Winning Moves: Is the Ball in Your Court?

December 2009 • www.visionsmc.com • 410-849-8095

Editor's Note

I met my husband on a blind date. I was really ambivalent about going on the date, and wouldn't have unless a good friend encouraged me. We had a really funny email exchange before the date, but the day of the big date, he arrived twenty minutes late to pick me up. I like to be on time.

Despite that tardiness, twenty minutes later I really liked him. The rest of our date just seemed to reconfirm my initial impression that this was a good thing. The next morning, I knew I wanted to see him again.

However, I had learned from experience that I needed a man who had the chutzpah to ask me out. I also knew he would want to ask me out. So, I did the most logical thing - I picked up the phone and called him.

I thanked him for a lovely evening, and I got off the phone before he felt any pressure to ask me out right then. It worked. He did ask me out again and the rest, as they say, is history.

There are a lot of times in business when it appears the ball is not in your court. But are your hands really tied? Isn't there something you can do?

Molly Hughes Wilmer

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Feature

Is the Ball in Your Court?

Marketing isn't just about getting the right message to the right person. It's about using the right medium, and delivering the message at the right time. Most people just focus on the first three, and hope the timing is right.

And there is another issue with timing. There are times when people feel it's inappropriate for them to be proactive. In the pas de deux of reciprocal communications, you make a move, and then there is a response.

Sometimes timing is the most important thing. It's not how you say it, what you say, but the fact that they are hearing from you right then. And that right then is usually when you feel powerless. "It's in their hands now." "The ball is in their court."

How do you be proactive without being inappropriate?

You've made a sales presentation, and they say, "We'll get back to you."

Send them a thank you for the opportunity to be included in the possible vendors.
Reiterate why you want the job in a way that's relevant to them - i.e. this would be an exciting project for us because of the energy and the enthusiasm you are bringing to the table, it's fulfilling for us to be working with someone at such a critical stage in their corporate growth.
Send them a message that demonstrates how you would work with them - i.e. if they feel vendors don't listen to them, reiterate something you learned from them during the meeting.
Send them a message that reinforces your value proposition.
Send them helpful information - either more information related to a question they asked, or additional information you think of after processing your presentation.
If there is someone presenting after you, email them during the last competitor's presentation - they'll get it on their phone either during the presentation (if they are bored) or immediately afterward.

You've submitted a proposal, and they say, "We will let you know in two weeks."

Send them a follow-up marketing piece that demonstrates the value you'd bring to a project. You could include a symbolic element, such as seeds from a landscape architect, etc.
Send them an invitation to a third-party business event they might be interested in.
Offer to introduce them to someone that might be beneficial to them.
Send them news about your industry, something very timely related to their project and shows you are on top of developments that will impact them - i.e. information on discounted component materials, ethics developments, regulatory changes, seasonal discounts.

You have offered your services, asked for a meeting, etc., and they dodge the question with a non-answer, "Nice to hear from you. Thanks for keeping in touch."

Send them a general "nice to meet you" marketing piece with a personal note.
Send them a trial article from your email newsletter or blog that discusses the services you think they could use, and let them know they can subscribe.
Have a mutual contact casually mention the scope of services you do for them and how well it works.

"No" doesn't usually mean "No." Usually, it means, "Not right now." Timing is everything. Use it to your advantage.

What Can I Do?

Audit your business development process.

Look for processes like presentations, proposals or quotes where you are waiting for your prospect to get back to you. Does it make sense to develop some generic marketing materials you can customize for each prospect and send as a follow-up?

Train your sales and business development staff.

Be creative, be persistent, but most of all, be relevant.

Ask the Expert

Question
Won't prospects be turned off by hearing from me when they aren't expecting to?

Answer
As long as your message is relevant, why should they be? If you are telling them something that helps them and is something they want, they shouldn't be turned off.

The key to this is getting to know them and their "pain points" well enough to be able to send them something relevant. Sales is personal. It's about building relationships. It's about finding ways to connect with them. It's about keeping the door open, and finding some windows, too.

Submit your questions to the editor: molly@visionsmc.com

Want to Know More?

Being positive contributes to being confident, proactive, and relevant. Here are some thoughts on positive speaking: http://visionsmc.wordpress.com/ that can lead to making successful connections.

All this creativity and more can be yours by engaging Vision Strategic Marketing & Communications to help you strategize your marketing execution. Call 410-849-8095 or email molly@visionsmc.com.

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