Five Effective Ways To Master Your Follow-Up Sales Call
Originally posted on Salesflare Blog.
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44% of salespeople give up after the first follow-up. Just to put things into perspective, 80% of successful deals require at least five follow-ups and multiple calls to close.
The way I like to put it, the fortune is in the follow-up… quite literally. Of the million things sales reps have to deal with, following up is such a key aspect of the job. You’re jumping from one call to the next, talking to new prospects, filling out your CRM, and trying to stay on top of new leads. Inevitably, deals and follow-ups will fall through the cracks. Here are five ways you can master the follow-up after each sales call and close more deals.
1. Set the right follow-up expectations during the sales call
At the end of each sales call, ask your prospects what they think would be the best next steps. Use this to gauge their interest and then suggest your own action items.
Of the several thousand calls Fireflies analyzes every month, we noticed the best reps allocate around seven minutes to clarify next steps. We also analyzed that over 80% of calls will run over time so allocating just enough time for next steps prepares you well for the next interaction.
In your next steps, outline how you will be reaching back out to them. If the goal is to book another meeting, try to have them open their calendar in front of you and confirm a time before the end of the call.
2. Remember to email before and after the sales call
You’ve got a calendar full of appointments. That’s a good sign, but many of these calls are not going to happen because the prospect will get busy and forget. Reminders are important at least 24 hours before an upcoming meeting and within 24 hours after a meeting.
At Fireflies, we saw a 16% increase in the number of prospects that showed up due to sending these time sensitive emails. At the end of the day, you are asking prospects for their time. It’s our responsibility to keep them in the loop.
It also helps build momentum because the worst feeling is waiting on that sales call and not seeing anyone join the meeting. Fireflies captures dozens of calls every week for reps. We’ve analyzed 1 in 13 calls led to someone waiting on the conference line but eventually ending the meeting prematurely because no one showed up. This just hurts any rep’s confidence, so remember to send that gentle nudge. It will be well worth your time.
Post meeting follow-ups should briefly summarize what was discussed as well as the key next steps. You don’t have to write a page long email. Something short and courteous works better but make sure to put the ball in back in their court as well as owning up to what you will do after the call.