I met with a business owner the other day who wanted to pitch her service to people commenting on her social media posts.
Demonstrate expertise on social media. Connect with people who engage. Pitch the service.
That’s not a bad plan.
The debate during the meeting was how to connect and whether to follow-up after the pitch.
She said she wanted someone to call the social media commenters, pitch the service and be done with them.
“They’re either in, or they’re out,” she said.
I encouraged her to ask the social media commenters for their email addresses.
“That way, you can build a relationship with them…” I said.
She didn’t like that idea. “I don’t want a relationship with them. I just want to see if they’re in or out,” she said.
Here’s the problem with that, and here’s the lesson for all of you:
Most prospects don’t buy the first time you contact them.
They might not have the time to participate in your program.
They might not have the money right now.
They might not have permission from a boss or a spouse or themselves.
They might be interested but hesitant.
So if you really want to see if they’re in or out, you must build a relationship with them.
Go ahead and ask them if they want to buy, but also…
…Get their email address. Stay in touch. Share valuable information. Continue to remind them about your products and services.
Some of those prospects will never come around. But many will — many more than you’ll land the first time you ask.
Marketing, prospecting sales — it’s a nurturing process. It’s all about building a relationship.
Sure, it’s quicker and easier and less expensive to contact someone once, ask, “Are you in or out?” and be done with it.
But that’s no way to build a business.
Tom
MarketVolt
p.s. We help businesses figure out what they sell and how. Then we help them identify and connect with their target markets so people will view you as a welcome guest and listen to what you’re saying. If you want to discuss how to make it happen for your business, email me at tom@marketvolt.com. For no charge and no strings attached, we’ll discuss with you how you’re building email lists, generating new leads and generally finding and connecting with prospects.
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