When I just started my small business and later managed to hire a business coach, one of the first things I learned was that I needed a marketing follow-up system.
Back then, marketing automation technology wasn’t on my radar.
It was a manual system and it worked!
It was also from my coach I heard and understood the phrase: The Fortune Is In The Follow-up.
I took it to heart.
I even created a really good networking manual follow-up system.
I became very disciplined about my follow-up – I even remember a peer of mine calling me the ‘follow-up queen’.
Fast forward to today – I now have marketing automation to do the heavy lifting.
But you know what saddens me as a marketer?
I see too many small business owners and entrepreneurs without a proper follow-up system.
It’s a glaring weakness.
The truth is, when you lack a proper follow-up system it’s very costly to your business.
➡️ Leads fall through the crack.
➡️ Prospects die on the vine.
➡️ Money left on the table.
And yes, the bottom line is significantly impacted.
I recall interviewing a business owner about her #1 challenge when it came to her business; her response left let me a bit sad.
Do you know what she told me?
She gets the leads but she didn’t have the time to follow-up.
That means that she is leaving money on the table because she has left her leads to die.
That’s a huge follow-up problem.
She simply can’t get them back.
Imagine if Miss Business Owner had an automatic follow-up system so she could offer great customer service and catapult her sales in the process.
Not bad. Right?
I can’t tell you how often I fall through the cracks too of businesses trying to sell me something.
That’s why, in this blog post I’ll explore why a good follow-up system for your small business is a financially smart marketing strategy.
I’ll also explore how you can leverage the power of automation to easily follow-up with leads and clients so you can grow and scale without the overwhelm, burnout or sacrifice.
The importance of a good follow-up system cannot be overstated.
Here is data to prove my point.
According to a Keap research (formerly Infusionsoft, the CRM and sales and marketing automation solution I use)
🎆 ONLY 2% of leads close on the first touchpoint.
🎆 On average people buy after seeing a message seven (7) times, yet most entrepreneurs only follow-up once or twice.
🎆 Following up with website leads within 5 minutes will result in them being nine (9) times more likely to buy from you.
And,
According to a study by the National Sales Executive Association, 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact.
There you have it, in most cases, it’s going to take several touchpoints to get to the sale.
So why do most of us give up after the second or third attempt?
Following up is time consuming and tedious.
There is great news!
This is where marketing automation comes in.
I believe to my core that automation for your small business, is the next best thing since slice bread.
And it’s for any size business. It’s not a reward for when you hit a certain revenue level.
Actually, it is just the thing for you to hit that revenue level.
When you follow up with a lead or potential client you build trust by demonstrating that you are committed to helping them solve their problems.
You also show that you are interested in building a long-term relationship, rather than just making a quick sale.
You’ve likely heard the saying: “Out of sight, out of mind”.
It’s true.
By staying in touch with prospects and clients, you ensure that your business is top of mind so when they’re ready to buy you’re on their radar.
Now you are likely to close more sales.
Who doesn’t love someone who is persistent?
Not annoying.
Persistent.
By showing you are willing to go the extra mile, you differentiate yourself from other small business owners who may give up after one or two attempts to make contact.
Many moons ago when my son was in high school, it took him 3 years of follow-up with the hiring manager of a big company to eventually land him a very high paying summer job.
The envy of his peers.
Year after year he stayed in touch until finally, he hit the jackpot.
As it turned out, those summers were very lucrative (even into university.)
Imagine if he had stopped after the first or second year of being rejected?
As a matter of fact, the hiring manager mentioned his persistence as the reason he eventually got an interview.
According to the Annuitas Group, implementing marketing automation can result in up to a 451% increase in qualified leads.
Let’s say you’re a business coach who offer with a free ebook on your website to attract leads. With automation, you can create a workflow that automatically delivers the guide and then sends a follow-up email to those who download the guide.
After the download, you can thank them for their interest, provide more free value and then offer a free consultation, strategy session or even your paid offer.
If they don’t respond, the automated workflow can send additional follow-up messages at predetermined intervals, to nudge them into action.
Can you visualize how nothing gets left to chance and how you can constantly be top of mind while providing real value?
If you want to see how this works, go here and download my free guide 5 Easy DMs That Will Result In Your Next Sale and take note of the process.
If Instagram is easier for you, you could also check out the automation process by visiting my Instagram @akbsmallbusinessmarketing and direct message (DM) me the word DMSALES1.
Watch the magic happen and get inspired. (But do it after you finish reading this blog!) 😊
If you are not yet convinced, here are some other ways you can use automation to power your follow-up.
Segment Your List: This is super powerful and profitable because you are not sending random messages and offers. When you segment your list, you can communicate based on behaviour, interests, age, location and other data points.
This allows you to send targeted follow-up messages that are more likely to resonate with the recipient.
Personalize Your Messages: With automation, you can also personalize your follow-up messages based on the individual recipient. This can help build stronger relationships and increase the chances of conversion. Imagine getting a special birthday shout-out on your special day or a special deal because you are a rabid fan.
Lead Scoring: If you’re not familiar with the term, what it is, is a way to identify and ‘categorize’ your leads based on the level of engagement. If lead Tony has a high engagement you can make the assumption that there is a high chance he will convert into a paying client.
On the other hand, if prospect Jill barely engages with you, it could be an indication that she is not likely to convert at this point so you focus your follow-up efforts on prospect Tony who is more likely to convert.
So, in a nutshell, the marketing automation software allows you to score your leads based on their level of engagement.
Pretty cool…and powerful – right?
I hope by now you can see why it’s often said that the fortune Is in the follow-up.
By staying in touch with potential clients and building strong relationships, you can differentiate yourself and catapult your sales.
And by using marketing automation to power your follow-up, you save time while delivering a personalized and effective message in a timely and targeted manner.
I have long felt that the absence of a proper follow-up system in your small business is like a phone without a battery; it may have potential, but it won’t work without the necessary power.
Agree?
