The sales cycle is longer than you think

I recently bought a new wristwatch from Freestyle. But here’s the thing—I first saw their brand 1-2 years ago.

It took me that long to go from seeing their social ads, to finally converting to a customer.

Why the delay?

+I already had a working watch (and backups)

+I wasn’t willing to spend $65 when I could get one cheaper

The turning point though?

In the past two years I went through 3 different watches, all with the same issue: broken straps that couldn’t be replaced.

After my most recent watch’s wristband broke, I was finally ready to invest in a more expensive watch.

But. It needed to be a “dumb” watch, and one I could adventure and swim with—not just “water resistant.”

That’s when I remembered the surf brand I used to see.

I couldn’t remember their name, but simply typed in “surf watch” and found the watch I’m wearing today.

I saw the same thing while working my temp sales job.

We had leads that were converting from last year’s convention, as we were boarding the plane to head to the current year’s convention.

It amazed me at the time, but now I understand it much more.

→ Leads aren’t always read to purchase when you first reach out, but it doesn’t mean they won’t ever convert to a paying customer.

I’m sharing this because it’s incredibly helpful to know when you’re building a business, working within marketing, or trying to put together meaningful outreach.

Sometimes you need to adjust your approach and strategy, even bringing in someone more skilled.

But more often than not, you’re simply just playing a longer game than you think.

The work you’re doing now is incredibly important, however, it may not pay off for weeks, months, or even years.

That doesn’t mean it’s not working though!

→ For example, I haven’t really made any money with Fisher Philbrick yet. But, I’ve spent years building a foundation and relationships that could lead to a thriving mentorship and business resource platform in the future.

If I stopped now, I wouldn’t get to see what it turns into.

So! I hope this can be encouraging for yourself whether you’re in a business of your own or want to jump into one in the future.

Keep working hard and pushing forward.

You never know who’s watching today, and will say yes tomorrow.

Michael