One unusual challenge in selling and marketing is this axiom: “The harder you try, the less results you achieve.” This results in the ironical observation that if you are putting too much effort into any sales or marketing initiative, you will undoubtedly fail.
Contrast this observation with the other, inverse, consideration that persistence is essential for success and you should never, never, give up on your dreams and goals.
Now you are probably scratching your head here but consider the facts of the situation. In this business, most clients are repeat and referral-based. Although not scientific, the ongoing Construction Marketing Ideas blog poll (see sidebar) shows that 72 per cent of your business will likely arise that way. So, when you go beyond the two core sources of business, you will spend an increasing amount of time and effort for less and less results.
I see these effects when people approach me to do business. Lets weed out all the telemarketers, surveyors and others “calling from the list.” I could be respectful and return the calls of the few who bother to leave voice mail messages for me, but since the results are virtually inevitably to be “no”, I don’t bother. But I really answer my own phone and when I am at the desk which rings through to my number (not that often, I admit), I will pick up the line. Depending on how busy I am, I will either be abrupt or courteous — but the answer is still, generally, “no”.
Then there are the salespeople and owners who have a stronger foundation for their call to me. We may have talked, done business before or know each other personally. I’ll listen much more carefully and even explore the options of doing some further business. However, again, the diminishing return rule applies. If they perceive me to be the best and most useful potential contact — so they call me first — there is a reasonably good chance of something happening. But if I am on the list of diminishing possibilities (that is they’ve tried the likely most successful partners or clients first and are just getting to me now), then the deal will probably simply not work for either of us, and we move on.
The problem here is the proposition they are presenting is lacking viabiity, perhaps because of unreasonable expectations.
Consider the resale housing market, for example. Even in good markets, listings are available for review — but the properties are unsold because, well, they are far too expensive or require too much work, or are in an undesireable location. They are competing against much better options. In a tough market, the situation is even more challenging because normally “good” properties are, well, now overpriced. Pouring more money into marketing, sales, and effort to sell them will simply not result in any advantage — the only “sweet spot” where this sort of extra effort may help is on the margins; the few properties which may just be a little more expensive than the norm or more challenging to sell — but how do you decide where that marginal and logical sweet spot is?
These observations may cause you to think: “Let’s forget marketing then, and get back to relying on repeat and referral business.” That certainly isn’t my intention. The challenge here is that you need to combine some realistic expectations, trust in your own experience and the confidence that the people who advise you on marketing and sales are looking beyond the short-term and can help you leverage your resources and time effectively.
You may find your answers in surprising and unexpected places or you may simply need to revise your proposition, based on the responses you are hearing. In many cases, persevering in activities that appear to be “distant” from your core immediate objectives produces surprisingly effective results. Often, pouring your heart and soul into community and association (client based) activities results in surprising returns, even though you are not looking for them.
In other words, yes, persist, but be intelligent about it — look for signs of diminishing returns and if you see them occuring, consider the options to achieve your goals without pounding yourself into a hopeless wall of failure and defeat.
