In my experience, following up with potential clients is actually more important than your first pitch.
The truth is, many small business owners, solopreneurs, and companies are super busy, so a pitch may go unnoticed at first. It may even be forgotten. So what do you do when you’ve heard nothing but radio silence after trying to win some business?
Here a few ways to follow up with potential clients:
Personalize Your Follow Up
Don’t send your potential client something that you’ve sent to a million other people. Show your potential client that you genuinely care and want the opportunity to work with them by writing a personal email.
Try to remember details about your meeting if you had one or even mention their latest blog post, podcast, or tweet. It shows you’re paying attention to their company and you still want the chance to work with them. Including these small details can really make an impact with your follow up. Also, don’t forget to reference them by name!
Don’t Push Or Pitch Again
Since you’ve already told your potential client what you could do for them, there is no reason to repeat this information in your follow up. Instead, refresh their memory of who you are and tell them how you can help make their lives easier (not how they can make your life easier!)
If you are overly pushy, you are more likely than not hurting your chances of a call or email back. So, try not to be too aggressive. A simple follow up saying you’re interested and how you can help them should be perfect.
Stay Consistent
Just because a client doesn’t follow up right away doesn’t mean they don’t want to work with you. After your initial pitch, follow up a few days later. If you still haven’t heard a peep, try again a week or so later.
Once you’ve followed up twice, try one more time a few weeks after the last.This will ensure that you’ve had the opportunity to get a gig four times, without sending them constant emails. If you want to try one more time, try waiting a couple of months and then trying again.
You can create a spreadsheet or document to remember how many times you have followed up with someone. Doing this will keep you organized and can even help you test a few different types of emails.
Know When To Stop
If you still haven’t heard anything after a few follow ups, it may be time to stop trying. Not every potential client will want to hire you or use your services. That doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you. It just might mean it’s not a good fit at this time.
Ultimately, staying connected and following up can seem difficult and frustrating at first, but it doesn’t have to be. You can follow up with potential clients the right way, and still keep your sanity. Just be polite and consistent without spamming them, and you’ll be surprised at how much business you’ll win.
