Don’t rush the process

One of the best pieces of business advice I ever received, is just 4 words long. And today I’m going to share it with you, so you can apply it to your marketing. It’s simply this: Don’t rush the process .



I know. Without a little context, it doesn’t sound particularly useful. But over the years it’s helped my clients achieve amazing results.



Don’t rush the process (with context)



Business owners tend to be a pretty motivated bunch. We have to be, right? Not only are we motivated, we also believe in the value of our product or service. When you combine motivation with belief, you create a potent mix. An essential, high energy blend that keeps us moving forward and inspires us to persist even when things are tough.



And that’s great!



However.



Sometimes that mix of belief and motivation can work against us.



Really?



Yes, really.



For example, we speak with a prospect and immediately see that our product or service is the perfect match for them. We know we can provide exactly what they need. So we’re eager to help them make the right decision.



Here’s the thing.




There’s a thin line between encouraging someone to make the right decision, and rushing someone to decide.




When that line is crossed, it seriously damages how the prospect feels about us. It quickly lowers their confidence, creates uncertainty and makes them feel extremely apprehensive.



How to avoid this, before it happens!



Based on almost 30 years of experience and observations, I’ve found that this is most likely to be a problem during the follow-up process.



You need to be very mindful regarding how soon and how often you follow-up with an email or call. That’s because there isn’t a universally ideal time or frequency. Different industries and different cultures have different expectations. So, you’ll need to test and measure. Take into account things like the size of the decision your prospect is making financially, plus the number of people involved with the decision-making process, the size of the overall risk, etc.



Don’t rush the other processes



Obviously, the ‘ don’t rush the process ‘ advice has much wider utility than the example I’ve mentioned here.




Important note: Don’t confuse rushing the process with being appropriately proactive. There are times when we need to be swift. To move quickly. Most opportunities in life and business come with a use-by date. If we take too long, we’re often too late.




The advice is don’t rush the process.



Fast is fine.



Too fast is rushing.



I hope you find this idea useful. More importantly, I hope you do something with it.



Photo by Zhang Kaiyv on Pexels.com
Don’t rush the process was written by Jim Connolly and originally published on Jim's Marketing Blog