Do you want to know a secret? Want to know how to make your sales numbers almost jump right off the page? It’s a simple idea really, but most sales professionals don’t know it, and when they find it out, they keep the idea under lock and key. But I’ve never been one to keep secrets, especially if they can help others get ahead in business.
So, are you ready? Here is it, the big secret: make connections. Take the time to contact as many quality people as you can in a given week. Plant some seeds, as if it were in fertile ground. It really is that simple. But remember, just like plants need time and nurturing to bear fruit, your potential sales leads can only become sales customers with the right mixture of time and effort on your part.
One of my favorite books is by a man named Frank Bettger. In ‘How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success In Sales' he provides a wealth of information, and some extremely valuable insights. Here are a few of the ones that still offer a new look or inspiration every time I read them:
“You can’t collect your commission until you make the sale; you can’t make the sale ‘till you write the order; you can’t write the order ‘til you have an interview; and you can’t have an interview ‘til you make the call!”
As Mr. Bettger points out, very directly, it all begins with the call. Yes, sometimes you will be rejected, but other times you won’t be. You simply won’t know until you pick up the phone or send that email. Don’t think of the potential risk, which is really rather small. Rather, think of the potential reward.
Here’s another one of my favorites:
“Selling is the easiest job in the world if you work it hard – but the hardest job in the world if you try to work it easy.”
More than any other activity in the world, selling is about preparation and consistency. It takes effort and time to bring in potential clients; sometimes a good sales person will spend a month or two on one client, learning their needs, their wants, their various habits, all to make sure that the sales presentation and product will meet the client’s needs without question. A good sales person realizes that this business is not a get rich quick scheme. It’s about making money over the long term so that you and your family can be provided for.
So what are you waiting for? Make that call!