Much of the content that I use for my blogs comes from the daily grind of selling hardware & software. There will be days when I hear something unique, have a conversation with a client or a spark if imagination that will cause me to write.
Actually, yesterday was one of those days. Our VP of Major Accounts came over to my humble abode of 24 square feet and asked me about an he email he had received from a potential new client. The email kinda went like this.
"Sorry, been out for a couple of days, however I wanted to reach out to you. What would be the timeline that we could get installation of the systems once we sign the documents?"
Trying to read between the lines, our VP explained that it seemed the client was ready to move forward (or maybe they were not) with that email and he was now in a quandary whether to offer some additional funds from the manufacturer and that he was able to encumber. Meaning, should he not give the funds and save them for a rainy day, or still give the funds to move to closure.
I offered up that if it were me and I had been able to garner anything additional for a client that I would pass it along with a covenant to move the order to closure. Not only would I be able to deliver the answer to question that was asked, but I would be able to put the icing on the cake with the additional funds.
Back in the day, we had two basic methods of communication, the phone conversation and the in person conversation. Tones of voice, the occasional mannerism helped both parties in communicating their stance and or point of view.
More now than ever, I find my self trying to read between the lines of voice mail messages, and emails. With voice mails I can get hear the tone of the message which will offer some help, but with email, there's basically nothing but a bunch of words that are begging you to decipher what the content really means.
I can't help myself and I find my self thinking about those received emails, ok this sentence means this but the next sentence contradicts the first and the last sentence leads me back to my first thought. It would not be as bad if clients and or prospects would communicate the old fashioned way with in person appointments or by phone.
One of my fears in the not too distant future is that many of those phone conversations and in person conversations will go away. I have this bad feeling that more and more people only want to communicate via email, text and social media. Why is that? Do they really want to hide? Is that just a Generation Y thing because they were weaned on computers, Xboxes and cell phones? Is that the way they want to communicate with others? Could it be I'm a Baby Boomer in a Gen Y world and I just don't get it?
I kinda went off on a tangent, but my point is that I think we all tend to try and read through the lines too much. There's nothing better that a good ole phone conversation and or an in person conversation. Thus, when it doubt, make that phone call, but maybe think twice about leaving a voice mail or sending another email.
-=Good Selling=-
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