FU Is For Follow Up

If you follow this blog, you may have seen that several times I have suggested that those people who are not cut out for a career in sales, should seriously consider transitioning to a career in hospitality. Based on recent experiences I’ve had as a prospect, and seeing how some sales people execute their sale, I am beginning to firmly believe that there is an expert on clairvoyance, who on his blog, is recommending to his readers that those who can’t cut it as clairvoyants, strongly consider a career in sales.

The reason I say this is the number of instances I have seen where people, who have a sales title of some sort on their business card, seem to be selling by using the ESP sales methodology. That’s right, you’ve heard of SPIN, The Challenger Sale, The Objective Seller, and other sales methodologies; but all of those combined, don’t come close to the number of sellers who use the Extra Sensory Perception approach to sales and prospecting.

Here are but two examples. I was recently in the market for something that I can either buy some apps and do myself, or hire a service to do it for me. I pursued the latter, and met with a couple of providers in and around Toronto. One I met with did a good job qualifying the opportunity, there was good alignment between their offering and my objectives. For me it was a low energy day, so I was not jumping up and down every time we identified a fit, nor did I high-five them as I was leaving. We agreed that based on the exchange they would forward a proposal by the following Monday, and “follow up with in a few days of sending.” (First mistake, they should have confirmed a time, especially with people not tied to their desk.)

Here we are more than month later, no proposal – no follow up. The only conclusion I can come to is that A) they didn’t like me and didn’t want to help me, not the first time, but it was a nice slice of revenue. B) They are useless. C) They are clairvoyant, they were able to use the ESP method to know that I will not buy their service, so why waste time, effort, or router capacity to send the proposal. Although I have to believe that if they did possess this skill (power) they would have known this the minute I walked in, or even before, and not wasted any time on me.

Myself, I think they are useless, not following up is just not acceptable. Even when I have meetings where I know we will not do business now, or ever, I still send a follow up note, if for no other reason than to keep up my reputation, not being clairvoyant, I don’t know what will happen in the future, where they may end up working next year. If I have any inkling of possible business, I follow up for the obvious (may be not to some) reasons.

Another example is when sales people are tasked with calling either people who stopped by their booth at a trade show, or sales people who spend part of their day collecting cards to use for potential appointments. Time after time, I see people just look at the name on a list, or hold the business card, at a certain angle at given distance from their eyes, and the miraculously divine not only whether the person will give them an appointment, but whether they will buy.

Not possessing that skill, I find that following up by making the call often leads to the same results, no appointment – no sale; but sometimes these people invite me in, and then buy, who would’ve known?
I know it takes effort, not just the actual act of follow up, but the planning, the flow, the means, and more. Start with a plan, map out the various potential outcomes to each stage of the sale, including next steps, (plans A, B, and C). Once you have that flow, just execute, complete the plan; it won’t make non-buyers buyers, but those people on the fence, will more likely fall your way, especially when the competitors don’t follow up. Seems to me that if you are going to start something, following up, and bringing it to whatever closure, regardless of final outcome, is just more professional and profitable than letting things hang.

© 2014 by Tibor Shanto. Tibor Shanto – Principal – Renbor Sales Solutions Inc., is a recognized speaker, author of award winning book Shift!: Harness The Trigger Events That Turn Prospects Into Customers, and sought after trainer; his work has appeared in numerous publications and leading websites. Called a brilliant sales tactician, Tibor helps organizations execute their strategy by using the EDGE Sales Process to create the perfect combination of strategy, tactics, and skills to ensure execution. This forward thinker has been ranked 8th on the “Top 30 Social Salespeople in the World” by Forbes.com. He has also received Gold Medal for the “Top Sales & Marketing Blog 2013” from the Top Sales World Awards. Tibor can be reached at tibor.shanto@sellbetter.ca or + 1 416-822-7781.