Urgency - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Adapt the pace of nature:

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great American essayist and poet of the 19th century said, "Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience." A great salesman understands this wonderful quote. There is a certain rhythm to successful selling, like there is a rhythm to nature and to all of life. 

A champion salesman goes about things with the pace of nature. There is a sense of calm urgency when dealing with a successful person, not a sense of panic or anxiousness. You want your prospects and clients to sense your confidence and your pace. Every interaction is a chance to show someone that you are a person of purpose, a person who wants to reach out and help solve problems. Like the four seasons, you want your prospects to know that you will be back in touch and that you are always there, but not in a way that is overbearing or annoying.

On a tactical level, I offer these tips to being a person who portrays urgency, even when urgency may not be present.

• Have a great voice mail message. Make sure it is your voice and that you sound enthusiastic about what you do.
• Always answer the phone with a sense of purpose and interest.
• Return phone calls as quickly as possible and always the same business day.
• Use actionable language in your email communications.
• Every interaction is a chance to share a story of success.
• Create reasons to be in touch. People want to hear good news. Find it and tell it.
• Never end a meeting or a conversation without a follow-up agenda.
• Do what you say, when you say.