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Follow up is an incredibly important aspect of your marketing and contact management systems. You need to be diligent but not aggressive with your follow-up, though. Your follow up should be creative and customized for each lead or prospect but never so overwhelming that you are perceived as a pest. You want your follow up to appeal to people; not drive them away.

Here are some tips for delivering excellent propsect follow up:

Send a follow up letter announcing that you're speaking at an event and invite them to attend.

Advise that you are exhibiting at a trade show. Use your follow up to give them a free pass for the show.

Send a follow up survey asking if anything has changed since the last time you spoke or met.

Ask for a referral in the form of a follow call, email, letter, etc...

After a natural disaster, send a follow up letter offering your assistance.

If you hear about a promotion they've had, some kind of award that they've won, some kind of new business that they obtained, or some positive media coverage, follow up with a congratulatory call.

If appropriate, discuss a joint venture opportunity like a joint trade show, seminar, etc...

Use major holidays as a natural follow up point by sending a card and best wishes.

Bottom Line on Follow Up

Follow up provides a legitimate reason to stay in touch with your prospects. You want to vary the type of follow up you provide. This keeps your name in your prospects' minds but does not become so overwhelming that you turn them off. Use the tips above to start creating some interesting follow up calls and letters. Stay tuned for more follow up tips next time...

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