Words like aggression, persistence, pushy, eager, and follow up can be ones that are tainted by perspective. What one person sees as good follow-up with a customer or prospect, another might see as being too pushy. Where do you draw the line? How do you know if your efforts and behavior are coming across as they are intended? And, how can you adjust to work with a variety of different individuals?
To further compound the challenge—different industries, regions, and demographics will all have a different cultural perspective on what is appropriate when it comes to communications and contacts. In hard sales industries like real estate and automobiles, people expect that the sales people will be more aggressive and persistent, while if you own a used book store your selling and interactions with customers will be a bit more subtle. In the eagerness to build your home business, however, your eagerness and energy can come across as being overly-pushy.
It is important to find a balance between your personality and the expectations and personality of the other person. By asking questions and listening to the verbal responses (and observing the nonverbal ones) you can gauge how best to respond. It is also important to consider where you are and what the cultural expectations are. Should you make an aggressive hard sales approach to someone during the church social hour? Or should you make 2 or 3 follow-up calls in as many days? There is an element of common sense when it comes to figuring out what is helpful and what is just too much. Some people find that by actually asking the prospect or customer what they would like, they build the best rapport: “When would it be best for me to call you to see if you have any questions about the materials?” or “I have openings in my schedule next Tuesday and Wednesday, is there a day and time that would be best for you and I to follow up on this and go over any questions you might have?”
Be prepared to make adjustments and shape your pitch and approach to fit the person and the situation—most of us are able to find a balance between being too pushy and good, persistent follow-up.
Also: Do You Talk Too Much?
What Are People Saying About You?