This, it would seem, is what the inquirer is requesting, right?

But let’s

How do your prospects like to buy?

What happens when these preferences conflict?

Famed management guru and my professor, Peter F. Drucker, was fond of pointing out that there are at least three kinds of customers:

(1) Readers
(2) Listeners, and
(3) Writers.
To his list, we can also probably add
(4) Talkers and
(5) Viewers.

These are the main modalities through which people like to get their information.

The general idea is we should respect customer preferences, communicating through media that are appropriate to each individual.

But is this the way we should sell? Should we defer to apparent customer preferences, or assert our own?

For instance, let’s say you receive an inquiry through your web site’s email, requesting additional information about your products or services. It’s easy to reply by scribbling something, or by attaching documents, and then by clicking the mouse.

This, it would seem, is what the inquirer is requesting, right?

But let’s

(1) Readers
(2) Listeners, and
(3) Writers.
To his list, we can also probably add
(4) Talkers and
(5) Viewers.

These are the main modalities through which people like to get their information.

The general idea is we should respect customer preferences, communicating through media that are appropriate to each individual.

But is this the way we should sell? Should we defer to apparent customer preferences, or assert our own?

For instance, let’s say you receive an inquiry through your web site’s email, requesting additional information about your products or services. It’s easy to reply by scribbling something, or by attaching documents, and then by clicking the mouse.

This, it would seem, is what the inquirer is requesting, right?

But let’s

These are the main modalities through which people like to get their information.

The general idea is we should respect customer preferences, communicating through media that are appropriate to each individual.

But is this the way we should sell? Should we defer to apparent customer preferences, or assert our own?

For instance, let’s say you receive an inquiry through your web site’s email, requesting additional information about your products or services. It’s easy to reply by scribbling something, or by attaching documents, and then by clicking the mouse.

This, it would seem, is what the inquirer is requesting, right?

But let’s

But is this the way we should sell? Should we defer to apparent customer preferences, or assert our own?

For instance, let’s say you receive an inquiry through your web site’s email, requesting additional information about your products or services. It’s easy to reply by scribbling something, or by attaching documents, and then by clicking the mouse.

This, it would seem, is what the inquirer is requesting, right?

But let’s

This, it would seem, is what the inquirer is requesting, right?

But let’s say, at the end of the email, the person has “signed it” with his name and phone number. Should we take that as an invitation, or at least permission to respond by phone?

While I’m a writer, and I’m comfortable crafting responsive emails, I prefer to sell prospects in real-time, face to face, or by phone. I believe calling an inquirer quickly, not only shows I’m interested in earning his business. It gives me a chance to learn more about his project, his needs, budget, and I get to assess his sense of urgency and seriousness from his voice.

I can find out about his authority to buy, where he is in the process of evaluating sources of supply, and if he’s operating under a deadline. Also, how did he hear about me—from a referral, a search engine, one of my books?

I just can’t surmise this detail from an initial email, so there are solid selling reasons to get back with him by pho