Sales is a numbers game, and is often driven by emotions – yours as well as the customer’s. The problem is when you allow the peeks of closing the deal and the valleys of rejection to affect how you approach the next deal.

Consistency is key. The best example are those who canvass neighborhoods and telemarketers. Often times, their day consists mainly of doors being slammed in their face or being berated and then hung up on. And yet, if they allow this to happen 95 percent of the time, they are considered successful in what they do.

Think about it: Most salespeople are expected to fail far more than they succeed. Once you accept this, the opportunities are endless. The best major league baseball players come up short seven out of every ten at-bats. In a long, 162 game season, those same players will go through extended slumps, 20 or 30 consecutive plate appearances without a hit. Sometimes this means they need to look at tape and adjust their swing. But many times, it means they change nothing and do the same thing the following game, expecting the result will change simply because of the law of averages.

If you’re in your own extended slump and you can’t find anything wrong with your sales pitch, it’s probably because there’s nothing wrong with it. Instead, it could simply be your sales attitude. Be prepared for the no; in fact, go for the no – dare them to say it! Confidence and consistency are key. Of course, it’s easy to be confident if you’re fresh off a couple home runs (AKA: big sales), and typically, momentum will continue from there. But having the same attitude after striking out is just as important.

Your next appointment has no idea what the result of your last appointment was – unless you give it away by how you look or sound. If you can honestly look at yourself in the mirror after an extended slump and feel you’re doing nothing wrong, you’re probably right.

But if thoughts of failing creep back into your head during the next trip to the plate, you’ve found the change you need to make.

It’s business. It’s not personal.

Whether you’re a key player in “The Godfather” trilogy or simply a salesperson trying to put food on the table, the phrase bodes true. Although building relationships is integral to increasing commissions, one does not inevitably lead to another. And the stronger the relationship, the harder it is for many to close the deal. Discomfort creeps in, a sense of guilt that you’ll be viewed as insincere, pushy, or even – heaven forbid – “salesy.”

But let me tell you the secret on how to overcome this when dealing with friends, family, drinking buddies, and the like…

Get over it.

If you’re in sales, then your career pertains to offering a service of some sort. If what you do is a career as opposed to a mere job, the assumption is that you’ve already bought into what you sell. Therefore, if you’ve already sold yourself on the benefits of what you provide, why wouldn’t you then convince others who have already bought into you as a person?

Some professions make it easy. If you’re a doctor and your friend or family member is ill, you wouldn’t think twice to step in and help. If someone close to you is trying to find a home and you’re a realtor, it’s a no-brainer that you’ll come to his or her aid.

But often times, it’s not that simple. Most of us in the field offer wants and not needs. Or we provide necessities which may not be very “sexy.” Buying a new car or home is an expensive endeavor, but it’s also usually exciting. However, not many people wake up one day and think to themselves, “I can’t wait to start looking for new windows or an additional life insurance policy today!”

Regardless of what you do and how much “sex appeal” it may have, and regardless of the perceived burden you feel you may be, it’s up to you to take advantage of the best networking circle you’ll ever have: the people who care for you most.

The following are some tips when out on the lead-generating prowl:

-         Be selfless. Karma is real. It is quite obvious when you come across someone who networks purely for his or her own benefit. Everyone knows those people who take five minutes to share their 30-second commercial, who collect business cards and set up meetings solely for the purpose of helping themselves, and who never provide referrals in return. Don’t be that person.

-         Throw yourself to the wolves. Forcing yourself to be a public speaker helps your self confidence, and most networking groups are there to be supportive (so no one will laugh at you if you mess up!). Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you think someone can. You can never get a hit if you don’t take a swing at the plate!

-         Be professional. Whether it’s dressing the part, showing up on time, or refraining from that extra drink during Happy Hour, always remember that how people view you is how they’ll view your company.

-         Be a good listener. Everyone has a story to tell. Let them tell it!

-         Memorize names. Dale Carnegie once said a person’s name is the sweetest sound in the world to that person. Make the effort to make others not feel like just another face in the crowd.

-         Always be prepared! What works for the boy scouts, works equally as well for networkers. Therefore, always have your elevator pitch ready and figure out your target markets and power partners beforehand.

You know the old saying, “quality over quantity?”

Don’t buy into it.

When it comes to networking your product or service, it really is a numbers game. Prequalifying leads or contacts – especially when first putting yourself out there – can do no good.

When it comes to self-promotion, familiarity breeds comfort, not contempt. Think about advertising. Studies say that someone needs to see an ad at least 10 times before it consciously registers with them. Even then, if there is not an immediate need for whatever is being advertised, no further thought will be given at the time. Therefore, if the ad goes away, it’s out of sight, out of mind.

