New Lead Follow Up Systems |
Learn More About Follow Up Systems
What You’ll Learn
We’ll talk about the definition of a new lead, the state they’re in and how to follow up with them to make sure no man gets left behind.
Why It’s Important
Following up with a lead is mostly free and most research suggests a lead needs multiple interactions with a business before they become a client.
We’ll talk about the definition of a new lead, the state they’re in and how to follow up with them to make sure no man gets left behind.
Why It’s Important
Following up with a lead is mostly free and most research suggests a lead needs multiple interactions with a business before they become a client.
Following up with new leads is the first lessons in the Systems Course because it’s the one I see being neglected so often. With an extremely simple and free system in place you can ensure every lead is taken care of and gets the best possible service, whether they become a client or not.
What is a Lead?
It’s quite easy to think that a lead is anyone who comes in to your business via any channel. A subscriber, a Facebook fan or new Instagram follower.
But when we look at the Buyer Journey and how people interact with businesses in the internet, it’s clear to see that most people in your audience aren’t leads.
Most people are still in the Awareness stage of the Buyer Journey. They know they have a problem and they’re trying to fix it themselves.
For example, if you have a blog about Hot to Fix Problem X, the person reading that post is not a lead, because they’re trying to fix the problem on their own. That’s why they’re reading it.
So a lead is only really a lead when they move from “I want to fix this problem myself” to “I want to explore the possibility of hiring someone to help me fix this”.
For us, that means a lead is someone send a Facebook message asking about services, asks a questions about your services via the contact form or even responds to one of your weekly emails.
But when we look at the Buyer Journey and how people interact with businesses in the internet, it’s clear to see that most people in your audience aren’t leads.
Most people are still in the Awareness stage of the Buyer Journey. They know they have a problem and they’re trying to fix it themselves.
For example, if you have a blog about Hot to Fix Problem X, the person reading that post is not a lead, because they’re trying to fix the problem on their own. That’s why they’re reading it.
So a lead is only really a lead when they move from “I want to fix this problem myself” to “I want to explore the possibility of hiring someone to help me fix this”.
For us, that means a lead is someone send a Facebook message asking about services, asks a questions about your services via the contact form or even responds to one of your weekly emails.
Why We Need a System
There are many reasons why people who could benefit from your product, service or expertise do not buy. At least not without further prodding.
Different studies carried out at different times, in different places, by different market research companies over a number of years all reveal that 80% of non-routine sales occur only after at least five follow-ups.
Think about that. It takes at least five continuous follow-up efforts after the initial sales contact, before a customer says yes.
FIVE!
There are some fascinating statistics on this:
That tells us that 92% of sales people give up after four "no's", and only 8% of sales people ask for the order a fifth time.
When you consider that 80% of prospects say "no" four times before they say "yes", the inference is that 8% of sales people are getting 80% of the sales.
That’s why we need a system.
These emails can be sent manually or via some kind of CRM system. We use 17Hats to manage multiple businesses and hundreds of clients but you may already have your own.
- Inertia
- Lack of time
- Too many other things on their mind
- Concern about cost
- Cash flow
- Budget constraints
- More pressing matters
Different studies carried out at different times, in different places, by different market research companies over a number of years all reveal that 80% of non-routine sales occur only after at least five follow-ups.
Think about that. It takes at least five continuous follow-up efforts after the initial sales contact, before a customer says yes.
FIVE!
There are some fascinating statistics on this:
- 44% of sales people give up after one "no";
- 22% give up after two "nos";
- 14% give up after three "nos";
- 12% give up after four "nos".
That tells us that 92% of sales people give up after four "no's", and only 8% of sales people ask for the order a fifth time.
When you consider that 80% of prospects say "no" four times before they say "yes", the inference is that 8% of sales people are getting 80% of the sales.
That’s why we need a system.
These emails can be sent manually or via some kind of CRM system. We use 17Hats to manage multiple businesses and hundreds of clients but you may already have your own.
The System
If we’re going to create a system based on the research above then we need to follow up with new leads at least five times. But isn’t that going to get annoying?
It could, yes. But the way in which you follow up with leads can be so jam packed with value that it doesn’t feel like you’re bugging them. Here’s how:
Email 1: The Initial Response
The first email you’ll send is the email in response to the clients question. The content of this email will almost always be specific to the questions the new lead asked you. To systemise it, collect the 5 most common questions someone asks you when they first get in touch and have them on hand to answer new leads as they come in.
Remember, everyone thinks they have no time. So even if they actually do have heaps of time, they think they don’t so they’ll miss a lot of the key sections on your site that show them information.
For example, I literally get form entries from people who are on my pricing page and they’re are asking about how much the pricing is.
Seriously, it could not be more obvious. There’s a whole tab dedicated to it and when you click on it you’ll see the pricing straight away. No scrolling required.
