"I am not being pushy. I am just following up on the commitment you have not made yet."
- Anonymous
There is a thin red line between being PUSHY and being PERSISTENT. The most successful of people are able to toe that line and even step across, softly, on occasion. So, What's the DIFFERENCE?
In my perspective, the DIFFERENCE is associated with the follow up agreement between individuals. If there is NO agreement, thus no reason for continual reengagement, or no INITIAL agreement to allow for engagement, then you have stepped into the "PUSHY ZONE." A GREAT example of this is the hand lotion people at the mall kiosks or the "consultant" you met at a recent networking event.
2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
How does one know how to "toe the line" then? Do so by creating "next steps of engagement" and CONTROLLING the step personally by taking the accountability to do the follow up.
An example of this may be the follow up you schedule after meeting a prospective client. They have noted their INTEREST, in addition to a barrier to moving forward, such as a contract or a Board approval. At this point, when you realize the CLOSE is not possible yet, you SCHEDULE the follow up.
Follow up should be a SPECIFIC date, time and medium (phone, email, personal visit). You then EXECUTE that follow up on time as agreed. If there is not contact made, you PERSIST with your follow up (I suggest every 48- 72 hours) as part of fulfilling YOUR commitment to reengage (as agreed). If the client continues to set a barrier, REESTABLISH the follow up, with persistence, and begin the process again.
As long as there is an AGREEMENT to the next steps, you have the RIGHT to engage until the other party fulfills their agreement. If not AGREEMENT, then don't be a PUSHY ass… just move on!
Cheers,
Zach
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