​I was talking to a client recently who was pleased to report that he had several proposals out and he was anxious to land some of them soon. He asked me how often he should follow up with the prospective clients to find out if they had made a decision.

“What is the rush?” I asked.
“I want to win the work!” He replied.
“Did you ask the clients when they were going to select the provider?” I asked.
“Well, no, but I assumed they were going to make a decision sooner than this.” He answered.
“Ahhh, so you are making their agenda your agenda. What if their timing changed and they just haven’t gotten around to tell you?" I asked.

He got my point. The excitement to close the deal clouded his better judgment to give his clients space and allow them to get back to him when they were ready. Too often, professionals get antsy about the lag time in hearing back from clients on proposals that have been sent out. I call this “proposal anxiety.” The dreaded waiting game. This is especially painful when you only have one or two opportunities in the pipeline.

​We are at the start of a new year which is the common time to make a change. Gym membership applications skyrocket, healthier eating picks up, and ambitious goals are set. The problem with many of these resolutions is that they don’t last.

According to the IHSRA (International Health, Racquet, & Sportsclub Association), 50% of new gym memberships get canceled within the first 6 months. I would venture to guess that many of the members who don’t cancel in the first 6 months stop going and are too lazy to cancel.