For past few weeks we have emphasized why follow-ups are essential, this week we’re turning that momentum into action: turning follow-ups into sales. As we have stated in the past, following up isn’t just a polite gesture, it’s where opportunities turn into revenue. Many entrepreneurs and small business owners underestimate how crucial consistent, thoughtful follow-ups are to closing deals. Katie Froehlich of White Oak Music Hall reminds us that most confirmed sales require 3–5 follow-ups – not once or twice, but a series of touchpoints that build trust, clarify needs, and demonstrate your expertise.
Here are tips from Katie on how you can bridge the gap from follow-ups to actual sales:
- Be an Expert
You are the voice of your services. A thorough understanding of your services will give you easy confidence when pitching to a client or giving an elevator pitch. Be prepared for all the frequently asked questions and not so frequently asked questions.
- Know your customer
Not everyone is your customer. To best utilize your time and resources, identifying your target market is crucial. Once you’ve identified your market, you can target specific marketing efforts, places to network, and your pitch.
Prepare for your meetings. Showing that you put effort into your pitch and tailoring the material to best fit the client’s needs goes a long way in presenting a confident and trustworthy person that they want to work with.
- Understand the challenges
Clients are coming to you for one reason – to find a solution to their problems. Use each conversation and interaction with them to help identify the challenge they are trying to overcome. It’s important to listen to the client’s answer. Salespeople sometimes get wrapped up in the prepared pitch and don’t listen to what the client really wants, resulting in a loss of the sale. Be prepared to pivot yourself to show how your services can help them with their problem.
- Follow Up
Follow up is key to winning business! Follow ups after an initial interaction shows you remember them and opens the door for more conversation. Follow ups are a great way to stay top of mind with your clients. The majority of confirmed sales take 3-5 follow ups. Be persistent and continue to work on the quality of your follow ups but know when to stop. Sometime over persistence will take away from the message you are trying to get across.
- Reevaluate
Sales and rejection unfortunately go hand in hand. Rejection is hard to face, but there are tons of reasons why someone might not be interested in your services, most of which are out of your control. However, you can use the rejection as an opportunity to strengthen your sales game and adapt to the needs and concerns of your clients.
By combining strategic follow-ups with targeted sales tactics, you can transform your client interactions into revenue without being pushy or salesy. Follow-ups aren’t just about touching base—they’re about building trust, demonstrating value, and guiding your prospects naturally toward a “yes.”
Next time you go to your Follow-Up Organizer Bundle, remember: it’s not just a productivity tool – it’s your roadmap from conversation to conversion.
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