Reconnecting with an old prospect whom you have cut contact with can be much more difficult than finding new prospects if you don’t know how to go about it. By following some simple steps, however, you can quickly and easily re-engage with your past prospects, develop deeper relationships, and generate new business opportunities.
In this article, we’ll explore some tips on how to get back in touch with an old prospect, including how to find their contact information, what to say when you reach out, and how to keep the conversation going.
Who is an Old Prospect?
An old prospect is someone you have spoken with in the past but have not had any recent contact with. They may be someone who you spoke with online, on the phone, or met in person but have not spoken to in a while. It is important to reconnect with old prospects because they may be interested in your product or service, but have not had any recent contact with you.
Benefits of Reconnecting with Old Prospects
Reconnecting with old prospects has several benefits. These include:
Keeps You Top of Mind
It’s important to keep your business name and brand in front of your customers and prospects. When you reconnect with old prospects, you’re reminding them that you exist and are still in business.
Introduces You to New People
Your old prospects may have changed jobs, moved to new companies, or have new colleagues. By reconnecting with them, you’re also introducing yourself to a whole new set of people.
Gives You a Second Chance
Sometimes, the timing just isn’t right when you first reach out to a prospect. By reconnecting with old prospects, you’re giving yourself a second chance to make a sale.
Helps You Build Relationships
Building relationships is an important part of sales. Reconnecting with old prospects allows you to further develop the relationships you already have.
Creates Opportunities
Reconnecting with old prospects can open up new business opportunities. They may need your products or services now or in the future.
Keeps Your Business Growing
Reconnecting with old prospects is a great way to keep your business growing. It allows you to reach new people and sell more products or services.
Helps You Stand Out
In a world where everyone is trying to sell something, it’s important to stand out from the crowd. Reconnecting with old prospects helps you do just that.
Gives You a Competitive Edge
Reconnecting with old prospects gives you a competitive edge over your competitors. It shows that you’re willing to go the extra mile to make a sale.
Helps You Make More Money
Reconnecting with old prospects is a great way to increase your sales and make more money. It’s a win-win for both you and your prospect.
Shows You Care
Reconnecting with old prospects shows that you care about your customers and their needs. It’s a great way to build rapport and trust.
10 Ways to Reconnect with Old Prospects
Here are the top 12 ways for you to reconnect with an old prospect:
1. Understand your prospects’ interests
Before anything else, you should first understand your prospects’ interests. This will give you a better idea of how you can approach them and what you can talk about.
A good way to do this is to find out what they’ve been up to and what their current interests are. You can do this by looking at their social media profiles or by asking mutual friends.
Once you know what their interests are, you can reach out to them and start a conversation. For example, if they’re interested in a certain topic, you can send them an article or a book that you think they’d enjoy.
2. Get in touch with them
The best way to reconnect with an old prospect is to get in touch with them. You can do this by sending them an email, giving them a call, or even meeting up with them in person.
One way to make this process easier is to use a tool like LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great way to find old prospects and see what they’re up to. You can also use LinkedIn to see if you have any mutual connections that can help you get in touch with them.
You can also ask them for advice on a topic that you’re interested in. This will show them that you value their opinion and that you’re still interested in keeping in touch.
Once you reach out to them, you can start catching up and see if there’s any opportunity to work together.
Keep in mind that not every old prospect will be interested in working with you. That’s okay! The goal is to just reconnect with them and see where things go from there.
3. Send them a personalized message
When you get in touch with your old prospect, make sure to send them a personalized message. This will show them that you care about them and that you’re interested in reconnecting.
One way to send personalized messages is to use a tool like Getweave or Outreach.io. These tools allow you to send personalized emails and follow-ups at scale.
Another way to send personalized messages is to use a tool like LinkedIn Automation. This tool allows you to see the personality of your contacts so that you can send them messages that are tailored to their personality type.
4. Ask them how they’ve been
When you reach out to your old prospects, make sure to ask them how they’ve been. This will show them that you’re interested in their life and that you care about them.
However, make sure not to ask too many personal questions as this could make the prospect feel uncomfortable.
Some good questions to ask include:
-How has your business been?
-How was your last quarter?
-What new products or services are you offering?
5. Tell them what you’ve been up to
After you’ve asked your old prospects how they’ve been, make sure to tell them what you’ve been up to. This will help keep the conversation going and it will also show them that you’re doing well.
Old prospects sometimes feel like they missed out on something by not working with you, so by showing them that you’re doing well, you’ll help ease any concerns they have.
