How your Client Feels when you don’t Follow up
As part of my summer break a few years ago, I attended a small festival where I had a healing session that left me eager to do more work with the healer – but she didn’t have a good follow-up process, and so 3 weeks later I still hadn’t booked anything.
I did eventually get in contact with her, and I did do some further work with her, but this got me reflecting on how it can feel from the client’s point of view when there isn’t an effective follow-up process in place. So I recorded this video to share my experience as the client and as a reminder of how important it is to follow up confidently and supportively – but never “pushily”.
I hear clients of mine talk all the time about how uncomfortable they feel when it comes to “following up” with potential clients – but are often unaware of how this doesn’t serve the client, and even how it can leave the client feeling.
Watch the video below:
In the video, I share:
- How it leaves the client feeling if you leave them hanging at the end of a first session, or after a conversation where you’ve said you will follow up.
- Why as clients we sometimes don’t make the first move to follow up and why things so often fizzle out if you just leave it for the client to get back to you.
- Why as clients we not only don’t mind follow up, we actually welcome it – even expect it, and how it can feel when that doesn’t happen.
- The tweaks I would have made to this practitioner’s sales and follow-up process to maximise her chance of booking ongoing business, and minimise the chance of her clients being left feeling unsupported.
I’m sure you will see how you can apply some of this to your own business.
If you prefer to read rather than watch/listen, I have also previously written a blog post on the same topic:
Are you Avoiding Following Up?
You can read that blog post here
It includes some examples of the sorts of things that we tell ourselves by way of avoiding following up with people – and the things the clients tell themselves! And how the combination of these two sets of “made up stories” too often leads to the business owner missing out on business, and the potential client missing out on getting the help and support they need.
What about you?
Have you had an experience where a service provider didn’t follow up with you and it left you feeling less than good? Or have you missed out on new clients yourself because you didn’t follow up? Let me know in the comments below – I always love to hear from you!
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7 Comments
Hello Catherine,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I have gained quite a lot insight into how the clients could feel when I don’t follow up.
I have just started a couple of new businesses and have been trying to promote them.
I am challenged in this area because it is truly out of my comfort zone but I like what you said “get out of my comfort and make the client feel more comfortable.” Think more of the client that of myself.
How do I do that? Not feel like I am being pushy.
Hello Catherine,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I have gained quite a lot insight into how the clients could feel when I don’t follow up.
I have just started a couple of new businesses and have been trying to promote them.
I have so challenged in this area because it is truly out of my comfort zone but I like what you said “get out of my comfort and make the client feel more comfortable.” Think more of the client that of myself.
How do I do that? Not feel like I am being pushy.
Hello Anita, I’m glad this gave you new insights – and I wish you all the best with your new businesses – and yes, if you can keep putting the client first it will help you keep moving forward even in those more uncomfortable moments.
Thank you Catherine for all your videos I love it. I love your blog/video posts because obviously you have such a lovely voice and smile, it feels your are a very warm person and I would have a pleasure to work with you.I feels this connection.
Kind regards, Lana
Hi Lana
Thank you for your lovely comments, and I’m so glad you love my videos – I would like to do more than I do so this encourages me xx
Thanks for sharing your experience Catherine – it’s so true, the stories we tell ourselves about why we shouldn’t follow up because we don’t want to seem pushy, and yet how heartbreaking it is as the client, to be ‘rejected’ in this way.
I will remember this, and yes, do my own extra follow ups!
Welcome back to the Autumn! x 🙂
Thanks Ann! And I know it is my “stuff” but I often find myself feeling that the person simply doesn’t want to work with me – when all they are doing is holding back for fear of being pushy. I hope your extra follow ups prove fruitful!