- According to the National Sales Association, 80 percent of sales are made on the 5th to the 12th contact; therefore follow-up is highly important to a salesperson. Once a salesperson has received a hot lead and he has the contact information for that customer, the first thing that the salesperson will typically do is call the lead. The salesperson may have already made initial contact with this lead, perhaps through a tradeshow, or this could be a cold call. Most cold calls are typically used to set up a preliminary meeting. However, the salesperson may still need to come up with a few initial questions to ask the customer, and should probably have a spiel ready about how the salesperson's product can be of benefit to this customer. Once the salesperson has set up an appointment for a meeting, he may even follow up this call with a short email stating that he enjoyed talking with that customer and also confirming their next appointment.
- The next step for the sales person is to meet with the customer. This may be in either the salesperson's office, the customer's office or at a lunch meeting, with the salesperson picking up the tab. At this meeting, the salesperson may bring samples of the product. If not, the salesperson will bring brochures and other literature to give to the prospective client, so that the client can take it away and study it. A sale may or may not be made at this time. It could take a few more meetings before the prospective client becomes a customer. In this meeting the salesperson will determinet the customer's needs, and give detailed information about how the salesperson's product can help the customer and why the product would be more beneficial than a competing product.
- Regardless of whether or not the sales meeting resulted in an order, the sales person will still continue to follow up on all leads as well as those on the salesperson's current customer list. The form that this type of follow up can take includes emails letting the client know that the salesperson enjoyed meeting with her. The salesperson will put the client on their mailing list, so that newsletters and new product information will go to that customer. The salesperson may even include the customer in a holiday mailing list. These types of follow ups act as subtle reminders to the client, so that when a client is in a position to make a purchase, they will make it with that salesperson with whom they already have a business relationship.
