5 Top-of-Mind Touches That Beat “Just Checking In” (Money Monday)

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1:18This is Jeb Blunt and it's Money Monday on the Sales Gravy Podcast. Say, make money, money, make money, money, money. Make money, money, make money, money, money. Money makes the world go round. I'm the talk around town. Remy gave me the sound. Welcome to another episode of Money Monday. My name is Duff Tucker, and I'm one of the coaches and trainers here at Sales Gravy. And this week, I have the pleasure of filling in for Jeb. Let me ask you a question. How many opportunities are sitting in your pipeline right now that aren't lost, they're just waiting? Waiting for budget, waiting for priorities to shift, waiting for a contract to expire, waiting for the right time.

1:55Now, here's the question I really want you to think about. When that day comes, whose name will they remember? Because that's the difference between following up and staying top of mind. And that's what I really want to talk about today. Top of mind selling. The reality is most buying decisions don't happen from the first meeting. They don't happen after the first proposal. Sometimes they don't happen for weeks, months, or even years. And while you're waiting, your prospect is busy. They're running their business. They're putting out fires. They're dealing with changing priorities. And they're getting calls and emails from your competitors.

2:30They're not sitting around thinking about you. So the question isn't, how do I get this prospect to buy today? The better question is, how do I become the person they think of when they're finally ready to buy? That's top of mind selling. Now, there's a big difference between following up and staying top of mind. Following up sounds like just checking in. Just wanted to see if you had a chance to review my proposal. Just circling back. We've all sent those emails and we've all received them. But here's the problem. Your prospect doesn't owe you a response just because you followed up. Top of mind selling, it takes a different approach.

3:03It's about intentionally creating value, trust, and relevance so that when the buying window opens, you're already positioned as that trusted choice. It's not about chasing, it's not about being annoying, and it's certainly not about contacting someone simply because your CRM says, hey, it's time for another touch. It's about giving them a reason to remember you. There are three things that create the foundation of top-of-mind selling. Relevance, trust, and consistency. Now, let's start with relevance. Your prospects have limited time and unlimited distractions. So if you want their attention, you have to bring them something that matters.

3:39An insight, an idea, a resource, a solution to a problem, something connected to their goals or challenges. Here's a simple question to ask yourself before you reach out. Am I reaching out because I have something valuable to share or because I want something? Now that's a powerful distinction. The second pillar is trust. Trust is built long before the buying decision happens. Every interaction is an opportunity to demonstrate that you understand their world, that you care about their success, and that you're capable of helping them navigate a problem. Ask yourself, have I earned the right to be viewed as a trusted resource?

4:14Now, our last pillar is consistency. Being remembered doesn't happen by accident. You can't just disappear for six months and then expect your prospect to think of you first when the buying window opens. Consistency creates familiarity. Familiarity creates confidence and confidence creates opportunity. So ask yourself, if they're buying window open tomorrow, would they remember me? Relevance gets you noticed, trust gets you chosen, and consistency keeps you remembered. Here's another concept I want you to think about. Every interaction either increases or decreases your value in the buyer's mind.

4:48Every email, every phone call, every LinkedIn message, every meeting, every piece of content you send, every one of those interactions, it leaves an impression. Think about it as a memory bank. When you provide a valuable insight, when you make a helpful introduction, when you share a useful resource or help solve a problem, you're making a deposit. But when you send a generic just checking in message, when you ask for something every time you reach out or you disappear for months, you're making a withdrawal. And the salesperson with the strongest relationship balance is the one who gets the first call when the buying window opens.

5:21And that's the point. So what do you actually send? Now, this is where I see a lot of sales professionals get stuck. They know they should nurture their prospects, but after three emails, they say, I don't have anything else to say. That's why I have five simple categories of top of mind touches. Number one, educational. Teach them something they didn't know. Number two, personal. Strengthen the relationship through genuine connection. Number three, insight. Give them an idea that makes them think differently. Number four, social proof. Show them what you've helped other customers accomplish. And number five, opportunity.

5:56Connect them to a person, an event, a resource, or an opportunity that could benefit them. Did you notice anything about these five categories? None of them require you to say, are you ready to buy yet? One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make is treating every interaction as an opportunity to ask for something. Top of mind selling flips that around. We call this the 80-20 rule. Approximately 80 % of your interaction should focus on giving, sharing, teaching, helping, connecting, educating, creating value. And the other 20%, you can focus on asking. Ask for the meeting. Ask for the next step.

6:30Ask for that commitment. Think about what happens when you consistently give more than you ask. Your prospect stops seeing you as someone who only reaches out when you need something. You become a resource, and resources get remembered. Now, here's a practical challenge for you. Build your own top-of-mind toolkit. Don't wait until you need to send something to your prospect to figure out what you're going to say. Start collecting things. Customer stories, articles, research, videos, industry insights, questions, checklists, case studies, introductions, tools and resources. Anything that helps your customer solve a problem or make a better decision.

7:07Because when your toolkit is full, staying top of mind becomes part of the sales process. You don't have to manufacture a reason to reach out. You already have something valuable that you can share. And before you send anything, I want you to run it through a simple filter. I want you to ask yourself, will my customer be better off because of this interaction? This is the foundation for the value framework. V stands for valuable. Does this interaction leave them better informed, equipped, or prepared? A stands for applicable. Does this connect to their goals, challenges, or priorities? L stands for lasting.

7:41Will this interaction create a positive impression that sticks? U stands for useful. Can they actually do something with what you've given them? And E stands for engaging. Does it create an opportunity for conversation rather than simply broadcasting information? If your communication passes that test, you're doing more than following up. You're building a relationship. So let me leave you with this. You cannot control when your customer is ready to buy. You can't control their budget. You can't control their priorities. You can't control when the contract expires. You can't control what happens inside of their business.

8:13But you can control whether you're remembered when the timing is right. That's top of mind selling. Stay relevant, build trust, show up consistent, and don't just be present. Be valuable. Because your customers don't need more noise. They need insights. They need ideas. They need resources. They need someone who understands their world and can help them navigate it. And when you become that person, when you've made enough deposits in the memory bank, when you've consistently provided value, when the buying window finally opens, you don't have to chase the opportunity. They remember you. And that's the goal, because in sales, timing determines when the customers buy.

8:50Top of mind selling determines who they buy from. Thanks so much for tuning in to Money Monday. I'm Duff Tucker. Now go out and make a deposit in someone's memory bank today. I'll see you next time on the Sales Gravy Podcast.

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