My story extolling the virtues of the tenacious selling tactics of Sam I Am (of "Green Eggs and Ham" fame) prompted a question from Megan at the InsureMe blog. Her question revolves around my praise of a sales rep who has relentlessly called me month after month to try and get me to advertise on their website:
My question to you is, don't you ever get annoyed with this guy for calling month after month?
As someone who writes for sales professionals (specifically those in the insurance industry), I have a hard time telling people to hound prospects until they land the sale. Or do you think it all comes down to tact and a good sales instinct?
I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the difference between being persistent...and being annoying.
I'll start my answer with a famous saying from baseball legend Babe Ruth:
"It's hard to beat a guy who never gives up."
And that's really the bottom line, isn't it? Not giving up. Persistent doesn't have to be annoying (although it can be) or unprofessional (although it can be) or bothersome (although it can be). If you approach a persistent request to do business with a professional, upbeat and even informative technique, your prospects won't mind hearing from you.
Be persistent, be professional. That's my advice, anyway, whether you're selling insurance, cars, homes or copiers.
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