actually follow through? Or, perhaps, they set appointments but were con-
stantly late or, worse yet, didn’t keep them. How did you feel about that per-
son in terms of your ability to count on them? Now contrast that with how
you felt about the person who was always on time, who kept appointments
like clockwork. This is the person you want to be and the follow-up step gives
you the opportunity to brand yourself in the eyes of your potential customers
or partners as such.
At the end of each phone conversation or appointment, establish your
next point of contact with your potential customer/partner, whether that is a
follow-up phone call, a three-way phone call, or an additional meeting or
event. Then, follow through like clockwork as you said you would, even if
that means that you are to touch base with them in three to six months be-
cause the time is not right today. By doing so, you will brand yourself as a
professional and as someone upon whom they can rely. This will leave a last-
ing impression that can live in their minds long after your contact with them
is over. Therefore, if and when your prospect is ready to move to action in the
future, with whom do you think they’ll want to be involved, you or someone
else? It’s so rare to find people who fall into this category! Therefore, doing
what I’ve mentioned here will automatically set you apart from the pack.
MAKE THE MOST EFFICIENT
USE OF YOUR TIME
An additional benefit of being clear on when your next point of contact is
with your potential partner/customer is that you’ll save yourself a great deal
of time. You’ll cut down on the annoying phone tag and the slowing down of
the process by having to wait on them to return your call. You’ll also save
yourself time by getting a clear picture of whether the individual is truly inter-
ested. If they miss the agreed-upon time and don’t call you back or make the
scheduled appointment, thus not respecting you or your time, then you know
that they may not be a good candidate and you can move on more readily. Of
course, a quick reminder call 24 hours before any face-to-face appointment or
event will remind them of the appointment and cut down on no-shows. It also
serves to help you clarify their level of interest even further. I consider all of
this an integral part of the follow-up process.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Here’s one thing people rarely realize. From the minute you make the initial
contact with a potential customer or partner, you’re training them on how
Proper Follow-Up: The Hidden Gold Mine 253