Do Not Let Your Hot Prospects Cool Off

Every day in marketing and business is critical when it comes to hot prospects and prospecting. That prospect's information you receive today, could very well be in the hands of your competition tomorrow. That is why I cannot stress enough the importance of following up with your prospects once you receive them.

Leads have a short shelf life and do not age well. They are not meant to sit around pinned onto bulletin boards, taped to the telephone or placed in a tickler file. They are meant to be acted on immediately.

Most prospects' thought process is to shop around for a product or service, so they have put the word on the street that they are on the market for a particular product. On the internet, they typically expect an immediate response, either an link to a sales page or an auto-responder email. And if they provide a telephone number, they expect a telephone call.

If someone within your professional circle gives you a qualified lead, it is highly reasonable that the prospect has made several people aware of their interests in a product or service. Which would mean that their name and phone number is being passed around in more than one professional circle.

The timing on a lead is so important, the moment you receive the lead, pick up the phone and make contact with that person.

By not acting on a lead, you have two things working against you. One, you are allowing for your competition to get the jump on you, and believe me they will. Secondly, you are giving your prospect an opportunity to seek out somebody else.

Keep in mind, when someone gives you a lead, that someone is most likely giving your potential customer feed back. So that prospect will have your name, and know when the lead was given to you. I do not think your prospect would appreciate a phone call three to five days after you have received their information. Even if they are still on the market for your product, you are not making a good impression.

Hot prospects are meant to be acted on. So the next time you receive one, do not hesitate, stop what you are doing, and contact that person.