3 Follow-Up Mistakes To Avoid In Sales

Sales can be a tough game to play. There are so many moving parts, and different salespeople have different strategies. However, there’s one thing that almost every salesperson inadvertently doing wrong: not following up quickly enough after an initial meeting or call. If you’re not already following up multiple times across multiple channels (email, phone calls), then you’re missing out on potential business opportunities with every sale you make.

Mistake #1: Not following up quickly

It’s a common misconception that following up quickly makes you look desperate. On the contrary, it shows that you care about the deal and that you’re willing to go out of your way to make sure it gets done.

You should always follow up within 24 hours of talking with someone—and ideally sooner than that—because that is when their interest is highest. Remember: people will put off buying until they have all their questions answered, so by waiting too long to follow up on an opportunity, you risk losing some of your potential sales.

Mistake #2: Not setting reminders to follow up

When you’ve got a lot of tasks to keep track of in your workday, the last thing you need is to forget about one. Sales follow-up reminders are a great way to stay on top of everything that needs doing, so don’t neglect their importance.

For example, if you have a sales process where you have to follow up with leads after an initial meeting and before any decision making stage begins, setting reminders for yourself is essential. This will ensure that you’re not forgetting about important steps in the process or missing opportunities for follow up calls or emails.

Mistake #3: Not following up multiple times across multiple channels

You should be following up multiple times across multiple channels. For example, you could write an email to a prospect and then follow up with a phone call. Or you could send the prospect a direct message on Twitter and then follow that up with an email.

There’s no right or wrong way to do it, but the key is to not just rely on one channel—you want to make sure your message comes through in multiple ways so that there’s no confusion about what you’re trying to convey or why you’re reaching out again.

If you’re not following up with your prospects and customers, you’re leaving money on the table. There are so many tools out there today that can help you follow up more effectively—and give yourself reminders to do so! So don’t let the fear of being annoying or coming off as too aggressive hold you back from doing what it takes to seal the deal.