The next morning, the salesman wakes his wife with a pinch on her chest and says, "You know, if you firmed this up, we could get rid of your bra."
This time his wife has had enough. She rolls over, grabs his privates with a vice-like death grip and says, "You know, if you firmed this up, we could get rid of the gardener, the postman, the pool man and your brother."
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that in order to be successful in sales they have to be in constant contact with their customers. But it has to be an appropriate type of contact and at appropriate intervals. If you fail to consider the process from your prospect's point of view and become too critical or too persistent, your actions will end up opening the door for your competition. Yes, all deals need to be continually firmed up before they are closed. But do so, appropriately.
"The essential elements of giving are power and love - activity and affection - and the consciousness of the race testifies that in the high and appropriate exercise of these is a blessedness greater than any other." - Mark Hopkins
