I’ve been known to beep my horn when the car in front dithers at the lights.

I’ve tutted loudly when the woman in the thirsty coffee shop queue asks about the provenance of her organic soy mochaccino.

I’ve complained to the pizza company when my order was 7 minutes late (I get hangry*, ok?).

I am NOT by nature a patient person. That’s pretty clear.

But when it comes to sales and marketing, I am the Zen guru of patience.

The high priestess of persistence.

The all-powerful authority on perseverance.Just a sniff of my serene aura could put you in a coma, it’s that strong.

Why?

Because I know patience can make the difference between success and failure in sales and marketing.

Patience is a secret weapon that few people value enough. After all, we live in a world of gimme-it-now gotta-have-it instant gratification.

We can’t wait a week for the next instalment of our favourite TV series – we binge watch it all in one go. Amazon Prime is our new best friend. And this want-it-get-it-now culture can be great.

But not in marketing. Because in marketing and sales it’s slow and steady that can often win the race.

Be More Sloth in Sales

Just recently I signed up a wonderful new client who I’ve been talking to for nearly two years. Two whole years.

It’s proof that good things really do come to those who wait. (Like the 20 min cooking time for an oozing chocolate fondant. So worth it.)

Some marketing or sales activities might bring in new business straight away, but others might take months or years to deliver. But the slow burners can often deliver the biggest results.

So when I hear clients tell me things like:

‘We tried a newsletter for a few weeks but it fizzled out’

‘We did call a few clients last year but nothing came of it’

‘We tried to get in touch with that prospect once already but didn’t get anywhere’

I tell them to try again. Keep going. To be patient.

To try a different approach. A more creative approach. Or a more consistent one. Because some things just take time.

It’s not always easy to persevere, but if you’re still going when your competitors have turned out the lights and gone home, you can win big.

Good things really can come to those who wait. So, be more sloth if you want more sales.

* hangry: when you’re so hungry you get cross