Effective 10 Point Follow Up Checklist

You’ve done everything you’ve learned so far, when it comes to following up with contacts, subscribers and paying customers. But you’re just not seeing the results that all the articles say!

The truth is it takes more than techniques to drive your follow up into its “zone”. It takes a sympathetic understanding of your customer – and some very fine details you can use to pick and fine-tune your efforts.

There’s a whole symphony of nuances that go into making the perfect blend that results in a successful follow up style. The more energy you direct towards your follow up, the more targeted your results will become. Part of it will be techniques, tactics and strategies… and part of it will be good old intuition.

The sort that’s born out of really knowing your customer.

Here is a small “checklist” to help you on your path to fantastic follow up. Look it over and see if there’s any new tip or suggestion you’d like to use:

1. When you invite customers to ask questions, do you really mean that? Have you given them a way to reach you – easily, without jumping through hoops?

2. Did you follow up within 24 hours to make sure your customer was able to download your product successfully? Use your software without problems, if that’s what you were selling? If you sold a physical product, did you allow just enough time for it to arrive; then contact the customer to make sure it did?

3. When you send a reminder, do you make sure it’s simply courteous, rather than “bugging” your subscriber to buy?

4. Before you started your follow up, have you made sure you’re visible in the online eye? Do you use social networks like Twitter to provide a further element of personal contact? Do you have a Facebook page for your business?

5. Do you provide the personal touch? Not spill your guts about your divorce, but share small things about yourself they can relate to? Admit mistakes so they can benefit from your experience? Laugh at yourself occasionally?

6. Do you have a sales funnel that includes follow up? Do you actually follow it – or is it stuffed in your desk drawer?

7. Do you analyze your results? Do you revisit and revise your methods as needed? Work hard to keep your communication “fresh”?

8. Do you follow through with your follow up? Provide what you promise? Make sure it’s the most focused and useful material you can provide?

9. Do you really know what makes your target customer tick? As in, right now, today (not a month ago)?

10. Do you take action on everything you plan for your follow up? Do you “just do it”?

Thinking about everything in your checklist will not automatically make your follow ups treble their results… But being aware of these points – and taking action when necessary – while also putting your customer in the place of honor will help you take several steps closer.