I was just with a client this morning who told me that it is hard to be a salesman making cold calls.
It is hard, being told no all the time. It is hard being rejected. Nobody likes being told that their prospect is not interested. Steve A., one of my bosses always says "they all buy, eventually", which is partly true.
So this is your pep talk. This is my imitation of Matt Foley (Pictured Left). This is the thing that will get you going as a salesperson. This should get you through the day….because if you aren't calling, you aren't selling.
When someone says no: When someone says no to you over the phone, it doesn't actually mean that they will not buy. It means that you haven't shown them anything to move forward in the process. I call people all the time, and I get told no. Sometimes, you need a different tact.
One of the things that I have done is to send them an e-mail shortly after the phone call. I make it short and sweet. I thank them for taking the time to discuss, and I bullet point 3 things that similar company's have found value in what I sell.
And then I call someone else. Next.
Make a goal for the day: I find a lot of salespeople take a morning to cold call, but fail to make a goal for themselves. Is 10 substantial meetings in the next 2 weeks your desired accomplishment? Then make that your goal for your cold call time. Make these goals obtainable but challenging.
Make some mini-goals: If you already know that not everyone is going to say yes, find some Mini goals to get you through. After 10 calls, get yourself a coffee. After 20 calls, get yourself up and walk around the office outside. After you set up 3 meetings, go buy a candy bar.
Give yourself small treats for inching towards your final goal.
Track your sales metrics:
Armed with these numbers, you can figure out how many actual phone calls you must make in order to make your desired sales for the month.
If you don't have a clue of any of these numbers, then you should go back through your records and figure it out. A great salesman ALWAYS knows his/her metrics.
Why do you work?:
Why is it that you work, anyways? To put food on the table? To buy toys?
Whatever your motivation, be sure that your office is peppered with those reasons. If your child draws pictures, you should have them on a wall, reminding you that every sale can go to pay for art school.
My office has pictures of my wife and kids all over it (my office is a little messy, so sometimes I have to hunt for them).
The point is that you should make sure that your external motivation (outside the office) matches up with the internal motivation (inside the office).
It is hard, being told no all the time. It is hard being rejected. Nobody likes being told that their prospect is not interested. Steve A., one of my bosses always says "they all buy, eventually", which is partly true.
So this is your pep talk. This is my imitation of Matt Foley (Pictured Left). This is the thing that will get you going as a salesperson. This should get you through the day….because if you aren't calling, you aren't selling.
When someone says no: When someone says no to you over the phone, it doesn't actually mean that they will not buy. It means that you haven't shown them anything to move forward in the process. I call people all the time, and I get told no. Sometimes, you need a different tact.
One of the things that I have done is to send them an e-mail shortly after the phone call. I make it short and sweet. I thank them for taking the time to discuss, and I bullet point 3 things that similar company's have found value in what I sell.
And then I call someone else. Next.
Make a goal for the day: I find a lot of salespeople take a morning to cold call, but fail to make a goal for themselves. Is 10 substantial meetings in the next 2 weeks your desired accomplishment? Then make that your goal for your cold call time. Make these goals obtainable but challenging.
Make some mini-goals: If you already know that not everyone is going to say yes, find some Mini goals to get you through. After 10 calls, get yourself a coffee. After 20 calls, get yourself up and walk around the office outside. After you set up 3 meetings, go buy a candy bar.
Give yourself small treats for inching towards your final goal.
Track your sales metrics:
- What is your average deal size?
- How many deals does it take to make your desired sales number for the month?
- How many substantive meetings does it take to make one deal?
- How many quality phone calls or emails does it take to get a substantive meeting?
- How many dials must you make to actually get through to someone
- Now multiply that "# of dials" by 1.25.
Armed with these numbers, you can figure out how many actual phone calls you must make in order to make your desired sales for the month.
If you don't have a clue of any of these numbers, then you should go back through your records and figure it out. A great salesman ALWAYS knows his/her metrics.
Why do you work?:
Why is it that you work, anyways? To put food on the table? To buy toys?
Whatever your motivation, be sure that your office is peppered with those reasons. If your child draws pictures, you should have them on a wall, reminding you that every sale can go to pay for art school.
My office has pictures of my wife and kids all over it (my office is a little messy, so sometimes I have to hunt for them).
The point is that you should make sure that your external motivation (outside the office) matches up with the internal motivation (inside the office).
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