they should do the business. They are going to remember what you did when
you called them, what steps you took, and how you reacted and responded.
Providing the right example for your current team and those who decide to
join you in the future is critical to growing and leading an organization that
duplicates. To that end, being the professional you want your people to be
provides the right example for them to follow and in turn gives you an edge.
This is true not only in following up, but in every facet of this business. This
may seem daunting, but when you really think about it, it actually makes this
business very simple.
THE PROCESS
Now that we’ve discussed some of the benefits of following up, you can see
not only how important this step is but also why it truly is a hidden gold
mine. Now let’s talk about how to “mine,” that is, the precise steps and ele-
ments of following up properly. Being an engineer by training, it helps me to
look at things in steps, so that’s how I’ll lay it out for you in order to be as
clear as possible, starting with the initial contact.
Step One: The Initial Contact or Phone Call
Since we’re not really talking about prospecting in this chapter, there’s not
much to say here other than this is where it all starts. Regardless of what
presentation or information means you choose, be sure that when this call
or conversation is over, you and your potential customer/partner have
agreed on when to talk again. The best thing to do in this regard is to ask
them what works for them, and then be sure to have a meeting of the
minds in terms of when you should talk about this next. For example:
“How much time do you feel you’ll need to review this information?” Or
“Let’s plan a time to talk again to avoid phone tag. Is 10 A.M.or 8 P.M.to-
morrow better for you?”
I especially like the second example because it gives them two options
that work for you and helps to eliminate procrastination on their part. Of
course, you want to gauge yourself here. If you’re speaking to a customer or
someone just casually interested, too much pressure will work against you.
But if you are speaking with someone, particularly a potential partner, who
you know has more than just a casual interest, creating a sense of urgency
greatly works in your favor. As a general rule of thumb, your goal for the
time interval between contacts is no more than 48 hours. I’ve found this
time frame to be very important because within 48 hours, the information
will still be fresh in their minds—but not for much longer than that! Also
aiming for 48 hours helps you determine your potential partner/customer’s
254 THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO NETWORK MARKETING