Would You Like to Have Perfect Timing?
Working with prospective clients can be like walking through a mine field. There are so many ways to mess up when it comes to timing. Oh, the agony of following up the day after they purchased from your competitor, or having a six-month delay on the contract you were depending on!
Three tips for perfect timing:
1. Become an expert at assessing interest level– While there are some surprises in the world of sales, the truth is that you can anticipate many of the moves your prospects and clients will make if you pay close attention. Often we are so busy wishing and hoping that we don’t listen to clues our prospects drop about their timing. If your pipeline consists only of “Nos” and “Yeses,” then you probably need to look more closely. Your pipeline should be filled with people who definitely will not buy from you this year, some who will, some who might, and some who might not.
2. Don’t lump all clients into one category– Stop yourself when you are tempted to generalize about prospects. You may be telling yourself that “everyone is waiting until after the holidays,” or that “no one is interested in the new component we are featuring in our ads!” But the truth is that each prospect is unique.
“Life is all about timing… the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable… attainable. Have the patience, wait it out. It’s all about timing.”
Stacey Charter
3. Teach yourself to be patient– We tend to think that our prospects hold all the power when it comes to timing, so we become frustrated when they don’t act quickly. However, we are not powerless when it comes to affecting their purchasing decisions. You can affect their behavior by giving that little nudge at the perfect time. But remember, it works both ways. You can also affect your chances negatively by pushing too hard on your prospect at the wrong time and turning them off. Have the patience to customize your process to optimize your chances.
To achieve perfect timing you must ask great questions, listen closely to the answers, and take good notes. Soon, each prospect will begin to seem unique—because they are.
See Also: Why Prospects Don’t Call Back
