A new week and a new month have begun.  If you are like most salespeople, the optimism is flowing and you are excited with the possibilities of kicking butt in July.

Chances are, you haven't sold anything this month, and the month is a week old.

Get your butt moving.  NOW!

1. First Monday of the month in my office is "cold call day":  5-10 new meetings should be your goal....Make special note that these meetings should be with companies that are not currently in your pipeline.  Best bet is to call companies that either said no 6 months ago, or ones that you lost touch with.  
2. Call anyone that you thought you had a deal with last couple of months, but didn't pan out.
3. Call the big elephants who were in your business plan from January.   
4. Monday is your day.  TAKE IT! 

This morning I had a philosophical conversation regarding activity that leads to sales.

I was told that the more sales activity that you have, the more deals that will close. In some cases, I believe this to be true.  I know for a fact that if you don't have enough meetings your pipeline will be devoid of enough deals to complete your month successfully.

I have also seen this theory fall flat on it's face.  I have seen a ton of salespeople who meet with a lot of people, but fail to close any of the deals.  This happens for many reasons.

So when I was told the theory of more activity leads to more deals, I disagreed.

So aside form low activity levels (too few phone calls, too few meetings) what would be some more relevant metrics that a sales organization could focus on?

1. Substantive Meetings:  A key to my success as a salesman is to schedule meetings with the right people at the right companies. 

           
First, I like to identify which company can get the most benefit from my products.  My goal is not to find a new vertical to sell in to, but to find companies that are similar to my client base.  If 60% of my prospects are commercial real estate appraisers, then I would like to put my effort in to selling the remaining CRE appraisers.  I don't try to sell to a whole new segment.  Another tactic is to see who my competitor is selling to.  Chances are that my competition has already sold a need to these people, and I can come in and show how my product is better.  Meeting with the wrong type of companies can skew your metrics and provide you with an inaccurate sense of security.  You get lots of meetings, but few sales.

Second, I identify the correct person within an organization to speak with.  I will initially go to the top of the food chain at an organization.  I have seen many salespeople go after the lowest person in the organization in order to get buy in.  I found that tactic to be a waste of time.   I like to find out who the final decision maker is for my product.  I will do everything I can to meet and talk to the decision maker.  There is little benefit in speaking with someone who cannot say yes.  Years ago, we had a guy in our office who would schedule meetings with underlings.  He would present our wares, and then expect the value proposition to be sold up the ladder by the non decision maker.  Sometimes it worked, but most of the time it didn't.  Sure, this guy had a ton of meetings, but he never really got any answers why they didn't buy.  Nobody can sell your product to management better than you.


TO BE CONTINUED...

Pictured here is a place called Hope Island.  There really is a place called Hope Island.

I have been stuck here many times...especially during close week.

Picture this.  You have spoken at times with a prospect during a given month.  You have found some needs, identified some pain, you even asked some pertinent questions.  You think you are pretty close to the sale.

Your boss asks you on Monday, June 23rd whether this deal is closing.  You answer in the affirmative.  "It's going to close," you exclaim.  While the prospect never really told you that it is, you sure hope so.  

The one question that you didn't ask is whether they are moving forward with the deal.  While this is the most important question you may ask in the process, it is that hardest one to ask.

So sometimes, EVEN THE BEST SALESPERSON will sit on Hope Island, waiting for the contract.  The Hope Island that I ave sat on isn't the sunny one pictured above, but a cold replica, full of despair, desperation and worry.

How to avoid Hope Island:

1. When I was young and single, there was a desperation that I had that drove the women away.  Desperation also drives prospects away.  The best way out of this is to have many options.  Fill your pipeline so that you don't have to rely on one deal to get you there.
   
2. Ask the question!  Throughout the process, always state your end goal and discuss what the prospect's end goal is as well.  "So it looks like you are going to make your decision within 2 weeks.  Do you thin that if you move forward that it would be a June decision?"
3. Sometimes it doesn't feel right to come off as a salesman.   I say, embrace it.  Say something like "While I love showing my product to people, and I love discussing what my prospect's needs are, in the end I am a salesman, and my management judges me 12 times a year.  Do you think this is something that we can wrap up this month?"
4. Forecast your month accordingly.  If you haven't spoken with a client, or haven't gotten them the requisite paperwork to sign by the 15th of a given month, should that be in your forecast?  My boss always says, "Hope is not a strategy"

For a copy of my best selling book, click here

We have all been there. October
27th, and you are at 30% of
plan. You have to make up a lot of ground this month, or you will have a not so
pleasant discussion with your boss.

You have 4 days left....You pick up the phone to call your prospect.

You explain that the “deal” that you offered
yesterday is only good until October 31st and after that, it turns into a pumpkin (I’ve actually said that.)

Your stomach is turning… over and over… stressing out… drink another cup of coffee….

You will do anything to get a deal. You need that deal.
 
You will even sit in the lobby of your prospect like Bud Fox, hoping that the prospect will come out and sign the agreement. The dreaded “Lobby Sit.”  The receptionist is looking at you with disgust.

You have dreaded commission breath. The smell of desperation is in the air. And it is pathetic.  Really pathetic.

DON'T BE ONE OF THOSE DESPERATE SALESPEOPLE AT THE END OF THE MONTH.

What should you have done to avoid this?

1. When you first present to the prospect, explain your sales process.  Set the expectation that you will ask for their business, however it is their responsibility to be forthright with an answer (yes or no) so that you don't come stumbling to them at the end of the month.
2. Take a deep breath.  If you don't make the sale, you will not lose your job.  You typically will not get fired from a job for one bad month.
3. Don't leave multiple messages for prospects.  if they didn't call you back the first time, why would they call you back again.  Chances are, he will feel bad for not calling you back the first time and he will actually avoid you, rather than discuss the situation.
4. At the end of each call or email, explain what the next step is and the timing of that step. Then everyone knows what to expect. If they tell you that they will move on this project in November, then you know not to bother them.