you have to know that your prospects are not really focused on the fancy products or the smooth compensation plan; what they want is a solution to their problems. This is what you need to target when doing the follow-throughs.
At the end of the day, that compensation plan is essentially a vehicle the person will use to solve some of their existing problems. When selling a business model some sales agents assume that prospects want in simply because they can make extra money. While the cash might be a good incentive, it is also important to make the solution client-specific. Find out what that extra money could do for the prospect, and you have a decent angle to work from.
4. “In the warehouse we make cosmetics, in the stores we sell hope” - Charles Revlon
Because you want to be more effective and succeed better with the prospects, you will have to be more specific when tailoring that solution. For instance, the family may have planned a trip to Disneyland but never got to go, or perhaps the family has been eyeing that perfect dream house by the beach: whatever the dream is, you need to make it a possibility. This is why you need to know your prospects well. Look out for specific emotional phrases and use them to tailor a fitted response.
5. Leadership
We’ve mentioned self-assurance and how crucial it is when building the team. It’s also important when you approach a follow up which is why you need to believe in the company, the product, and the dream it sells. Don’t let the questions throw you off, just stick what the opportunity can do for the prospect, and if there’s something you don’t understand, it would be the best time to let your more experienced mentor interject.
Closing the deal
This is the best part of any business transaction and more so in network marketing, but keep in mind the relationship doesn’t end here, and you will continue to interact with the person long after you get them on your team. The rapport stage is simple enough because people love to talk about themselves but at some point you will have to steer the conversation to the direction you want.
“The reason I’m calling you is to ask if you had a chance to review the information I gave you?””
If they forgot about that, chances are they are not remotely interested in what you’re selling. It’s one of the processes people use to sort out the masses. If, however they made time to read the material, then you can move on to the next step. One of the concepts behind successful follow-ups is to make sure the prospect thinks about the positive aspects of the business opportunity, whether those positive aspects are accurate or of their own interpretation.
By asking the right questions, you can steer the conversation in the right direction and have the prospect focusing on what’s important- that is, the remediation of their immediate problems. Some individuals tend to keep an open mind when faced with new experiences and challenging opportunities and this makes it easier to sell the idea. Not everyone is built that way and you will come across rigid people who approach business with a narrow focus. Try not to get rattled when your ideas get challenged.
What to expect from the follow up process
Ideally, you want to get back with that person or couple as soon as possible, preferably within a few days, while the idea is still fresh on their minds. You also don’t want them to talk to the wrong people and get some negative feedback about the industry. It would be harder to get them past this if the feedback came from close friends or family.
The follow-up process can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks and in some cases, you can go for months or even years building friendship and the dream, until the time comes for them to join you.
General guide