What’s the one thing that is critical to your business that, if you’re like many network marketers you may not do enough of? Although your first inclination is to answer Power Hours, you’re only partially correct. It’s following up (which you also do during your Power Hour). Following up is critical to your business. It’s what separates true professionals from everyone else. Each time you connect with someone from your network it provides an opportunity for a follow-up down the road. However, many people don’t follow up. Or, they follow up once and then stop. Often they think that if they follow up once, that’s enough. In reality, it’s essential to follow up more than once, even up to seven, eight, or nine times. If you’re anxious about following up with your network or just don’t know how then read on to learn more.

What is following up?

Following up is simply taking the time to connect with people in your network. Typically, it’s somebody with whom you’ve had recent communication. Perhaps you spoke with them about your business or connected with them to say hello and see how they are. Or, maybe in speaking with them, they had a question about your business or the industry you’re in. Following up with a hello is your opportunity to touch base with the person, to answer their question, or to connect with them again. Following up is more than this though; it’s showing that you’ve taken the time to reach back out to them. It’s creating a connection, showing you care, and building the relationship.

Why following up is essential to building your network marketing business

As a network marketer, you’re always looking for ways to grow and expand your network. You’re also likely looking for ways to serve your network better. This is essential for building relationships. However, many network marketers only reach out periodically, and often not on a consistent basis. Additionally, they may forget to reconnect with the person to answer their question or respond to a comment they had. This is a missed opportunity to continue to build the relationship and to show care and expertise. Your network wants to hear from you. Following up provides an opportunity to connect with them on a deeper level.

Furthermore, many network marketers still understand that following up is the most powerful thing they can do to grow their businesses. In fact, more than 80% of sales happen between the 7th and 10th follow up. So many network marketers stop after following up with their networks once or twice. They figure that’s enough. They don’t want to seem annoying or bug their network. Or, they don’t want to be rejected. However, people get busy and they may not respond right away. This makes it so important to continue to follow up with people in your network.

It’s never too late to follow up

If you haven’t been following up, the good news is it’s never too late to do so. You can follow up at any point. However, it’s most effective to follow up when you say you will. If you say you’re going to respond in the next week, then make sure you respond within a week. This shows that you keep your word and also helps you build trust with them. If you didn’t give them a time frame, then use your best discretion to get back to them in a reasonable amount of time. Remember, consistency is key. You have to be consistent when communicating with your network. This helps to build trust, which is essential for building relationships. The more your network trusts you the more likely they are to introduce you to other people they know who may benefit from the services you provide.

Start following up today

If you haven’t been following up with the people in your network, you have a chance to redeem yourself. Start following up with them today. During your Power Hour, once you have connected with the people on your list, think about who you’ve connected with in the last couple of weeks that you said that you would get back to. If you can’t think of anyone, that’s okay. Just set the intention to make sure you follow up if you say that you’re going to. If you remember someone, then reach out to them. Apologize for not getting back to them sooner, and then respond with an answer to their question or just to simply see how they’re doing. They’ll appreciate the effort and that you care.

Who are you following up with?

Although you need to follow up with everyone, your biggest advocates are the people to follow up with first. After all, these are the people who are the foundation of your business. They sing your praises from the rooftops and they are more fun to connect with because you know them better. If you want to get in the habit of following up, follow up with your biggest advocates first. 

Next, connect with your new prospects. Once you’ve been introduced, that’s your cue to begin building the relationship. Follow up with them to answer any questions they have or to tell them more about your business.

Finally, you want to connect with the people who you said you would follow up with. Your word is your bond. If you want people to trust you and to want to work with you, it’s important to follow through with connecting with them when you said you would. Network marketers forget to follow up, and as a result, they may miss out on building a relationship with someone. Be sure to follow through by following up.

Help your team follow up

What if you are great at following up but your team isn’t? As their leader they look to you. The best way to ensure that your team is following up is to model for them how to follow up. They will copy what you do. How do you do this? Through practice of your own, meaning that you follow up with them. That way they know how to do it themselves. 

Another way is to role-play with them. This works for members of your team who are shy or anxious about following up or simply don’t know how. When you role play with them they become more comfortable with the process. And, they become more likely to put it into practice.

If they’re uncertain about following up, they could be creating narratives in their mind about all the things that can go wrong. Share your own experiences with following up, even any bad ones you have. Explain what you did, how you approached it, and how you reacted. This will give them insight into what they can do should they encounter the same situations. Once you give them the tools to help them succeed they can face any fears they may have.

Need help following up? Teamzy can help!

We created Teamzy to make it easier and more fun to build your network marketing business. Not only do we make it easier to run your business, but we also make it easier to follow up with the people in your network. We help you consistently keep in touch with everyone in your network, as well as provide scripts to use to help you get the conversation started, even if you haven’t connected with them in a long time. We also offer online training courses to help you improve your skills and gain new ones. What are you waiting for? If you’re not using Teamzy, click here to learn more.

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