A few years ago, an insurance agent was given my name and contact information as someone that would be a good fit for their services. He continuously called and emailed, always referencing my friend who referred me, and including some type of content or nugget to help me. Even though he was a professional, I didn’t return his emails or take his calls. For one, I’ve got an email system that pretty much keeps those types of emails out of my site. As far as the calls go, I already had an insurance agent and I assumed he would stop calling – but he didn’t. One day I was a stop light and his number popped up, so I decided to take his call. Although my purpose was to save him time by letting him know that I already had a 15-year relationship with my insurance agent, I felt kind of bad. This guy was doing everything I teach – persistence, leading with content, etc. Well, I felt bad for about six seconds. Once I answered he did this…
Wow, Chris Peterson! I can’t believe I’m talking with you. You must be a busy man. I think I’ve tried you 20 times.
Well, it won’t be 21 times. The empathy I had for him got lost right away because of the way he reacted. I know I’d been blowing him off. He knew I’d been blowing him off. There is no need to mention it – even in a complimentary way.
When you finally land your white whale – that prospect you’ve never been able to get to call you back – do not act any differently than you would if you had only called them once.
Don’t get all emotional about it. You’ve got a job to do, and persistence is a major part of your job. Act like you’ve been there before and simply say: “Thanks for returning / taking my call. The reason I’m calling is…”
What do you think? Do you like this approach or do you think referencing your persistence is helpful? Thanks for your comments.
