You're Going To Be Great At This!

Have you ever used the Google News app? It's a blend of headlines that are broken into categories, but with the addition of the Google search engine. I use it from time to time to research current topics or business items. The great part is that if I'm searching for a topic the app will give multiple sources if available. In a search of "sales covid" I found a lot of articles on business trends in the time of a pandemic. What struck me was the number of articles on so many subtopics. There was an article on how RV dealers are seeing an increase in sales as the summer approaches as well as news stories on various real estate markets. Some industries were doing well while others weren't.  As the Coronavirus makes it's way through our country, the economic side effects have taken their toll. Businesses, large and small, are looking for ways to adapt and salvage profits. While many are floundering and waiting for the country to "reopen", others have foun...

One of the best sales/motivational speeches ever put on film was at the beginning of Glengarry Glen Ross, a depressing movie about a sales team whose leads are "bad" and are all about to get fired. The speech is delivered perfectly by Alec Baldwin as he tries to persuade the crew with insults and a profanity laced tirade. And the bottom line for each person is that they will lose they jobs if they can't close the sale.  Anyone considering a career in sales may want to reconsider after watching this flick, even though it's not as realistic as it claims to be. Sure there are industries that will give you leads and expect you to close them immediately, but that's not what selling is all about.  I've seen stereotypical "high pressure" sales people who talk fast and throw around numbers quickly. Those people don't last. Fortunately for most of us who buy stuff, the vast majority of sales reps out there talk in a calm voice, ask lots of questions and c...

Sales is hard enough, but can be even more difficult under pandemic conditions. And with many of us having to work home, the rules are changing. We know longer have the daily access of our co-workers for camaraderie or to bounce ideas off of.  I used to take advantage of the office setting when it was available to me. Having a cup of coffee with a colleague and listening to stories of success or failure with a client gave me the opportunity to use these stories as a way of living vicariously and to use the information for my own sales adventures.  More importantly, my co-workers and I would meet each morning and set some daily goals for activity and production. We would also hold each other accountable for the previous day's numbers. "Did you make the number of calls you said you would?" or "How many times did you close?" became frequent questions every morning. Much like having a workout partner when you go to the gym, a sales accountability partner can help yo...

The American economy is taking a beating during the Coronavirus pandemic. Businesses have been shuttered, the stock market has tanked and at the time of this blog post, over 30 million Americans have lost jobs. Apparently many of these jobs are deemed "non-essential" which doesn't make a lot of sense when you learn what is "essential", but that debate can be saved for a later date. One thing for sure is that if you're in sales, you are essential. Salespeople are the ones driving the business, bringing in clients or customers, talking up the business and keeping the registers ringing. No matter if you are selling cars, homes, insurance or industrial lubricants, you are, at this moment, keeping the business afloat. The service technician is important, as well as the receptionist and the CEO, but none are doing the grunt work you are doing. And none are bringing in sales.  I like to think of it like this. I can have the best car in the world, with all the featu...

Each day I talk to people who are small business owners, independent contractors and sales reps from a variety of industries. Nearly every single one of them has told me that the Coronavirus has impacted their enterprise to some degree, some worse than others. Inevitably one of these people will say something like, "I don't know how much longer we can hang in there." They struggle hard to keep the proverbial doors open, regardless if they own a restaurant or if they are realtors. None has shut down yet, but it may be coming soon for some of them. I try not to be the person to tell others what to do when it comes to how they make a living. In the past I've been asked to do some informal business consulting and have made a suggestion here or there, usually as part of an insurance deal. With the pandemic in our midst for the last few months, the threat of business closures is ramping up. Open Table, an online restaurant reservation service, estimates that as many as one ...

