prospecting for more customers

How to follow up and maintain your prospective client list.

Here are a list of things you MUST do if you want to be effective in prospecting for new clients.

Develop a system

Use a contact management or even customer retention management (crm) software to record details of all contacts and schedule future mailings and follow up calls. Even if you are a one person business you should record all details, otherwise with all the other duties you have to perform you will eventually forget important details.. Don’t commit it to memory keep a detailed log.

Follow up religiously

For successful follow up you have to make frequent contact. If you do it “when you have time” the effectiveness of follow is diminished. Create a plan of action as part of your weekly tasks to contact prospective clients then take the time to do it.

Don’t send junk.

If you are going to mail your prospects make sure the mailing contain information that is useful to the prospect. Over mailing a prospect with your sales literature becomes an annoyance. Instead become a resource for your prospect with information about the use and application of your product or services.. This could include industry news and trends, alternative use tips and so on.

Call them periodically

Call your prospects periodically to stay abreast of their plans with regards to your products and services. These calls should be structured to

Requalify the prospect

Identify those with immediate need so as to sell them product or services

Identify additional buying influences

If you are no good at this task then either use or hire someone else to do this on your behalf

Dead wood is dead wood

Maintain costs associated with mailings and phone calls by removing companies or individuals that no longer meet the criteria of prospective client.

Monitor the process

Ensure you have procedures in place to monitor your conversion rates and the overall effectiveness of your prospect follow up system. If it is not working take the necessary remedial actions.