Effective ways to follow up with phone leads

After the initial follow-up, many salespeople quit trying. But, to put it in context, 80 percent of productive sales need at least three follow-ups and several phone conversations before closing. To follow up with phone leads is one of the most crucial aspects of the job for sales representatives. You’re rushing from one call to the next, speaking with fresh leads, updating your CRM, and attempting to keep track of new prospects. Deals and follow-ups will undoubtedly get lost in the shuffle. But, we have some strategies for improving your follow-up game after each sales call and closing more business.

Is it effective to make sales calls?

Many salespeople nowadays would rather send an email blast than make a phone call. However, before proceeding, it is worth determining whether the phone is still the best approach to follow up with prospects today.

“Yes,” is the answer. According to a new survey, the phone is still one of the most successful sales tools, with the majority of respondents identifying their phone as their most efficient business tactic.

When is the best time to make the calls?

Before you start using ConvertMore lead calling software, we need to cover the basics. For following up with phone leads, a 10-minute response time is ideal. The optimum periods to contact the potential clients are around 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. in their time zone. And, when is the worst time of day to qualify leads? We suggest you avoid making phone calls between 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Best tips to follow up with phone leads

As you may know, it’s not just about when but also about how you follow up with your phone leads. Consider their position in your funnel, their pain areas and requirements, as well as the timeframe of your interaction. Here are some recommended practices for following up with potential leads to gain more customers and boost web lead conversions.

Schedule your phone calls with leads

You can dramatically improve your odds of actually reaching your phone leads by allowing them to schedule a suitable time to talk. This not only makes your potential client’s experience simpler, but it also demonstrates that you value their time and do not want to bother them.

The thought of receiving an unplanned call amid the workday or at another unfavorable hour might deter prospective customers from sharing their details. When you use automated callbacks to request a call right away, you may answer fast without having to plan a call. Similarly, if the receiver does not know when to anticipate an email or message, it is more likely to be overlooked or buried by other correspondence.

Avoid making direct sales pitches

Make sure your follow-up communications and interactions are focused on what your potential clients’ businesses need and how you can help them, rather than merely selling the features and functions of your products.

Begin the conversation by inquiring about their ambitions and the challenges they are presently experiencing. This allows you to pinpoint particular areas where you can alleviate their stress and assist their company to develop. Moreover, opening the conversation around their business rather than your product demonstrates that you are interested in assisting them rather than just making a sale.

Do your homework and prepare well for each follow-up. When speaking with your client, mention the content they’ve looked at on your website. It will aid you in initiating more relevant and successful conversations instead of directly pushing a sale.

Ask questions that elicit responses

Asking the right question is not effortless for most of us. The questions you ask, as well as the ones you don’t, have a significant influence on the outcome of your interactions.

You should be careful not to fall into the pitfalls of a phone conversation, which can include leading the client, rambling, or asking multiple questions with multiple choices. While these scenarios appear to be casual and reasonably innocent, they add needless variables that may cause the client to become confused.

Furthermore, it might make busy people feel as though their energy is being wasted. No one wants to waste time – keep this in mind when considering how to reduce bounce rate, too.

Respect your prospects and their time

If someone requests that you cease contacting them, you should always comply. However, by building a solid connection and setting clear intentions, you can typically avoid getting to that stage.

If you conclude every discussion, no matter how driven the prospect is, by seeking approval to follow up with them in a specific duration of time, you’ll always be working in the area of understanding and respect.

Send an email summarizing the call

Yes, you should follow up on the follow-up! After the phone call, make a list of the highlights of the talk as well as any unresolved things that you should follow up on. The goal of this email is not to offer a word-for-word account of the chat. Instead, you want to thank the client and record the key points of the call for clarification purposes.

These emails also help ensure that both parties any actions or commitments agreed upon during the call. A concise summary email can help you enhance your follow-ups and keep things constructive and beneficial.

Offer them multiple channel options

Leads tend to communicate in a specific style. To communicate with potential clients, besides phone calls, some utilize social media, email, snail mail. When you decide to follow up on phone leads, ensure you have other channels open as well. Make sure you’re available no matter what platform your lead prefers. Respond to social media messages as soon as possible, answer your phone and return calls quickly, and monitor your inbox.

Final thoughts

Quality phone interactions contribute significantly to customer happiness and increased profitability. Admittedly, even the strongest marketing in the world will be ineffective if you don’t know how to follow up with phone leads it creates. Make the most of your future customer contacts by employing these tactics and improving your conversations. Good luck!