I have heard it too many times: "sales is not for me", "I hate sales!", "sales is useless" and so on. Whether or not somebody enjoys a sales position is not up to me at all. Indeed, many people either are not cut out for a sales career or simply don't have it in them to constantly be meeting a quota.
Whether or not you like sales is irrelevant; sales teaches you numerous skills that can benefit you in any career path that you take. So if there is anything to gleam from this post it is that you should never look down on a salesman. They are culminating skills that go far beyond a job in sales.
1. They Develop a Thick Skin
This is very important in just about any type of career. Just about every sales rep will have a few stories about extremely angry customers or people who get violently angry when being cold called. Such instances are a "day in the life" of a salesperson, and being prepared to deal with these situations can carry over to just about every aspect in life.
Suppose you are a a customer service representative for some insurance company. There is no way you aren't going to deal with irate customers every now and again, so it's crucial that you have developed thick skin. A sales job is a perfect way to develop that!
2. They Have Drive!
Okay, maybe not ALL salespeople have drive, but the majority of them do. That's the nature of sales: you always need to hustle to get the next big lead or to close a huge deal. Having drive is the name of the game in sales!
Whether or not you are in sales, obviously drive is still one of the most important things to have to maintain success in any career! You need to regularly have the big picture in mind, in order to develop yourself and succeed!
3. They Think On Their Feet
In sales, things can change at the drop of a hat. Any salesperson can tell you that. However, it is their job to be prepared for last minute changes, or undiscovered client needs. They need to be incredibly knowledgeable about their product, so that they can adapt at the drop of a hat.
The ability to think on your feet is something that everybody needs to have. Planning is good, but being able to adapt instantly is great! This is especially a crucial skill for customer support, business executives, and even retail workers!
4. They Enjoy Learning!
As mentioned before, salespeople often need to think on their feet. As a result of this, they are constantly learning. Whether it be about new products or industry changes, successful sales reps eagerly consume as much knowledge as they can, in order to make as many sales as possible.
This enthusiasm for learning is certainly much appreciated in literally every other career choice: marketing, management, writing, etc.
5. They Are Extremely Results Oriented!
In a position that requires meeting quotas and tracking what you do, how can one not be results oriented? In previous sales positions, I always rocked out the numbers sheet, allowing me to make more money because I knew exactly where I was at and where I wanted to be.
This leads to reps becoming more organized and harder working. Any company would do well to have someone with your skill set!
In all, I think this gives the case for at least trying out a sales position. You can gain very valuable skills that any employer would want. Who knows? You might just like it!
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Friday, July 31, 2015
Two Easy LinkedIn Prospecting Steps!
As a salesperson, your company should be equipping you with
all of the necessary tools to succeed in helping your business make money. Such
tools include extensive training and production information, relevant business
leads, and a LinkedIn account.
Yes, I said LinkedIn.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, LinkedIn is the
go-to social media website for business connections. It is a MUST have when it
comes to things like networking and prospecting. In fact, when I first started
in sales, my boss demanded that I create a LinkedIn.
Fast forward to the present, and I have built up a decent
amount of contact from my time doing cold calling and working for the business.
Not only that, but as I mentioned earlier, having a LinkedIn account even makes
prospecting easier!
You’re probably wondering how LinkedIn helps make sales
prospecting easier. It’s actually rather simple and I will be providing you
with 2 easy steps that will help you narrow down your contacts in order to
identify your individual target at a company that you want to try to sell to.
1: A Simple Search!
Hopefully, you have realized by now that there is a “search”
feature at the very top of LinkedIn. USE IT! Search for the name of the company
you want to sell to. Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy! From here, you will then find a
long list of names of people who work at said company.
On the left side of the list, you will find another list of
checkboxes. Make sure to check the box of the current employer so that you will
only find people who CURRENTLY work at said company.
After browsing the list, you will probably end up finding
somebody with a job title that you think would be relevant to you, so you will
want to get in touch with them.
2: Get Their Name!
