What After Arab Health 2016?
Following up is the key for turning leads into customers. You have spent time, money and efforts at the show. It is therefore important to protect this investment by adopting a structured follow up approach.
Here below some tips on how to follow up leads:
Do not wait too long to make contacts with your hot prospects. As soon as you get home, draft a plan for following up on those leads you have already selected at the show.
Start by phone calls. It is the best approach to develop relationships. Ask your prospect how he/she would like to proceed. If you expect a reply, put it in your diary and remind your prospect by a phone call.
If you have to send info/materials/samples/quotes..; make sure that what you send is the latest and consistent with what you have displayed or communicated at the show.
If your company adopts a structured approach or plan comprised of defined steps in the relationship, then inform your prospects and see if this is convenient to them. Many distributors in the region have simply done business with Principals who rushed to sign contracts in the first contact they made.
Draft and send a “minutes of meeting” after each communication. Follow up with your prospects by phone after 5 days.
Put deadlines even though there is a little chance to be met or respected by local partners as business practices.
If you have not heard from your prospects within 7 days, take the initiative to remind/communicate about deals/actions. If you leave the initiative to them, there is a big chance that you lose their interests/attention to your products.
Keep your prospects updated on any latest changes of your product by sending them articles, studies, awards, new features, new technologies, links,…;
Visit the market and your prospects. Face to face is still the best way to foster personal relationships.
While you are engaging with your prospects, you need to anticipate market changes and be aware of new opportunities, new regulations and competition.
TBMedex SAS provides product distribution, market research, distributor qualification and local sales development and implementation For Med Devices companies in the MEA Region.
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