Business Networking - An Effective Follow Up Strategy For Converting Prospects Into Clients By Lisa Almeida
This information is brought to you by mkt1on1 at http://db2bdh-ednxp4m49ogs247bq7q.hop.clickbank.net Part of networking is follow-up. In fact, it's one of the most important pieces of the marketing puzzle when it comes to converting prospects into customers. After all, isn't the ultimate objective of your marketing efforts to make sales? Follow-up is where relationships truly begin. And when you make a sale, your relationship with someone goes to a whole new level - it becomes more intimate. You make sales when you effectively help your prospects understand how what you do can help them get what they want. It's not the responsibility of your prospect to figure that out how you can help them succeed, it's your responsibility to make that clear and easy to understand. Whether it happens via an expo, trade show, Facebook, Twitter or while standing in line at your local coffee shop; anytime you collect contact information you're networking and anytime you're networking, follow up - viewed by some as the "f" word of business - is called for. How well you manage follow-up can set you apart from the herd and is the place where most folks admittedly drop the ball. Here are some tips to help you follow up effectively. Prioritize - whether it's from a bunch of business cards you've collected from attending a live event or your social networking friends and follows, sorting prospects according to the likelihood of when they may do business with you is step one. •
Top priority - includes people who best fit your ideal client profile AND have indicated that they are ready or almost ready to buy, either by explicitly telling you so or more indirectly through their actions, like; reaching out to you by email, phone or direct message through some social networking platform. Respond within 24 hours to these folks.
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Mid priority - these are people who you suspect may be in or on the edges of your ideal client profile but you're not sure yet. Keep an informal open dialogue going with these folks using social media tools and email marketing and watch for signals from them that they are ready to advance into the top priority group.
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Low priority - some people will never do business with you and will never be a source of revenue but they may connect you with others will. Keep them on your email list and as part of your social networks but be honset with yourself about the chances of doing business together and don't waste your time (or theirs) until and unless they show you that they are ready to move up the priority ladder.
Applying a system like this isn't cruel or cold. In fact, it's just the opposite. Spending your time engaged in activity with people who are not ready to receive your special brand of transformative expertise takes away from your ability to help someone who is ready. Prioritizing the use of your time in this way ensures a steady stream of revenue so you'll still be around to help the low priority folks when THEY decide to make themselves top priority.