Maximizing Follow-Up Success: Tips and Tricks for PC Consultants

[scottcooks]

I just ordered 200 new catalogs to get ready for the new season, and they sent me OLD catalogs!! Of course, I called and asked for the current ones, but got the "be more careful when you order" lecture from HO. So from the "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" school, I hit up my savings account and am sending most of them out to anyone who has ever bought from me, along with...

My newsletter (thank you, Rita Webster - I borrowed!!) which shows which items are discontinued and price increases.

It cost $1.11 per catalog, so I will be following up beginning tonight with everyone who was mailed-to.

Any secrets to following up? It is by far my W E A K E S T trait as a PC consultant. I'm including the newsletter here - maybe it will give you some ideas. (again - most direct thanks to Rita Webster for posting it first)

So - how do YOU succeed at follow up?

 

[soccermama]

Scott~ What a great way to make lemonade from those lemons (And BTW... I noticed your last name is the same as my bookkeepers for my day job... wonder if there's any relation to her?)

I would say that you should go to Consultants Corner and print out the Customer Care log and scripts! This will help you keep track and it has great wording for making those calls. Just call everyone and ask if they got your catalog and newsletter and remind them of the discontinued items list and give them a deadline by which you'd need their order to have the best chance of the item supply not running out.

Good Luck!

 

[raebates]

Celeste is right. The Customer Care Log and scripts are a good place to start. The main thing is, like Nike says, just do it! Set a specific time each day or each week to make those calls. Keep a notebook handy so you can be sure to follow up on any questions or requests. Of course, you'll want to have your host kits ready to go so that you can get them right out to the people who book.

Best wishes for a successful month!

 

[AJPratt]

Saw this and thought of you...I subscribe to this amazing free email service from SussessFactory.com for direct-sellers. This is what I got in today's email.

Subject: Customer Follow-up

I love your Success Factory Tips! They inspire me! Could you post something about follow-up with customers? I could really use some help with follow-up procedures. I realize that follow-up with customers is where more sales come from; satisfied customers. But I find myself spinning my wheels looking for new customers; when I should be calling my current customers! But my new customers seem to get lost in my day to day business. Does anyone have a good system of customer follow-up? Your comments and advice are always appreciated!
Chris Olmogueze, Jacksonville, FL
Dear Chris - Thank you for your kind comments. We are happy to hear that our tips are helping you!

Customer follow up is so valuable. It is important, not only to service your existing customers, but to generate a new customer base as well. It takes a ton more energy to find a new customer than it does to service an existing customer well, so continue to do your best to balance both.

In terms of a follow up system, there are many out there to choose from. The most important thing is to choose one that you will USE regularly and comfortably. There is no magic to the system, the magic happens when you work the system.

If you work well on the computer, there is a software system called ACT that really is good for follow up as you can schedule your calls and they pop into your computer daily. You can even get really high tech and have the data transferred into your Palm Pilot.

Franklin Planners also has software for your PC and Palm Pilot.

If you are more of a “hands on” paper person, you can work simply with a 79 cent spiral notebook. Just log your calls daily as you make them and if follow up is required, put the names and numbers into your calendar.

Another system you can use is a 3 ring binder and filler paper. Go to your local office supply store and get dividers - January through December and 1 through 31. Whatever month you are doing your calls should have the 1-31 tabs behind it. Each day, log your calls on filler paper - a piece of paper for each contact. After making any applicable notes, if follow up is needed, then place the piece of paper behind the month when you are to follow up with a note that indicates approximately what date that month you are to follow up. When you move to the next month, move the 1-31 dividers and sort your contacts by date behind the 1-31 date dividers. That way as you move into that month, you know each day who you will be calling and no one falls into the cracks.

You can use the same system above with a card file and index cards.

To balance new vs. old customers, consider designating days of the week for the type of calling you are doing. You might say that Monday is the day to phone team members, Tuesday is new customer prospecting, Wednesday, service existing customers, Thursday hostess coaching and recruiting appointments and Friday is a paperwork/catch up phone call day.

Hopefully, one of the above systems works for you. If anyone else writes in with other suggestions, we will be sure to post!

 

[soonerchef]

Most of the success you will have is just in following up, period. You will never be able to tell who will say yes or no, but by following Anne's tips and maybe putting to use the objections tips I just posted in bookings you should have some success. Just remember that for every "No" you hear, you are one step closer to hearing a "Yes"!!