So that initial contact with your new prospect went well, but you haven’t heard anything back all week. Now what?
Following up with old, new, and potential clients is one of the most important marketing aspects for any company. Whether it’s emails, calls, or face to face meetings, you have to make sure to keep yourself and your organization in front of the competition for your prospects.
How can you make sure that when your prospect is ready to buy, you’re the first person they come to for their need? It all starts with a creative follow-up.
Most are familiar with the concept of a follow-up: a response, reaction, evaluation, or reinforcement of a previous action or conversation.
A creative follow-up is one that diverges from the normal expectations of a follow-up message. It provides your prospect or client with a diverse communication experience. When considering their options, your solution is more likely to stand out from your competitors if you diverge from the standard means of communicating.
There are many ways to implement a creative follow-up message. Which tactic you use may depend on your role and the intent behind your message. Are you trying to convert a prospect, nurture a customer, or engage your team? Let’s take a closer look!
Let’s take a look at five roles that can benefit from a creative follow-up.
Salespeople
Salespeople are constantly communicating with suspects, prospects, and customers alike. When everyone is receiving similar messages, how can your sales messages stand out from your competition? Let’s consider the following scenario:
You are a salesperson on the floor of a tradeshow. You’ve had dozens of conversations with potential buyers who, in turn, have had dozens of conversations with other vendors themselves. After the show, what ways can you ensure that your follow-up message will stand out from the other post-show messages?
Consider sending a creative follow-up in the form of a video message. Instead of a plain-text email, you should use a video message platform to send a personalized video message to your prospect. Try to include specific information that you discussed on the tradeshow floor. The combination of specific details and your smiling face will give your tradeshow follow-up messages the creative twist to stand out from all the other messages your prospect might be receiving after the conference.
Customer Service
Customer service representatives pride themselves on maintaining amicable relations with their clients. This is important for soliciting referrals in the future. How can Customer Service Representatives develop a profitable relationship with their clients? Let’s consider the following scenario:
You are a member of the Customer Support team. You frequently correspond with your clients when they request support. How can you provide your clients with a strong knowledge base that will allay confusion and diminish future support requests?
Consider sending a creative follow-up offering your client access to resources that will bolster their confidence and knowledge about your offerings. This could include a digital guidebook, a pamphlet of use-case, a resource answering frequently asked questions, and so on. This preemptive support will give your clients the tools they need to succeed with your services. This additional attention to detail will increase their affinity for you and your brand.
Leasing Agents
Leasing agents work hard to get their prospects on site. With digital walkthroughs and virtual tours so accessible these days, many potential residents are close to making up their minds by the time they step foot on the property. While it is imperative that leasing agents provide a favorable on-site experience, it is even more crucial that they follow up in a way that will stand out from the other locations the potential resident toured. How can leasing agents do this? Let’s consider the following scenario:
You are a leasing agent for an apartment complex. You have a young couple on site touring your facilities. They seem interested but have expressed that they are considering other options as well as your location. After they leave your property, how can you encourage them to come back to sign a lease?
Consider sending a creative follow-up text message in the form of a video via a video messaging platform! A personalized video message could be just the thing that tips the scales in your favor from your competition. Try to include specific information that you discussed during the tour. The combination of specific details and your smiling face will give your post-tour follow-up text messages the creative twist to stand out from all the other messages your prospect might be receiving after touring many locations.
Hiring Agents
Hiring agents are the foundation for which great teams are built – after all, they are the ones doing the hiring for the team! One struggle many hiring managers face is potential hires not showing up for their interviews. This results in a lot of time wasted for that manager. So, what can staffers do about this? Let’s consider the following scenario:
You are a hiring manager for a company. You have scheduled an interview for an entry level position that is a few days away. What should you do to encourage your interviewee to appear at the interview?
Considering sending a creative follow-up message or two that includes some, if not all, of the following ideas:
- Tips for interview success
- Information about what you will be looking for
- A story about how you were hired
- A reminder about the time, date, location, and so on...
By providing the interviewee with this information, you can begin developing a relationship, quell some of their nervousness, and empower them to be successful in the interview. The more confident they feel about the interview, the less likely they are to no-show.
Team Leaders
Team leaders are in a position to maintain an open line of communication for feedback from their employees. When an employer is soliciting feedback from their employees, how can they communicate that necessity is a personal way? Let’s consider the following scenario:
You are a team leader at a company. You are conducting your quarterly review and need your team to fill out a feedback survey. It’s been a few days since you sent them the survey and have received only a few responses. What can you do to encourage more participation in your review?
Considering sending a creative follow-up in the form of a video message. Instead of reminding your employees to fill out the form with another boring plain-text email, you should use a video message platform to send a personalized video message. You can truly convey the necessity of your review via video. When your team sees your face, they can empathize with you and understand the need for their participation in your review.
There are many ways to implement a creative follow-up message and the tactic used will vary based on your role. We hope these examples will seed some inspiration for you to use a creative follow-up strategy in whatever role you see fit.
If you employ a creative follow-up strategy, when your prospect is ready to make a decision, they’ll come to you!