The 3 Most Over-used Words in Sales Today:  “Just Following Up”

Instead – try giving your prospect what they need. The sale will come.

I can just hear George Carlin (rest his soul) saying it now:  ”Just following up”!  He would add this to his list of over-used catch phrases, right after “touching base” and “next steps”.  How many times today has your sales team contacted the key prospects in your pipeline, and used the phrase, “I’m just following up?” 

At this point, “Just Following Up” has become a euphemism for “Are you ready to spend money on me now?”   Can you actually bug someone into spending money?  Or does the money come after you have proven that your organization can provide the best solution for a defined task at hand?  This article explains how you can put yourself in the position to achieve the latter.

Ask your prospect direct questions that will put your

company in the strongest competitive position.

Sales Trap #1: “I’m just following up on my proposal.”

There is actually nothing wrong with the phrase, “just following up”.  Some folks may actually appreciate the follow up , or so polite people will say. However, if you are still in the consideration set of busier, more blunt people, you’ll probably get, “Yes, thank you. I’ll let you know what happens”.  And the conversation will end before it begins, on a note that completely removes any possibility of further interactivity between you and your prospect. You have just taken the exit to “Waiting to Hear” Land. Best possible outcome  -  you may, or may not, hear directly from your prospect  that you’ve lost the sale.

Which would you prefer to report back to your leadership – that you are “Waiting to hear”, or that “The proposal is on the CFO’s desk for final review”.

Alternatives:  Ask direct questions that will indicate your prospect’s level of interest, and uncover your actual status as the chosen solution. The following are some example phrases you can use to keep the conversation going, if you know your prospect is reviewing their alternatives:

“Can you tell me what the status is of your xyz plans?”

“How is our offer comparing to your alternatives?”

“Does our proposal meet your expectations? Does it include everything that you are looking for?”

“Have all of your stakeholders seen the proposal?”

“Are we in a position to get sign off at this time?”

Keep prying for the other steps that need to happen before your prospect will commit, and help them through the process. Offer references if they haven’t already asked, con calls with team members – whatever will improve your standing, and help the prospect see your company’s expertise.

Sales Trap #2 : “I see you’ve downloaded our white paper, and I’m just following up.”

There are two “no-nos” in this statement. Yes we live in an online world, but we don’t like to be reminded that our clicks are being tracked.  Secondly, you’re creating a dead-end that goes something like this:

Sales rep: “This is Terry Johnson from Widgets.com. I see you’ve downloaded our white paper, and I’m just following up”.

Prospect: “I didn’t download that white paper.”  Or “I didn’t see it, can you re-send it?”

Either way, you are putting the emphasis of the call on the white paper, not the real need of the prospect, which may be to learn more about a particular subject area. Relate your call to the subject area, and start a real conversation. Avoid painting yourself in a corner when addressing prospects who downloaded white papers, clicked on email campaigns, attended a tradeshow, or visited your website.

Sales Trap #3: “I haven’t heard from you in a while, and I’m just following-up on our conversation from last quarter”.

Translation: Are you ready to spend now?

Transition from “bugging” to “enticing” with a number of different tactics.

Have an offering: Your marketing department has likely published plenty of collateral since you last spoke to your prospect. Offer a white paper, a relevant case study, summarize any recent publications – have something to give. It will prove your expertise while enabling you to go to your prospect with an outstretched hand. Nowadays companies also offer things like gas cards, or gift cards for coffee, amazon.com, or spa treatments, just for prospects who visit their website, or accept an appointment.

Link them to your social media platforms: If you have recently started twittering, or if you’ve launched a business page on FaceBook, invite your prospects to check it out. If they follow you or become a fan, it’s that much easier to keep them current on your latest content, building your credibility.

Invite them to an event:  We’ve seen an uptick in webinars and lunchtime/after work seminars this year. Holding an event is a great way to get back in touch with all of your prospects, and can be more compelling than a quick phone call. It’s also an effective way to measure their true interest in doing business with you.

CCSI has seen every word count when businesses are exposing prospects to their organizational capabilities. We want your company to be the chosen solution. To that end, we provide services that will line up opportunities in your pipeline for you to close. It’s critical that your sales team implement  best practices to “follow up” on those leads.

Best of luck achieving your 2009 sales goals. We are here to ensure that you do.