There’s no time like the present to reach out to your good clients.
There’s an old saying that reminds us, “If it could be said, it probably already has been said.” You would probably be wise if you didn’t quote me word for word, but regardless of the exact phrasing, the message is worth repeating. Most worthwhile stuff has already been said, done, talked about, initiated, tried, imitated and implemented. Most worthwhile stuff has also been forgotten, ignored, glossed over and replaced by some not-so-good stuff.
This is especially true for words of wisdom when they’re directed at the sales and marketing front. Everything worth saying has already been said. But there’s more to the story.
Everything worth saying when it comes to sales and marketing may just be worth saying again, and again and again. With this as my jumping off point, I’m about to share with you something that in all probability you have already heard…more than once. But please don’t short-change yourself by flipping to the next article. Read this article in its entirety now. It’s worth your time.
First, understand that the basics will always remain fundamentally sound. My message to you is as basic as it gets. It involves a moderate dose of common sense with a dash of intelligence. It was brought back to my attention during a tele-seminar I conducted a few weeks ago to my mentor group. A seasoned business veteran in my group offered this candid comment. “Mike, although I was reluctant in trying such a basic tactic, I decided to do as you suggested, and make a few unsolicited phone calls to a handful of my former clients just to see how they were doing. To my amazement each and every person was happy to hear from me, and I was pleasantly surprised how many actually initiated future vacation plans.”
It’s always nice to hear that some of my sage advice actually works. This single practice, however, is a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned. Reaching out to touch people in your own personal universe is nothing short of common courtesy—and a proven business practice. In short, it’s effective, it’s appreciated and it works! And all it takes is a simple phone call.
Why most people fail to exercise this strategy has everything to do with meaningless excuses and time-worn procrastination. Most of you believe that you need to come up with some world-changing reason to call your client. This is simply not the case. A sincere interest in a person’s current well-being is all it takes. Try it. So call somebody today!
And speaking of “basics,” here’s another simple practice that I’ve come to depend on over the years. Whenever a person’s name pops into your mind for no apparent reason whatsoever, don’t dismiss this as a passing fluke. At the expense of sounding like a mystic, I take note of these occurrences and make every effort to respond at once. On too many occasions, when I do reach out to these unsolicited mind-entries, the person in question responds with, “You know Mike, as weird as it may sound, I was just thinking about you. I’m so glad you called.” I know this has happened to you in some way, shape or form. Beat them to the punch. Call them!
As we approach 2022 we’re all living and working in unchartered waters. That being said, many of the business basics and fundamentals will work just as before. At the risk of sounding anti-technical, put your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn activities to the side for a few minutes each day, and pick up the old telephone to check the current status of those people who mean something to you. This is called communication. This is called relationship enhancement. This is called smart.
As a closing thought, I would like to remind you that we’re living in a confusing, stressful, challenging and oftentimes uncaring world. In short, most people put up a good front, but they’re also quite fragile and easily disappointed. All it takes to lift a person’s spirits is a call from a trusted friend or a caring business acquaintance with no agenda other than to inquire about his or her current mindset.
I’m not for a minute inferring that you should force-feed yourself on your entire database. What I’m suggesting is that you identify your “A” team of clients and prospects so you can reach out to them on a sincere, caring and regular basis. Before very long you’ll see for yourself how “sincere interest” can and will pay huge dividends to you and your business. Now that you have read about it…go do something about it!