The secret is to develop tools that will allow your prospect to respond to you when they are ready, interested and motivated to do so. We call this Permission Based prospecting. A far cry from bothersome phone calls, staged drop-in visits and thinly veiled and contrived networking events, this process is proactive and positive.

How do you do this? Start with a good contact management software system. Then go ahead and develop a strategy of frequent yet unobtrusive ways to stay in touch with your key prospects. Worry more about qualitative, value laden contacts than a pure volume of bothersome phone calls.

Give some serious thought to providing your prospects valuable information they can use rather than simply trying to persuade them that they need to see you. Newsletters, postcards, reports, information of value, audio tapes, video tapes and other items that help them to do what they do even better are some great ways to stay in front of prospects in positive, productive and powerful ways.

The real secret is to give prospects a chance to respond to your varied offers. Be sure to include a fax-back form, 800 phone number, response card with pre-paid postage or even a return E-Mail address that will allow your prospects to respond to you when they see how you can help them solve problems or work through challenges they face on a daily basis.

This strategy will yield a more positive perception, enhanced receptivity and a greater sense of professional acceptance. It is also far more sophisticated; is less heavy-handed and far more likely to be successful than traditional idea of believing that personal persistence really does pay off.

The extroverted Talker temperament style prefers a fast, enthusiastic presentation and tend to be impulsive shoppers. They want you to be entertaining and allow time for them to talk. One of biggest challenges when presenting to Talker is to keep them focused on subject. They ask “who” questions. Keywords to use are: Exciting, Fun, and Enthusiastic. Keep your presentation big picture and avoid details and numbers whenever possible. Use colorful pie charts or graphs to make your point. Testimonials can be quite effective with status conscious Talker. The introverted Watcher temperament style prefers a slow, deliberate presentation and are very sensitive to conflict or perceived “sales pressure.” They want you to be cordial and friendly. They ask “how” questions. Keywords to use are: Family, Service, and Harmony. You must condition Watchers for change; they are natural born procrastinators who love status quos. They are family oriented and expect quality service after sale. Help Watcher make a decision by giving them assurance. Due to their pleasing personality and need for harmony, they will sometimes say yes when they mean no.

The introverted Thinker temperament style prefers a slow, detailed presentation and requires time to warm up. They are cautions and skeptical people that take pride in doing their research before they purchase something. Around a Thinker you must be logical and accurate. Double-check your numbers because if they find a mistake, they will question your competence. They ask “why” questions. Keywords to use are: Logical, Safety, and Quality. Expect them to take their time “thinking it over.” Thinkers don’t want to make a mistake and when they make a purchase they frequently get “buyers remorse”. They will typically “shop” your numbers to make sure they are getting best deal possible. Help Thinker reduce their fear of making a mistake by giving them evidence.