The 48-Hour Rule™
Executive sponsors (and all customers and prospects) are evaluating you (and your organization) with every interaction. They’re asking themselves questions about the business relationship such as:
- Is this person (organization) reliable?
- Will this person handle my needs in a timely manner?
- Can I trust this person to follow-up on their promises?
- Will this person’s sense of urgency match my timeframes?
Simply stated the 48-Hour Rule™ stipulates that to maintain sales momentum you need to consider the correct follow-up or action within 48 hours after interest has been established. Why? Because after 48 hours, mindshare has vanished, momentum is lost, and new problems or opportunities have arisen.
A Note about Speed
The 48-hour rule™ should never be confused with opting for speed over quality. This is especially true when considering the sense of urgency regarding executive interactions. It’s far more important to have a clear purpose and the highest level of quality for each and every executive sponsor interaction than to check a task off your list.
A Case in Point
When I was a Sales VP one of my sellers set up a meeting for me with his executive sponsor at one of his largest accounts. We did a really good job of pre-call planning, including identifying possible next steps or follow up items. The seller lined a few anticipated things up in advance. The meeting went very well and we were able to respond very quickly to the requests of the executive sponsor. Later, that executive commented to me on his positive impression of my sales person. The combination of solid pre-call planning and use of the 48-hour rule™ was a winning combination!
The Lesson
Client meetings with rock solid follow up mean ‘Ringing the bell’ more frequently with TOP Line Account™ wins.
The Perfect Book to Engage Executive Sponsors:
Invest in your executive selling efforts by giving your sellers the book that is guaranteed to enhance their sales performance. The TOP Seller Advantage: Powerful Strategies to Build Long-Term Executive Relationships includes proven strategies to ensure sellers develop long lasting executive access.
The C-suite executive perspectives at the end of each chapter reveal exactly how senior leaders view sales encounters and what would cause them to keep the door open for follow up meetings. Check it out at http://amzn.to/2hdas8J