The Plain Truth for Sales Professionals. Be Willing to Be Uncomfortable to Gain Success.

Do you know what one specific, all-important task sales people do?  I’m going to help those of you who haven’t realized this yet:  SALES PEOPLE MAKE SALES!  Close the sale; don’t call back!  Don’t just get good connections; make sales!  Be the one who convinces the “no” prospect to say “yes.”  The question I always ask sales people is, “How many deals are you closing?”  Lately more and more often the answer I hear pertains to the many good connections being made.  There is excitement because of the warm and fuzzy feeling when interacting with a prospect.  But THE PAPERWORK WAS NOT SIGNED!   Is your goal to be a therapist or a sales professional?

Read Previous Article here: http://bit.ly/2yBn7X6 Get the ONE Tip for Productive Follow-Up. Learn Where to Put Your Focus.

Yes, there ARE some important things leading up to making the sale.  You Do want to gain trust and encourage a pleasant relationship.  While those are important, they are not the priority goal!  So, you made fifty great connections last month.  If you only closed one person, read a book or quit.  You are wasting your time!  I understand call backs are important.  I just completed an episode discussing next action steps.  But there is a very specific time when you use a call back.  First, you close the sale.  Then you close, and close, and close.  Sure, you and your prospects may feel somewhat uncomfortable.  The reality of sales is that you have to convince prospects to say “yes.”  This career is not an “anybody can do it” type.  It’s hard.  You must learn to sell people.  If you are in sales but aren’t selling anybody, either study, get to work, and/or go get another job!  Close the sale; don’t call back.

When I get a request for a call back, here is my response:

ME:  “Absolutely.  I would be happy to call you back.  How about Friday at two o’clock?  Does that work for you, Mr. Jones?” [He answers “yes.”]  “Awesome!  Just so I can be prepared for the call back, what should I be studying?  What is the main thing you’re thinking about between now and then?  I want to be prepared to answer your questions.”  [Now I’ll get the real objection.]

PROSPECT:  “Well, you know, James, I’m just not sure about _____.”

NOW I JUMP RIGHT BACK IN AND SELL:  “I certainly understand that.  I respect the fact that you need to think about it.  However, I want to make sure you have all the relevant information you need to make an informed decision.  I’m sure you’d agree with me on that, wouldn’t you, Mr. Jones?  Great, so give me a little bit more information.  What is the root cause of your wanting to hold back?  I can tell there is something you’re not sure about.  What is the information I need to provide to really help you make the most informed decisions possible?”

That is called closing, and closing, and closing.  I keep going in that way until I realize the only avenue left is to get kicked out of the store or have the prospect say, “No!  Leave me alone!”  When I am just about to the point, then – and only then – do I agree to a call back.  And I only agree if I think there’s a good chance of selling when I call back.  If a prospect is obviously not interested – just blowing me off, I put the ball right back in his/her court, “Thanks so much for your time today.  I know you said to call back on Friday, but I can see you need some time to really think about this.  Here is my card.  If you ever have any problems with your credit card machine or anything like that, give me a call.  I’ll be here right away to help you.  It was great meeting you.  Have a great day!”  I’m done, and I move on to the next person.

That interaction is an example of FAILURE.  No matter how warm and fuzzy you felt, you didn’t close the sale.  A sales rep who gets “no” has failed.  Don’t be happy when you get a “no.”  Failure is okay – AS LONG AS YOU RECOGNIZE IT AS FAILURE AND LEARN FROM IT.  Move on to the next person.  Go sell somebody else.

Don’t call to tell me how happy you are about talking to 75 people this month, some of whom invited you over to a family barbeque.  I’ll say, “Congratulations, did you make any money?”  If you answer that you didn’t make any sales, then you suck.  Learn how to sell or get a job.  That’s my message to you today.

Hopefully, these good tips will:

• • Save you some time and help you find another career or
  • Help you take sales more seriously so that you will actually do what’s needed to make money.

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