I did business with a service provider I really liked but they didn’t quite deliver the results I expected.

I explained why I was taking a hiatus from using them. No hard feelings. They were very understanding and professional.

And I left the door open to possibly working together again.

But here’s the funny thing: I’ve never heard from them again.

I’m puzzled by that. I liked them, they seemed to like me, and I liked what they did. Just because it didn’t work out the first time doesn’t mean it couldn’t work out in the future. (I also gave them some good clues about how we might go forward if we were to work together again.)

I was hoping to hear back from them to at least inquire about how I was doing. That’s a good way to maintain positive relationships.

But I also hoped they might strategize out a different plan for future success and contact me to share it; that’s they’d be able to crack the code on how to profitably provide the value I was willing to pay for.

See, I’m favorably predisposed to doing business with them but I’ve heard nothing.

What’s the secret sauce of sales success? FOLLOW-UP.

It costs little but pays much.

There are lots of things you can do to follow up:

• Provide additional information about your product or service.
• Ask a relevant question.
• Inquire about the person’s situation.
• Offer useful ideas that will enrich the person’s business and/or life.
• Say thank you.
• Ask for feedback.
• (What else can YOU think of?)

What old customers or prospects deserve a follow-up call from you today?