How To Make Effective Sales Follow Up Calls

Cold calls are challenging enough, but sales follow up calls are a whole new level of complexity. Ask any call center agent and they’ll tell you that the follow up conversation is what initiates the sales cycle and where the labor of your efforts starts to culminate.

During this stage, your sales reps will start collecting significant amounts of information, all of which is crucial for laying the foundation of a budding relationship, and ultimately, making a sale. 

Considering the importance and dynamics involved, you need to leverage specific strategies that help you capitalize on this pivotal moment.

Let’s look at the best tips on making effective sales follow up calls.

1. Secure a commitment

It’s not uncommon for sales reps to hit cold calls out of the ballpark, only to make plenty of oversights when it comes to setting up specific dates and times for sales follow up calls at the end of the initial conversation. 

Ambiguous commitments, such as vague promises from prospects like "call me next week" or sales representatives saying something like "I'll send the proposal and follow up in a couple of days" are common mistakes that often lead to missed calls, voicemail messages, and an extended sales cycle.

The solution is simple: ask for a dedicated follow-up date and time. 

You can use a phrase similar to this:

"I'll be pleased to prepare the proposal and email it to you. I suggest we schedule a detailed review on _____, at _____, to discuss it and determine the next steps. How does that sound?"

If the proposed time is inconvenient, suggest an alternative. If that doesn't work, either encourage them to suggest a time and date that works for both of you. 

2. Send a reminder email

To truly lock down all sales follow up calls and make them more effective, it's beneficial to send a reminder email a day to your prospect before the scheduled appointment. Craft the subject line with a subtle hint of intrigue.

Explicitly confirm the date and time of the upcoming call in the email, and feel free to provide them with a clear agenda for the communication. For instance:

"Hello _____, our call is set for tomorrow and it should take about ten minutes. During our conversation, we'll go over the proposal and I'll be available to address any questions you may have. We can also discuss the next steps if you’re open to it."

3. Add some value with a quality P.S.

If you want to stand out from your competition, always incorporate an extra layer of value into your follow-ups to significantly boost client engagement. You can take advantage of the client’s attention by including an article or another valuable piece in the email. We recommend adding a postscript (P.S.) that says something along the lines of:

"In the meantime, here’s an article I thought you should check out, regarding_________.”

This article could delve into topics related to your industry, market trends, a specific product, or, better yet, touch upon non-business elements that were part of your opening conversation. The inherent value lies not only in the content itself but also in the effort you've invested, even if the client doesn't read the article.

Doing this demonstrates your commitment to providing more value. This extra step helps you stand out, makes you memorable, and gives the client another compelling reason to attend the call.

Naturally, implementing this tip requires some proactive research. Start scouring the web for articles that align with your client's interests, industry, or market trends. For more impact, use one of your blog posts to boost your authority on the subject. 

4. Avoid stock opening lines

Many salespeople botch sales follow up calls by using stock and uninspiring opening statements, such as:

• I was calling to follow up on the proposal."
• "The reason for my follow-up was to see if you had come to a decision."
• "I am calling to see if you have any questions."
• "I just wanted to make sure you got my email."

While these statements aren't catastrophic, they lack the flair needed to set you apart. The issue is their routine and commonplace nature, which may lead to you falling flat on your face at the very beginning. Put differently, it puts you in a box with all the other vendors looking to make a sale.

What should you do to infuse the call with excitement?

First, start by introducing yourself using your full name and company name. Then, remind the client of the reason for your call by referencing your initial cold call. Revisit the pain points or gains discussed or hinted at during that conversation. For example:

"Greetings ______, this is _________ calling from ___________. When we spoke last week, you had two concerns. Firstly, you were worried about __________ of your current ___________ before you could review it thoroughly. Secondly, you mentioned some doubts about the _________."

By doing this, you refresh the prospect’s memory but also acknowledge the fact they can be busy or may not feel the same urgency as before. It's a pro move to address concerns head-on.

5. Persist, but don’t be pushy

Persistence is key in telesales. However, this doesn’t mean you should abandon professionalism and human courtesy. Approximately 70% of the time, the client will be available. However, for the remaining 30%, it's crucial to leave a message, like:

"Hi _____, it’s ____ from ________ calling for our _____ appointment. It seems you are occupied at the moment. I'll call back in 10 minutes if I don’t hear from you. In the meantime, my number is ______."

After about ten minutes, if the prospect is still unavailable, leave another message:

"Hi _____, it’s ___ from ___ again, following up on our _____ appointment. It looks like you’re still occupied. Please give me a call when you’re free at _____, otherwise, I will call you later this morning or early afternoon."

Maintaining persistence without becoming a nuisance is crucial. Allow the prospect an opportunity to initiate contact within a reasonable timeframe, such as half a day. After four hours, reach out again.

If there's still no response after this, make four additional follow-ups, spaced three business days apart. This demonstrates persistence while avoiding the impression of being overly assertive. Though it's unlikely to yield a response at this stage, you did your best to follow up without pestering the prospect. 

Master the art of sales follow up calls

Many salespeople are afraid of the follow up stage, mostly due to concern about being annoying or coming off as a spammer and losing the sale. While hearing a ‘no’ or two can be intimidating, every rejection you face is a learning opportunity and a blessing in disguise as it helps steer you towards genuinely interested prospects.

Either way, follow these tips and hone your craft, and after some time, you’ll finally master the art of sales follow up calls.