In sales, business development, and networking, our first goal is to open a conversation. That conversation will flow naturally–perhaps in one sitting or many–from getting know each other to exploring each other’s situations, to seeing how we might help each other, and then, if it makes sense, to making some form of agreement.
If this is the flow, how many times should we try to open such a conversation with someone new? How many calls, emails, or warm introductions should we try before we give up, before we assume we’re being rude? Once? Twice? Three times?
Some of the best in sales and networking will tell us that we should give up only after 10 or 11 tries. If we are genuinely interested in forming a relationship, learning about them, and seeing if we can help them out, then we’d be remiss if we stopped reaching out too soon. We assume they don’t want to hear from us. While that’s true for some, for others they haven’t responded yet because they are busy, unsure, or cautious.
Imagine someone new is trying to get in touch with you. How would they have to behave so that you would appreciate their persistence? Why not be like that?
In your corner,
Mike
Today’s photo credit:
alexkerhead cc