At suspiciously regular — i.e. automated — intervals, I’ve been interrupted by a “Senior Relationship Manager”. He knows I’ve refused him. He knows I’m ignoring him. He knows that I’ve chosen the competition. But he still contacts me.

Perhaps “Senior Relationship Manager” is a euphemism for Expert Relationship Eliminator? He’s contacted me so many times after the opportunity has passed, and once by greeting me as “Jamie”, that he’s destroyed any future chance he and his company may have had to earn my business.

Persistence is impressive. Gravity, wind and water are persistent. Regardless of what we do, they will forever pull, blow and flow. And eventually they will get to where they’re going.

Gravity, wind and water persist, but they never insist. Their actions are constant and unwavering, but they never demand that we move out of the way, do what they want, bend to their will. They move around obstacles instead of wasting energy trying to go through them.

Persistence in business demands confidence. We’ll all be refused more times than we’ll be welcomed. Persistence says, “No problem. Please get in touch if you change your mind.” Insistence thinks, “If I antagonize them enough, they’ll eventually hire me just to shut me up.”

Persistence is admirable. Insistence is childish, annoying and destructive.

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