The Myth of Persistence

In most cities across the country, one sure sign of persistence is facing the daily commute. Prime time commuters are superstars at the art of persistence. Most don't have a choice, so they face the daily crush with steeled nerves and tight jawed commitment.

Most salespeople believe that they don't have a choice, either. Worse yet, they have been taught to believe that nothing takes the place of persistence. That the price of success is dogged and determined tenacity.

There is a fine line between being persistent and be
ng obnoxious. Perhaps the most misunderstood and underutilized secret to selling anything is to understand the critical role that timing plays in successful sales. You see, customers and prospects buy when they are ready to buy, not when salespeople need to make a sale. Not when they are worn down by pesky salespeople.

I'll bet that whenever you have made a successful sale, no matter what you sell, there are certain essential characteristics that your new customer had. Here they are:
ท A need for your product or service
ท An awareness of the need for it
ท A sense of urgency about obtaining it.

It was not your dogged determination to pursue them to the end of the earth to either (a) create a need, (b) make them aware of it or (c) create a sense of urgency that made them buy. In fact, I'll suggest this to you. If, after three attempts to secure an appointment with a prospect you are still getting the brush-off, find another prospect!

Invest your time with the right people. But you're probably asking this: "How do I make sure my non-responsive prospect doesn't buy from a competitor while I'm out talking with someone else?"

Good question. The truth is that the very prospect who scorned you will likely become a qualified prospect at some time in the future. That person may even be a highly qualified prospect right now. But not for you.

The secret is to develop tools that will allow your prospect to respond to you when they are ready, interested and motivated to do so. We call this Permission Based prospecting. A far cry from bothersome phone calls, staged drop-in visits and thinly veiled and contrived networking events, this process is proactive and positive.

How do you do this? Start with a good contact management software system. Then go ahead and develop a strategy of frequent yet unobtrusive ways to stay in touch with your key prospects. Worry more about qualitative, value laden contacts than a pure volume of bothersome phone calls.

Give some serious thought to providing your prospects valuable information they can use rather than simply trying to persuade them that they need to see you. Newsletters, postcards, reports, information of value, audio tapes, video tapes and other items that help them to do what they do even better are some great ways to stay in front of prospects in positive, productive and powerful ways.

The real secret is to give prospects a chance to respond to your varied offers. Be sure to include a fax-back form, 800 phone number, response card with pre-paid postage or even a return E-Mail address that will allow your prospects to respond to you when they see how you can help them solve problems or work through challenges they face on a daily basis.

This strategy will yield a more positive perception, enhanced receptivity and a greater sense of professional acceptance. It is also far more sophisticated; is less heavy-handed and far more likely to be successful than the traditional idea of believing that personal persistence really does pay off.
About the Author Bill Brooks is the only person in the world to hold the 4 highest designations for both speaking & consulting. He has spoken in over 400 industries to 2000 different clients. He is Americas leading authority on sales. You can visit his website at billbrooks.com.