The woman walked into a photography studio and inquired whether a photographer would come to their home to take family photos in front of the fireplace. The receptionist nicely told her that they would do that, gave the prospective customer a brochure and price list for ?on-location photo shoots? then took down the woman's contact information, including her email address, which was added to the ?prospect? database.

That's it, a seamless front-end and constant follow-up system. It starts with a ?Thank you for inquiring? note and is followed with a series of newsletters, coupons, announcements of open houses, and seasonal offerings like Valentine, Halloween, and other holiday promotions.

Did the woman become a customer? I don't know since the incident occurred just last week, but I can assure you that, if the woman compared other photo studios to this photographer's systemized approach to answering the inquiry, this photographer would be heads and shoulders above in comparatives like professionalism, preparedness, showing interest in the prospect, and appearance of quality. Over time, after she receives a number of communications and promotions, the woman will have to be impressed even more.

It is a fact that most businesses do not systemize either the sales process or the follow-up process very well, if at all. Yet, for many products or services, the purchasing decision is not impulsive. It is often a ?kicking the tires? methodical accumulation of knowledge about options and various choices available - comparing one prospective vendor or product against another. The longer the decision-making process for a given vendor or product, the more a follow-up program will differentiate your company or your product / service versus your competitor in converting the prospect into a customer.

As a personal example, my mother just moved into a retirement community in Illinois. She had been doing research by ?kicking the tires? of these communities for at least five years. When she made the decision to make this big move, her choice was easy because of the sales and follow-up system of her chosen new home.

Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the long-running (every Sunday since November 2001) business column, "Front Lines with Larry Galler" Sign up for his free newsletter at Questions??? Send an email to