The Importance of Follow-Up Calls for B2B Sales Conversions

When it comes to the sales cycle, follow-up calls are one of the most important steps in this process. Unfortunately, they also can be one of the most challenging.

An effective follow-up call strategy helps to weed out business-to-business prospects who are not interested in what you are selling, saving time that is better used talking with prospects who have a higher likelihood of converting. So how can you be sure that your follow-up strategy will accomplish this critical goal? Read on to find out!

1. Make a date. When setting up a follow-up call, don’t rely on generalities. Ask for a specific date and time when you can call back. Try to schedule it within a week. A shorter time frame means fewer missed calls and a shorter sales cycle.
2. Be punctual. If a prospect has agreed to a specific day and time for a call it is vital that you call at that exact time. Calling too early or too late will send a message that you don’t pay attention to details, or worse yet, that you don’t value a prospect’s time. In both cases, you will be leaving a very poor impression of your company.
3. Know what to say. One of the most common ways follow-up calls are opened are by stating the obvious, “I am calling to follow-up in regard to…” This is not a strong approach. Instead, introduce yourself and your company, briefly remind the prospect of why you are calling, and move on to the meat of the call. You also need to be prepared for any questions or objections the prospect may raise. The worst thing you can do is sound taken off-guard by questions or objections as this will make you seem unprofessional and unprepared.
4. Don’t appear desperate. If the prospect isn’t available at the agreed upon time, leave a message that you called and ask for the prospect to call you back within a certain amount of time. If they don’t call back after 24 hours you can try again. The key is to avoid calling a person again and again. Make sure that you give the prospect a chance to return your call.

Follow-up calls can be difficult and not everyone is cut out to make them. In some cases, it may be in your best interest to hire a business to business telemarketing firm that has the experience and qualified agents to make the type of follow-up calls that lead to higher sales conversions.