The same applies to networking. Simply making cameo appearances at different events and meetings will not make a long term impact with your business. In addition to making yourself “familiar” with your fellow peers, there also needs to be a foundation of trust established in order for them to feel comfortable enough to either use your services or refer them to others. Being visible – and helpful – over an extended period of time can accomplish just that.

Therefore, when it comes to networking, do it early and often. The best leads come from referrals, and the best referrals come from people who have a genuine interest in you and what you do.

To Be Continued…

So whether you’re just getting started or are at the point of taking a step back and remapping your destination, here are a couple of questions to ask yourself:

-         What is my mission?

• Whether representing an established corporation or simply yourself, every person should have a mission statement in place that includes the “what,” “why,” and “how”:
  • WHAT am I doing for my customer?
  • WHY is this important?
  • HOW can I – in specific, quantifiable terms – accomplish the desired result of customer satisfaction?

-         Where is my budget?

• If there are uncompensated expenses, what are they? If you’re starting a business, how long can you financially sustain yourself without a sale?

-         Who can I cheat from?

• There’s really no such thing as copyrighted ideas when it comes to selling. Therefore, envision someone you know who is already successful – ideally in a similar or identical industry – and emulate them.

-         Am I being realistic?

• As inferred earlier, there is no quick fix solution. Some salespeople are quick learners and can memorize a script or pitch in a matter of minutes, but may lack the confidence or people skills to close the deal. Others may excel and communicating and building emotional value but fall short on substance. Whichever category you fall into, expect your strengths, but accept your weaknesses. Meaning – sustained success requires sustained practice. Give yourself the time you need to be who you feel you should be.

People – especially those on the outside – take for granted how much goes into selling a product or service. Before turning to the next great best selling self-help guide or signing up to see that eloquent motivational speaker, make sure you don’t fall into the “chocolate” mentality: briefly satisfying, but leaving you wanting more.

Instead, take things one bite at a time, and you’ll be sure to quench your appetite…and eventually your bank account…

Hundreds of books have been published on the topic. Thousands of seminars are given every year. Many of us who perpetually seek the answer turn to the many who claim to have it.

And yet, more often than not, it becomes a wash/rinse/repeat scenario.

The fact of the matter is that there is not one universal solution to the question of, “How do I become a great salesperson?” If there was, possessing a bookshelf full of resources would be moot (one book should tell it all). Attending countless conferences would be redundant (wouldn’t every speaker say the same thing?).

So the better question is, “How do I get started on becoming a great salesperson?”

One of my favorite sayings (perhaps because I enjoy food so much) is “Cut the meat before you eat.” Too often, an individual with all the ambition and drive in the world will embark upon a new sales role, or kick start a new business, and the sky is the limit. They have the skills, the know-how, even the past track record of success.

But they don’t have a palatable gameplan.

Once he or she begins, the person will soon realize more emphasis should have been placed on product/service knowledge. Or budgeting. Or overcoming specific objections. Eventually, the issues build to an overwhelming crescendo and burnout sets in. The tragedy is that some simple advanced planning would have alleviated the issues that now may prevent ultimate success.

Just as you wouldn’t scarf down an entire 12 oz. Porterhouse in one bite, it is equally as impossible to simultaneously tackle a variety of roles related to your position.

To Be Continued….

I received an email a couple of days ago that was so full of pain and anguish and something that I think a lot of people are going through that I think it needs to be discussed here for everybody to read and respond to.

So here is the email:

Dear SalesGuy,

I have been involved in Referral Marketing for three years now in three different organizations and I have had enough. I am a small business owner in a busy and densely populated area of Southern New Jersey that has literally thousands of people in my target audience. I sell a product that is specifically geared towards helping the homeowner so would be considered a Business-to-Consumer product.

I have spent literally hundreds and hundreds of hours and over $5,000 of my business’s money as part of these networking groups and have only gotten 27 referrals and $1,800 in revenue from them in the last three years. You state that referral marketing works so why is it not working for me?

I have built some pretty strong friendships with people in my groups, I change my elevator speech every week and give a variety of 10 minute presentations with lots of props and practice and have gotten rave reviews for them. I have given more than 200 qualified referrals to my fellow members and have done everything I can think of to increase the number and quality of referrals I am receiving.

I know that it takes time, effort and honesty to build the relationships and the trust for people to refer their customers, friends and family to me but after three years I am getting really, really frustrated.