This is the hard part! LinkedIn, due to its very nature,
keeps many things about its users private (unlike Facebook!). In general, you
need to have mutual connection in order to not just look at somebody’s profile,
but to even get their name! While their names will probably show up as simply “LinkedIn
User”, I have discovered a VERY simple trick to get around this
.
It’s actually pretty funny as to how simple my workaround
is. I simply use a Google search.
I copy and paste the person’s title into
Google and make sure to include LinkedIn. Let’s say John Doe is the Head of
Marketing at JD Inc. On Linkedin, his name will show as “LinkedIn User”, with a
title of “Head of Marketing at JD Inc.”. On Google, I will type “Head of
Marketing at JD Inc.” “LinkedIn”, then voila! It will show “John Doe” in the
Google search results. I click that link and not only do I now have his name,
but I also have his full profile! All of this without having any mutual
connects!
Do you have any other LinkedIn "hacks"? If so, please leave a comment! The readership and I would all love to learn more ways to increase our sales!
Monday, May 4, 2015
Door to Door and Telemarketing: Do They Still Have a Place?
For every successful sales rep that I know, I know at least four failed ones. Out of those four, three of them started in the worst sales positions imaginable. Out of those three, two of them kept on with their careers of horrible sales jobs. The last one ends up deciding that enough is enough and ends up turning it all around to become successful!
Too many people "stick it out" when it comes to a miserable sales position, then quit sales entirely, when they should be diversifying their sales experiences. If you have a set sales strategy, here is why you should "switch it up" and not stick to these two types of sales:
Door to Door Sales: It goes without saying that door to door salespeople are among the most miserable people in the world. Between the fatigue, the weather, and the constant face to face rejection, it's no wonder that door to door sales is one of the careers with the highest turnovers. Who can blame them? It's hard not to wonder how many talented salespeople never came to be, simply because door to door sales turned them off of the career?
Telemarketing: Telemarketing is almost as miserable as door to door sales. Although weather is not a factor, the stress is much higher. You don't have the luxury of seeing people in person. It all rides on the balance of one phone call; a call which is heavily scripted and can get you fired if you stray too far from it. Add on to that list that this is usually an entry level sales position, and you get a lot of people who end up hating sales. Plus, learning a script is not the same thing as learning to sell. Getting off a script is the only true way to sell!
Although these two types of sales jobs are absolutely miserable, they still have their place in a successful business. Successful salespeople sell in person, but they don't do it cold. They take the time to establish rapport with a prospect, in order to convert them into a trusting customer who views them as a valuable resource. It's a shame that these two types of salespeople aren't merged together into one, because by combining phone and in-person sales, you can get more permanent customers!
Too many people "stick it out" when it comes to a miserable sales position, then quit sales entirely, when they should be diversifying their sales experiences. If you have a set sales strategy, here is why you should "switch it up" and not stick to these two types of sales:
Door to Door Sales: It goes without saying that door to door salespeople are among the most miserable people in the world. Between the fatigue, the weather, and the constant face to face rejection, it's no wonder that door to door sales is one of the careers with the highest turnovers. Who can blame them? It's hard not to wonder how many talented salespeople never came to be, simply because door to door sales turned them off of the career?
Telemarketing: Telemarketing is almost as miserable as door to door sales. Although weather is not a factor, the stress is much higher. You don't have the luxury of seeing people in person. It all rides on the balance of one phone call; a call which is heavily scripted and can get you fired if you stray too far from it. Add on to that list that this is usually an entry level sales position, and you get a lot of people who end up hating sales. Plus, learning a script is not the same thing as learning to sell. Getting off a script is the only true way to sell!
Although these two types of sales jobs are absolutely miserable, they still have their place in a successful business. Successful salespeople sell in person, but they don't do it cold. They take the time to establish rapport with a prospect, in order to convert them into a trusting customer who views them as a valuable resource. It's a shame that these two types of salespeople aren't merged together into one, because by combining phone and in-person sales, you can get more permanent customers!
