We’ve all been there. We met a great new prospect. We had a productive first strategy meeting. They loved our services and were excited to get started. But not now. They have issues to get through first. Totally understandable. They have resource issues, both in the human and financial variety. Can’t blame them, it’s all part of running a business.
They’ve asked us to circle back in 2, 5, even 9 months. Oh boy. Pretty sure they’ll forget about us, right? Not so fast.
The law of reciprocity says that when someone does something nice for you, you will have a deep-rooted psychological urge to do something nice in return. You may even reciprocate with an action far more generous than the action. Ever notice that when you enter a dealership, looking at the new cars, a salesperson asks if he can get you something to drink?
If you do it from a real desire to help them grow their business, and you care about nurturing a win-win relationship, it will flow with positive and dynamic energy.
So what are some ways you can give and share in the true spirit of wanting their business to succeed?
Look up some interesting articles regarding new trends or findings in their industry. Maybe they already know this stuff, but the point is that you’re demonstrating a willingness to learn about their world. A simple email with, “just ran across this article and found it worth noting that [refer to something you actually read beyond the headline]”. If you have a minute, I’d like to know your thoughts.” That’s it – a simple sharing and asking for their opinion. No mention of your outstanding offer.
Ask for their opinion in something you’re working on. Perhaps you’re designing a new presentation or course or even a new blog post or page on your website. A simple message: “I’m working on this new [page, blog, etc] which is geared toward businesses like yours, and would really appreciate your opinion. Can you take 2 minutes to give me your honest feedback, so that I can be sure I’m on the right track?” You’re showing them that you respect their professional opinion and welcome their input.
Invite them to a great business event, even if you’re not paying for them. “I’m attending this awesome dinner meeting and the keynote speaker sounds amazing. I think the topic would really help grow your business. Would this be something you’re interested in attending?”
These are just 3 ways you can let your prospect know that they are on your mind, so that you keep your services on their minds.
An easy ingredient to this reciprocity recipe is monthly email campaigns. Create a separate list for prospects, and use it to send brief and very informative emails, sharing great tips about your services and industry. Track if they’re opening and clicking on your link. Make sure to give them a reason to click on your website, social, blog, etc, so that you can track it!
That’s it – sharing and giving are a much more positive approach then, “hey we spoke 2 months ago, are you ready to buy yet??” Yuck!
The response you get from them will let you know loud and clear whether they appreciate you and the chances of using your services are still very good, or they have lost interest and have moved on. And if they are moving on, you should too!
If your business is simply not making the revenue you need to thrive, I invite you to set up a free Discovery Call with me. It’s an easy 30 minute phone call where we explore your goals and challenges, and see if we’re the right fit for each other. That’s it! Click here to schedule.