The follow up, contrary to what the name may seem to imply, is not limited to what you do after you say, "Goodbye." More properly, it could be described as what you do after you say, "Hello" and detect that a customer wants to say, "Goodbye." In short, the follow up involves taking the necessary steps from the outset of each sales presentation to bring customers back, ready to listen, understand and buy.

Unfortunately, a study just released as a white paper in March 2008 by Red Tree Marketing Resultants and its technology partners, Qquenesis, provides convincing evidence that a large percentage of salespeople are not following up. At a time when salespeople need to make the most of every prospective buyer who walks through the door, Red Tree's study of 50 new-home communities in Denver found that only about 50 percent of the sales agents asked if they could follow up, 36 percent actually did it, and only 14 percent sent anything relevant to what the prospects said was important.

Even more shocking was this statistic: On 16 percent of the visits, no one even spoke to the shoppers, even though they stood in the sales center or model and clearly demonstrated interest -- and even when they were the only visitor in the sales center. In 74 percent of the visits, the shopper was the only person in the sales center; in another 20 percent, there was only one shopper there. Yes, we are in a tough market.

These are alarming statistics. Everyone participating in new home selling should take notice. Yes, we are in a tough market, but if we don't follow up, things can not and will not get better. There are three different ways to follow up. They are phone, email and letter.

In June, I teamed up with Lead Velocity to offer ideas on how to follow up by email. And then in July, my focus is on following up by letter and post card. Participate in the buying experience

The ideas I share with you will work, if you are willing to participate in your prospect's buying experience. If you're not willing to do that, then you will find it very difficult to follow up. Why? Unless you participate in the buying experience, you will have no reason to follow up.

Participation provides you reasons' to follow up. It's really that simple. You earn the right to follow up by doing the following:

  • Connecting and building trust

  • Discovering and understanding what is important

  • Building value throughout your presentation

  • Demonstrating both your homes and homesites

  • Handling resistance, thereby justifying the decision to buy

  • Asking for the order

If you're not participating in the buying experience; phone calls, letters and emails will not be welcomed. I know you can't do everything at once, so pick out several ideas and begin using them now. Don't wait -- don't procrastinate -- do it now.