If this thing is so good then why is it not working for me?

Sincerely,

Frustrated Networker.

Wow can you hear the pain, anguish and frustration in that letter? Can you feel this person’s pain? Can you relate?

So what did I say to him? Here’s my response:

Dear Frustrated,

First let me just say that I am really sorry you are in this situation and that I completely empathize with where you are at.

Second, let me ask you some questions to help me to help you:

• Do you meet with fellow members at least twice a year to get an update from them on what is new in their business and fill them in on what’s new in your business?
• Do you periodically email or snail each of them with specials, updated information and anything business related that you are doing?
• Do you ask for very specific, detailed referrals? To illustrate: do you just say I am looking for homeowners? Or do you say who do you know that just had a baby? That just refinanced their home? Who just bought new carpet? Who has a senior parent living with them? Just had a child enter or graduate from college?
• Do you remember other networkers special dates? Birthdays, anniversaries, etc…
• Do you talk more about you and your business than the other person and their business?
• Do you do the absolute minimum required in your networking group or do you go above and beyond by attending every optional event, or opportunity?
• Do you give yourself more positive exposure within the group by volunteering for leadership positions?
• Do you give each customer (especially those from referral partners) the absolute best quality customer service you can possibly give?

If referral networking isn’t working for you there are just two reasons:

1. You aren’t doing it right
2. Your business doesn’t do well from referral marketing.

To be quite honest, I haven’t found a business yet that doesn’t do well in the networking arena which means that it’s most likely you that is the problem. That might seem harsh but its true and I’m not here to hold your hand I’m here to help you make money.

So if you are in the same boat as “Frustrated Networker” then read my list of questions and be brutally honest with yourself when you answer those questions. If you do that you will be well on the way to being more successful in networking.

More to come on this subject…until then.

The SalesGuy

Over the years lots has been written about elevator speeches but most of what I have read doesn’t really fit with my thoughts on the subject so I figured I would let you all know how I feel about the subject.

Elevator speeches need to be tailored to fit the environment you are in…so one size fits all is plain wrong!

As an example, you are a member of a closed networking group that meets every week for breakfast and at that meeting you get a chance to talk for 30 seconds or so. What do you say? Do you say the same exact thing each and every week? Do you practice that or do you just wing it?

I have seen people who just wing it, I have seen people who have a memorized speech and I have seen everybody else in between and you know what…I stop listening to most of them after just a few weeks of being a member of the group. They just don’t hold my interest. To me that is a failure of the elevator speech and a waste of 30 seconds of everyone’s lives.

There was one guy that never practiced, never prepared but always had our attention. He was a crusty old guy that couldn’t even spell the words politically correct and we all literally held our breath when he get up because we just didn’t know what he was going to say. Sometimes he was crude, sometimes he was funny, sometimes he made a really good point but he ALWAYS had a captive audience.

Why? Because he changed his topic and his focus every week…he did it to be funny but he did it.

So let me give you some pointers on elevator speeches:

1. Know your audience. If you are in a roomful of lawyers change your speech to fit what they want to hear. In other words, don’t talk about how pretty your paint colors are…talk about how professional, warm and classy your work makes a corporate office look.
2. Pick 3-4 of your best products/services and focus your speech on one of those products each week.
3. Talk about benefits and emotions not cold hard facts. How do you help people solve problems instead of the chemical makeup of your product.
4. Stop talking about customer service! Anybody who has been networking for longer than a week is sick and tired of hearing about how good everybody’s customer service is. That’s the fallback for everybody these days…don’t be that guy. If you really and truly do have the best customer service in your industry then fine…but at least use customer testimonials to show off this advantage instead of just saying we have the best customer service in the world.
5. Bring props! People love to see and touch instead of just hearing. If it’s appropriate bring something for them to touch or at least look at. If you are a house painter, get some of your best work blown up to poster size with full color and hold it up over your head while you are talking about how professional of a job you do.

Mixers and/or business card exchanges in my opinion require a whole different approach. For these events I customize my speech and cut it way down in time and length. 95% of the people who go to these things want to talk about themselves and what they are selling not about you or what you are selling. The other 5% are lying about it!

So give them what they want and make an impression. Don’t prattle on and on about who you are and what you do, let them talk about themselves and ask questions. They will at some point ask about you, tell them very, very quickly what it is you do in the form of a benefits statement (example: I put people in front of other business people for $10 a week) and then ask them a question about themselves or their product.

You will make more of an impression and will have a much better chance of getting in front of them again when you have more time to explain what you do if you are able to impress them in that 5 minute