Do you sometimes forget old acquaintances?
Upon being asked to speak an hour and a half away from my new hometown, I realized that an acquaintance of 3 years ago works only 10 minutes away from their location. And so I accepted the opportunity and called my acquaintance of long ago. This morning, I had the pleasure of speaking to a welcoming entrepreneur club and then drove to see my old friend to pick up the conversation from where we last left off.
You may wonder if this wouldn’t be a strange event? The fact is people appreciate being remembered and become curious as to what is new in your world. Likewise, their world has changed so it is great to explore what’s new and how you might help each other in the future. A side benefit from doing this is it serves to build the relationship into a more relaxed friendship. We wound up sharing old corporate war stories, facts about our families and discovering new things personally and business-wise about one another.
By the time I left the appointment, my one time prospect, with whom I had little in common, became my potential new client and a budding friend. The “keeping in touch with everyone” process becomes a combination of your business development and marketing plans. As you make this process a habit, you will close more sales – and the sales will be relaxed and fun. In other words, you will be enjoying the Smooth Sale!
