Your salesperson shines in discovery but falters in follow-up. How can you help them bridge the gap?

1 Assess Skills

To help your salesperson improve their follow-up process, start by assessing their skills and identifying specific areas where they falter. It's important to understand whether they lack organizational skills, forget to set reminders, or simply struggle with crafting compelling follow-up messages. Once you pinpoint the root causes, you can tailor your coaching to address these specific issues. Encourage them to reflect on their follow-up attempts and gather feedback from customers to gain insights into what works and what doesn't.

2 Set Objectives

Clear objectives are vital for improving any skill, including sales follow-up. Work with your salesperson to set achievable follow-up goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). These objectives could range from increasing the response rate to follow-up emails to reducing the time between follow-up contacts. By having clear targets, your salesperson can focus their efforts and measure their progress, which is essential for motivation and improvement.

4 Enhance Messaging

Effective follow-up is not just about timing; it's also about the message. Guide your salesperson in crafting follow-up communications that add value and remind the customer of the benefits discussed during discovery. Encourage them to personalize messages and to propose clear next steps. This approach can help maintain the customer's interest and move them closer to a decision. Role-playing different scenarios can also be a useful exercise for refining messaging skills.

6 Reflect & Adapt

Finally, encourage your salesperson to continuously reflect on their follow-up practices and adapt based on what they learn. Each interaction with a customer is an opportunity to refine their approach. Encourage them to ask for feedback from customers and peers to understand the effectiveness of their follow-up methods. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation, you'll help your salesperson turn their follow-up process into a powerful asset in their sales toolkit.