In hundreds of discussions with brokers and employers over the years, one message stands out above all others, and that concerns the value of follow-up communications. I'll bet you have never failed because you consistently followed up with a customer, and I'll bet your most satisfied customers place a high value on follow-up. In my experience, follow-up is more important than price - price might get you a sale, great follow-up can get you a customer.
Let's consider some of the techniques to make part of your best in class follow-up plan.
Timing: Like great comedy, great follow- up requires a sense of timing. For example, being very aggressive about following up when a prospect is considering a new proposal may turn off a customer, because you may be viewed as trying to push them into a decision.
When you do follow up with someone considering your offer, position it as a service call ("Are there any questions we can help you answer?") versus a sales call ("Have you made a decision yet?"). The most vulnerable time in a benefit plan is always the time between the decision to purchase and full installation of the program. That's the time period for enrollment, underwriting, issue of group master contracts and certificates, billing set-up and payroll deduction starts for voluntary plans. That period of time can range from a few weeks to several months depending on size of the client, program complexity and enrollment timing. This is the time for intense follow-up, because it is when more can go wrong. I recommend educating the client up front of what to expect, including milestone activities, estimated dates and plans to verify progress with the client. At the end of this process, when the program is up and running, a post-installation meeting should be held to review how the process went, lessons learned, and to set expectations for the future.
In basic terms, once an employer has accepted your benefit program and you tell them what to expect, communicate at each stage of the process and report on what happened.
Techniques: There are various kinds of methods of follow up:
- The personal call/voice mail
- Text messages
- Personal letters or notes
- In-person meetings
- Customer entertainment
How do you choose the type of follow up? Gauge your client's preferences. Over the years I have found very different preferences among customers. Some have assistants they rely on totally, and an effective follow-up entails calling the assistant to ask whether there are any issues. Some prefer nighttime voice mail messages they can answer on their schedule. Some decision-makers work early or late and like to be called during those "off hours." I like to ask people about their preferences in a phone follow-up conversation.
E-mail is often an impersonal way of being personal. I have started to consider long, soliciting or informational e-mails, even from business associates, to be junk mail because you can spot the signs that this is not a personal message at all. In customer follow-up I will use e-mail for quick notes that can be read in a few seconds and do not require a response of more than "Thanks" or "Call me." I will use texting for this if I know the contact is usually mobile with a Berry or Treo.
For longer messages, I write good old-fashioned business letters. They have become so rare that they get far more attention than an e-mail message, and are great reinforcers of your message. I also use handwritten personal notes for "Thank you" follow-ups, and often get phone calls back thanking me for the notes. When was the last time anyone thanked you for an e-mail in person?
If you find your way to effective follow-up timing and techniques, you will help set your organization apart from your competition and be an effective resource for your customers.
