I DEFINITELY know from prior experience that keeping in touch with my amazing database which consists of prospects/former clients as well as potential project partners and referral sources is my most productive marketing work, but I shy away from it for a myriad of reasons.
I recently read a great blog by business coach, C.J. Hayden, which addresses all of the obstacles I let get in the way of making these calls. And she does a great job of turning the DREAD of doing these calls into a more positive mindset where I can add value when I reach out to people and maybe even help them solve a problem they have. Doesn’t that sound better than ‘selling’?
Some highlights of how to transform your own thinking about follow-up calls:
- Offer something instead of asking for something (a referral, a sale)
- Call with a specific, helpful purpose
- Have meaningful conversations about what is going on in people’s lives/businesses
- Avoid rejection by staying away from selling
- Tell people how great your clients are/what successes they have had
- Let go of sales that are too hard to close
- Design a call that anyone would welcome
And I’ll add one:
- Hold yourself accountable (set a goal to make X # of calls to your database each week)
These calls are the most productive marketing work you can do…talking to people who already know you and just need to be reminded of the value you can provide. Go for it!
