Fuse Networking hosts groups of business professionals for a breakfast round table discussion on best practices for following up with prospects, clients, and other business professionals at Smoke Rise Country Club, located in Stone Mountain, GA.
Every month, the Fuse Networking round table group of up to 20 individuals, meets to discuss topics that affect all business professionals regardless of their industry, and to share possible solutions that are bound to contribute to business growth.
Recently, the group discussed follow up strategies with the goal of building lasting relationships.
Here are some of the valuable suggestions shared by the group:
Organization:
- Utilize Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) tools to create a database and a follow up schedule. Although some of the software options can be pricey, simpler solutions such as MS Outlook, or even an Excel spreadsheet, could be a great starting point for organization.
Implementation:
- Prioritize your day and your tasks.
- Become systematic. Select a time of day to follow up, and do it consistently.
- Listen, like, care, and pay attention to how your contacts communicate. Learn their preferred method for being contacted. Is it a phone call, an email, social media, or a text? Your effectivity will increase exponentially when you use their preferred means.
- Avoid multi-tasking, i.e., surfing the web while talking to a prospective client.
- Dedicate all your attention to the conversation. Control interruptions by temporarily disabling the ‘call waiting function on your phone, closing the door to your office, or taking the dog out before you make the phone call.
- Get a hold of books or videos authored by experts in the field of business relations, networking and follow up, i.e. Stephen Covey’s “Time Management Quadrants,” or “Organize Tomorrow Today,” by Jason Selk and Tom Bartow.
- Hire a coach to help you design a work priority diagram for success.
Fuse Networking is a membership-based Metro Atlanta open networking group, facilitated by Art Wood, MB Financial Bank Mortgage Home Loan Center in Tucker, GA. To learn about becoming a member, click here.
For more information on Fuse Networking, contact Art Wood by phone at 404.909.3567 or email.
Art Wood is VP and Branch Manager, NMLS #118234, for Legacy Mortgage Team at Goldwater Bank in Tucker, GA. He is also the founder and organizer of Fuse Networking, a Metro Atlanta professional networking community, and music worship leader at Tucker United Methodist Church. Art is available at art@artwoodonline.com.