Speak Often Sell More
Written by Dave Lorenzo on July 27, 2016 / Sales Strategy
“Speak often sell more.” That is one of the first things I stress to my clients. Frequency of communication deepens relationships.
Many people are afraid they will annoy their clients and prospective clients if they communicate with them too often.
They ask: “Is a weekly email newsletter too much?”
Here’s how I answer that question:
Think about your relationship with a person you care about the most. Maybe it’s your spouse. Maybe it’s one of your children. Maybe it’s a close friend.
Think about the communication you have with him/her.
Would your relationship get stronger or weaker if you spoke only one time each year?
(Incidentally: If you are thinking about your relationship with your spouse, and you believe it would get stronger if you spoke LESS, you probably need more help than I can provide…)
Frequency of communication builds trust.
Most people think we want to communicate with people we like. And to an extent that is true but it is a tautology – the more frequently we communicate with someone the more they like us.
Speak often sell more.
Repeated exposure creates a bond.
Here is the key:
If you provide your clients and prospects with the right kind of content they will happily read it no matter how often you send it to them.
This is not some academic theory (although it is supported by substantial academic evidence). It is something I have learned through experience.
I send an email to my clients, prospective clients, and evangelists, each week. I have done this since 2008. These are all people who have given me permission to correspond with them. Less than two percent have unsubscribed.
The bulk of my new clients, by far, come from people who have been reading my newsletters, books, web articles, watching my videos, and listening to my audio programs each week.
These folks, most of whom have never met me in person, know me. They like me. And they trust me.
This works for people in your industry too.
The secret to keeping your audience engaged rests upon four key elements of effective communication.
Here they are:
Interesting Content
This is, by far, the most important component of any communication system. Your content must be interesting and relevant to your audience. People change the channel on boring television programs. People unsubscribe from boring newsletters.
A shot of spice also never hurt the content of a newsletter, email or video. You’ll notice I occasionally pick fights with my competitors or tweak a lousy vendor or talk about controversial stuff just to make sure you are still with me.
Make sure your material is interesting and informative.
Frequency
People want to hear from you more often than you think.
If you are providing value, there is no reason to worry about sending something too often. A good rule of thumb is to think about how often you call your best friend. You call when you have something interesting to say and your call is welcomed.
Consistency
Send out your information on the same day and at the same time each week. People will expect it. Consistency is important because it makes you predictable. People like things that are consistent because they are reliable. We trust people who are consistent.
Personality
Your writing should fit your personality. Many people say they actually hear me speaking when they read my email. You are not writing an academic work when you sit down to compose your newsletter. You are having a conversation with a friend. You are helping him get to know you. Inject your personality into the writing.
This may seem like a lot of work. But remember, doing this consistently, over time, will provide you with a handsome reward in new clients down the road.
Speak often sell more.
Someone is finishing reading this article right now and they are going to implement a weekly communication system.
Will it be you or will it be that competitor you are most concerned about?
Here are three more articles you can use today to take your sales game to the next level.
Most people have the wrong idea about sales. They think selling is about presenting features and benefits to people and making them buy. It is not. Selling is helping the client solve a problem. I outline this in my daily Facebook Live video.
There are many important qualities that successful sales professionals have in common. The most important of these qualities is persistence. This article presents a clear example of why it is important and how it benefits you.
You must create urgency if you want to close deals faster. In this Facebook Live video I outline the three ways to create urgency. Clients must decide to work with you. This article outlines how you help them make that decision.