When you get an inquiry popular thought would suggest the more rapidly you respond and the more information you send to that hot prospect the greater your chance of getting the business.

By satisfying that person's need for information quickly you demonstrate your interest in earning their business and also give an example of how terrific your firm is at providing customer service.

But once you deliver all that information what are you going to do next? How are you going to follow up?

The truth is most marketers don't. Once that initial information is sent the conversation ends. When in reality it is at this point the relationship building should begin.

When you don't follow up with additional information you are letting valuable customers slip from your grasp. These are customers that may have been very interested in your product or service but simply lost your information or were to busy when your first information packet arrived. Some customers even purposely wait to see if you find them important enough to follow up with. When they don't receive a follow up message they take their business elsewhere.

Try this. Split your fulfillment package into a variety of bite size chunks, which allow you to stay in contact with your prospect and continue to develop and nurture the relationship and also the chance of getting the sale.

Follow up is more than just a process; it's an art. To do it effectively you need a system and then you need to stick to that system. If you don't follow up with prospects consistently and in a timely fashion regarding their individual information request then you might as well forget the whole process.

Consistent follow up gets results.

Individual follow up at preset times with pre written messages that gradually pull back the layers of what your company has to offer will dramatically increase your sales. Multiple follow-ups get the prospect used to seeing your name. It keeps your top of mind, and continues to communicate more about your company and how important they are to you.

To setup this system plan and prepare first.

First you'll need to develop your follow up messages. If you've been marketing for any length of time then you should already have an information letter or follow up package. You're second letter (or first follow up) should go into more detail than the first letter. Fill in with additional details where you didn't have space to do so in your first letter. Make sure you stress your product or service's benefits.

Your next 2-3 follow up messages should be rather short and stress the benefits. Make lists of benefits and potential uses for your product and services. Develop the communications so your prospect can skim the copy and get the full force of your message.

For your last couple of follow up messages you should create a sense of urgency in your prospect's mind. Make a special offer to give them a reason to act now instead of waiting longer. The key is creating urgency so you'll need to look at your product or service and see how you can make your prospect want to order immediately.

The timing of your follow up communications is also important. You don't want to have one prospect receive a follow up the next day when another prospect waited over 3 weeks for a follow up. You should always send the first follow up within 24 hours of the information request. You want a hot prospect to have more information quickly so they can make an informed buying decision.

The next 2-3 follow up messages should be sent on a schedule consistent with the buying cycle typically associated with your product or service. Some buying cycles take days, others take months. Be aware of your buying cycle and plan accordingly.

Finally, make sure each communication is consistent in tone and quality. Each contact should convey the image you want prospects to have of you, and each should provide valuable information to help your prospect make an intelligent buying decision, learn more about your company, your products and services.

Take time to do it right and you'll increase sales and develop more long-term customer relationships.