How to Effectively Follow Up

Fortune is in the follow up, right? Who coined that phrase? We all use it, say it to our team, and sink our head in guilt when we know we didn’t follow up and lost that contact or business.
Why is following up with people so scary? Is it because you are afraid of no? Many of the times, people say they are NOT afraid of no. I know for myself, it can be just times where I don’t want to get on the phone. It requires a certain amount of high energy, conversation, and thought process that I’m guilty in just letting the cards land where they may.

Developing your system of sharing your business and following up with your contacts is critical in the growth of your success. Surely, you have seen many different systems to track these contacts. Many people use purchased systems, excel docs, notebooks, and even the index card file system. Whichever works for your brain, develop it and do it.
But how can you be better at actually following up with people without coming across like a stalker? We surely do not want to build that reputation where everyone scatters when they see us coming. Typically, you create this experience and reputation yourself.
Following up is expected. Think about a time you shopped around for a consultant or a contractor, and waited for them to follow back up with you on their proposal, and they never did. Typically, we don’t seek them out. We move on in our searches to find someone new who puts value in their business, their customer, and has a great professional demeanor about them. It’s just good business and practice to follow through and follow up.

You need to create the expectation and the appointment of when you will be following up with your contact following your conversation or sharing the details of your opportunity.
Throwing the ball in their court and never setting back up for the return is like throwing the ball down a dark endless well. It’s not coming back and you then become a stalker periodically sending messages on their facebook wall, texting them, trying to pass them in the hall so you can causally “bring it up”.

Set the appointment up at the end of your initial conversation. It’s just what we do, without thinking about it.
In our everyday practices, we do this without thinking it’s a scheme, a stalker, or a nuisance.

• You get your hair done, you pay and set up your next appointment (cha-ching- future business for them)
• You go to the chiropractor, and set up your next appointment or appointments (cha-ching- future business for them)
• You get a babysitter, call it a night and pay her. On the way out, give her the next timeframe you will be scheduling her. (cha-ching- future business for them)
• You have your housekeeper come, you send them on their way scheduling the next cleaning appointment. (cha-ching- future business for them)

I can go on, but it happens without you even thinking about it, and it is expected.
So carry this over in your business. Get in the habit with every business transaction, presentation, or direction you have with your contact, leave the conversation with a scheduled follow up appointment time.
It’s your follow up “massage” appointment. Don’t miss it! 😉

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WATCH YOUR MOUTH! How the words you choose can create a positive or negative response.

Building your business is scary, especially in the business. You want to make your investment a HUGE success immediately! YOU love the product, the people, the mission, the company, and you can’t wait to share it! But the problem starts to reveal itself quickly! You don’t understand why your business may not be growing. Why do people show interest then disappear? One of the biggest challenges in starting your business is building confidence. Having a strong self and level of confidence in what you do know will carry more weight in trying to learn everything about the company and trying to explain it all to your contact.

You don’t need to know everything about the company. Period.

Think of when you started a new job. The BIG one, the one you first got out of college, the one where it’s your “career”. That first day, that first week, that first month; were you required to be an expert? To have all the systems down? To know everyone’s name and their job title and description? To have all the products memorized, know the ingredients or how it was made? Obviously, the answer is, no! If your employer expected this of you, they surely are not doing a great job with being a leader in management position.
Wasn’t it funny when you finally discovered that bathroom that was just around the corner, super close to you, when you had been walking clear across the building as that was the only bathroom you knew? Or how easy it was when you figured out how to finally use the client database when it was like a foreign language to you at the start?

Why am I bringing this up? Because I’d like for you to feel what you should feel when you start something new. You can’t know it all, and you won’t know where all the bathrooms are I.e: shortcuts.
So stop trying to be an expert, success, know it all. Just be confident in what you do know and what you are passionate about. Now, this leads me to the REAL topic at hand.

When speaking with someone about the possible option of joining your business, working with you, or buying this product, the choice of words you use tell the story. Wouldn’t you love to have your next conversation hidden camera video taped? You could learn so much! How your body language is. What you say. If you are confident. If you puke all over them with details and more details. If you even ask them a question or let them talk. If you know what their primary need or interest is.

Keep it simple. Stay confident in what you do know and what you are passionate about. The choice of words you use will bring up the feeling for result in the conversation. If you tend to speak with negative words, (it’s not this….you aren’t….you don’t have to that…it isn’t going to be…) you will create a wall and a negative feeling for the person you are speaking to.
You help them feel what you want them to feel all by the words you are choosing.

Nothing feels worse than the feeling of defending yourself or your business in a conversation. If you have moved the conversation into this direction, pause, and nicely end the conversation. You won’t ever be able to convince a negative nelly as well as someone who just doesn’t believe in your mission.

