The Fortune is in the Follow-Up

After a discovery call with a prospective client, many VAs wonder about follow-up. How much is enough? How much is too much?

Knowing what to do can be a tricky balancing act. On one hand, we want new clients. On the other hand, we don’t want to appear desperate.

The good news is that almost all discovery calls fall into one of two common scenarios. Here is what they are and how to handle them:

Scenario #1: They’re Not Sure

As we end the discovery call, if the prospective client is not sure if they’re ready to get started, I will say:

“If questions come up as you’re thinking about working with me, please let me know. I’m happy to jump on another call with you.” And then I ask, “Would you like me to follow up with you?”

If they say no, I say, “Great – thank you so much for your time today.”

If they say yes, I ask, “When would you like me to do that?”

Then, I immediately put the follow-up date on my calendar. When the day arrives, I send an email like this:

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Hi first name,

I hope you’re having a good day.

I’m following up on our conversation last week to see if any questions have come up about working with me.

I’m happy to jump on a call if that would be helpful.

Thanks!

Belinda

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If they reply, I respond. If they don’t reply, I do nothing.

Scenario #2: They’re Ready To Go

If they say they’re ready to go and want to start working with me, I send them an email like this:

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Hi first name,

I enjoyed meeting with you today and look forward to getting started with you.

Here’s a link to buy your Debit Card: LINK

Thanks!

Belinda 

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If they don’t buy the Debit Card within two days, I take the email from my sent folder and forward it to them with a note that says:

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Hi first name,

I just want to make sure this didn’t go to your spam folder.

I look forward to getting started. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks!

Belinda

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If they don’t respond or buy the Debit Card, I don’t follow up again.

A few things to keep in mind…

You have no idea what’s going on in your prospective client’s life, so please don’t assume that silence on their part has anything to do with you. Maybe their cat just died or they won the lottery. You just don’t know.

You don’t want to work with someone who’s not ready (trust me). So don’t try to talk them into it or try to “sell” them.

Be sure to add them to your email newsletter list and publish regularly. Your newsletter can serve as a gentle reminder without you emailing them directly.

Most important, just because they’re not ready now, doesn’t mean that they won’t circle back around. You just never know!

If you’re not already a member of our Facebook Group, The Virtual Assistant Connection, and would like to join, here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevaconnection/