Reaching out to prospects and pitching an idea is pretty intimidating, but what’s even more challenging is the follow-up process. Why? Well, because it involves a lot of parameters, and hitting the right balance between them is key. Plus, the discovery call or initial meeting is treated as very important, but the follow-up is sort of an afterthought. It makes sense that following up is uncomfortable; you don’t want to be annoying, but at the same time, you want to initiate a response from the lead’s side.
So, the best way to ace follow-ups is to figure out the optimum number based on your industry and target customer base. To make it easier to comprehend, we’ve added the best techniques here that can be useful in 2023.
How to hit the right follow-up frequency
The first decision you’ll have to make is whether you’re concerned with getting any response or getting a positive one. If you decide on the former, you’ll need to keep following up with the client politely until they give some closure. But if you want the latter, then the number of follow-ups has to be limited, and you have to be careful not to cause any annoyance. You can calculate the ideal follow-up frequency depending on how well you know a prospect. Generally, the first follow-up should be the same day as the first time reaching out to the prospect. Within a day or two should be the second one, and a third follow-up at the end of one week. From there, you can follow up as many or as few times as necessary. Prospect quality, interest, and aggression of your campaign should be the primary deciding factors for the follow-up frequency. To increase the chances of getting a response, follow these pointers when following up through phone and email.
Read more: 5 Characteristics That All Top SDRs Have
Keep the conversation short.
There’s nothing worse than a lengthy follow-up email or call. Keeping it concise and polite instigates a greater obligation to respond than an aggressive email with too many triggers.
Use the product’s USP as much as you can.
Tell the prospect how the product can help make their life easier. Be sure to include only the information relevant to the recipient and avoid anything extra. Including proof of work or testimonials can improve your chances of getting a response. But again, be careful not to overfill the email. 3 testimonials or reviews can be optimal in most cases.
Use a different approach for each follow-up.
The one thing everyone fears during follow-ups is the client getting annoyed. One way to dodge that roadblock is by changing up your follow-up approach. Whatever may be the medium, if all your follow-ups look or sound the same, then the recipient loses interest really fast. Target different pain points, present things with a different perspective, change up your email’s appearance, and focus all the while on pitching the product’s usefulness.
Offer something clear and effective with each follow-up.
One reason for not getting a response to your email could be the need for more clarity in your offer. The language should be devoid of jargon and very direct in terms of what it has to offer. A follow-up that’s respectful of the recipient’s time will most likely get a response. So use a simple, direct, and conversational tone to list the usefulness of your product briefly. What you’ll deliver with the product should be highlighted, and any clutter should be removed before you press the send button.
Make your subject lines the star of the show.
Your subject lines are what’ll drive the recipient to click on your email. So, a mistake, there is an opportunity missed. Subject lines should, of course, be short and clearly communicate how your services or product can help the prospect. Including a witty comment or targeting a pain point with your subject line is a great place to start. Creating a more personalized and conversational subject line is also a proven way to increase the chances of your email being read. Creating a fear of missing out or limited access to the product can also trigger the recipient well. Overall, anything that includes a call to action and can grab the attention of the recipient right away is the line to go with.
Conclusion
Following up can be a bit exhaustive sometimes, but with persistence and the right strategies, you can surely get a response from your lead and convert them. Continuous and targeted follow-ups are hard to pass on and always get the lead’s reply. If you ace the follow-up game, that will give you a tremendous edge over others because lead conversion will be a walk in the park, and career advancement will be faster. Never be shy of following up with a prospect because sometimes conversions happen after an inordinate number of follow-ups with a particular prospect. So, keep using the above-mentioned pointers to make your follow-up strategies foolproof.