Relationship has always been a frequent sermon topic at my church. From our relationship with God, to relationships in dating and marriage, EVERYTHING was covered. I eventually realized that relationship was the common thread that held love, sex, and even sales together.
I wondered, what if we handled our relationships the way we handled sales? Or better yet, what if we handled sales the way we SHOULD handle our relationships? Thus, Love, Sex, and Sales was born. It's a change from the status quo methods of sales.
I'd venture to say the hardest part of sales is the cold call. No one wants to spend their entire day being rejected. It's kind of like a guy asking out all the girls in school on a date and every single girl tells him no. Would your advise him saying, "Keep asking out as many girls as you can. One is bound to say yes"? Doubt it. To be honest, there are better ways he could spend his time. There are certainly better ways to spend yours.
Use these tips to start landing the clients you want most while still keeping your sanity.
1. Get to know yourself as a sales professional.
You need to know who you are before you attempt to date someone else. The same is true in sales. Be clear on what you bring to the table. Do you have a special outside interest that can help a potential client? What type of client can benefit the most from that trait?
i.e. - I'm a graphic designer. This means when a client prints with me, I'll look over your piece as a designer does. I'll find typos and off colors that others may not pay attention to. This is important for brands who have specific style guides or regulations they must observe to print their marketing pieces.
2. Be selective about the clients you pursue.
If you're one of the lucky sales pros that have to create their own lists, you have a chance to shape the dynamics of your clientele. Your preferences reign supreme. Therefore, calling outside of those preferences may prove to be a waste of your time, a cost of your sanity or a detriment to both you and your client. If you like to drink, it may not be advantageous to pursue a relationship with a recovering alcoholic lest you be the cause of their demise. Sales relationships work the same way.
i.e. - In printing, I specialize in working with real estate professionals and membership organizations that send out monthly mail campaigns. I tend to focus heavily on those verticals. That's not to say I won't work with anyone else, but I know that's where my expertise lies. If I run into a client I can't help, we have several other reps with varying strengths that can get the job done! I'm not so focused on money that I can't get my client the very best our company has to offer.
3. Make it personal - Do your research
Nothing irritates me more that a guy coming up to me, giving me some sexually charged comment about my body and then asking for my number. Why? so you can have direct contact to solicit sex I didn't ask for? Pass.
Decision makers don't want to be hit up for money in exchange for products they didn't ask for either. Yes, your product may actually be beneficial but being a part of some person's list merely to make a quota isn't appealing. Research the company and make sure you can actually add value to your clients. I don't call a prospect unless I know I can make good use of their time. I ask questions that let me know whether we'll be a good fit for each other. We call this qualifying the prospect but it may be that you're not qualified to help them.
Also, don't forget to research the decision maker. Have they written a blog post for the company? Is there an annual report posted on the site? Is there an area for growth that pertains to that person's job title? Make sure info like that makes it into your cold call.
4. Sell yourself, not just the company
The biggest factor that sets you apart from your competitors is you! There are traits and qualities that only you can bring to your clients. Tap into those benefits and don't be afraid to do a little shameless self promotion in your cold calls and emails. You could eventually build up a reputation and referred clients will not only seek out your company, but they'll seek you out specifically. (Can we say, bigger commissions?)
Sure everyone wants to date the football player but "he's the football player with the heart of gold" rings a little louder with the ladies. Find your "tagline" and incorporate it into your pitch.
Got any other tips you'd like to share? drop a comment below or hit me up on LinkedIn and let's talk!
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Beautiful post
Thanks!