The Fruit is in the Follow up

I wasn’t going to go…

I had a million reasons to just make up an excuse and claim to be overbooked that evening but I had a sweet friend that reached out to me with a private message on Facebook stating that she wanted me to attend.  My heart gave in to this private message and I knew I wanted to reconnect with her …so I scheduled a babysitter, created room on my calendar and set out to go to a special event for Entrepreneurs.

Can you relate?  

I was invited to an event on Facebook along with hundreds of others and it’s very easy to ignore or come up with an excuse not to attend, but when a friend reaches out and personally wants to connect with you.  You do what it takes to attend.  I needed that special nudge to attend and I was very happy that I made the time to join my fellow entrepreneur circle.  Thank goodness she knows the art of following up with grace and style.

I call her private message, the art of  FOLLOW UP… and here is how that becomes your FRUIT.

The fruit of your labor.

I have many clients that are selling their services and we work hard on marketing (which I refer to as your “bait”) and we fish all day hoping that someone takes a bite of that bait.  What I’ve noticed that happens often is we’ve worked so hard on fishing that when we get a bite, we get lazy and lose the steam that is required to reel that fish in properly.  Especially if that fish that is on the line is a sword fish or a blue marlin.

Can you imagine the patience that is required to reel in a fish of that size?

You can also relate that to a large client or service that you have “snagged” on your line.  Are you taking the necessary steps to reel that fish in or are you hoping that fish will just jump out of the water and land in the boat?

Follow up is a tricky dance between reconnecting through guidance and straight up stalking.  I see that fear in my clients eyes as we discuss following up and I feel it from those that I connect with.

But what if I push them away??  …Is their fear.

There isn’t any true system of follow up other than truly reaching out with a tender touch.  

So…What is that exactly?

I can first tell you what IT IS NOT:

Calling daily, 3 times a day and NOT leaving a message.  That comes across with a very creepy and desperate vibe.  When a toddler is chased, what do they do? They run away from you… watch me RUN AWAY FROM YOU, if that is your form of follow up.   Messaging daily via email or social media is ALSO a BIG FAT NO!

So… how do you create that fine dance between follow up and stalking?

Simple:  Go with your gut and ask yourself how would you want to be approached or what is the best communication style for that person.  

• If they like the personal touch then by all means give them a call.

• Like many people, I prefer to be reached via text – social media – or email to schedule a call.  Calling me out of the blue feels invasive.  I’m on scheduled calls with clients all day, I’m not going to pick up an unscheduled call from someone I don’t know or am not expecting.  I also like to give that person my undivided attention and that may be impossible if I’m running errands or with a group of friends.

• A simple text asking if there is anything that you could do to support them or if they would like to connect in a quick call.

• A Facebook or Linked In message sending them a tool or article that applies to them personally. This builds trust and value.  You’ve heard that people only buy from those that they Know-Like-Trust in the service based industry.

• Commenting on their social media page, letting them know with a subtle touch that you’re thinking about them.

• If you’re enrolling guests into a time limited program where the doors are closing, just let them know the time limit and that you need a choice by a certain date.  Bugging them daily and hourly is not the best way to go, they are going through their own resistance and that energy pushes them away.

One thing to always remember in your follow up.  IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU… its about THEM.

If you’re pushy, they will sense it.  If you are focusing on YOUR dream for them verses the dreams they have for themselves then you will watch that fish swim away for good.  Reach out and connect like you would to your best friend.  Keep it light, fun and engaging.

Connection is where you bridge the gulf between you and your ideal client.  Start with commonality too… bring up the basketball game that you just watched that was their favorite team.  This makes you relatable as well…. creating a friendship base.

I KNOW this takes time, effort and dedication but it’s worth it.  Trust me when I tell you that the fish is NOT GOING to JUMP into your boat…  reel them in with your expertise, skill set, loving personality and your true genuine nature.  After all this is a relationship based industry and we need to start there, with the relationship building.

I hope you found this informative and helpful to use with your own service based business.  Feel free to reach out and connect with questions for extra guidance or leave a comment below.

Karie Millspaugh

Business Coach – From Purpose to Profits

President and Founder of Abundant Living by KLM