Be a Guest, Not a Pest Once you have attracted prospects to your business, persistent, and skillful follow-up are the keys to converting a percentage of those prospects into paying customers. If you don't follow-up skillfully, and in a way that your prospects want you to, you can easily go from being an invited guest to a pest. People don't buy from pests. Here's what I mean by being a pest: SALESPERSON: Hello, Jim. This is Bob Smith of Acme Marketing. I'm just calling to see if you received the free packet of information you asked us to send to you? JIM: Yes. I received it. SALESPERSON: Uhh. Did you get a chance to read it yet? JIM: No, not really. It's on my desk on top of a pile of other things I still have to get to. (At this point, the guest relationship is quickly deteriorating.) JIM: Listen, I'm very busy right now . . . SALESPERSON: Right. Well, there's also some information in that packet about our new marketing program. I don't suppose you've had a chance to read that yet have you? JIM: No, I haven't. And I really don't have the time to discuss this right now. So, I'm going to have to go. By not understanding what his prospects want, this salesperson has become a pest instead of an invited guest. And it gets worse. Two weeks later, Jim receives another call. SALESPERSON: Hello Jim. Bob Smith again. ("Oh, no!" Jim thinks to himself. Not this pest again!) JIM: Yes? What can I do for you? SALESPERSON: I was just calling to see if you've finished reading the information about our marketing package. JIM: Yes, I looked it over and I'm not really interested. SALESPERSON: Oh? Well, how about if I just call you back in a few months, to see if you've changed your mind? JIM: Please don't. This is what we mean by being a pest. And it happens a million times a day. This is not the kind of follow-up we mean. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 2000-2023 by Joe Gracia - All Rights Reserved. All content, graphics, and HTML code are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without explicit written permission. For Reprint Policies and Details Click Here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
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