I just heard a very good sales tip. From a salesperson’s perspective, “I always get worried when the deal stops pulling, and I start pushing.” That’s a very insightful statement. It does suggest a lack of interest in the customer, and lack of interest means they’re less likely to ultimately make a purchase.
Trying to win friends and influence people, I can imagine a strategy of creating desire in the customer that “pulls the rope taught.” Imagine a lead dog on the sled with desire to move the project along, pulling on everyone else to get it done.
When the lead dog (the customer) stops pulling, it’s very hard to push with a rope. Rather, additional desire needs to be created to start the pull again.
On a non-sales note, I’m wondering if procrastination has anything to do with “feeling needed.” If there are people asking things of you, you feel needed and wanted. If you accomplish whatever it is, you’re no longer needed (at least you may feel this way). So you “string people along” to keep the rope taught, and the people that need you, even though they may get angry with you, keep needing you.