Following Up

Every single sales call you make--from a brief catch-up meeting to a formal presentation--deserves a follow-up letter.

Follow-up is doing whatever you committed to do at the end of the sales meeting with your customer. It is a process that you initiate to ensure that objectives are accomplished and commitments are fulfilled.

It is your responsibility to make sure that all of your organization's resources are doing what is needed to move the relationship to the next level. Will the samples be there on time? Is everyone aware of and able to meet the agreed upon delivery dates? Is the team committed to participate in the next meeting?

Every single sales call you make--from a brief catch-up meeting to a formal presentation--deserves a follow-up letter. This can be a letter, an email, or even a handwritten note--whatever suits both your style and the occasion--but must follow every call. The letter should thank the customer for their time, review what was discussed, and define the next steps. It can also serve as a reminder of who committed to do what by when.

ACTION POINT: Follow up on every single sales call you make.