OVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF REJECTION
ASSUMING THAT YOU HAVE AN ATTRACTIVE PRODUCT OR SERVICE, ONE THAT IS REASONABLE PRICED AND SUITED TO THE CURRENT MARKET, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT TELEPHONE SALESPEOPLE AND OUTSIDE SALESPEOPLE FACE IS REJECTION. THE FEAR OF REJECTION DOES MORE TO SABOTAGE A SALES CAREER AND UNDERMINE SALES ACTIVITIES THATN ANY OTHER SINGLE FACTOR. IT IS THE MAJOR OBSTACLE TO SALES SUCCESS.
IT TAKES TREMENDOUS DISCIPLINE FOR SALESPEOPLE TO GET UP EVERY MORNING AND GO OUT AND FACE THE INEVITABLE REJECTION THAT THEY KNOW THEY ARE GOING TO RECEIVE ALL DAY LONG. MOST PEOPLE CANNOT HANDLE THIS CONTINUES REJECTION. THEREFORE, TO AVOID THE EMOTIONAL PAIN THAT COMES WITH REJECTION, MANY SALESPEOPLE ENGAGE IN A SERIES OF "DISPLACEMENT", ACTIVITIES TO AVOID BEING REJECTED.
FIRST OF ALL, THEY MAKE FEWER CALLS. ACCORDING TO COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, THE SALES PERSON WORKS ABOUT NINETY MINUTES PERDAY-IN OTHER WORDS, ONLY ABOUT ONE AND AND A HALF HOURS OUT OF AN EIGHT-HOUR DAY. HE SPENDS THE REST OF THE TIME WARMING UP AND GETTING READY, SHUFFLING PAPERWORK, CHECKING THE INTERNET, READING THE NEWSPAPER, CHATTING WITH COWORKERS, COMING IN LATE, LEAVING EARLY, AND TAKING EXTENDED LUNCHES AND COFFEE BREAKS. AS A RESULT, BY THE END OF THE DAY, ON AVERAGE. THE SALESPERSON HAS WORKED ONLY NINETY MINUTES.
INCREASE FACE TIME WITH
CUSTOMERS AND PROSPECTS
WHEN IS A SALESPERSON WORKING? THE SALESPERSON IS WORKING ONLY WHEN HE OR SHE IS EAR TO EAR (ON THE PHONE) OR FACE TO FACE WITH SOMEONE WHO CAN AND WILL BUY WITHIN A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME.
THE RULE FOR SALES SUCCESS CAN BE CONTAINED IN SIX WORDS: "SPEND MORE TIME WITH BETTER PROSPECTS". THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO GENERATE A HIGH, CONSISTENT, THE PREDICTABLE LEVEL OF SALES RESULTS.
BECAUSE OF THE FEAR OF REJECTION, HOWEVER, SALESPEOPLE PROCRASTINATE AND DELAY THROUGHOUT THE SALES DAY, DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO AVOID GETTING FACE TO FACE WITH PEOPLE WHO CAN SAY "NO"!
THE KEY TO SALES SUCCESS, AS I LEARNED AS A YOUNG SALESMAN, IS TO REALIZE THAT REJECTION IS NOT PERSONAL, PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS ALWASY SAY THINGS LIKE, "NO, I'M NO INTERESTED". OR VARIATIONS OF , "I DON'T WANT IT, "I DON'T NEED IT", " I CAN'T USE IT, " I CAN'T AFFORT IT, " I'M NOT IN THE MARKET RIGHT NOW", OR I'M HAPPY WITH MY EXISTING SUPPLIER".
THE PROFESSIONAL SALESPEOPLE REALIZES THAT THESE ARE SIMPLY NORMAL AND NATURAL RESPONSE TO ANY COMMERCIAL OFFER IN COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE. AGAIN, THEY ARE NOT PERSONAL - SO DON'T TAKE THEM PERSONALLY.
REMAIN POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC
THE KEY TO SALES SUCCESS IS TO ELIMINATE THE FEAR OF REJECTION, TO BECOME SO CONFIDENT AND OPTIMISTIC THAT THEY YOU CAN CALL CONTINUALLY ALL DAY LONG AND STILL REMAIN POSITIVE AND CHEERFUL. AS WINSTON CHURCHILL SAID, "SUCCESS IS THE ABILIT TO GO FROM FAILURE TO FAILURE WITH NO LOSS OF ENTHUSIASM".
THERE IS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF NEW CUSTOMER CONTACTS YOU MAKE AND YOUR LEVEL OF SALES. IF YOU WANT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SALES, SIMPLY DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO CALL ON MORE PROSPECTS.
