Imagine if we had never met and I approached you asking to borrow $20. You’d likely have a predictable response, trying to move far away from me as quickly as possible.
Now imagine the same scenario, but that we’re lifelong friends and I’m obviously in need of help. You’d probably respond in an entirely different manner to my request for help.
This is exactly how it works when we’re cold-calling new clients trying to drum up business, and rejection is just as likely. People like to do business with people that they know.
That’s why we’ll travel a bit farther, jump through a few more hoops, and spend a bit more money to patronize a business where we already have an established relationship. It makes us feel better to give our business to someone we know and trust.
So, in order to find success in soliciting potential clients, our first order of business isn’t to jump right in with the ask, it’s to do everything in our power to nurture that fledgling relationship.
No matter how badly we want their business, we’ve got to earn their respect and confidence before they’ll be receptive enough to trust us with their business.
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