Don’t Give up until the Miracle Happens

Dee Blick October 02, 2011 Uncategorized 6 Comments

'I don't want to pester. He'll ring back in his own time.'

During a conversation with one of my clients recently I was curious to find out what he thought were the reasons behind his many business successes.  Interestingly, (but not unsurprisingly given he is a bullish Yorkshire man), he conceded that tenacity – not giving up until the miracle happens – combined with an unswerving belief in his service are what fuels his success. He illustrated this with a case study of a second meeting he had managed to secure with a prominent membership organisation in order to hammer out the nuts and bolts of a contract.

After being introduced to the chairman of the membership organisation via e-mail, an initial meeting was arranged with my client.  But after this meeting, everything went quiet. His e-mails were unanswered and it was only at the 15th telephone call that he managed to secure the vital planning meeting to convert those promising conversations into a contractual agreement.

What was his secret for success? He did not give up.

It would have been too easy to consign the project to the backburner or, after making several phone calls, to wait for the chairman to ring him. But my client has been around the business block for many years and knows that unless the other person’s need is urgent, that phone call could be a long time coming.

Of course, there may come a time when the sheer volume of unanswered phone calls and ignored e-mails leads you to the conclusion that brinkmanship is your final strategy. You have to ask the elusive person that you’re hoping to clinch a deal with whether it’s worth carrying on. Are they interested but too busy to contemplate or just too polite to tell you to go away?  Where do you stand?

Reassuringly you may find that when you get to this stage and ask this question that it results in a positive response. So don’t give up too readily; don’t become disheartened too easily. It’s not that people don’t want you, that they don’t have a need for what you offer. It’s often the case that there’s an army of people vying for their attention and budget. Only give up when you’re convinced you’ve gone as far as you can go and it’s just not worth going any further.

Remember, failure takes the path of least persistence.

I would love to read your experiences on this subject and what successes you have enjoyed as a rightful reward for your talent and persistence.

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Comments

  1. Penelope Young says:
    October 2, 2011 at 2:04 pm

    This post is just what I needed Dee. I’ve pitched an article that I know is exactly right to a couple of magazines. I’ve not heard back from either of the feature editors and was wondering what to do next. After reading your business example, I feel encouraged not only to pursue the editors but also to send the pitch to a third mag. Thanks for your boost and I wish you continued success.
    (www.magnificentageing.com)

    Reply
    • dee blick says:
      October 2, 2011 at 2:06 pm

      Wonderful Penelope. I am so glad that this blog inspired you! Let me know if your persistence works. Editors and journalists in my experience need lots of TLC combined with what I call gentle persistence! This has certainly led to me getting stacks of media coverage. I don’t give up..gently nudging…but nudging away!

      Reply
  2. David Wike says:
    October 3, 2011 at 8:41 am

    I wrote a similar blog post several years back having read some research that suggested on average it took seven ‘conversations’ before doing new business. The research also indicated that the average give up point was three conversations. The obvious conclusion is that those who persist get the contracts.

    Shortly afterwards I was discussing this with a friend and by coincidence he’d been checking his successes and had discovered that some had taken up to 30 emails, phone calls etc.

    Reply
    • dee blick says:
      October 3, 2011 at 9:46 am

      Absolutely David!The bigger the sale; the higher the stakes and clinching that deal takes time. Being charming and relevant but persistent too are skills most of us can embrace but few are willing to do so with fear of rejection or lack of faith in the decision making process holding us back.

      Reply
  3. Helen Coldicott says:
    October 4, 2011 at 8:27 am

    I completely agree with all of the above points. I agree we need to be persistent when someone has made the initial enquiry, we are all busy people and if someone has asked for help with something but then other things turn up out of the blue, that initial enquiry may just have to wait it’s turn.

    I think we need to remind ourselves that our customers are busy people too and think how we can help make their customer service experience easier and more enjoyable.

    Maintaining good, personal communications with your customers and potentials customers is key to building long term lasting relationships.

    Loving your blog Dee – just the inspiration and pick me up I was looking for and thanks David for bringing it to my attention through your RT!

    Reply
    • dee blick says:
      October 11, 2011 at 7:26 am

      Hi Helen apologies for the late response! Life has been frantic but it is grand to welcome you to the blick blog especially with such articulate and considered comments. I get more from reading responses than I do from composing posts. Look forward to ‘meeting’ you again!

      Reply