Welcome Professionals…
…Building new client relationships requires a long-term effort. Trust will only grow over time. It may take years to establish a new client relationship. Many times, we will give up too early. For a winning strategy, we need to keep the right balance between persistence and patience.
Persistence is highly important. We must not loose grip if our emails or phone calls do not get answered. We continuously have to think of new ways to add value to the person that we want to build a connection with. We have to keep trying.
There is a tipping point, when persistence is turning into annoyance. When our activity reaches a certain level of intensity and frequency, the target person might feel pushed into something and this will usually put an end to the newly established connection. This is why persistence has to balanced with patience.
Hard to say which number of contact attempts is ideal. My business partner has empirically developed a rule of thumb over the last 30 years in business. According to his practical research, it takes 8 quality interactions per year to develop a new connection. This has proven to be working for hundreds of connections established. A quality interaction is defined as a two way communication that is personalized and linked to the target person’s targets and interests. Sending a simple newsletter does not count, but a personal invitation to an event with an answer received (confirmation of attendance or excuse due to other plans) will be eligible. Phone calls turn out to be the most efficient means for quality interactions.
I have tracked this rule myself and it works for me. Let me know how it works for you!
Malte
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