Follow Up

[glorybound]

How do you guys handle follow up emails. I usually email a tentative quote, and if they are interested, I send a formal one. However, I don't do a good job following up on people I don't hear back from. I do record everyone in my CMS and I use the CMS to email postcards. Also, I email a follow up letter like this:

Dear NAME,


I am writing in order to follow up with you on your recent inquiry about your architectural rendering needs on DATE. I hope that I was able to provide all of the information you were in need of regarding your request.


Since I have not yet heard back from you at this time, I would like to ask if there was any further information that you needed, or if you were still in need of the architectural rendering quoted. If pricing or other factors have prevented me from gaining your business, I would sincerely like to speak with you so that I can learn how to possibly better serve you in the future.

Thank you,
Bobby Parker
www.bobby-parker.com

I don't really do it in a timely matter and sometimes I am surprised on how many I don't hear back from. Also, I am also surprised on how long sometimes it takes people to become clients, sometimes. Some people request a quote and I don't here back from them for month and months.

[flino2004]

I would take the part of the price out....some clients even they say that they need as soon as possible most of the time is not true.
it looks like when you have a service like Internet or DirectTV, you call to cancel it and after that they gave you the "loyalty price" .... to me is why you don't get that from the beginning or you were overpaying.

[glorybound]

I thought about that, too. I did get a reply from someone yesterday, that I sent a follow up to, and he said they went with someone who didn't want a despot. I put the price in, so I would know if my price is usually the reason. However, that isn't usually the reason.

I would take the part of the price out....some clients even they say that they need as soon as possible most of the time is not true.
it looks like when you have a service like Internet or DirectTV, you call to cancel it and after that they gave you the "loyalty price" .... to me is why you don't get that from the beginning or you were overpaying.

[Morne]

If you read Jeffrey Gitomer's books, you'll see he reckons it's just about NEVER about price. It's about the value you add to what they need.

[glorybound]

I agree. However, there are some that it's noting but price. These are the clients I avoid anyway. I am sure the one who replied yesterday went with an overseas person. You know, "100% guaranteed or we don't get paid until you are happy", folks. I did go to this company's webpage and the renderings I saw were very poor and done by a child, or so it looked. Anyway, I need to get better at follow ups. Some of the ones I sent out yesterday were from the middle of last year. I was doing it 4 days after I sent a quote, but sometimes I am just too busy.

[Morne]

I agree. However, there are some that it's noting but price. These are the clients I avoid anyway. I am sure the one who replied yesterday went with an overseas person. You know, "100% guaranteed or we don't get paid until you are happy", folks. I did go to this company's webpage and the renderings I saw were very poor and done by a child, or so it looked. Anyway, I need to get better at follow ups. Some of the ones I sent out yesterday were from the middle of last year. I was doing it 4 days after I sent a quote, but sometimes I am just too busy.

Tell the wife it's time for some remodeling. Turn your garage into an office and get en extra person or two.

[glorybound]

Managing myself is hard enough.