How can you create a follow-up plan that is both timely and effective for outside sales?

3 Set your follow-up frequency

Another important aspect of your follow-up plan is how often you will contact your prospects and customers. You don't want to be too pushy and annoy them, but you also don't want to be too passive and lose their interest. The optimal frequency depends on several factors, such as your sales cycle length, your audience's buying stage, your industry norms, and your previous interactions. A general rule of thumb is to follow up within 24 hours after your initial contact, and then every 3-7 days until you get a response or a decision. However, you should also be flexible and adapt to your audience's behavior and feedback. For example, if they ask you to follow up in a specific time frame, or if they show signs of urgency or hesitation, you should adjust your frequency accordingly.

4 Craft your follow-up message

Once you have defined your objectives, chosen your method, and set your frequency, you need to craft your follow-up message. Your message should be concise, clear, and compelling. It should also be personalized, relevant, and value-driven. You should avoid generic or spammy messages that don't address your audience's needs, challenges, or goals. Instead, you should focus on how you can help them solve their problems, achieve their desired outcomes, or improve their situation. You should also include a clear call to action that tells them what you want them to do next, such as reply, book a meeting, sign a contract, or refer a friend. Finally, you should proofread your message for grammar, spelling, and tone errors, and make sure it reflects your brand voice and personality.

5 Track and measure your follow-up results

The last step of your follow-up plan is to track and measure your results. You should use a CRM system or a spreadsheet to record your follow-up activities, such as the date, time, method, message, and outcome of each interaction. This will help you stay organized, accountable, and consistent with your follow-up plan. It will also help you analyze your follow-up performance, such as your response rate, conversion rate, referral rate, or customer satisfaction rate. You should use this data to identify what works and what doesn't, and to optimize your follow-up plan accordingly. You should also seek feedback from your prospects and customers, and use it to improve your follow-up skills and strategies.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?