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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Less IS More! Prospecting for your Network Marketing Business

Call it what you want, but prospecting is specifically thinking about sharing your business with someone else. The dictionary’s definition: pros·pect (prspkt)
n. – a. A potential customer, client, or purchaser.

You will have a greater success rate in building your direct marketing or network marketing business if you focus simply, on keeping it simple.
In everything in life, we become very familiar with things we are passionate about. We become very excited and can’t wait to tell the world so they too can become just as excited and join the excitement bubble we have for that particular product, service, or opportunity.
When working to build your business and the daily action of putting your opportunity, product, or service specifically in front of someone you feel should check it out too, it can become a dangerous line between sharing too much information.

It’s easy to confuse people as well as to talk them right out of even checking it out. Less IS More! Be excited! Make them make their own decision on taking that next step further to see if this is something they are interested in. Below are three top tips to follow when sharing your opportunity with a prospect.

1) BE EXCITED AND CONFIDENT! Speak with energy and confidence. Your facial expressions, body language, and vocal tone will be the first impression on this conversation. With whatever you are about to say, focus on these areas first.

2) BE EFFECTIVE IN KEEPING IT SIMPLE! No need to go into a long list of how to win this, make money here, this random person they don’t know is so successful, you get training here, you can do these home parties there, you can start challenges here, and you can win this award here…etc..you just confused the heck right out of them and made the decision for them. People are busy! If you are clear, concise, and simply just drop a seed so they can go develop that curiosity in your opportunity.

3) POINT THEM TO THE PRESENTATION/PRODUCT/SERVICES! Be clear in direction. Fumbling over your words speaks lack of confidence. Have a clear direction of what you want them to look further into. If it’s a video presentation of your business, know which one you like the best, and be consistent on sharing that. When it is a product, best practices is to have a sample on you to hand over.

In all of your prospecting experiences, be sure to set a clear time for them to check out what you want them to check out and a clear time as to when you will be following back up with them.
Following up is the biggest mistake direct marketers make. Consider it peace of mind! You know where this person stands and you are never left wondering if they checked it out, are they interested, as well as you get to leave the stalker label to the next guy.

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