What to Do When Prospects Ghost You
Episode 680: Show Notes
Today we’re going to talk about the art of the follow-up! Once you’ve pitched your service, it’s possible that you’ll experience potential clients ghosting you, being passive-aggressive towards you, or fighting against the process that you’re trying to put them through. All three of those things have happened to us in the last seven days so we know all about those weird experiences. In an ideal world, people will seamlessly move through your sales process, discovery call, and pitch meeting, and then they’ll pay you. This happens almost half of the time but the other half of the time, you’ll be faced with resistance and objections that you’ll have to work through. Today, we’re going to talk you through how to deal with them!
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Different Ways to Follow Up with Clients
The way you follow up with clients depends on the relationship that you have with them. Sometimes, a few Instagram messages might be a better route to take than a more formal email. Other times, Loom videos where clients can see your face might be the most effective. Occasionally, setting up a meeting might be what you need to do to get them to make a decision. This may feel counterintuitive but sometimes you can get through what would have been 10 back-and-forth emails in one 20-minute phone call or face-to-face meeting.
Putting the “Service” Back Into Service Based Businesses
If you’re in a service-based business and you’re not prioritizing serving the way that your clients need to be served, then you’re doing it wrong. Service-based businesses aren’t about getting as many clients through the door and dealing with them as quickly as possible. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the strategies employed in a one-to-many business model will work in a one-to-one business. That couldn’t be further from the truth! When you’re following up with a client, each interaction needs to be individualized; don’t send out a generic mass email and expect a positive response. Make it personal!
How to Pitch Properly
To reduce the amount of time you spend following up with clients, stop abandoning them at the pitch! It’s your responsibility to walk potential clients through your proposal by having a Zoom call with them or meeting them in person. While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to pitching, it’s definitely essential that you pitch to a live human, and that you give them clear guidance on what your expectations are of them (with a date!) If you’re not doing that, then you’re setting yourself up for resistance from clients.
We’re All Human
If you’ve done everything you can to make your pitch as sound as possible and you’re still not hearing back from a client, go interact with them on social media! Like their Facebook posts, comment on their Instagram stories, and show them that you are also a human and you care about them as a person. This is a very effective way to connect with people outside of work, thus encouraging them to respond to your proposal; it has worked for us time and time again!
Quote This
If you’re in a service-based business and you’re not prioritizing serving the way that your clients need to be served, then you’re doing it wrong.
Highlights
Different Ways to Follow Up with Clients. [0:10:15]
Putting the “Service” Back Into Service Based Businesses. [0:11:54]
How to Pitch Properly. [0:17:42]
We’re All Human. [0:22:44]
Today’s Guest:
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
We help overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams to create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. Basically, we think you’re totally bomb diggity, we’re about to uplevel the shiz out of your business.
Key Topics:
Follow-Ups, Personalization, Serving, Guidance, Pitching, Human Connection
