| Last Tuesday night, my wife Linda told me in | | | | nose to smell the, |
| no uncertain terms that I had to go sleep on | | | | "guy-who-just-finished-a-project-and-is-despe |
| the family room couch. Not only that, but | | | | rate-for-the-next-one" from a mile away. |
| she did it again on Wednesday and again on | | | | |
| Thursday. | | | | If on the other hand, you work to stay in |
| | | | touch with your network just for the sake of |
| Don't worry though, it's not what you think. | | | | staying in touch, you'll find it easier and |
| What happened was we adopted a dog (a 2 year | | | | more natural to shift into selling mode when |
| old beauty that we named Abbie) and I slept | | | | the opportunity arises with one of these |
| next to her for a few nights to keep her | | | | people. |
| company. | | | | |
| | | | Do be systematic. Whether it's white papers |
| Knowing that a new dog was coming soon, I | | | | you distribute, colleagues you call/email, |
| made a call last month to a company that | | | | business meetings you attend, E-Newsletters |
| sells "invisible fencing" -- a system that | | | | you write, or some combination, you need to |
| keeps a dog on the property via an electronic | | | | schedule these events into your calendar. In |
| collar. We set up an appointment, and a | | | | my experience, if you don't have a specific, |
| couple of days later, a woman named Marie | | | | "relationship communications plan" (and if |
| showed up at the house. | | | | it's not on paper, you don't have one), this |
| | | | kind of thing becomes the walking definition |
| Although my 6 year-old son Jonathan was | | | | of "back burner." |
| initially disappointed to discover that Marie | | | | |
| herself was not invisible, she was an | | | | Don't apply the filter too tightly. If, |
| excellent saleswoman. | | | | like Marie, you're making sales calls today |
| | | | with the intention of closing sales today, it |
| From her big smile as she stepped out of her | | | | makes sense to try and figure out who the hot |
| car, to her clear interest in talking about | | | | prospects are now. |
| me rather than just her company, to the | | | | |
| fistful of invisible fence ground flags that | | | | Long term rapport building however, takes the |
| she presumptively handed over as she stepped | | | | opposite approach -- staying in touch with |
| in the back door, I knew right away that I | | | | lots of people over a long period of time, |
| was dealing with a pro. | | | | knowing that any one of them could ultimately |
| | | | be (or lead you to) a sale. When you're that |
| But even then, it was only after she left | | | | far back in the chain of events that need to |
| that I realized just how skilled she was. | | | | take place, it's hard to predict who is |
| Because despite my not having been "ready to | | | | ultimately going to lead you to the promised |
| buy" when she arrived, after we spent an hour | | | | land. So stay in touch with a lot of people, |
| or so talking about the weather, my kids, my | | | | not just the ones who seem likely to bring |
| house and of course, her product, she walked | | | | you something today. |
| out with a sale. And, interestingly enough, | | | | |
| I never once felt pressured. | | | | A true story. . . |
| | | | |
| Think about what she accomplished. She | | | | One of my newest clients came about as a |
| arrived stone cold at the home of a prospect | | | | result of my sending a congratulatory e-mail |
| (Marie was not even who I spoke with on the | | | | to the founder of a local company, after |
| phone), and was immediately faced with having | | | | seeing him profiled in a weekly business |
| to build rapport and close the sale | | | | paper. He and I had spoken briefly about six |
| simultaneously. Not an easy thing to do. | | | | months earlier, he'd been getting my |
| Spend too much time on rapport and risk going | | | | newsletter ever since, and I just thought I'd |
| home with a new friend, but no sale. Push | | | | say hello. |
| too hard on selling and risk having me walk | | | | |
| away. It's a thin line to walk and only a | | | | Ten minutes after he got my e-mail he called. |
| real sales expert can do it consistently. | | | | We met the next week, and before I even had |
| | | | a chance to go back to my office and write up |
| I don't mind telling you that I'm not one of | | | | a proposal, he and his partner hired me. |
| those experts, and frankly, I couldn't walk | | | | |
| that line if it were a mile wide and painted | | | | Was it a fast sale? I suppose so, but the |
| on the ground in bright red. By the time I | | | | only reason it happened so fast and the |
| get to the point of closing a sale, I need | | | | meeting went so well was because by the time |
| months (not minutes) of rapport-building | | | | I walked in the door, we already had a long |
| history to compensate for my selling | | | | term relationship. The rest was just working |
| ineptitude. | | | | out the details. |
| | | | |
| The good news here is that you don't need to | | | | Bottom Line: One way or the other, you've got |
| build rapport and close the sale at the same | | | | to close sales to make money. And the way I |
| time. I've got nothing but respect and awe | | | | see it, that means you've got two options: |
| for the Marie's of the world who can, but if | | | | You can either get really good at selling, |
| like me and many other professional service | | | | or. . . you can build connections that are so |
| providers you find yourself challenged in | | | | strong, that the closing takes care of |
| this area, it's perfectly effective to | | | | itself. |
| separate the two events (did somebody say | | | | |
| Relationship Marketing?). | | | | Michael J. Katz is Founder and Chief Penguin |
| | | | of Blue Penguin Development, Inc., ( a Boston |
| With that in mind, I offer three suggestions: | | | | consulting firm that helps clients increase |
| | | | sales by showing them how to nurture their |
| Don't wait until you need the sale. If the | | | | existing relationships, and that specializes |
| only time I hear from you is when you are | | | | in the development of electronic newsletters. |
| trying to close me, or when you want me to | | | | He is author of the book, E-Newsletters That |
| give you some referrals, you're going to have | | | | Work. |
| an uphill battle. You don't need a dog's | | | | |