Just Pick Up the Phone!
In today's highly technologically advanced society (though, let's be real - in 300 years, people will look back on us as being in the Stone Ages), it's so easy to stay connected with people - in a completely unfulfilling and superficial way.
Yep, that's right, I'm dogging on technology here - kind of strange, I know, for someone who runs a company that's heavily involved in technology.
But really, I'm not anti-technology so much as I am disappointed in the laziness of how people use the technology.
It's so easy today to send an email, or a text, or Facebook post, or IM - it's like we've lost the ability to communicate face-to-face and instead rely on brief snippets of information passed back and forth to mimic what a real conversation might be like.
There is simply no better way to develop a relationship with someone than actually talking to them.
I've known sales people who thought the best way to follow up on a proposal they've sent out is to send an email and check in.
But really, that's the *worst* possible way to follow up on a proposal.
You don't get to listen for objections, ask follow up questions, discover what obstacles they may be facing, or even upsell them to a larger solution.
You don't appear to care just by sending out a quick email to check in.
You don't build the rapport that comes from those 1-2 minutes of small talk at the beginning of the conversation, or by being able to ask about their daughter's high-school graduation, that the client mentioned to you the last time you two spoke.
You need the back-and-forth, give-and-take that's essential to communicating.
We're human beings - we are built to communicate, and are the only beings on the planet that are so-wired.
Don't take the easy way out and simply fire off 50 emails today to clients or prospective clients, and think that you've done a good job of reaching out to your client base.
That's not communicating, that's not building relationships, and that's certainly not helping your business.
Pick ten people today who you haven't spoken with in a long time, or who you're waiting to hear from, or need an important decision from, and then call them.
If they're not in, leave a pleasant - and preferably short - voice mail and then touch base with them again later.
You'll be pleased at the results you get when you just pick up the phone!
Yep, that's right, I'm dogging on technology here - kind of strange, I know, for someone who runs a company that's heavily involved in technology.
But really, I'm not anti-technology so much as I am disappointed in the laziness of how people use the technology.
It's so easy today to send an email, or a text, or Facebook post, or IM - it's like we've lost the ability to communicate face-to-face and instead rely on brief snippets of information passed back and forth to mimic what a real conversation might be like.
There is simply no better way to develop a relationship with someone than actually talking to them.
I've known sales people who thought the best way to follow up on a proposal they've sent out is to send an email and check in.
But really, that's the *worst* possible way to follow up on a proposal.
You don't get to listen for objections, ask follow up questions, discover what obstacles they may be facing, or even upsell them to a larger solution.
You don't appear to care just by sending out a quick email to check in.
You don't build the rapport that comes from those 1-2 minutes of small talk at the beginning of the conversation, or by being able to ask about their daughter's high-school graduation, that the client mentioned to you the last time you two spoke.
You need the back-and-forth, give-and-take that's essential to communicating.
We're human beings - we are built to communicate, and are the only beings on the planet that are so-wired.
Don't take the easy way out and simply fire off 50 emails today to clients or prospective clients, and think that you've done a good job of reaching out to your client base.
That's not communicating, that's not building relationships, and that's certainly not helping your business.
Pick ten people today who you haven't spoken with in a long time, or who you're waiting to hear from, or need an important decision from, and then call them.
If they're not in, leave a pleasant - and preferably short - voice mail and then touch base with them again later.
You'll be pleased at the results you get when you just pick up the phone!
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