The Unstoppable Power Of Life Touches
There's a lot of talk these days about automation. You can get way more accomplished with tools that do stuff for you. And as Americans, we are in the constant pursuit of ways to be more lazy.
Automation is not bad. It helps produce massive numbers of cars, toasters and calculators at dizzying speeds and minimal human intervention. It saves countless lives by performing dangerous jobs. It helps people be more efficient and accomplish 10, 20 times what they are normally able.
So, naturally marketers and salesman want to use automation. Why not? If we can stay in touch with 10 to 20 times more prospects, we make more sales with less effort! Sign me up!
With any automation though, something is gained and lost. Mass-produced items tend to be lesser quality than hand-crafted. Machines don't care. They are emotionless. Cold. Efficient. They are perfect for manufacturing. They are perfect for crunching data. They are perfect for lifting things. They are NOT perfect in the art of human relationships.
Selling is all about relationships. Have you ever been "pitched" by a robotic, scripted telemarketer? They sound like they are reading straight off the cue card. No emotion, no feeling, no care.
Yet, when a passionate salesman approaches you with a compelling story and excitement in his voice, you listen. This is how sales are made. And you can't mass-produce that!
Several recent technological advances have taking the personal touch out of selling. They allow the individual to increase her scope and reach. She can communicate with large numbers of prospects and clients quickly, efficiently, and easily. These include email, voice broadcast, text messages, blogs, and others.
All of them are good. But if that's the ONLY communication, sales will suffer. A small portion of people will buy with limited personal touch. Most people won't. And those that do buy are typically very disloyal to any one salesperson.
I buy a lot of my computer stuff at newegg.com. Unless tigerdirect.com, outpost.com, or anyone else has a better deal. They all market aggressively to me—through email. That's it. I've spent thousands with Newegg. They've never called me. Never tried to reach out and connect. My loyalty goes as far as their lowest price.
If a salesperson called me on a regular basis and built a relationship. Now, I'm connected. Now I have a reason to buy there—even with slightly higher prices. Because I know that my purchase is supporting my "friend."
There are two distinct kinds of contacts that you can have with your clients and prospects. I call them:
1) Contact Points
2) Life Touches
Contact Points are the impersonal, generic, mass-produced communications. You may send an email blast, use an autoresponder, voice blast, or other automated system.
These connections are critical for a few reasons. They allow you as the salesperson to communicate common piece of information to everyone without the manual labor of personal calls. Perfect for standard information.
If you have policies and procedures for all new clients. Or FAQs for web inquiries. Maybe you send a direct mail piece to a large prospect list. These are perfect uses of Contact Points.
It's good to use these tools to stay in touch with your list. But if you only use these types, you'll suffer from lower conversions and disloyalty. Use Contact Points to stay fresh, top-of-mind, and provide value a few times per month.
If you really want success in sales you need to capitalize on Life Touches. These are the personal, artful connections. They are the true personal relationship building tools. You can still use many of the same technologies, such as email and mail. But Life Touches are one-to-one.
You email one prospect to address his needs. You call one client to check on satisfaction. You send one client a handwritten birthday card. The power of these Life Touches is unquestionable.
Think about the difference at Christmas time. I got a bunch of cards from friends this year. Most sent a picture of them with their new baby and dog. That's all. But a couple sent full handwritten and a personalized note. I remember who sent the handwritten card. Pictures of the dogs? I'd have to check my trash can.
Personal Life Touches are critical to developing loyal and long term sales relationships. Many salespeople are looking for the shortcuts. Have you ever tried to shortcut the relationship with your spouse? How'd that work out?
Good relationships require time. Not a lot. But it needs to be intentional and purposeful. You would be shocked at how effective just one Life Touch per month is. If you just called each prospect or client monthly, you'll make six-figures in a heartbeat.
You should combine Contact Points (for efficiency) and Life Touches (for personality) in your sales business. Both are important. Try to do everything on the phone and you'll be stressed with no spare time. Do all your sales through email blasts and you'll miss a lot of opportunities.
Get more free tips and discover profitable Life Touch techniques at www.accidentalselling.com. Get access to my complete ebook titled, "Accidental Selling."
About the Author:I’m passionate about sales, marketing, and business strategy. Nothing thrills me more than seeing people and businesses thrive. I spend a lot of time thinking, observing, and writing about my experiences in the trenches of the entrepreneurial battlefield. Hopefully, some of the stuff I've learned can help you!~Robert Schneider | http://www.AccidentalSelling.com | http://www.VisionPipeline.com
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