I honestly don't know which is harder. Doing a cold sales call for the first time to an office or dropping in after a long absence. Personally, I think the latter is more awkward. Sometimes it's the winter months that have caused me to be a bit of a wimp in making my rounds, Maybe it was a busy spring and summer market (ok, maybe not so much in this environment) that causes us become complacent in getting out to see our clients. Whatever the reason, I think many of us have been in this situation. It seems the longer you go without stopping by to say hello, the harder it is to walk back through that door.
We wonder what kind of a reception we will receive. Will it be one of "it's great to see you?" Will it be one of cordial welcome but the relationship just doesn't feel the same?
I was called on by a sales person I hadn't seen in a long while. She had recently attended a seminar where the question of "when is a client no longer a client? was the fundamental theme. It was a simple answer. "When you stop calling on them."
So how does one go about the task of reestablishing those relationships that we have allowed to drop off our radar?
The key is the motivation, a little humility in not making the time to stay connected. It takes discipline to maintain relationships. And we are in an industry where relationships are our cornerstone to success. I have never been a good time blocker. All the best sales training will tell us to block off time for those sales calls. To be consistent in our efforts to build those relationships.
I have been absent from AR for several months because I got out of the habit of checking in and seeing what my friends here are doing and saying. A wealth of good information and support exists here. Yet after a few weeks or months of not connecting here, it soon wasn't even on my radar anymore. The discipline of stopping by to say hello to my fellow AR members to seek support or offer encouragement to others soon dissipated in lieu of other priorities.
I didn't realize how much I missed this forum until I recently ran into another AR member at a function recently and she remembered me from almost a year ago from this site, but had not met personally until now. She told me to get back on board with AR and reminded me of what a great resource this forum is. (thank you Margaret) So I am tiring now to make it a priority to get back into the habit of stopping by to see what my colleagues are saying and doing...... I've got a lot of catching up to do.
But I am happy to be back and so warmly received. Now to the task of getting out of the office more and rekindling some old relationships and cultivating new ones.
Fall is a good time to start a new plan (or re-institute the tried and true.) It's easy to get lazy and rely on emails and an occasional phone call, but the effort of getting out of the office to see people is more important than ever.
So remember..... "When is a client no longer a client? The answer is obvious.
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