Time Constraint

Eating lunch today with highly successful sales person.  We’ll call the person Will.  Will was casually talking about how he approaches new prospects.  

“I like to walk in, build relationships”

“Hey, you know, you don’t have time today, that’s fine.  ‘Cause I have an appointment down the street.  I just wanted to introduce myself, leave you my card, and see if I could come back [pause]this week.”  
The next unscheduled visit.  ”I do business with so and so and so and so and so and so and I was in the neighborhood and I’d just like to introduce myself and find out why we don’t have yours.”
Sounds innocent enough, and it is.  He’s just “out building relationships.”  But, his statement about not having time and inferring that he’s on a tight schedule is key to a persuasion strategy, all be it unconscious for this person, called time constraint. 
It’s very similar to approaching a woman in a social environment and instead of giving signs that you’ll be lingering around all night until she gives up and gives you her number.  If you were to say to her, “you know, I’m here with some friends so I don’t have time to talk, really, but I’d really like to talk to you a little bet more another time…” and then walk away, you’d likely get her curiousity as to why you aren’t pawning all over her.
OK, back to the sales example, this is also an important strategy if you want to build rapport with someone who you know is going to have the old excuse that they are busy and don’t have time to talk.  Using this strategy paces how they are already thinking and puts their mind at ease about you.
Other examples of this are, “Hello, I have a 2:00 appointment next door, so I just stopped in to drop a card off and see if you’re available next Tuesday at 3:00 for a quick conversation about…,” or, “Hi, I don’t have a lot of time right now to tell you about how I can increase your cash on hand, so let me just give you my card and I’ll follow up this Friday,” or “Mr. Bill, Hi, I know you must be very busy so I’ll make this short. I just wanted to introduce myself briefly and follow up with you another time.”

Be Sociable, Share!

•