Hello Reader,
Wishing you a good few days of holiday with family and friends.
We are ¼ of the way through 2024. Are you on track to achieve what you want to? If not what is going to have to change to make that happen? What is your FTM?
Buyers Love Consistency.
The best way to build credibility and trust with potential buyers is to do what you say you will.
Let me share with you a real story which explains what I mean.
I have a friend who’s a sales guy for a company that sells farming and agricultural products. His job is to go and meet with farmers and try and sell products to them.
His company gave him a new set of farms to engage with on his patch, and the previous salesperson had set up a routine to go and see each farm on a set day each month.
Farm A was on the last Monday of each month.
Farm B was on the 3rd Thursday of each month.
An old-school method, but you get the picture.
He turned up on the second Tuesday morning of the month at a farm and before he got out of his car, the farmer greeted him.
He got out of the car, said his name and who he worked for (he didn’t use the pitch in last week’s email 🙂) and before he had the chance to say anything else the farmer shouted:
“GO AWAY!
I don’t work with your company.”
My friend tried to find out more but he was given the hand and the same answer.
“I don’t work with your company.”
Disappointed, he went to get back in his car. Before he got in he said, “I am sorry to hear that, I am not sure what we have done but I want to change that. I will be back here in a month to see how you are.”
“Don’t bother, we don’t work with your company” was all he got back.
A month later, he turned up at the same farm.
“Hello Mr Farmer.
It’s Stuart again here from Agricentre. I am here again on the second Tuesday of the month as I said I would be, how are things going?”
This time, the Farmer looked a bit angry.
“Didn’t you hear me last time? I said I don’t work with your company, so get in your car and get off my land.”
Stuart stood his ground and said:
“I am not here to annoy you Mr x, I just wanted to find out more about your farm and see what I can do to repair the damage someone else has obviously caused. You did tell me to go away but I also told you that I would be back in a month. I am a man of my word”.
He politely wished the farmer a pleasant month ahead, got back in his car and drove off.
2 months passed with the same situation. Each time Stuart would turn up on the morning of the second Tuesday of each month and each time he would be met with the same response from the farmer.
“Go away I told you that I don’t work with your company.”
Many would have given up at that point but Stuart understood that until he could find out what the issue was, all he could do was to keep trying. He remained professional, polite and persistent.
The following month Stuart drove into the farm hoping for the best but expecting the worst.
Before he turned off the engine, he saw the farmer walking towards him.
“I am glad you are here today…
I have been let down by my current supplier. I urgently need…”, and the Farmer proceeded to give Stuart a list of farming products he needed that week to ensure his livestock was looked after. “You wanted to work with me, now is your chance. What price are these items and when could they be delivered if we can agree on a figure?”
Stuart checked his stock, threw in a couple of bonus items as a thank you and pulled in a favour with his depot to ensure the items the farmer wanted would be delivered at the end of the day.
2 years on and the farmer is one of his best and most loyal customers. They now chat about everything and do each other favours. What a change from 2 years before!
When he asked the farmer what made him give him a chance, he was told it was because he built trust by continuing to turn up every month when he said he would. By saying he would be back and then turning up, it built TRUST in the mind of the farmer.
The moral of this story?
Build trust with your prospects by continuing to do what you say you will.
It works. Even when they don’t want to engage with you.
It’s not words that build trust but actions!
- Continue to share value if you said you will
- Turn up when you say you will
- Call when you say you will
- Deliver proposals when you say you will
- Send a report you say you will
- Follow up when you say you will
- Do what you say you will!
Words are easy.
You are what you do, not just what you say you will do.
Buyers love consistency.
Wishing you a successful week ahead, Happy Easter and see you next Saturday.
Until then, stay focused on becoming a fly on the wall on the brain of your buyer.
James
P.s. – Love these emails? Why not buy me a coffee to say thanks.
