Sometimes we wonder how to get clients without being pushy . To do this we need to generate attention but, at the same time, we don’t want to drive those potential customers away with pushy and aggressive behavior. How to proceed.
“HE GOES AFTER CUSTOMERS LIKE A DOG WITH A BONE.”
I received a call from a client asking for advice on a campaign he had just launched to gain a number of great clients . I was a little surprised to learn that all he had done was make a phone call to his candidates (and leave them a message) and send an email promotion. That was it.
Even doing just that , he got 5 clients out of the 8-10 he wanted to get. So his campaign didn’t turn out bad after all, but he hadn’t done more for fear of being considered “very pushy and annoying”.
So when going after these leads, how can you be that “dog with a bone” and still avoid being considered “too pushy or pushy”?
That is the big question that many people ask themselves. For many freelancers this is the big issue. We know we need to generate some degree of attention but, at the same time, we don’t want to alienate potential customers with pushy behavior that could be considered aggressive.
After back and forth, freelancers (or at least the ones I’ve worked with) tend to go for a safer, more low-key approach that uses the following script:
YES, I THINK I HAVE SOMETHING VALUABLE, BUT IF YOU’RE NOT INTERESTED, THAT’S FINE. JUST SAY SO AND I’M GONE AND I’LL NEVER VISIT YOU AGAIN.”
Well, that really takes the pressure off, doesn’t it? There is no possible rebuff or possibility of ever upsetting someone with that marketing approach.
How To Get Clients Without Being Pushy
Yes, but it really undermines your marketing work . Do you think your prospects are so sensitive that if you just introduce yourself and then follow up they’ll take offense? No, in fact, in my experience it is quite the opposite. I propose momentarily that we turn the situation around.
Imagine The Following Scenario:
#1. You meet someone at a networking event. You show interest in their services. They chat animatedly and exchange cards. What do you prefer?:
Never hear from that person again.
Send you a follow-up email with an article.
#2. You eventually receive a follow-up call from this person to discuss their services. What do you prefer?:
They tell you about some features of their service and ask you to call them if you are interested.
Strike up a conversation and let them know more about your situation, your needs, goals and challenges.
#3. You show interest in their services but since you are about to go on vacation you want to wait until you return before making a decision to move forward. What do you mean?:
Never hear from that person again.
Receive a good email, a link to the information on their website and talk again when you return from your vacation.
If you really think about it, aren’t the “a” answers much more annoying than the “b” ones?
What we call “a dog with a bone” is really nothing more than “friendly persistence,” not an act of siege . And this is the missing key in so many marketing actions. We believe that this follow-up means being a pest, annoying, insistent. But often this kind of interest and following is not annoying at all, in fact it is welcome.
What I told my client was that he needed to put some nice persistence in place : make another call, leave another voicemail, send another email about his offer.
And do not give up until you get a definitive answer : “No, we are not interested now” or “Yes, we are interested, give me more information.”
And this is doubly true for business people, executives, and CEOs. All those people are extremely busy, and if you don’t use nice persistence, you’ll never get their attention at all.
Conclusions
Don’t you insist because you’re afraid of being too much / or annoying / or? Do you see how much that attitude costs you? Put aside that itch and the marketing task will be much more productive . There’s a big difference between being pushy but nice and harassing the prospect. Of course I recommend the first one.
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