Raise Your Hand

We’ve been doing it for as long as we can remember.  I don’t know kindergarten?  Maybe even nursery school?  Some parents probably teach it at home.  Everyone knows how to raise your hand.  You do it when one of two things, you have a question or you need something.  So which one is it?

I love it when people raise their hands.  When I’m having a casual conversation, networking or meeting with people and someone raises their hand that makes my day.  To me it means I have someone engaged and I can help them.  Whether it be, answer a question or that they need my services, I can help.  Do you want to make my day?  Then raise your hand.  I’ll help you any way I can.

My Situation

The other day I was having a casual conversation over a social media medium and I inadvertantly raised my hand.  This seems to be how it happens for most people and I’m no different.  I asked a guy a question.  I knew it was related to his work I just didn’t realize he answers that exact question for a living.  So I raised my hand to him and to his services.  Do you know what came next?  Disappointment.  It’s been a few days and I’ve heard nothing from him.  No follow up.  No offer to help.  Nothing.  In my initial question he directed me to a page on his website that is targeted at the exact question I asked.  It could not have been more perfect.  I’m worried he ruined things now.

Good Salesman / Bad Salesman

Did you cringe at that heading above?  So many people hate the word salesman but I think it needs to be used her.  Here’s my opinion.  There are two ways that a salesman could have handled me raising my hand, he could have contacted me to help with my question or he could have pushed his service on me since I mentioned (he mistakes this for want) it.  I think I might have been happier with either but all I got was dead air.  Nothing.

I cannot figure out for the life of me why I have not heard from this guy.  Maybe he’ll read my blog and reply.  It just might be too little too late.  The worst thing is I think I recommended him to someone a little while ago.  I’m going to have to go back and check.  What if he never reached out to the person I recommended him to?  That would be even worse.

Where does this relationship go from here?

Tagged as: need, prospect, question, raise hand, selling