SELLING is NOT meant to be Torture!


You might be surprised at the reaction you would get from a group of salespeople if you made the statement… ”If it isn’t fun, it isn’t selling!" There will be looks on their faces of “what’s he been smokin” and at the very least a look of surprise or maybe even a look of shock, wondering if “you” have ever been in the profession of sales. 

Most salespeople don’t necessarily think what they do is fun. In fact many will think the opposite and they are well justified in their assessment of what they do day after day.  They probably work for a company still trying to make the old ways work in a much different environment today.

The art and science of SELLING has dramatically changed. Markets have changed. Buyers have changed. It is the year 2020… not 1975!

TRICK Q:  DO the same old tried and true tactics still work?  NO!

The top 5 — Unprofitable, Forgettable, Deplorable Sales Tactics that are still plaguing sales organizations today!  Right now, at this very minute, hundreds if not thousands of poorly trained sales reps are trying to make these tactics work:
  1. Call high, low, left and right.
  2. Cold calling works.
  3. Ask everyone for referrals.
  4. The career path for great sellers is sales leadership.
  5. Always be closing.
Call high: The best sales happen when you call high, low, left and right. Call everyone in the organization who could possibly be an influencer and you put your potential sale at risk by devaluing the right person in the process. You might even make the buyer angry, thinking you are unprofessional, impatient and down right pushy. Patiently discover the “decision maker” and talk with him/her at their convenience.  That’s how long-term relationships are earned and sales multiply. 

Cold calling works: Who came up this crazy concept? This is flat out wrong. With only 1% of cold calls converting to appointments an overall closing rate on cold calls would be close to .3%! Cold calling is desperation work.  Its a proven formula for failure. It causes sales depression! May even be some twisted sales managers idea of punishment! Find ways to attract warm leads and qualified referrals instead of pounding the phone and begging gate-keepers to let you talk to anyone with buying authority.

Ask everyone for referrals: Don’t do that!. Only ask the people you want more of in your life for referrals. Like attracts like. If you ask your poorest customers for referrals, they will refer you to more just like them.

The career path for great sellers is sales leadership: Not all sellers make great managers. In fact, most fail. Why? The skill set is different. Great managers must have patience, are team players, and believe that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Spot the disconnect? It’s not to say that some great sellers can’t be great managers. But, in order to make the transition, they need to be purposeful about the move and open to guidance. At the same time, organizations must build a culture where top performers are rewarded for staying in sales as high performers. Increase their pay, provide them a better or bigger territory, give them more time off. The costs of providing these benefits are far less than the losses you will receive should your top sellers leave for a better opportunity with a competitor.

Always be closing: Huh??? Let’s try… always be prospecting. A focus on closing deals causes sales reps to make bad decisions. They close unprofitable business, hang on to dead opportunities far too long, negotiate poorly, and come off as desperate. A focus on building qualified prospects will ensure that sales reps always have an overflowing pipeline full of the best opportunities. Closing will become easier and sales reps will have the confidence to walk away from deals that they know are bad for them and the company.

Want to really grow your business? Maybe its time to stop thinking the old ways of selling are going to grow the revenue you want!  Think about rebuilding your sales engine… contact ENCORE! 2.5 and let’s discuss your dream.  Maybe together… we can make it come true!

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