Sprint Like Swensons Employees For Your Prospects

Several of us here in the office made a day trip to Akron, OH for a meeting, and a member of our team (nice recommendation, Steve) suggested we have lunch at a local/regional favorite, Swensons Drive In, where we found Swenson’s employees sprinting on the job.  You’ll understand momentarily, but here’s a hint: if you sprint like Senson’s employees for your prospects, you will get in the door and stay there.

Their tag line is “America’s Best Cheeseburger”, a lofty claim to make, to be sure.  Apparently, Forbes said as much, according to the Swensons menu.

I can tell you, while this is not a food review, the burgers are quite good, (as are the fried mushrooms) and you can kiss your diet goodbye, but you know that going in.

Their business model is based on the classic drive-in: you pull up and your order is taken by an employee from your car, you can get it to go, or on one of those trays that fits over your window.

After looking at their site, there are currently 12 locations in Ohio and they’re celebrating their 85^th year in business!

Someone is doing something right.

Great, Lee, we’ll check that out when we’re in Akron or Columbus (and you should-the milkshakes are also awesome) but there is an agency new business lesson to be learned from Swensons.

Another part of the business model: there are no intercom/speakers where you place your order, or employees on roller skates, making their way over.  No, no.

The employees SPRINT to your car.

I’m not exaggerating. They run to your car, take your order, and if you need something in the interim, you turn your lights on and they come to you.

It creates a feeling that they are HUSTLING-they are on top of it, and always working.

This is the point-I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard of, been told about, or seen agencies treat prospecting with little to no sense of urgency.

Follow up 2 or 3 weeks later?  Forget it.

Call once, send out an email or two?  Will not work.

You need to show your prospects, and your clients, that there is a sense of purpose-a motor behind your process.

You need to sprint like Swensons employees.

Everybody gets busy, and sometimes you just can’t follow up as soon as you would like, we’ve all been there, but whenever and wherever you can-show your prospects how you “sprint”, and they’ll get a glimpse into what it will be like to work with you.