7 Tips to Closing Sales in B2B through Persistent Follow up

1. 7 Tips to Closing Sales in B2B through  Persistent Follow up      Sales trainers in India usually position the first meeting as a make or break  event, where the deal will be signed and all matters discussed. However, the  reality is a bit different. More often than not, there are a lot of attempts to  negotiate a successful deal, to interact with all the stakeholders, and finalize  the details. This is especially true of B2B sales that take longer and involve  more steps.    Most of us as salespeople would hesitate to do a persistent follow-up. Usually,  this is because we feel that we might be interrupting the prospect’s day  which might just drive away from the sale. Obviously, repeated contact might  seem like harassment, and it is important to be aware of how you are coming  across. But persistence is the bread and butter for salespeople, who cannot  afford to ignore any leads. You will have to follow up as many times as  necessary to get the final response. The lead may have failed to convert, but it  is important to confirm the status before you close it. Remember, according 

2. to research, only about 2% of initial meetings are closed successfully. That is  why you have to have a strong follow-up game to try and convert more leads.    When you have a lead, your responsibility is not limited to checking in with  them regularly. That is a surefire way to completely ignore the potential. Sales  training research in India shows that following up is not only about  reminding them to respond to you. Your follow-up strategy should be about  highlighting different aspects of value you are offering with every connection.  You might want to talk about the time you will be saving on your second  attempt, and draw their attention to the ease of deployment in the next  communication.    There are many tips out there for a successful follow-up. Most of them are  sensible and effective, but here are some of the fundamental ways of creating  a strong follow-up strategy.  1. Consider the right channel for reaching out to  your prospect     Organizations have different first approaches to potential clients. Some may  want to do it over a formal, informative email while others might want to just  pick up the phone and call to speak. Depending on the industry and its  practices, companies will choose whichever is more effective for the initial  contact.    Emails certainly have some advantages such as that they provide an  opportunity for the receiver to deliberate on the message before responding.  However, the first email to a prospect has very poor chances of attracting  attention. Unless it is accompanied with a great subject line and information  completely customized for the recipient. You may have to send multiple  emails to grab attention.    Calling the prospect directly might seem like a better option but it is not  necessarily true. People are wary about cold calls and may not answer on the  first attempt. These days companies may not use landlines either so it may  not be possible to directly reach the organization. There are greater chances  of scheduling a follow-up call but you have to be really persuasive to make an  impact. 

3.   You should also consider the less traditional methods of reaching out such as  social media. An informal setting can considerably help you establish a  rapport with the prospect. This does not have to directly be about making a  sale but rather about entering the attention of the audience. A good  salesperson will also try to establish a connection through his own network of  contacts. Everyone will be more open to trusting a known connection rather  than a cold call so this approach has a higher success rate.    There is, of course, no one right way to go about the setting up the first  contact. Ideally, you should choose one primary method of contact and then  complement it with the other lines. For example, an introduction email with a  telephone call after a day while also reaching out through social media and  referrals.  2. Craft a Persuasive Subject line for your emails     We receive hundreds of commercial email during any month. It would be  impossible for us to go through every single one of them individually, and  most of them are destined to stay in our inboxes or trash without ever seeing  the light of the day.    You should remember this when you are emailing prospects for meetings.  You have to stand out from literally hundreds of competitors which are the  commercial emails. The most effective way to accomplish that is to stand out  with an absolutely relevant subject line.    Choose between short and shocking or create a long subject line that  deliberately provokes action from the recipient. Change the subject line as  often as you can and try to keep it relevant to the receiver. Another trick could  be to study what your competitors are doing and your subject line should  highlight where you are better than them.   

4.   3. Nurture Every Lead     There is an assumption that salespeople are only trying to close deals. They  are more interested in getting the prospect to sign up rather than helping  them find solutions. This is more common than you think, since​ ​sales training  in India​ often focuses on this. So how can you stand out from the crowd that  is following this blindly?    You should treat every lead as a relationship opportunity and communicate  accordingly. Potential clients want to talk to salespeople who can answer  their questions and understand their concerns. You have to be that person.  When you nurture leads by helping them, and not pressing for closure every  single time, you build trust that will close the deal for you. Potential  customers will invariably not sign up on the first contact. Instead of just  following up with prospects for updates, you should help them with their  requirements which will help close sales.  4. Best Timing for Follow Up     There is a lot of suggestions on the internet about the strict timings to follow  for an assured deal. This is obviously not true. There is no magic formula for  following up with prospects. Just a few tips on improving your chances of 

5. engaging with the prospect. Ideally, you should be more persistent in the  beginning and reduced attempts if there is no response. For example, you  can reach a prospect on phone and email, reach out on social media,  approach through referrals, etc. But chart out a specific timeline to follow on  how you will approach your prospects at their convenience. Remember, not  every contact has to be about closing the deal. Rather, it is about nurturing  your lead to a closed deal.  5. What to say during the follow-up     When you communicate with a prospect, the tone you use is crucial in  establishing you as either a potential business partner or an annoying  salesman. Every time you call or mail a prospect, have something of value to  share. It can be as simple as letting them know of a new offer or the effect of  a recent regulation that can help you deliver faster. There is no point in calling  them if you just want to check up on them. Talk to them about them, not you.  You should identify their pain points and address these issues in pitching for  your product. Please understand their priorities and motivations so you can  help them better. If you can come up with insights on helping their business,  you should share them. You can also share relevant content to them such as  business papers or ebooks, or even news that they might not want to miss  out on.  6. Establish an agreement with the prospect about  follow up     At any chance you get to interact with the potential client, it is a good idea to  get a commitment from them regarding a follow-up. Establish the lines of  communication that you will pursue to follow up, such as calling their  secretary or having a call on a particular day and time. They might not agree  to it, but you can still let them know when they can expect a call from you  about the further discussion. This actually commits them to listen to your  pitch so they can be ready for the follow-up. Please remember that this is to  be done tactfully rather than forcefully. Look for an opportunity to request for  a follow-up, and assure them something of value they can receive at the  follow-up meeting 

6. 7. Deliver on your promises     Even if a prospect seems uninterested at first, it is not an excuse to be sloppy  in your follow up. If you say you will send them a brochure tonight, then  whether they receive that brochure or no will determine the rest of your  engagement. They take time to commit to a sale with you so they can  confirm that you are reliable. Instances, where you promise something and  do not deliver, is a sign that they cannot trust you. If they are unavailable or  do not respond, you should still deliver what you promised. Send the proposal  as you promised. If you assured them that you will find a solution, you should  give them an update at that time.  Source:  https://www.yatharthmarketing.com/7-tips-to-closing-sales-in-b2b-through- persistent-follow-up/