Photo by Greg Westfall

My air conditioner is failing, not a good thing in East Texas. We were going to replace it last year for a more efficient one, but my husband wanted to wait one more year. I’m guessing the current system is over 20 years old, and it has served our family well. Seldom have we had to have it serviced. The company I use gave me a magnetic business card years back that I kept on my fridge.

Now that we are ready to purchase a new unit, Dang It! The magnet is gone. Missing! I’d rather use someone who has done a wonderful job for me, than play “eenie minee mo” with the phone book. I’m brain dead, can’t remember their name. I do remember the name of a company I won’t use. They replaced our heater once and did a sloppy job. Funny how that works.

Unless I get a good referral from a friend, I’ll resort to calling various places, sounding like an idiot, “Excuse me, are you the guys who worked on our AC?”

I am not alone. Million Dollar Followup lists 6 things that is needed to make a sale. The air conditioner business meets all but one of the necessary items.

• I know what they offer, in fact we even picked out exactly what unit we want.
• I know them
• I like them based on past experience over the years.
• I trust them, they have always treated me right.
• It is the right time to buy. The one point we were missing last year.

But I’m missing the last part:

• I must remember who they are when I’m ready to buy or when someone asks me for a referral.

And I can’t! Ugh!!! You have any idea how many pages of air conditioner listings are in my phone book?

But there is a lesson here to learn in each of our businesses. The fortune is in the followup. I know it has been said many times. One of those true business principles that endures through time.

Many ways to follow up, and I suggest that you use a variety of tools depending on your situation. Sherrie St. Cyr gives some quick marketing follow up tips. Visit her site, give her a call. Don’t forget to grab your free 7 Keys to Claim Your Follow-up Fortune while visiting.

“Where oh where did my air conditioner guy run off too?”

Do Your Clients Remember You?