How often should you call?

Last night, I gave a talk for NJ Creatives and was waxing poetic about the dreaded cold calling, specifically about how prospects don't call you back (and why you shouldn't expect them to) but that that doesn't mean you should stop calling.

Someone asked how often to call and, as if on cue, Steve Guberman from Fifth Room Creative raised his hand and told us all an incredible story about how he called an organization he wanted to work with every week for a year, often leaving a quick joke on his prospect's voice mail -- he did that every week for a year!

During that year, he had a couple conversations with the prospect. Otherwise, the calls weren't returned, but the prospect never said to stop calling. So he didn't.

One day, after a year, the prospect called with a project and then another and another and that client was eventually worth $100K in business.

What if Steve had taken the silence for lack of interest and given up? He'd have missed that $100K, right? Can you learn from Steve's experience?

Any more success stories out there we can use to inspire people to get over the dread? Because, as one client wrote to me last week, "the dread is worse than the doing." So true....

Comments

[TurtleBlueBird]

G-r-e-a-t story, Ilise!

(I am SO GLAD that you walk the talk - specifically, that you are out building/doing in your business the things you talk about with the people who are your clients. It makes ALL the difference in the world!)

[Liz Rose]

I've gotten in the habit of asking prospects if they would mind me checking in occasionally, and haven't had anyone say no yet! I think its easier for busy people to have you do the legwork and keep in touch. So far no work has come out of it, but I like knowing that people are happy to hear from me occasionally.

[Donna Gordon]

My general rule of thumb has always been 3 calls and after that, if they are not returned, you are a stalker, but I like the story about the weekly calls! It's a tough decision, I have clients who are always struggling with organization and it is rare for them to return calls on a timely basis even if they are interested, but they were referrals so I learned from their referral source that I needed to keep calling. It's a fine line. I plan one big event a year for a group I manage and I had a venue manager/event planner calling me pretty regularly and it got on my nerves, as she over-did it.