Please don’t take my word for it – the power of the follow up.
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison.
The advertising blend #
Most marketers agree that there should be a blend of advertising (sublimal and short messaging) and publicity (longer form articles), which eventually brings a customer and business together at the point of sale.
A good starting point for thinking about this blend is the ‘Rule of Seven,’ formulated by marketing expert Dr. Jeffrey Lant.
Lant states that to enter a buyer’s consciousness and generate significant recognition in a given market, you have to contact the prospect a minimum of seven times within an 18-month period.
Amazing stats. #
Here are some amazing statistics:
48% of sales people never follow up with a prospect
25% of sales people make a second contact and stop
12% of sales people only make three contacts and stop
Only 10% of sales people make more than three contacts
2% of sales are made on the first contact
3% of sales are made on the second contact
5% of sales are made on the third contact
10% of sales are made on the fourth contact
Power of the follow up #
And here is where the power behind a robust follow up process kicks in:
80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact!
I can vouch for these numbers, having been involved with lead generation for well over a decade.
Importantly though, I believe it’s not only the responsibility of those actually doing the doing with lead generation.
Patience is required #
Clients have a responsibility too, by adopting a patient mentality and allocating a sufficient budget to let the magic happen.
Are there any conditions attached? Yes. There are three.
Ensure the approach and message is:
- Professional
- Well thought through
- Well-constructed
You can then give your people – your future clients, the time and space to decide before buying from you.
Thank you for reading.