And yet, here I am, answering the question by giving them the same info that’s right in front of them.
Try not to get frustrated. Not everyone sees what you see, or most other people see, and some people just need a little push in the right direction.
Always answer the first email politely and with all the info the person needs to take the next step with you.
And be sure to end your email with a question. This leaves the email open and gives the lead an unfinished task.
“I still need to reply to [COMPANY]”
Email 2 (Day 2): The First Follow Up
This is technically where the system starts. Around 24 hours after the lead didn’t reply to your first response. The first email will just be a gentle reminder that you’re in the middle of a conversation.
It could, yes. But the way in which you follow up with leads can be so jam packed with value that it doesn’t feel like you’re bugging them. Here’s how:
Email 1: The Initial Response
The first email you’ll send is the email in response to the clients question. The content of this email will almost always be specific to the questions the new lead asked you. To systemise it, collect the 5 most common questions someone asks you when they first get in touch and have them on hand to answer new leads as they come in.
Remember, everyone thinks they have no time. So even if they actually do have heaps of time, they think they don’t so they’ll miss a lot of the key sections on your site that show them information.
For example, I literally get form entries from people who are on my pricing page and they’re are asking about how much the pricing is.
Seriously, it could not be more obvious. There’s a whole tab dedicated to it and when you click on it you’ll see the pricing straight away. No scrolling required.
And yet, here I am, answering the question by giving them the same info that’s right in front of them.
Try not to get frustrated. Not everyone sees what you see, or most other people see, and some people just need a little push in the right direction.
Always answer the first email politely and with all the info the person needs to take the next step with you.
And be sure to end your email with a question. This leaves the email open and gives the lead an unfinished task.
“I still need to reply to [COMPANY]”
Email 2 (Day 2): The First Follow Up
This is technically where the system starts. Around 24 hours after the lead didn’t reply to your first response. The first email will just be a gentle reminder that you’re in the middle of a conversation.
Hey [FIRST NAME],
I hope you're well!!
This is just a quick follow up email to see how you're getting on with your [HEALTH & FITNESS GOAL]. Let me know if I can be of any assistance or answer any more questions for you.
All the best,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR COMPANY]
Email 3 (Day 4): The Value Add
This email is designed to remind the lead that your still waiting but lets them know you understand they’re busy and you’d like to help.
Hey [FIRST NAME],
You didn't reply to my last email to you about your [HEALTH & FITNESS GOAL]. Maybe it got lost or you're too busy?
If it's the latter, I have a great resource for you called the [NAME OF EBOOK OR BLOG THEY WOULD GIND USEFUL].
It's got some great feedback and [TARGET MARKET] are loving it.
Instead of having to subscribe, I've attached it to this email so you can download it straight away and read it in your spare time.
If you're still interested in talking more about your [GOAL], just hit reply and I can answer your questions right away or we can arrange a time to chat.
All the best,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR COMPANY]
Email 4 (Day 6): Empathy
Email four let’s the lead know you’re still waiting on them but also that you understand things can get busy. It’s also a gentle reminder for them to take some action with the problem they originally contacted you about.
Hey [FIRST NAME],
I’m sorry we haven’t been able to connect.
Last time we spoke, you seemed very interested in [REACHING A GOAL] with us. Again, I know how hectic things can get with work and with family.
I'm available for a call during weekends or before or after work hours if that’s easier for you. I'd love to be able to help you.
All the best,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR COMPANY]
Email 6 (Day 8): The Close
The final email gets the most amount of responses. It has a sense of urgency and also enables the lead to finalise things with you. In their mind they’ve been putting it off for some time and haven’t taken action for whatever reason.
This email gives them the chance to “opt out”. That’s beneficial for both you and them. The last thing you want to do is pester the lead and tie yourself a bad name and letting them know you’ve finished reaching out to them is either the push they need or the sigh of relief they’ve been looking for.
Hey [FIRST NAME],
I’m in the process of closing files for the month. Typically when I haven’t heard back from someone it means they’re either really busy or aren’t interested.
If you aren’t interested, do I have your permission to close your file?
If you’re still interested, what do you recommend as a next step?
Thanks for your help.
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR COMPANY]
Managing the System
You’ll notice the system is quite personal. The emails are coming from you and your email, not an autoresponder. So you’ll need to either set these emails up as templates somewhere or get them added to a client management system.
If a lead responds to any of your emails, pause the system and respond personally.
The beauty of these emails are that if a lead responds to say, email 2 but then stops responding, you can continue with email 3 and it still fits naturally within the context of the conversation.
If a lead responds to any of your emails, pause the system and respond personally.
The beauty of these emails are that if a lead responds to say, email 2 but then stops responding, you can continue with email 3 and it still fits naturally within the context of the conversation.
