Recently I put the word out to my network that I needed to replace the person who’d been doing outbound telephone work for me, to match business buyers and sellers.
I was surprised at the response and the number of quality people available. Jay Miller, with “I Can Open Doors for You,” was referred to me by multiple people at HomeStreet Bank, as he has a long-standing relationship with the bank.
While some prospective providers sent me a proposal after one telephone conversation, basically telling me I fit into one of their boxes, Jay was at the other end of the spectrum. And while it wasn’t a fit for us to work together, the way he approached it was first class.
After doing some research he asked me if he could get a sample list, make some calls himself, and see if it was something his firm would like to do. No proposal, no suggested four-month trial period, no special offer for the first few months. Just, “Let me try it and see if it’s for us.”
His usual market features longer sales cycles and more relationship building. I’m guessing it could take a year or longer to get a business owner to agree to meet a banker. With my business, it’s a yes or a no.
It was refreshing to have someone not push for the sale before knowing if it was a fit.