One of the
biggest mistakes recruiters make when trying to convert prospects into clients
is that they often fail to follow-up after a prospect’s request for
information. Follow-up is critical to increasing the chances of making the
sale. Let’s take a look at a few
tips on how recruiters can improve their follow-up skills:
1.
Respond
to prospects quickly. Once a
prospect contacts you the possibility of them becoming a client declines significantly
as time passes. That means that if
you fail to return their call or email within a short amount of time you may
end up losing out on the sale.
Make it a rule to respond to prospects within 24 hours of first contact.
2.
Keep
contacting prospects until you make the connection. Often it is not enough to simply return a prospect’s phone
call. Sometimes they are not
available and you need to leave a message. But the reality is that even if you leave a message the
prospect is not likely to return your call. Recruiters should make sure that
they call everyday within the first week of receiving a prospect’s request for
information.
3.
Set
aside time in your day dedicated to just callbacks. We know that following up with prospects is not only time
consuming but often frustrating. This is why you need to set aside a time each
day so you can make the callbacks all at once.
4.
Prepare
your response. Recruiters
contacting potential clients must be prepared with a “scripted” response. Know what you prospects will ask and be
prepared to answer as clearly and succinctly as possible.