Keep it simple, keep it positive, and keep the conversation about them. It’s not about you.

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Are you ADVERTISING or MARKETING your business?

For most small-business owners, typically, the selling process is anything but easy and sometimes frightful! In fact, when it comes to promoting your product or service, many entrepreneurs struggle with any number of issues, including lack of confidence in themselves or their product, fear of failure/rejection and fear of closing the deal. On average, most new business owners fall quick and deep into the habit of advertising because our brains and our outside influences are so conditioned in doing so. Oddly enough, it’s a turn off! Put the shoe on the other foot and you will clearly see how turned off or how quick you are to hit the delete key on that incoming promo email, doesn’t matter who it came from, right? We just don’t want to be sold. There is a difference between advertising and marketing. The good news is experts say these fears and processes can be overcome with the proper attitude, training and practice.

First things first lets showcase some of the typical areas that may be holding you back in your business.

1) Nervous about making a Negative First Impression? You have complete control over this! It’s been said that first impressions are 50% of the getting to know you/like you process. Depending on where you are working to build your business, do as the Roman’s do, to a degree. People are attracted to other’s who look like them, dress like them, and act like them. If your audience is young vibrant early twenties women, you may want to wear the hot color now out and well put together outfits with accessories. You do not need to “act as a twenty year old” especially if you are no where near that age range. If your audience is a group of business professionals, look the part!

2) Scared of Rejection? Rejection actually can work in your favor. You’ve heard the saying, “Go for No.” this will actually force you to practice! Practicing where you can continuing to present your services, craft, or products for your audience will only make you better. Understanding the reasons behind a rejection can help you refine your product and presentation. Sometimes, the only way to beat that fear is to confront it. The more you do it the better you become at it, and less fear will be the result. Additionally, what you have may not be suited for everyone. Work with the people it is best suited for.

3) Are you Coming Across as Too Pushy? Focus more on having a conversation with someone than simply selling. Not every conversation has to move into you selling them what you have. But if the conversation does lead this way, learn the prospect’s needs and ask yourself if what you’re offering is of real value to that person. When you care about your prospective customer and develop a sense of trust, you’re more likely to make the sale. Business is about relationships, not who you can sell something to.

What’s the difference between advertising and marketing then? Easy, think about advertising. Shouldn’t be too hard, you are getting slammed with it everyday!
Advertising is the direct promotion of products and services to you. Sometimes in can be screamed in a mass promotion over and over again and on the most common level new business owners take, they personally send off “form” letters and canned conversations without finding out what the other person may need.
This of course allows people to move you into the white noise category and easily into the deleted email folder.

The best way to build your business is by marketing. You are a business, so own it! You provide service, products, and an opportunity for people. Just because you offer something that requires an exchange of money or commitment, doesn’t mean you are a slimy bad guy. You just need to find the right people that are looking for what you need. Again, you are a business. This is the way of the world, business is all around us. Services are being bought. Products are being purchased. How do you fall into being a success then? The biggest difference will be your interest in who you are speaking with. It’s not what’s in it for you, but what’s in it for them. Discover their needs and how you may be able to help support that need for a solution. Specifically creating a bigger social network allows you to speak more and more to people without intention. Once you have learned this skill, it really opens the door for attraction marketing; that’s a whole other story!

How to Start Conversations

When you come from a place of genuine interest and warmth, almost anything you say will be well received and appreciated. What you actually say doesn’t have to be clever, how knowledgable you are, or how much you can “save” them will actually create alienation and a loss of connection. People appreciate others showing genuine interest, and everyone appreciates and treasures those moments when we drop our “presentations” and become authentic.

Conversation and small talk isn’t easy and natural for everyone, but it’s a skill that can be learned. The more you practice, obviously, the easier and more spontaneous it will become. A tip to start “training” yourself to be better at it, is to put yourself in a non threatening comfortable situation. This will mean different things for each of you as some of you might be a very comfortable parent chatting on the sidelines to other parents, while others may be very comfortable walking up to someone to help them in the grocery store. You can easily start by making small talk with the clerks where you shop and the waiters/waitresses when you are out for a meal or even your morning coffee. Oddly enough, this tip may be VERY helpful…..Practice with telephone solicitors! Why? Because it will challenge you to keep the conversation going with asking leading questions and the caller will stay on the line for obvious reasons!

Initiating a conversation with a stranger might not be easy, but we can’t let fear or our anxieties run our lives and keep us from growing. You only grow when you put yourself in challenge uncomfortable positions, and learn some lessons along the way. Additionally, you never know what kind of day the other person may be having, and just your friendly banter may brighten their day or even make them smile. Others may even be flattered! In general, we all love to be noticed and appreciated for our efforts.

