Are you being ghosted by your customers and prospects?
Last week we talked about the importance of following up – that it’s an act of love, one that’s required for building a steady, successful business. But that’s only part of it. Yes, it’s vitally important to follow up, but you have to do it consistently.
Consist-a-what?
Consistency is the key to success. You need it to build your business, stick to your system and achieve your goals. It’s also the key to building trust in relationships – if your customers and team members know they can count on you to do what you say you’re going to do, they’ll trust you more and more.
However, it’s so hard to become consistent. Why? For one, there are so many distractions. How many times have you been sidetracked by something else demanding your attention at the moment you’re about to follow up with your network for the day? Additionally, it’s easy to put things off and make an excuse to justify it. “I’m too tired” or “I just don’t feel like following up today.” When your motivation wanes, it’s tough to rally and get things done.
What’s holding you back?
By far the biggest roadblock to consistency is not seeing results. Like Veruca Salt when she’s touring Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, when we want something, we want it NOW! The desire for immediate gratification leads us to quit, often before we can really get started.
It’s not enough to send one message. Sure, you can hope that your first message to a customer or prospect that’s intended to make someone’s day will cause that person to suddenly realize they NEED to buy from you or join your team immediately. And, in 0.0001% of cases, that’s exactly what happens. Sometimes you hit the jackpot and one single message is all you need to close a deal. However, the vast majority of the time, it takes several follow-ups before the person will respond or act on your invitation. In fact, studies show it takes anywhere from 7 to 10 follow-ups.
More is More
How many follow up do most network marketers make? A few – maybe 2 or 3. Then, they write the person off and figure they’re not interested (or they craft an elaborate story that explains in great detail why the person isn’t interested, which is often far more entertaining than the real reason the person isn’t responding – often, they’re just busy)
No, your network isn’t ghosting you
So, you’ve sent messages and texts to the people in your network and the days and weeks have flown by. You may have even received a response or two from several of your customers and prospects. Then, you start to tally up how many messages and texts you’ve sent over the last few weeks and compare it to the number of responses you’ve received and you begin to feel frustrated… or maybe disheartened or annoyed. You likely have felt all three things, at the same time. “I sent so many messages/texts,” you say.
Pro Tip: Let Teamzy remind you to follow up with your best people. That way, you’ll never let anyone slip through the cracks.
“Why aren’t people responding?”
People don’t respond for many reasons. Perhaps they’re busy right now and life is pulling them in all directions. Or, they meant to message you back but forgot. Perhaps they were burned by an unsavory network marketer in the past and they feel wary about responding because they’re unsure of your intentions. Whatever the reason, it’s likely not personal and it’s definitely no reason to stop following up with them.
Let me tell you a story…
It’ll drive home why it’s so important to follow up. I consistently messaged and texted everyone in my network, using Teamzy to help me figure out who to contact and how often. I messaged one gentleman and didn’t hear from him for a while. His name came back up in Teamzy several months later and I followed up with him by sending another message. Several more months went by and I didn’t hear a thing. I felt frustrated; after all, I had been messaging him consistently. I began to wonder why he hadn’t responded yet. But, I didn’t let it get to me – I continued to follow up. Finally, a year later, he responded. He thanked me for continuing to follow up with him and explained that he had been busy. He said he was glad I had followed up because he was ready to join my team. I was elated! All that following up had paid off!
Now, this won’t happen for everyone; however, you will find that if you consistently follow up with your current and prospective customers and team members, you’ll eventually get a response AND people will appreciate that you continued to reach out and show you care. Remember, you’re not badgering them to buy from you; you’re checking in with them to find out how they’re doing and listening for new ways to serve them.
Follow up or give up?
Not sure whether to follow up with someone in your network or give up on them? Take this handy quiz:
- You messaged a customer/prospect three months ago and they didn’t respond. Their name shows up on your Teamzy Dashboard as someone to connect with today? What do you do?
- Message them again to check in and make their day
- Never message them ever again. In fact, you plan to avoid them from now on.
- After sending 4 follow-ups to a customer/prospect over the past year, they don’t seem ready to buy or join your team, even after a year of communication. You:
- Continue to message them and check in so you can help them meet their needs and serve them.
- Give up. They’re not interested, right?
- A loyal customer refers their sister to you, saying she loves the products. You message her and don’t hear crickets for a few weeks. You think:
- “She’s probably super busy. I’ll continue to stay in touch so she can make an order when she’s ready.”
- “OMG, she hates me.”
Bonus question:
You run into a friend at the dog park. You’re catching up and he asks about your business. When you bring up the opportunity, he says, “I’m not interested now, but good luck with your business.” How should you respond?
- “I understand. If you know someone who would be interested in my products, would you mind introducing us? I’d love to help great people like you.”
- Sigh loudly and roll your eyes. You’ve deleted them from your network before you’ve even reached the car.
How did you respond?
Mostly As: Yes! This is how you’re supposed to relationship market! You understand that consistency is important to building your relationships and establishing trust with your customers, prospects, and distributors. You also understand that it can take several touches before you get a response from people… and you’re good with that. After all, you have a heart for service and realize that following up is truly an act of love.
Mostly Bs: You’re super frustrated that people aren’t getting back to you. You have the expectation that if you send a message or text, the other person should respond within a set timeframe, right? In a perfect world, yes, that’s totally what would happen. But we don’t live in a perfect world and life gets busy. Don’t take it so personally! Continue to follow up – keeping in mind that not everyone will respond right away – and over time, once you’ve forged a better relationship with them, they may buy or join your team.
However, even if they say “no,” plant the seed and ask if they know anyone who would be interested in purchasing from you or joining your team. They may have passed on the opportunity you’ve offered them, but they may still support your business. In fact, they could become the biggest advocates of your business. That’s why it’s so important not to write people off, especially after only a few messages.
Follow up, follow up, follow up!
The quiz may have offered two extreme examples of how to negotiate following up; however, the point is expressly clear: Don’t give up. Continue to follow up with your network (using your Teamzy Dashboard to guide you, of course) and don’t give up if you don’t hear a response right away. It could be several months before you hear back… and that’s okay. That’s normal. Not everyone is going to be ready to buy or take advantage of the opportunity you’re offering right away. Most people take time; they need to process what you’re offering, discuss it with their families, run the numbers, and ultimately decide if they’re ready to start their own business. Starting a business is no small undertaking. That’s why it takes 7 to 10 touches to hear an answer. So, be patient. Appreciate them and continue to make their days with the faith that they’ll get in touch when they’re ready. In the meantime, you’re there to serve… and serve from your heart.
Create conversations that convert
All relationships begin with a conversation, and if you need help starting that conversation, we developed a training to help. The Art of Creating Conversations that Convert is an all-new, 7-lesson training course we created to help people transition their conversations into ones that convert into new business. For a limited time, we’re offering a special deal to folks who have taken Elite Business Bootcamp. Click here to learn more.
