Lesson 8: hurry up and don’t quit | Travel Research Online

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Lesson 8: hurry up and don’t quit

Here is a statistic, and a reminder couched in a cliché. First, let’s get the cliché out of the way. “You can take these statistics and this reminder straight to the bank.” Meaning: There is money in today’s message.

The statistic involves three percentages–50%, 25%, and 80%.  50% of salespeople quit after the first attempt at trying to sell something.  An additional 25% quit after a second attempt. But here is the interesting percentage.  80% of sales occur after the fifth try. 

In all probability, due to the unwanted “noise” in today’s marketplace, the fifth attempt will soon be nearing seven, nine or even 12.

Due to a myriad of factors (many warranted) we don’t trust anybody today until a certain level of familiarity allows that trust. Trust takes time to develop; which helps to explain my increasing forecast in number of attempts.

The fact remains, 75% of your competition is quitting too soon.  Stated another way–they don’t understand the value and importance of persistence.  They don’t understand how selling works.  I don’t want you to be one of those 75%.  Let the competition eliminate themselves from the game.  You, knowing what you know about the importance of a persistent approach, will cash-in a lot sooner rather than later.

Part two of today’s message involves a reminder. Speed wins.  It wins on an athletic field.  And it wins in business.

Speed is the time it takes for you to do whatever it is that you are trying to do. It might be returning phone calls, answering emails, sending proposals, writing thank-you notes, purging databases, or terminating bad relationships.

Ramp up your response time and you will make a positive impression simply because most people put things off. Many consider their current activity more important than focusing on the hand that feeds them — their prospects and customers.

If you are telling your customer that whatever it is you are doing is more important than them, then it is a safe bet that they have heard all they need to hear.

Don’t forget that I’m the most important person in my life.  When you call me back quickly, you’re saying, “Mike, you’re important to me.”  When you send me back an e-mail quickly, it says the same thing.

  • Lesson 1: Speed wins.
  • Lesson 2: Don’t quit too soon.

This is Mike Marchev and I’m taking my lessons to the water. I’m cruising up the Danube in November on AMAWaterway’s AMASonata and around the Caribbean in January on The Independence of the Seas. Why not join in the training? We will have a blast. mike@mikemarchev.com

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