Disclaimer: In celebration of my company Nel’s Tax Help, LLC completing its second year of business, I decided to share some words of wisdom to other new business owners that will help them along their entrepreneurial journeys. Tips provided are purely for informational purposes only. Enjoy!
You make the first connection with a potential customer. You might even provide a quote or have them sign an engagement letter or contract. Then nothing. It is like this new customer disappeared. I have found there is magic in the following up with customers.
You never know what is going on in someone else’s life. They or someone they know could have gotten ill. An unexpected expense could have became priority over the fees they promised you. Or, and it is not an excuse, everyday life happened and they honestly forgot.
This is not the time to take it personal that your potential customer went missing. Reach out either via email, text, phone, or all of the above to see if the client wants to continue to use your service or purchase your product.
When you do follow up, provide a deadline in your message. I usually give a week. If I have not heard back from the potential client after the week, I usually leave a voicemail and an email stating I have made several attempts to help them and this will be my last attempt to contact them to help provide relief for their current tax issue(s) we previously discussed. And then I wait…
That last message usually catches their attention; and within 7 days, I usually hear back from the missing potential client. Rarely, I still might not hear back from the potential client. It is at this point that I cut my loses and I move on to other clients who are willing to work with me and pay me.
But if I had not followed up with the missing potential client, I could have missed the opportunity to help another taxpayer and gain additional revenue.
Follow up with those potential clients because they came to you for a reason, and those potential clients most likely still want to work with you and purchase from you. Do not allow life and the unexpected to prevent you from making more money and gaining a potential recurring client. Stay golden and follow up.
Come back tomorrow for Tip #3: Do Not Negotiate with Price Terrorists
Shan-Nel D. Simmons 