Loughborough

# 8 – 17th November 2007

Repetition and Consistency

It never ceases to amaze me that there are still businesses out there relying on one-shot sales promotions and communications methodologies. (“That sales plan is useless; we tried it for half a day and it didn’t work.”) One-Shot may sometimes work in the high street, especially for commodity items. When you need a bit more trust, then you have to allow time for a relationship to develop before you will do business with someone new – or recommend them to your existing clients.

In designing your sales and marketing programme, you need to ensure that your target customers (and any alliances) have a chance to get to know you. The higher value /more complex the sale, the longer it may take.

What to do?
Ensure that you interact with people consistently and reasonably frequently. Allow them to get to know you so that they learn to trust you and to differentiate you from all those charlatans that are out there ready to cheat them or their clients.

Networking
One visit is never enough – you have to get to know people well enough so that you trust them and they trust you. That means planning to consistently and regularly meet the same group(s) of people.

The Brain
Our brains are designed to filter out transient information. If we have heard or seen something recently then we are more likely to remember it. If we see something frequently then we are more likely to remember it.

Strive for your interactions with potential referrers to be regular and consistent. That does not mean emailing every day (or even every week) and becoming classed as SPAM. It means emailing around once per month, with something useful to say. It means ensuring that you meet people in an informal, relaxed, environment and get to know them and their businesses. Then they get to know your character and your business.

Credibility
According to Stephen M.R. Covey (The Speed of Trust, Simon & Schuster, ISBN-10: 0-7432-9560-0), credibility is derived from:

1. Integrity
2. Intent
3. Capabilities
4. Results

In order to understand these factors about us, people we meet need to understand a great deal about our character and our competence. This just is not possible in one sixty second sales presentation to a new customer. We have to allow time for people to understand us more deeply and to build mutual trust.

Trust
Some useful pointers around trust:

1. Keep your promises.
2. When you meet someone for the first time, someone you may be able to do business with over time, look for an opportunity to make a promise. When you keep that promise, you have moved one step closer to being trusted.
3. When you start dealing with a new customer, do not expect them to trust you after the first delivery – you may be on trial for up to a year.
4. Work with all your customers as if you are on trial – all the time.

 

 

Paul Fileman MIET CEng MCIM
Chartered Marketer
paul.fileman@talktosps.com
Tel:  01509 854447
Mob: 07969 188820
www.talktosps.com