Breaking Down the Barriers to Follow Through

You will see a tremendous return on investment when you stay in contact with your customers. Many organizations, both large and small, struggle to keep in touch with their customers because it can be such a time-consuming experience. However, if you break down the barriers to follow through and set up a system, your organization can keep in front of your clients and be ready to provide solutions when they are ready to buy. Here are a few ways to break down the barriers to follow through.


Schedule Follow-Through Time - Follow through is a time-consuming process that may slide down your priority list when you are caught up in daily activities. Build time into your schedule for it and understand that it is a long-term investment of your time, just like saving for retirement saving early and often is the best long-term investment in a fruitful future.

Don't Hesitate - Many of us would rather not be perceived as too pushy. Call with the point of just following through, if you are nervous about seeming pushy. If you are challenged in building rapport, don't make an offer the first time you call.

Get Organized - Many organizations have a Customer Relationship Management system. Make sure that you enter the original purchase information from the client correctly and completely. Use your scheduled follow-through time to get in contact with the clients about any discrepancies.

Learn - It is not unusual to make many false starts when developing a follow-through system. Even a good system that works for others might not work for you or your organization. If a system doesn't work for you, tweak it until it makes sense for you and your organization.