Learn how to follow up with prospects effectively in social selling and increase your conversion rate. Discover tips on communication, value, trust, and action.

"Just circling back" or "did you see my last email" is lame to say the least. Don't send empty follow ups. Is there a piece of content which you can share alongside your chase up to help which aligns to your proposal or meeting request. Be more creative and show you've made the effort....it goes a long way

How can you follow up with prospects effectively?

Following up with prospects is a crucial step in social selling, but it can also be challenging. You don't want to be too pushy or too passive, and you want to provide value and build trust. How can you follow up with prospects effectively and increase your chances of converting them into customers? Here are some tips to help you.

1 Use multiple channels

Don't rely on just one channel to communicate with your prospects. Different prospects may prefer different modes of communication, such as email, phone, social media, or messaging apps. Use a mix of channels to reach out to your prospects, and track their responses and preferences. For example, you can send an email with a useful resource, then follow up with a phone call to ask for feedback, then connect with them on LinkedIn to share an industry insight.

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2 Add value and personalize

Every time you follow up with a prospect, you should aim to add value and personalize your message. Don't just send generic or automated messages that sound like sales pitches. Instead, show that you understand their needs, challenges, goals, and interests, and offer relevant solutions, insights, or recommendations. For example, you can share a case study that shows how your product or service helped a similar client, or a blog post that answers a common question they have, or a testimonial that highlights your credibility.

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Dean Seddon

Speaker, Author & 7-figure Entrepreneur ▪ Build your brand, win clients and dominate your market ▪ Social Selling ▪ Personal Branding ▪ LinkedIn ▪ DM me 🆆🅸🅽 to get started
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"Just circling back" or "did you see my last email" is lame to say the least. Don't send empty follow ups. Is there a piece of content which you can share alongside your chase up to help which aligns to your proposal or meeting request. Be more creative and show you've made the effort....it goes a long way

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3 Respect their time and space

While you want to stay in touch with your prospects and keep them engaged, you also don't want to overwhelm or annoy them with too many or too frequent follow-ups. Respect their time and space, and avoid being intrusive or aggressive. Ask them for their preferred timing and frequency of communication, and follow their cues. For example, if they say they are busy or need more time to decide, don't pressure them or bombard them with messages. Instead, give them some space and check in with them later.

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Stan Robinson, Jr.

Helping Sales Professionals Use LinkedIn and AI to Build Their Business and Brand | Digital Sales Consultant | LinkedIn & Sales Navigator Training
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Providing prospects with relevant content that can help them do their jobs more effectively is one of the best ways to add value in a relationship. However, before sending content to someone, ask for their permission first. For example, "Hi Casey, I came across a post on retaining software development talent that I thought would be of interest. Would you like me to send it to you?" Given how overwhelmed most of us are with information, people appreciate the fact that you asked before forwarding content to them. Even if they decline your offer, this helps you stay on their radar in a positive light.

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4 Ask open-ended questions

One of the best ways to follow up with prospects effectively is to ask open-ended questions that invite them to share more information, opinions, feedback, or concerns. Open-ended questions help you to learn more about your prospects, uncover their pain points and motivations, and build rapport and trust. They also keep the conversation going and show that you are interested and attentive. For example, you can ask them what they liked or disliked about your offer, how they measure their success, or what their biggest challenges are.

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5 Provide a clear call to action

Finally, every follow-up message should have a clear and specific call to action that guides your prospects to the next step in the sales process. A call to action should be simple, actionable, and measurable, and it should create a sense of urgency or value. For example, you can ask your prospects to schedule a demo, sign up for a trial, download a white paper, or reply with their questions. A call to action helps you to move your prospects closer to the buying decision and avoid losing their interest or momentum.

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Stan Robinson, Jr.

Helping Sales Professionals Use LinkedIn and AI to Build Their Business and Brand | Digital Sales Consultant | LinkedIn & Sales Navigator Training
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If you have sent content to a prospect, ideally after asking their permission, your "call to action" could be as simple as "I'll check with you in the next few days to see what you thought of the article". This sets the expectation that you will be back in touch with them. While you could ask them to let you know what they thought of the content you sent, most people will never get back to you.

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Ryan Hill

Social Selling & Content Creator | Luxury Sales, Styling & Retail Management
(edited)
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In Social selling it is very easy to forget on the salesperson side that it can sometimes be quite confusing how to check out for the client or the customer. It’s not always extremely clear like a sign saying “registers ahead.” I have found it’s always safe to assume that you may need to guide the customer through the checkout process the first time, don’t assume that they already know how.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you follow up with prospects effectively?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Use multiple channels

2 Add value and personalize

3 Respect their time and space

4 Ask open-ended questions

5 Provide a clear call to action

6 Here’s what else to consider

Social Selling

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How can you follow up with prospects effectively?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Use multiple channels

2 Add value and personalize

3 Respect their time and space

4 Ask open-ended questions

5 Provide a clear call to action

6 Here’s what else to consider

Social Selling

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