So what do you say? It really doesn’t matter as long as you say something. Start be getting comfortable with opening the door for communication with a simple SMILE and a warm “Hi,” “Hello,” “How are you?” or “Good morning,” and see what happens! If you know the person’s name or something about them say, “Hi, Nancy. How are you doing?” or “Hey, how is potty training that new dog of yours?” the next step is VERY important, Listen and respond appropriately. Some people need that nudge to keep the fire of communicating going. You may need to drive the conversation a bit. Always pay attention to body language though. If someone is darting their eyes, pulling away from you, seems rushed, let the conversation close. You may find some of your conversations may be a bit out from left field while others open a whole new world of things in common and the conversation can go on and on. Additionally, some conversations you wish you never started and others might be the high point of your day. It’s all a lesson, and sometimes a risk we have to take on opening the lines of communication.

What you really want to get into the habit of doing is asking open-ended questions as opposed to yes/no questions. If the person can respond with either a yes or a no, that’s not a good question you should ask. Again people always like to be complimented or feel of value. Starting with a compliment or asking for their opinion even on something you may be an expert about, will open up for a back and forth dialogue. It gives other people the permission and opportunity to talk. You may need to memorize some cliche open-ended questions that can be used as ice breakers in different social settings. At a party you might ask how they know the people who are throwing the party. Or at the grocery store, you may ask for some help on picking out the best beef for your stew. You can even ask for directions or recommendations to some great local restaurants or shopping areas. (even if you know them all!)

One of the best tips to finding out someone’s name is to introduce yourself first or introduce someone else in your party so they can offer up their name to them. People always value the sound of their name, especially when someone else remembers it. So at the close of the conversation, if you have completely forgotten their name, don’t be ashamed in asking for it again. If it’s a name that warrants spelling, ask them how they spell it.

The only way you will get better at socializing and communicating is to get out there and do it! Follow me on Facebook for more free advice, tips, motivation and training! http://tinyurl.com/christinedwyer

Sales without Selling

If you’re involved in a company or position that involves sales – you’ve got to know how to sell without selling. There are very few people who aren’t very annoyed by the over zealous salesman who wants to know ‘How can I get you in this car today?’!

So how do you make that happen?

Focus – First, stop thinking about you and focus on what they need.
Get to know them. Ask them what they’re looking for and what their goals are. Only when you understand what they need, can you make the proper recommendations.

Empathize – If you’ve really listened to them, then you’ve heard any frustrations they may have and you can show empathy. Share a similar situation, and how something helped you, but don’t take the spotlight off them.

Be honest – Share what works for you, and how the products may help them as well. But don’t over endorse your product or set the expectation way over the limit. Explain what it will help with, compare it to other products, even point out the pros AND cons, just be honest.

When people know that you truly have their best interest at heart, and they can trust you, they won’t just buy something this time, they will be a client for life.

HOW TO BUILD A FOLLOWING & TRUST WITH YOUR FUTURE FOLLOWERS!

How are you able to grow in your business ventures if you keep searching, hoping, crossing your fingers that someone will find your information and want to get connected with you and your business?

It’s easy to get caught up with the “slam it out there” message with your business, but in reality, it doesn’t work. What DOES work with growing your business is the relationship, trust, and down to earth human approach. Be interested in others, rather than taking the 6 year old approach of “look what I can do”, “look what I know”, “look how awesome I am.”

3 TIPS on how to effectively build a relationship with your followers:

1. BE CONSISTENT! – Posting every so often doesn’t create a reason for people to follow you. Infrequent posts don’t create that feeling of hunger! Hungry for more reason to stay connected with you! At a minimum, social sites like Facebook have to have at least one post a day. Blog content at a minimum should be once per week. Frequency creates re-call and discovery. If you are barely there, you are forgettable and won’t be discovered by that random person who was online just at the right time.

2. BE A GIVER NOT A TAKER! – Posting about what you do, what you sell, and how amazing you are speaks only to one person, your ego and your pocket. Being consistent in yoru posts but not providing helpful content that creates conversation and interest in others doesn’t create a following. It actually repels people, you become like white noise. Take a step back every so often and see if your posts are something you as a “customer” would gravitate towards. It’s easy to keep falling back into old habit, so do this review often.

3. BE REAL, BE HUMAN, BE YOU! – if you want to gain your reader’s trust and following, acknowledging that you have lessons learned, struggles, and life experiences that you want to share, they will connect with you. Being perfect, a know it all, and just a resource of telling people what they should do creates a different perception of who you are and what you represent. Most of the time, it’s a perception that you are self serving. Focus on being helpful, giving, and ask for feedback, response, and conversation to a topic of interest.