How often has it happened that you go to a networking event, have several fantastic conversations and interactions with a number of ideal prospects. You get their business cards but, for one reason or another, you never ever followed up with them. That might have happened a few more times than most people would like to admit.
The bad news in all of this is that you have more than likely missed out on a number of very good business opportunities that could have made a very big difference in your amount of revenue, maybe a joint venture or just more visibility for your business. The good news? You can start today by committing to implementing a system to follow-up on all leads that show an interest in your business to avoid missing out on more opportunities in the future.
To do so, follow these tips for effective follow-up and prospect conversion into clientele. First, make sure that when you register to attend a networking event, add the appointment to your calendar, and add an appointment on the following day to be able to make follow up calls. Schedule out an hour to email, call or even write a hand-written note to follow-up. Block out an hour for each day of the event that you attended.
Before you go to the event, organize your system so that you know how to follow-up with each person that you come in contact with. For example, “hot” leads get a dot on the front of the card, while “warm” leads get a dot on the back.
When you meet people, take a moment between conversations to jot down a quick note about the person. Then, if you meet somebody that you feel like you need to connect with, be ahead of the curve and schedule the appointment while you are at the event.
When you get back from the event, place the stack of cards at the center of your desk to help remind you to do the follow-up on the next day. At your designated time the following day, go through the cards individually. Do whatever you feel is best for the particular card you are working with, or have your assistant do it for you.
Finally, add the individual’s contact information to your database together with a note about the steps you have taken to follow-up. Pretty easy, right? In our next article we will be discussing where to start right now on organizing your system.
Connect with Helen