Beside marketing, I also do International Purchasing.
Back in December, a new vendor cold called me asking if we could give him a quotation. I told him to give us some info in email. So the vendor gave info on his company and what they sell. Since we already have vendors we like and use we weren’t looking for new vendors (and we occasionally get cold calls and cold emails).
Then, every few weeks he would follow up by email asking for an inquiry. I just kept pushing it off. Then ever month he would follow up with a steel pricing report. It’s actually very helpful getting this report, but still had no interest in his business.
Then… we decided we want to add a new vendor and who was the first one to come… the guy who kept following up with us and sending us useful information! I just sent him to inquiries and he was happy to receive them.
It doesn’t mean we’ll do business with them, but it’s the start of a business relationship.
So I must say, what are you doing to follow up with your prospects, customers, and clients??? Have you ever cold called/emailed anybody and then just stopped following up?
Well… YOU MUST FOLLOW UP with them!
It’s so important it’s even Dan Kennedy’s Rule #6 in his No B.S. Direct Marketing book.
Rule #6: There Will Be Follow-Up
What’s stopping you from following up? It took over five months for us to finally give this vendor a shot… all because he was in the back of my mind at the right time!
So follow up with your prospects, customers, and clients right NOW!