An advertising rep once told me that I needed to add my photo to my business cards because it would give me extra credibility. "When someone sees your picture they know you're a real person," she said in that voice that sounded like a grade school teacher. "People want to deal with other real people." In fact, I did have some professional headshots taken and used them for brochures and internet marketing. But I never added my picture to my business cards. Why not? In my book I mention that business cards are not efficient and are good for two things: Drawings for free lunches and leaving with a good tip in a restaurant. Other than that, business cards are an expensive piece of the marketing puzzle that just don't work for most people. A good headshot can help you though. I've been fortunate to have had the photos taken twice at no cost to me. Once was at an industry conference and again, years later from a photographer friend. The latter was needed as I...

In a discussion with some co-workers last week we discussed some of the new issues we are having to deal with while selling in a pandemic. While some of us in the sales industry are limited in what we can do as part of the selling process, others are having to wait on the sidelines for businesses to open again.  Many realtors I've spoken to have said that they can't show properties due to restrictions, but some are managing to show properties virtually. In my industry, life and disability insurance, I've been fortunate in that most of my carriers have web based insurance applications. That means I can talk to a client on the phone and get their information without having to meet in person. As retail stores start to open again (they have with restrictions in my area), I have noticed that some of the employees are wearing masks, while others don't. When shopping centers and malls bounce back, will the staff have protective gear in place? And will there be masks available ...

At this point in the pandemic, there are two distinct types of people in sales. First are the ones who are doing their best to adapt to a new way of working. These people, who I will call Type A (for adaptive), may or may not be finding success, but they are trying. They know that the aftereffects of this virus can last for months or years and are ready for the long haul.  Then there are those in the second group, who I call Type T (for the towel they have thrown in). Type T individuals have decided that they can't work, or I should say, they can't sell, in this environment. Either they can't see the people they need to see, or their clients are no longer buying (because they are closed for instance), or they think the virus is going to go away and they'll be doing business as usual very soon. You can tell the Type T people because they have nice yards because they're mowing, raking and fertilizing while the rest of us are trying to work. Maybe I should have called ...

Every few weeks I meet with a couple of local business people I know for lunch. The conversation is typically casual, involving work, business trends and the general state of affairs. From time to time, one of us will invite someone along whom the others may want to network with, like a realtor or webmaster. These periodic luncheons have been good for all of us, as we take our work seriously and understand the need to expand our circle of friends and connections. As you an imagine, the last few months has put a damper on our lunch activities. One of my friends, a lawyer, actually arranged a lunch meeting in a local park with another local businessman. Imagine the two of them, sitting on a bench and eating subs. Fortunately for me, I was working out of town that day.  With the Covid-19 virus as the backdrop, you can see that all of us who do business are trying to adapt to a new set of practices. It's starting to affect all of us, whether you're in sales, law, real estate or foo...

For some of us, trying to work remotely is hard. Especially if you're like me and actually enjoy going out to meet clients in their homes, offices or a coffeehouse. Fortunately, I've had some experience dealing with clients and taking applications while I wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. It's not as bad as it's made out to be. There can be a mental toll if you aren't used to staying inside all day and trying to make the sale. Staring at a computer screen, trying to find prospects, and making those calls is rough. And on top of it all, ultimately the people you are calling are also dealing with their own issues related to the virus, too. For example, how many of your prospects or clients are on the verge of losing their job or business? We're all in the same boat here. Unfortunately there's not many opportunities at the moment to motivate yourself or your sales team.  With this in mind, I wanted to throw a few suggestions out for you to consider.  Be e...

Many years ago I had it in my head that I wanted to get my securities license to add to my insurance license. It seemed back then (pre-2008) that selling mutual funds and other variable products would complement my existing practice. As that floated in the back of my head I got a phone call from a sales manager for an insurance company asking if I'd be interested in working for them. I told the guy I'd be open to discussion. A week or so later we talked again and this guy tells me that they also had the means to "open a window", which meant they could get me the opportunity to take the exams needed. I accepted the job and went about selling their mediocre (at best) policies. As time went on, I noticed that there was only one other agent, John, with a securities license. The rest of us were encouraged to send him any investment business. In the meantime, there were several other agents in the same boat as myself. We discussed among ourselves, as disgruntled people ...