This way, even if they’re not interested in working with you, they’ll be happy to hear that you’re doing well.
6. Find out what they’re up to
Once you’ve caught up with your old prospect, make sure to find out what they’re up to. This will help you understand their current situation and it will also give you a better idea of how you can help them.
Some of the benefits of keeping in touch with your old prospects include:
- You’ll learn more about their current situation.
- You’ll be able to offer them new services or products.
- You can find out what their current needs are.
- You can offer them new deals or discounts.
- You’ll be able to build a stronger relationship with them.
- You can ask for referrals.
7. Offer your help
If you see that your old prospect is struggling with something, make sure to offer your help. This will show them that you care about them and that you’re willing to help them out.
Helping old prospects is a great way to build goodwill and keep the lines of communication open. Subsequently, this will also make them feel more inclined to want to do business with you in the future.
Bonus tip: If you can’t help them out directly, see if there’s anyone else in your network who can.
8. Connect them with someone
If you know someone that your old prospect would benefit from meeting, make sure to connect with them. This will show them that you’re thinking about them and that you want to help them in any way you can.
One way to connect them with people is by making an introduction over email. You can say something like, “I was thinking about you the other day and I thought you might benefit from meeting [name of person]. I’ll introduce you via email.”
This is a great way to keep your prospects engaged and to show them that you care about their success.
9. Invite them to an event
If you’re hosting or attending an event that you think your old prospect would be interested in, make sure to invite them. This will show them that you’re still thinking about them and that you want to reconnect with them.
Your old prospects are a valuable part of your contact list. Also, they may be a great source of referrals for your business.
10. Keep in touch with them
Once you’ve reconnected with your old prospect, make sure to keep in touch with them. This will help you maintain a relationship with them and it will also show them that you’re still interested in them.
Keep in touch with old prospects by staying in touch with them on social media or by sending them personal emails from time to time. This is a great way to show that you care about them and that you’re interested in keeping the lines of communication open.
When you keep in touch with old prospects, make sure to ask them how they’re doing and if there’s anything you can help them with.
5 Hooks To Use and Win Back Old Prospects
1. Provide Access to Special Programs
An exclusive program or service can be a powerful hook to bring old prospects back into the fold. Think of it this way: you have a secret weapon that’s not available to just anyone.
The prospect knows they are missing out on something great, and you’re there to give them access to that thing. This can work especially well for high-ticket items.
For example, if you’re selling luxury travel packages, you can offer a “special invite” to a VIP experience.
If you’re in the software industry, you can offer a “sneak peek” at a new feature or product that’s not yet available to the general public.
In each case, you’re offering a truly exclusive opportunity, and that can be powerful.
2. Make a Time-Sensitive Offer
If you want to get a prospect’s attention, make your offer time-sensitive.
It’s not just about urgency, though that’s part of it.
It’s also about making the prospect feel like they have a real opportunity to get something they want.
Here’s a time-sensitive offer you might make:
- “I’m only taking on 10 new clients this month.”
- “We’ve only got 50 seats available for the webinar.”
- “I’m running a special promotion this week only.”
3. Offer a Subscription
A subscription can be an attractive offer in and of itself.
After all, it’s an ongoing service or product that can save the prospect money in the long term.
But it can also be a powerful hook to bring old prospects back into the fold.
For example, you could offer a subscription to a new service that’s just been launched.
Or you could offer a subscription to a service that’s about to be discontinued.
In each case, you’re offering a subscription that’s not available to just anyone.
4. Offer a Discount
Discounts are always popular, and they can be a powerful hook to bring old prospects back into the fold.
For example, you could offer a discount on a new product or service.
Or you could offer a discount on a purchase that’s about to be made.
In each case, you’re offering a discount that’s not available to just anyone.
5. Offer a Free Trial
Free trials are another popular offer, and they can be a powerful hook to bring old prospects back into the fold.
For example, you could offer a free trial of a new product or service.
Or you could offer a free trial of a service that’s about to be discontinued.
In each case, you’re offering a free trial that’s not available to just anyone.
Conclusion
Now you have seen many ways you can reconnect with your old prospect. You can send them a handwritten letter, give them a call, or connect with them on social media. No matter what method you choose, make sure you are genuine in your efforts to reconnect.
Lastly, remember that if you are having a difficult time connecting with someone, you can always hire a professional to help you. Many companies offer lead generation and prospecting services. If you are having a difficult time reconnecting with someone, make sure to consider hiring a professional to help you.
