They're just not that into you

He’s Just Not That into You is a book that helps smart and successful women recognize when a man does not like her enough to continue the relationship. It advises the reader to get honest with her situation so she can stop making excuses and holding on to a dead-end relationship. If he’s not calling or asking her out—if he’s dating other people and doesn’t want to marry her—the signs are obvious.

In an eerily similar way, businesses suffer from the same unrealistic thinking in their marketing and selling. Logic is suspended when it comes to how the sales process unfolds with prospects.

In He’s Just Not That into You, authors Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo suggest that most men are too terrified to directly tell a woman, “You’re not the one.” But, their actions absolutely show how they feel. Men are not complicated and typically don’t send mixed messages about their goals for a relationship; their behavior makes it very clear.

Are you experiencing this from your prospects?

Yes, they met you the first time or took your call, but they’ve never called you back. They asked for your “information,” and you sent it with great enthusiasm, but nothing more has happened. They might have even asked for a proposal, but since then you’ve been the one doing all the chasing. You desperately want to believe they’ll come around eventually.

This might sting a little, but it needs to be said: Your prospects are just not that into you!

If they are not engaging with you or exploring a business relationship with you, you might need to honestly assess what is happening. Consider these possibilities:

• It’s not a good fit. This business relationship will not proceed; move on.
• It’s not a good fit right now; the timing is wrong. They’ll proceed when they are ready but not necessarily in your preferred time frame.
• It might be a good fit, but you’re messing it up. You’re being needy and desperate. You’re leaving voice mails and emails “wondering how they are doing” when in reality you just want a sale. Yuck! It’s obvious why they keep avoiding you.

The first step in any breakthrough begins with telling yourself the truth about what is. The best people to sell to are those who are into you! Make them your priority.

Tom Adams is a records and information management and information destruction marketing expert. Check out his regular marketing and training tools at TomAdams.com/SDB.