The 90-Day Follow-Up Process That Books Calls While You Sleep [Contributed Blog]

March 14, 2019 - 9 minutes read - Business Growth, Contributed Posts

In a world where most people are seeking instant gratification, it’s shocking that it takes an average of eight touches to simply schedule a meeting with a new prospect. But here we are.

As it becomes increasingly difficult to attract more agency clients, effective follow-up remains a vital element in building a well-oiled sales machine. Whether you recently sent a proposal; had an introductory phone conversation; or, interacted for the first time in the inbox or on social, reaching out once simply isn’t going to be enough. That’s where a 90-day sales funnel comes in.

The Process

Every client is different and not everyone will take 90 days to convert. But having a consistent and proven follow-up plan in place will take the time and guesswork out of your outreach.

In general, there are two types of prospects you’ll be reaching out to:

Engaged Prospects: Engaged prospects are those whom you’ve sent a proposal. Your goal in following up with these prospects is to reach an agreement so you can add them to your client list and get to work. Getting your engaged prospects on a call ASAP is your main priority.

Interested Prospects: The other group you’ll want to follow up with is prospects who have expressed interest working with you but haven’t yet received a proposal. Your goal in following up with these prospects is to learn more about their needs so you can structure a client-winning RFP. Getting interested prospects on the phone is important, but it may take some nurturing before they are ready to engage with you.

In both scenarios, you can use email to stay connected with your prospect while encouraging them to get on the phone with you. Once you get a prospect on the phone, you can accelerate the sales process by getting out that RFP or reaching a commitment.

Follow-Up Tip: Calendar Link

Before you put your own follow-up process together, having a calendar link handy from a scheduling tool is a game changer. It’s a great way to get calls scheduled right from the inbox. It also avoids a lot of the confusion that comes with trying to coordinate a call time that works for both parties. Calendly, ChiliPiper, and Acuity are just a few great options worth exploring if you don’t have this capability yet.

Below are two general strategies for following up with both interested and engaged prospects. Sticking to an intentional, planned follow-up schedule will ensure that you’re not letting anyone slip through the cracks. It will also let prospective clients know where to find you when they’re ready to take the plunge.

For Engaged Prospects

Prospects to whom you have sent a proposal.

Day 1: Send them an email with a follow-up and request to schedule a call.

Week 1: Call them at least twice within the first four days of your proposal or initial conversation.

Recommendation: If you call and don’t reach them, manually send an email stating that you left a voicemail and would love to schedule a time to go over XYZ.

Week 1: Email them again with your calendar link within the first week of your proposal/initial conversation (within three days).

Week 2: Call them once. Email them twice. First, encourage them to connect with you and to schedule a call so you can discuss their interest further. Second, share a valuable resource or case study about a successful client partnership.

Weeks 3 – 12: Put them on a drip email campaign where they get one email per week from you – your email can be checking in, sharing a valuable resource or encouraging them to schedule a call.

For Interested Prospects

Prospects who’ve reached out, but you haven’t connected with yet

Week 1: Send them an email thanking them for their interest; ask to get on a call with them; and, provide your calendar link. Do this as quickly as possible after they submit a form or leave a message. This study found that the best companies follow up in less than 30 minutes.

Recommendation: Pick up the phone and call them at least once within the first week – especially those who previously expressed interest in scheduling a call with you.

Week 2: Send two more emails. First, encourage them to connect with you and to schedule a call so you can discuss their interest further. Second, share a valuable resource or client case study.

Weeks 3 – 12: Put them on a drip email campaign where they get one email per week from you – your email can be checking in, sharing a valuable resource or encouraging them to schedule a call.

How to Automate the Process

If you’re constantly trying to keep tabs on hundreds of prospects and sending them one-off emails, eventually something is going to slip through the cracks. It’s best to have all of your email templates pre-loaded into a campaign in your CRM, like Hatchbuck, with set days and times to send. This way, once a prospect enters your funnel, they will automatically be taken through the process without you or your sales team having to do a thing (except for making the phone calls when Hatchbuck assigns them a task).

Once you’ve got the campaigns in place, you’ll get hours back in your day to spend on generating new leads and closing more deals. You can rest easy knowing that your prospects will be nurtured through your lead funnel for at least 90 days.

For a little more help building out your drip campaigns and follow-up emails, you can download Mod Girl Marketing + Hatchbuck’s customizable lead follow-up templates. The template pack includes 30 days worth of emails. Need a 90-day funnel? The same timing + structure can be used to build out your funnel from 30 days to 90 days.

Click here to download the 30-Day Email Follow-Up Templates.

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Jonathan Herrick is a co-founder, President, and chief high-fiver of Hatchbuck, an all-in-one sales and marketing platform. His extensive experience in digital marketing and sales strategies has been a driving factor in growing Hatchbuck’s sales by over 2,000 percent. A purpose-driven leader in all aspects, Jonathan has a passion for cultivating his team’s culture, spending time with his family and working to make a difference in the St. Louis community.

If you’re interested in submitting a guest post for Mod Girl Marketing, contact us here.

 

Tags: Business Goals, Business Growth, follow up, Prospects, sales funnel