WHEN YOU INCREASE YOUR LEVLES OF SALES ACTIVITY, YOU ALSO ACTIVATE THE LAW OF PROBALITIES TO WORK ON YOUR BEHALF. YOU TAP INTO THE LAW OF AVERAGES. YOU "WORK THE NUMBERS'. TO ENSURE SUCCESS.
HOW TO DOUBLE YOUR SALES INCOME
PRACTICE THE "MINIUTES PRINCIPLE" IN YOUR SALES WORK. THIS PRINCIPLE SAYS THAT, IF YOU ARE EARNING ALL THE MONEY THAT YOU ARE EARNING TODAY WITH ONLY THE NUMBER OF MINUTES YOU ARE SPENDING FACE TO FACE WITH CUSTOMERS TODAY, BY INCREASING THAT NUMBER OF MINUTES, YOU CAN ALSO INCREASE YOUR SALES, IF YOU WANT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SALES, SIMPLY DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO CALL ON MORE PROSPECTS.
WHEN YOU INCREASE YOUR LEVELS OF SALES ACTIVITY, YOU ALSO ACTIVATE THE LAW OF PROBILITIES TO WORK ON YOUR BEHALF. YOU TAP INTO THE LAW OF AVERAGES. YOU "WORK THE NUMBERS" TO ENSURE SUCCESS.
HOW TO DOUBLE YOUR SALES INCOME
PRACTICE THE "MINUTES PRINCIPLES" IN YOUR SALES WORK. THIS PRINCIPLE SAYS THAT, IF YOU ARE EARNING ALL THE MONEY THAT YOU ARE EARNING TODAY WITH ONLY THE NUMBER OF MINUTES YOU ARE SPENDING FACE TO FACE WITH CUSTOMERS TODAY, BY INCREASING THAT NUMBER OF MINUTES, YOU CAN ALSO INCREASE YOUR SALES.
WITH OUTSIDE SALESPEOPLE, WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF MINUTES THEY SPEND FACE TO FACE WITH CUSTOMERS. WE TEACH THEM TO USE EVERY BIT IF INTELLIGENCE AND CREATIVITY THEY HAVE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY SPEND TALKING IN PERSON WITH PROSPECTS RATHER THAN FOLLOWING THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE AND ALLOWING THEMSELVES TO PROCRASTING GETTING OUT INTO THE MARKETPLACE.
IN ALMOST EVERY CAKE, WHEN A SALESPERSON DOUBLES THE NUMBER OF MINUTES THAT HE OR SHE SPENDS FACE TO FACE OR EAR TO EAR WIH CUSTOMERS, THAT SALESPERSON'S SALES DOUBLE AS WELL. THIS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT, IT IS BASED ON LAW, THE LAW OF PROBABILITIES.
CONTROL YOUR SALES ACTIVITIES
YOU CAN SELDOM TELL WHEN YOUR NEXT SALE IS GOING TO COME FROM. THEREFORE, YOU HAVE TO "CAST AS WIDE NET" AND SPEAK TO AS MANY PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS AS POSSIBLE.
THE ACTUAL SALE ITSELF IS NOT UNDER YOUR DIRECT CONTROL. IT IS CONTROLLED BY A VARIETY OF FACTORS ABOUT WHICH YOU CAN DO VERY LITTLE. BUT THE ACTIVITIES THAT LEAD TO SALES ARE COMPLETELY UNDER YOUR CONTROL. THE RULE IS "DO WHAT YOU CAN WITH WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE".
TO ACHIEVE HIGH LEVELS OF SALES SUCCESS, YOU MUST DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO PLAN YOUR DAYS AND WEEKS IN ADVANCE YOU MUST DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO PLAN YOUR SALES ACTIVITIES - ESPECIALLY YOUR PROSPECTING ACTIVITIES - EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON YOUR PLANS AND RESOLUTIONS.
IMPROVE TO SALES SUCCESS
YOU HAVE TWO RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN IT COMES TO ACHIEVING SUCCESS IN SALES :
1. FIRST OF ALL, KEEP YOUR FUNNEL FULL. ALWAYS HAVE MORE PROSPECTS TO CALL ON THAN YOU HAVE TIME DURING THE DAY. NEVER LET YOUR FUNNEL BECOME EMPTY. NEVER RUN OUT OR PROSPECTS.
2. SECOND, GET BETTER AT EACH STAGE OF SELLING. STUDY, READ, LISTEN TO AUDIO PROGRAMS, AND UPGRADE YOUR SKILLS IN PROSPECTING, PRESENTING, AND CLOSING SALES. THE BETTER YOU GET, THE FEWER PROSPECTS YOU REQUIRE IN THE TOP OF THE FUNNEL TO GENERATE SALES OUT OF THE BOTTOME OF THE FUNNEL.
