Did you miss me? I took a vacation but didn’t say anything. I hoped to get the newsletter done before I left. Then, I thought I would get it done while I was on vacation. Then, I just gave up and stuck my toes in the sand.

— Ann Gynn

🟩 attract → 🟧 CONVERT → ⬜ retain → ⬛ amplify

When someone books a call with me, I know they're interested. But what’s the best way to spend that time? Should I ask about them, explain what I do, or figure out whether they're likely to buy? I don’t want to waste anyone’s time, including my own!

Within 30 seconds, I knew I didn’t want to buy from him.

I gave him five minutes. Well, maybe I should rephrase that. He deigned to give me five minutes. 

I wanted to purchase long-term-care insurance. It’s a highly personal process. It’s also a big commitment. You hope to pay premiums for many years and never need to use it.

At the start of the call, the salesperson said he wanted to ask some questions to see if it’s even worth our time to continue the conversation. He asked about my health, and I answered. He even asked why I need six-month checkups with my oncologists if I had my ovaries removed. We ended the call with him promising to talk to the underwriters to see what they need. I do not tell him we will never talk again.

He had the opportunity to educate me, but he didn’t. He had the opportunity to build a relationship, but he didn’t. Instead, he wanted to know if I was worth his time, but he never showed me why he was worth mine.

That same day, I had a call with another long-term-care insurance person. He did the usual chitchat. We talked about where we lived. He asked why I was considering this insurance. I explained that my mom has had a policy for over 25 years and that it made navigating her Alzheimer’s care living arrangements so much easier last year. He explained why the industry stopped selling lifetime policies like my mom’s. He went over some options, including one I hadn’t considered. Then, he asked the personal questions, and they were fewer than the first agent.

Within two days, I had my quotes and options. He recorded a video explaining the quotes, options, and recommendations. He had already scheduled our second call.

Within a day, I had picked my option and signed on the dotted line.

Now, I’m someone who usually avoids talking to salespeople. If anyone would appreciate getting straight to business, it’s me. But I wasn’t buying a toaster. I was buying peace of mind, and for that, I wanted the seller to show an interest in helping me achieve my goals. I wanted someone who gave me a reason to trust them and their advice.

Even if I didn’t buy from him, his investment in the conversation earned my respect. I would have referred someone to him. And that first salesperson? He earned my disrespect, and I won’t hesitate to tell people to avoid working with him.

As for me, I have taken something away from both calls. I’ll warn people away from the one agent. I’ll gladly recommend the other.

Every prospect leaves with a story about what it was like to work with you. The question isn't whether they'll tell it. The question is which story they'll tell. 

Got a question you’d like me to answer in a future edition of The Hotline? Call or text Marketing By One Hotline: +1.440.661.3984.

This week: At the end of your next sales call, ask yourself one question: "If this person doesn't hire me, would they still recommend me?" If the answer is “probably not” or even “maybe,” think about what you could do differently on the next call.

I’m working on the full-fledged business plan for Marketing By One. (Stay tuned … it’s more than a newsletter.) I shared a draft with ChatGPT. It helped me see some holes and suggested a few fresh ideas. But I did get sick of it consistently revising the one-sentence description of the business. I asked it to stop. But it kept wanting to incorporate a philosophical perspective, so I just ignored that feedback.

Have any AI tricks of your own? Hit reply, call, or text the Marketing By One Hotline: +1.440.661.3984.

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🤖 Better visitors: Andy Crestodina and the folks at Orbit Media bring the data again. It analyzed B2B lead-generation websites and found visitors from AI engines convert three times better for high-intent actions.

🎥 Cool isn’t a must: Reels bring the audiences to Facebook, so it may be time to revisit how to use the platform for your brand’s marketing. My favorite tip? Use the audience insights tool.

⏰ Short on resources? My recent CMI article shares 13 ideas to make the most of the time you do have. All 13 contributing experts are speaking at Content Marketing World. Want to join them and me IRL? Register by today (7/31) and use the code GYNN200 for the best price! (And let me know so we can get together!!)

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Got a question you’d like me to answer in The Hotline? Email me or DM me on LinkedIn. Even better: Text or leave a message on the Marketing By One Hotline: +1.440.661.3984.