by Art Sobczak

Many sales reps make the mistake of sending out literature after a brief prospecting telephone call, then begin the follow-up call with the “mail inspector” opening:

“Hi, I was checking to make sure you received the literature I sent.”

Then they follow with the equally ineffective,

“Uh, do you have any questions?”

After hearing “No, no questions,” they end with,

“Well, keep us in mind if you ever need anything.”

The listener, trying to sound as sincere as he can while lying (or suppressing laughter) responds, “Oh, OK, I will.”

Why do most follow-up sales calls go nowhere? Two reasons:

1) The initial call was ineffective, therefore the follow-up is not much warmer than the first cold call.

2) The use of go-nowhere, rejection-inducing approaches and questions on the follow-up.

Here’s how to correct both.

First, you need a good reason to follow up. Make your first call better. Don’t simply introduce yourself, say you’ll send literature and rush off the phone. That ensures a follow-up that’s almost like another cold call. Be sure it’s worth your time to call back. Ensure the prospect will do something between the initial call and the scheduled follow-up. The opening of your follow-up call should bring them into a conversation that re-addresses the hot points from the last call, and moves the process closer to the ultimate action you seek (the sale or appointment).

Here’s a simple opening.

1. Identification. The easy part. Name and company will do: “Hi, Pat, this is Jan Stevens with Low-Tech Industrial Supply.”

2. Bridge. Bring them back to where they were when you ended the previous call. Remind them of their interest.

“ . . . I’m calling to pick up where we left off two weeks ago, where we went through the savings you’d show with the internal management of your . . .”

3. The agenda for this call. This part needs to be proactive:

“I’d like to review the material I sent you and point out the specific cost-cutting features that apply to . . .”

Other proactive words and phrases include, “discuss,” “analyze,” “cover” and “walk through.”

Also include a value-added reason for this call. This way, if their interest has waned since the last contact, or they didn’t follow through with what they said they’d do (which happens quite often), you still have a basis for continuing this contact.

For example:

“I did some research and came up with a few examples of something you showed interest in the last time we spoke, how other metalworking firms have used this process.”

Reach Art Sobczak at (800) 326-7721 or via e-mail at  arts@businessbyphone.com.

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2001 issue of Progressive Distributor. Copyright 2001.

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