Follow-Up or Is it Follow-Through?

For those who participate in sports, the follow-through on a golf, tennis or baseball swing is critical to the success of the flight of the ball!  It seems odd that the last step in the process has such dramatic impact on the outcome, but ask any coach or teacher in those sports and they will tell you how important it is!

The same holds true for marketing…we make contact with prospective buyers, doing all kinds of things to get them to the point of buying from us and then…we lose touch and don’t follow-through with them or put simply, we don’t follow-up with them!

So…how much better would my golf swing be with a better follow-through?  Follow-through with your prospective clients and customers CONSISTENTLY!

From 20X to 7X? Think about it…

Thomas Smith wrote a guide called Successful Advertising in 1885.^[6] The saying he used is still being used today.

The first time people look at any given ad, they don’t even see it.
The second time, they don’t notice it.
The third time, they are aware that it is there.
The fourth time, they have a fleeting sense that they’ve seen it somewhere before.
The fifth time, they actually read the ad.
The sixth time they thumb their nose at it.
The seventh time, they start to get a little irritated with it.
The eighth time, they start to think, “Here’s that confounded ad again.”
The ninth time, they start to wonder if they’re missing out on something.
The tenth time, they ask their friends and neighbors if they’ve tried it.
The eleventh time, they wonder how the company is paying for all these ads.
The twelfth time, they start to think that it must be a good product.
The thirteenth time, they start to feel the product has value.
The fourteenth time, they start to remember wanting a product exactly like this for a long time.
The fifteenth time, they start to yearn for it because they can’t afford to buy it.
The sixteenth time, they accept the fact that they will buy it sometime in the future.
The seventeenth time, they make a note to buy the product.
The eighteenth time, they curse their poverty for not allowing them to buy this terrific product.
The nineteenth time, they count their money very carefully.
The twentieth time prospects see the ad, they buy what is offering.

President, Peace of Mind Experience?

Yes…there is “such a thing!” Cory Hansen, Owner, Spectrum Restoration Services, has recently implemented new titles for all of his team that are outward-facing, not inward!

Spectrum provides disaster restoration services, including flood, fire, smoke and mold remediation.  As Cory says, “When things have gone wrong, they get it back to where it was before!”

Cory continues, “We provide restoration services, but what we really provide is restoring peace of mind–emotionally, mentally, and physically–to homeowners and commercial businesses.”

To emphasize this point, he has taken the title of PRESDIENT, PEACE OF MIND EXPERIENCE while others in his organization now have titles such as PROPERTY CONCIERGE, PEACE OF MIND EXTRAORDINAIRE, and MISSION CONTROL!  He wants his team to facilitate the Peace of Mind Process for every customer touchpoint.  Pretty cool…think about this for your business!

Cory can be reached at www.spectrumrestoration.com or chansen@spectrumrestoration.com or 630.898.3200

EXTEND THE CORE…

As a small business, it is important to always be “on the lookout” for new and innovative solutions for your customers and clients.  Of course, the first place to start is with “marketing and selling more” to those who already “know, like, and trust you” or put differently, they have already purchased from your business.

A way to “look for new markets” or “solutions to sell” to those clients and customers is to “take a look” at what they are doing or where they are or are going before and after they encounter you and your business.

Examples include: An interior designer provides designs to homeowners and commercial businesses.  But…they can “extend their core” by offering services for “pre- and post-” client engagement by shopping for home or business accessories for their clients.  This saves clients time and energy…it is completely “finished” for the client!

Another personal example is Volvo of Lisle which not only offers to come to your house to perform some basic maintenance procedures, but will even offer to come to your house, take your car to their location for service and then return it home to you!  GREAT GREAT SERVICE!!!

So…”think out of the box” as to how you can extend your core offerings to your clients and customers!

Some fun with Statistics!

80% of life is showing up — Woody Allen

95% of Small Businesses do not follow-up with prospective clients or customers. A 1% improvement in follow-up can result in a 35% increase in revenue!

A 100 watt light bulb can light up an entire room…but a 100 watt laser can burn a hole in the wall of that same room! Narrow your (market) focus to “burn your competition!”

80% of prospective purchasers search the Internet before purchasing. When a prospective purchaser finds you, be sure that your business is “attractive” and emotionally appealing to them!

85% of Small Businesses do not use a Marketing Calendar to implement their Marketing Plan. The 15% who do realize over 50% revenue growth as a result!

The average person needs to hear your message seven times (7X) before they buy.

We retain 10% of what we have “heard” after 30 days with one “touch point,” but with six “touches” within 30 days, we remember 90%!

INTERESTING SALES STATS…

48% of sales people never follow up with a prospect
25% of sales people make a 2nd contact and stop
12% of sales people make a 3rd contact and stop
only 2% of sales are made on the 1st contact
5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact
10% of sales are made on the 4th contact
80% of sales are made from the 5th to the 12th contact

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