FROM THE EDITOR

Follow-up is essential to attract new clients

By Susan Weiner

 
What’s the latest and greatest lead magnet? That’s a question that always attracts attention. But if a May speaker at the NAPFA Massachusetts Study Group is correct, advisors’ interest in that question is misplaced.

Sure, it’s important to attract prospects’ interest with content marketing. You must feed your “funnel” with prospects. But content marketing won’t yield the desired results without follow-up, said Wanda Allen of Follow Up Sales Strategies. Front-end work like content marketing “plants seeds,” but “the seed only sprouts with follow-up,” said Allen. It’s similar to the failure of a great financial plan that’s never implemented.

More than three-quarters (79%) of salespeople never follow up, according to the National Sales Executive Association (NSEA), said Allen. If you put yourself in the remaining 21%, you gain an edge over your competitors.

Don’t just contact prospects once. Eighty percent of sales are made between the fifth and the 12th contact, but only 10% of salespeople make more than three contacts, said Allen, citing more NSEA statistics. She recommends a minimum of five follow-ups.

Phone calls are best because you can cover more ground more effectively than with email. Use the phone as your primary means of pursuit, with email as secondary. If your call goes to voicemail, always leave a message because the sincerity in your voice will humanize you, Allen said.

Are you ready to pick up the phone?