Improve Your Follow-Through: Maintaining Business Relationships
Posted in Networking Tips
Meeting your contacts once is not enough to build your business. What you need is to contact them repeatedly, not only for prospective customers, but also for potential referral sources. Here are the common ways to follow up with people you have met.
By phone
You can your contacts through telephone and see how interested they are in what you do. If they do, try set up a meeting either in person, by phone, or teleconference, depending on the nature of your business. You can also send your marketing letter or a brochure with a personal note attached if your prospect could not be reached on your first call. You can also refer your prospects to your website. Call them again to see if they are ready to meet up.
If that contact is more of a potential referral source, it is best to establish a reciprocal relationship. Begin your acquaintance through telephone, and then exchange information about yourselves through mail or arrange for a meeting.
By e-mail or fax
When establishing a contact through e-mail or fax, make sure that you are not sending a generic marketing letter. Instead, use these tools to communicate more personally with people whom you have already acquainted. After your initial contact, think about how to keep in touch with them on a regular basis. You can call to see how they are doing or send a note with a clipping or a link to an interesting website. Be careful about sending forwarded jokes or inspirational stories, as not everyone would appreciate having them.
In person
When meeting with a prospect in person, meet up over lunch or coffee. You can also invite your contacts to an upcoming event you plan to attend.
