3 mistakes when following up interested customers

Claudia Academy cover with the title “3 mistakes when following up interested customers.” The subtitle says that often nothing happens after a customer asks for a price or quote, that this usually comes down to one of three mistakes, and that each mistake has a simple fix.

Mistake 1: nobody is the owner. What happens: everyone thinks a colleague will call back, and nobody does. How to recognize it: the question of who is calling this customer is met with silence. The fix: put one name next to every interested customer; whoever takes the question stays the owner until they deliberately hand it over.

Mistake 2: there is no deadline. What happens: “I'll call him later” turns into next week, and by then the customer has gone elsewhere. How to recognize it: customers on your list without a date, or with “as soon as possible.” The fix: give every follow-up a date and time and agree on it with the customer.

Mistake 3: the outcome is not recorded. What happens: someone called, but nobody knows what was agreed, and a colleague calls again. How to recognize it: lines stay open, or all they say is “called.” The fix: after every contact, write down the outcome and the next step.

Summary with three questions for every interested customer: who is the owner, with one name per customer; what is the deadline, with a date and time that is also agreed on with the customer; and what was the outcome, recorded after every contact with the next step.

Pointer to the free Claudia Academy lesson “Build an appointments and follow-up system,” at claudia.bitsplease.org/en/academy/customer-service-system/lesson-4-appointments-follow-up.