What’s one thing you can do – that most network marketers don’t – that will have a huge impact on your business? Follow up with your network. Not only does following up show the network that you care, but it also provides an opportunity to check-in and discover how you can serve them better. 

It’ll also set you apart from other network marketers out there. Although following up is a simple activity, many network marketers don’t do it… and to their detriment. It only takes a minute or two to message a customer, prospect, or distributor to answer a question, share information, or just to say hello. However, many network marketers don’t do it. Why do they avoid this powerful way to help them grow their businesses?

What is a follow up?

A follow up is simply checking in with the people in your network. It’s sending them a message to show you’re thinking of them and that you care. 

It’s also an important part of relationship marketing. With 80% of sales occurring between the 7th and 10th follow up, many network marketers are leaving business on the table by not following up, and following up several times.

Think about it – you have to follow up with your network more than seven times to make a sale or recruit someone to your team. To be clear, this isn’t contacting someone every day for a week to strongarm them into buying from you or joining your team. In fact, these follow up activities may take place over the course of several months, or even years in some cases. The thing is, following up isn’t a hard sell. It’s simply getting in touch and making someone’s day. It’s also circling back with customers or prospects when they have a question about your business or a product/service. And, it’s checking in if you’ve extended an opportunity to someone and they’ve said they’re thinking about it. Following up encompasses all of these.

So, why don’t more network marketers follow up?

To many, seven seems like a lot – almost too much for some. After all, they don’t want to seem like they’re bugging the people in their networks. Even if it does take place over several months, they may still feel as if they’re bugging their networks. 

They don’t want to pester their networks

Many network marketers fall into this category. They don’t want it to seem as if they’re annoying the people in their networks. Perhaps they have been network marketers for a while and used traditional sales methods to get customers, prospects, or distributors into their networks. They’re very conscious of seeming too pushy or coming on too strong. For some, following up more than once is too much. They may feel if their customer isn’t knocking down their doors to buy their products or service, they’re simply just not interested. However, for many, there’s nothing further from the truth. 

The reality is people are busy. They’re also not as well-versed in your business as you are. Like all businesses, you want to stay top of mind in order to remind your customers that you’re there. This means getting and staying in touch with them to remind them that you care and remind them of what your business does. By reaching out, you provide them with the opportunity to ask questions about your business. You also remind them of what you do, which helps you stay top of mind. Additionally, it shows them that you care enough to take time out of your day to check in with them and just make their days.

They feel that if someone is interested they’ll get in touch

If you sell it, they will come. In an ideal world, that would be the case. You wouldn’t need to ‘sell’ your products; people would be lining up for your products and services. Business doesn’t always work out that way, though. Sometimes people need to not only be aware of your business but also come around to the thought of buying from you or joining your team. 

Think about it, how often do you buy something immediately after learning about it? Aside from impulse buys, it takes most people some time to purchase something. They may read about a product and get reviews. They may think about it for a few days, or even longer, to figure out if it’s the right thing for them. Your customers and prospects are the same way. They need time to think about things for a bit to see if the service, product, or opportunity is right for them. 

This is where you come in. When you follow up with them, they have a chance to learn more about the product and your business from you. They can ask questions and share their thoughts. Additionally, you’ll continue to build trust and your relationship with them. The more they trust you, the more likely they are to buy from you or want to join your team. Sure, they may get in touch with you before you reach out seven or more times; however, remember that over those seven connects, you’ll be building trust and maybe even creating an advocate for your business. 

They simply forget or don’t know how to

Life gets busy. Although many network marketers have every intention of building a business, they may not have the tools or systems in place to make it happen.

Some network marketers rely on spreadsheets, index cards, and thick notebooks to run their businesses. With these ‘systems’ it’s easy for people to fall through the cracks. Potential customers and prospects you meant to follow up with fall through the cracks because of a missing index card or a skipped over page. Additionally, you may not be sure when to follow up with someone – is it after a few days or after several weeks? What do you say? 

That’s why we created Teamzy. The Teamzy CRM replaces all of your spreadsheets, index cards, and notebooks giving you a single system to help you keep it all organized. Once you upload your network and sort them into categories, Teamzy figures out how often to connect with everyone in your network. When it’s time to reach out, simply refer to your dashboard, where you’ll see a list of customers, prospects, and distributors to connect with for the day. If you’re not sure what to say, use the scripts to help you get started. As you become more comfortable, you may find yourself adjusting the scripts to your own communication style. The good news is they’re there should you ever get stuck. 

You can also set your own follow up times if a customer, prospects, or distributor has questions or information to share before they will pop up on your dashboard again. 

Follow up: It’s an act of love

If you want to build trust and show your network you care, there’s no better activity than following up. It’s truly an act of love, a way to show your network that you care and you’re there to help and serve. Here’s how:

Make their day

If you’re not sure what to say or feel as if you don’t have a reason to connect, reach out to make their day. We’re all busy and just trying to take life one day at a time. Some days are harder and more challenging than others. Your message could arrive at a time when that person is feeling stressed out or anxious or just a bit ‘blah.’ Getting a positive message that wishes them well will let them know you care and will surely make their day. Your message could be the salve they need to feel better that day.

Share current information about your industry

What’s going on in your industry? If you’re staying up-to-date about the latest trends and news in your industry, you’ll have great information to share with your network. In addition to providing them with interesting information, you’ll also show off your expertise about your business and your industry. Your network will feel more confident that you know your industry and will come to rely on you for the most current information about it. They’ll seek out your expertise and opinions when they have a question. This will help you stay top of mind as you build trust with your network.

Answer questions they have

If someone in your network has asked questions about your industry, business, or products, be sure to follow up with them with an answer. Even after you’ve answered their questions, follow up to see if they have more questions. This shows that you’re transparent and that you’re always eager to answer their questions and address any concerns they may have. 

Teamzy makes following up easy

With Teamzy, you’ll always know who to contact and how often, whether it’s your first follow up or your seventh. We take the guesswork out of following up so you can focus on providing your network with the highest level of service. Click here to find out more.