It’s possibly the first thing someone asks when they get your business card. It’s what you’re thinking about them, too, but you don’t care: You want a sale. You want the deal done.
You’re living the transaction through the briefest interaction.
It takes on average seven hellos for someone to trust you. In business, face time sells.
So how do you go about turning visibility into authenticity, then credibility?
I’d say the number one way to make the magic happen is to figure them out. They? The ones in your customer relationship management system.
But… I don’t have this thing. A system?
Seven times is a lot. It’s four more than I can often count. But it’s simplicity itself if you schedule.
Okay, I’m removing the humanness from building a relationship. It’s a transaction itself, if you automate your efforts.
But c’mon – have you got time, or even the serendipity, to get to know your perfect client those seven times?
Your homework for the day is to get your head around a CRM. It’s a practical assignment, no money down.
Want to know a super secret? The best CRM package I have found – in terms of ease-of-use and getting into your eyes when you need to say a hi to the guy or gal – is free.
- Download SugarCRM Community Edition. Load it on to your server. Follow the simply-easy installation instructions. You can’t go wrong, really. Or if you can, check out the forums. These guys load up on love, even for the freeloaders like you and me.
- Go and install and learn about LoopFuse OneView. It’s a layer of marketing automation you pop on top of your SugarCRM installation. Then you can trigger (among a rainbow of options) emails from your CRM – and LoopFuse takes care of it. Did I mention, incidentally, that LoopFuse is also free?
I’d absolutely be stoked if you could drop me a line and let me know how you get on with this.
Do it and change the game. I genuinely believe this is one game of chess you can’t afford to ignore. And once you’re set – believe me, you’re set.
About Dave Thackeray