The easy way

To quote someone's grandma somewhere, ” There is no shortcut to anyplace worth going.”

Many of the people I meet who are in sales either for a company or for themselves, are looking for an easy way to get the things they want.

I meet with a small business owner yesterday who was amazed by how many sales people try and take the easy way out. 

the easy way, the real easy way, is doing the things you know have to be done.  You need to meet more prospects.  You need to meet with more current clients.  You need to read more on how to do your job better.

The easy way = hard work

aspirational selling

When selling, to only look at what problems the buyer or prospect has is only really looking at half of the equation. If you, like me, have been taught the consultive approach, you look for the pain and try to fix it.

Now if you also included where the prospect/buyer wanted to go you would be forward looking and perhaps increase the sale or the likelihood of success.

So ask questions like:
so what do you want to accomplish in the next year?
What stretch goals have been set?
What would need to happen to make those goals happen?

You still need to uncover the pain and try and fix it, but having the buyer also looking bigger picture will make sure you are uncovering all the opportunity.

Write it Down

Yep, if you want to be a great seller, you have to write it down. You need to write down your 5 year goal, your 1 month goal, and your goal for today. You have to write down your goals for the day and your plan on how you will accomplish your goals. You do not need an amazing tracking program, you can use a piece of paper and a pencil or crayon if needed. Do not let anything get in the way of writing it down.

If you want to see all the reasons why you should write it down, start reading books and blogs dedicated to sellers. If they wrote a book they tell you why. Here,I dont have time to waste on tell you why, just do it.

your job is alive

Thats right, your job is alive. Its a creature that loves new people. Why? Because it loves the energy and new ideas new people bring to it. So if you look up at your ceiling and ask "job, what should i do today?" it will answer you with an answer that will get you fired.

Thats right, your job wants to fire you. So what can you do about it?

You need to plan. You need to write down your goals for the day and then either cross them off as they get done or write down the result.


If you plan you will win, if you let your job do it for you, it will get a new fresh full of ideas body soon.

Sales people read

So how much do you read every day, week, month? You need to read about sales, sales management, and life often. Recently i had been going through some blahhhs. I realized that i was uninspired and my coworkers had even pointed out that I had lost a little of that spark they depended on for their inspiration. They also mentioned that I had not posted on here in a while. So I took their thoughts and reflections of my own to heart and asked, "what changed?" The answer is i stopped reading the ezines, books, and articles i was used to reading. I stopped getting new ideas. I stopped new opportunities and challenges from coming my way. In short, my brain got bored. Honestly, sales is pretty much the samething everyday with new people. If you sit back and say, its the same thing everyday then you will get bored like I did.

I started reading. I signed up for new sales ezines and newsletters, i met back with a sales networking team i hadnt been to in a month or two. I brought back out a book or two i had enjoyed and reread them.

I started seeing answers to questions and I started inspiring my mind, and it was ready.

Yours is ready too. Start reading.

In case youre wondering which two books i reread they were "GO for NO" and "Switch"

Joint Calls

Nope I'm not selling drugs. Today, I want to talk about the benefits of a joint call. Call one of your coworkers and setup a trade. You go on one of their calls with them and they go one with you. You will find that the feedback you get is very valuable. If your boss currently goes on a call or two with you its not the same thing, because there is less pressure if you mess up.

The partner helps with the sale where appropriate but basically is a good listen during the sale. Then they will give feedback on where they thought things could have gone better and where you did really well.

Try this and I think you will find you improve quickly and you will develop a nice working relationship with that coworker built on honest feedback.

Go sell great today

Should I stay or should I go?

This is straight from Mr. Inside Sales, Mike Brooks.

So, you have a prospect who wont answer you and you want to have them *** or get off the pot.

Here is the email you send. I have used 2 or 3 times in the last month with amazing, 1 to 2 hour returns when its been weeks or months.

enjoy.

Subject of your email: "Should I stay or Should I go?"

"_________ While I've tried to reach you, I haven't heard back from you and that tells me one of three things:

1) You've already chosen another company for this and if that's the case please let me know so can I stop bothering you,

2) You're still interested but haven't had the time to get back to me yet

3) You've fallen and can't get up and in that case please let me know and I'll call 911 for you...

Please let me know which one it is because I'm starting to worry...

Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing back from you."
I have used the and it works great.