How many times do you get an email or phone call from someone “just checking in [to ask for money]”?
How many times have you, knowing the critical importance of follow up, left an email or voicemail that started with, “just checking in”? (I have done this far more often that I would like to admit.)
We hate receiving these messages, so why are we sometimes guilty of doing the same thing? And how can we do better?
We’re all listening to WSIC
We’re listening to WSIC (Why Should I Care) radio in our own heads. When a sales rep “checks in”, it’s pretty clear that they are tuned to their own WSIC frequency, not ours.
We need to make sure we’re broadcasting on our prospect’s frequency.
Some examples of helpful messages, that are basically the same as “just checking in” include:
- It’s time for your annual dental cleaning
- The new game/book/movie/sneaker/wine/event/etc from your favorite brand is here
- This article/post/video/etc speaks to the issues we discussed in a way I found helpful
- Would this person make a great connection?
- As you requested, following up about [important thing you asked me to bug you about]
That last one is the most compelling, and it’s aligned with your goals.
Which means that when we’re having a conversation with someone, we want to be curious about what they’re doing, who they want to meet, and *if* and *when* we should follow-up.
Not exactly rocket science, but it’s easy to forget, and then, when you think about it a month later, you don’t know why you’re supposed to “check in”. If you went to see a doctor about a knee issue and the doctor’s office followed-up a month later to “check in”, that would seem disconcerting. But if they called to check on specific symptoms and to schedule the next appointment, you would appreciate that they were on top of things and express gratitude for the reminder.
So be curious.
Ask who your prospects want to meet, so you can make introductions, if and when appropriate.
Ask what else is going on beyond your immediate concerns, so you can understand their perspective, and not just see them as a target.
Ask them to be direct if they don’t see a fit (and do the same if you don’t think it’s the right fit). We waste so much time (and hope) because sometimes people don’t like to tell someone “no”. Make sure your prospects are comfortable saying that. That saves everyone time.
And if you express that it doesn’t seem like the right fit, they may agree, and again, save everyone time, or push back, and provide some more information that explains what’s really going on.
And if you both agree you have a good fit, but you need another conversation:
- Try to schedule it then and there- send out the invite and agree on the agenda.
- Sometimes, that’s not possible, but set a time to follow-up to set the next meeting, with the agreed agenda. (Create a task for this in Mimiran, if applicable.)
- If they don’t want to do that, and it’s not some special situation (“gotta go, my mom’s hospital is calling”), move again to confirm a “no”. And then move on. You have lots of people you need to reach– don’t expend effort on those who don’t want to talk to you.
When you follow-up, again, give the prospect the easy option to say, “this is not a fit”. But don’t give up after a single unreturned email or voicemail. We’re all busy. How many times to follow-up? That depends on nature of the initial conversation, the potential value of a client, and how busy you are, but make sure it’s at least 3 times. (Note also, that you can do these during regularly scheduled blocks off follow-up time. And at some point, you can just say, “guess it’s not a fit– no problem– ping me if you need anything.”)
And while it’s fine to have some templates for conversations and emails, don’t use AI to generate this content, and don’t use automations to pretend to be you. (It’s fine to send automated reminders for meetings.)
You’re not “just checking in”, you’re helping the other person towards one or more of their goals.
(Want a process for handling follow up? Check out this replay of “The 2-Step Sales Process for Indie Consultants webinar.)