Over the years, it has become more and more apparent to me that sales involves connecting with people who know, and appreciate, what I have to offer, not at my convenience, but, realistically, at theirs. One way I have found to stay in touch with these important contacts is to utilize the "5/25 System" on a consistent basis.
The System is simple. Pick out your 5 most important clients, or customers, and put them on a schedule. Then, analyze the rest of the important people in your business and pare that list down to 25 people. Obviously, the list of 30, as I call it, can change on a dime. The best way for it to change is for some new player to arrive on the scene to supplant someone else, who may have been marginal. The worst way your list can change is for a "favored 30″ player and you to have a falling out, or disagreement, which makes continued contact with that person difficult, or maybe, even impossible. If the latter happens, be decisive. Excise that person from the list and find an acceptable substitute.
1. The "Favored Five". You need to get yourself in front of the favored five at least once a week. Since these people are so important, it probably makes sense to vary your contact. Some weeks it may be a meeting for a cup of coffee. Other weeks you might invite them to a play or ball game. Whatever the excuse, you MUST be in front of these five people every week, without fail. At some point, your "favored five" are going to see what you are doing. None of mine have every held against me my elevating them to this favored status. Most understand that I am making a commitment to frequent communication with them so I can acknowledge how important they are to me practice.
2. The "Terrific Twenty-five". These people are very important to you, but they have not achieved "Favored Five" status. In time, they may reach that level. For the time being, the "Terrific Twenty-five" need to be contacted at least once a month. Obviously, you can get with them more than that, but under no circumstances, should you let a month go by without an email, telephone call, visit at their office, or other contact. You need to stay on the "Terrific Twenty-five" radar screen. You do not need to make then a weekly contact.
3. The "Not Quite Ready for Prime Time Players". This is your farm system. They are showing potential; they are giving you referrals and trying to develop contacts for you. Keep this group "at the ready". Things can change rapidly in our business, and you need to have a strategy for moving forward when they do.
If this system sounds too mechanical for you, I can understand. On the other hand, my results utilizing this rather structured approach have been impressive for me. My "Favored Five" people are the ones who respond to new initiatives and proposals. When I am in front of them, they "remember" things which they wanted to discuss with me and thus new opportunities arise. The "Terrific Twenty-five" are in a slightly different category. They have not lost touch with me, but I am not a constant part of their business life, in most circumstances. That can sometimes be a good thing. Sometimes, the "Terrifics" want to change their role. Many times this is justified. The group of thirty is not static; you will see changes evolve as you move ahead. And that group in your "farm system" is important, too. Monitor your progress with these people. From your point of view, these may be men or women "on the way up".
There is nothing mystical about the 5 and 25 numerical selections. What is important is that you identify the "real players" and the "might be real players" as soon as possible, and then make sure you find ways to have continuing interaction. For me, this has been an incredible "practice builder" and also a way for me to develop lifetime friendships. What is better than those results?
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