Sunday, March 15, 2015
3 Crucial Cues: When it's Time to Chase a Commission Increase!
My first sales job had me start with a meager salary and a commission of just 4 percent. Granted, each sale in the industry usually brought thousands of dollars for the company. Yet,with each sale I got, I was still unsatisfied with the commissions. I felt like my sales were being undervalued with the commission I received. If I were to do it all over again, I would pay more attention, work even harder, and look out for these three signs that I need to have my commission increased.
1: You feel like you have hit a glass ceiling.
"Glass Ceiling" is a term that is often used to describe the wage gaps between genders and how women find it harder to rise to the top in an organization, yet it can also describe the feeling that you get when you need to get your commission increased.
You've felt a bit down about your job, you don't see yourself making much more money than you are, so you get bored. Your boss, while not making as many sales as you are, makes more money than you since he's in management. Odds are, he is not going to leave his position any time soon, which puts you in a predicament. You aren't going to make much more money and there is little to no upwards mobility in your organization, so what is stopping you from jumping ship?
Bringing this up to management, along with strong sales numbers that back up the necessity to increase your commissions, will go a long way towards getting that commission increase. You really do need strong sales numbers for this though, otherwise they have no motivation for doing so.
2: Your sales conditions are miserable
A friend of mine used to sell newspapers door-to-door back when he was in high school. The best salesperson made between 80 to 100 dollars a night in commissions when he was selling.
Mind you, this is door-to-door sales, and you are knocking on several hundred doors a day, all for a wage that, while quite good for a high schooler, is really not that good as someone who has a family to support. There is a reason why these kind of sales job have a high turnover: the pay is bad and the conditions are terrible. If you are doing this sort of work, you had better make sure you are getting paid fairly!
3: Your company is undergoing serious change
Companies are constantly evolving; whether it be by offering new products or changing the organizational structure itself, it is crucial to remember that sales is what keeps the entire organization afloat. If there is going to be major change in the company, then why not see how sales can change?
If new products are going to be offered, what if they're harder to sell? You may need a bigger commission out of products or services that most will not have a need for. If people in other departments are getting raises, why don't you get a commission increase?
If you act like sales is truly what keeps your company together (and it is!), then you need to realize that the sales force needs to change along with the company. Even if we are not discussing payment, sales is the glue that holds a company together. If you change what you are gluing, but don't change how you apply the glue, what you are gluing will surely fall apart.
Have any of you successfully negotiated a commission increase? If so, do you have any tips? What motivated you to seek that raise? Please comment!
Also, if you have any ideas for what you would like to see discussed on this blog, please feel free to share in the comments as well!
1: You feel like you have hit a glass ceiling.
"Glass Ceiling" is a term that is often used to describe the wage gaps between genders and how women find it harder to rise to the top in an organization, yet it can also describe the feeling that you get when you need to get your commission increased.
You've felt a bit down about your job, you don't see yourself making much more money than you are, so you get bored. Your boss, while not making as many sales as you are, makes more money than you since he's in management. Odds are, he is not going to leave his position any time soon, which puts you in a predicament. You aren't going to make much more money and there is little to no upwards mobility in your organization, so what is stopping you from jumping ship?
Bringing this up to management, along with strong sales numbers that back up the necessity to increase your commissions, will go a long way towards getting that commission increase. You really do need strong sales numbers for this though, otherwise they have no motivation for doing so.
2: Your sales conditions are miserable
A friend of mine used to sell newspapers door-to-door back when he was in high school. The best salesperson made between 80 to 100 dollars a night in commissions when he was selling.
Mind you, this is door-to-door sales, and you are knocking on several hundred doors a day, all for a wage that, while quite good for a high schooler, is really not that good as someone who has a family to support. There is a reason why these kind of sales job have a high turnover: the pay is bad and the conditions are terrible. If you are doing this sort of work, you had better make sure you are getting paid fairly!
3: Your company is undergoing serious change
Companies are constantly evolving; whether it be by offering new products or changing the organizational structure itself, it is crucial to remember that sales is what keeps the entire organization afloat. If there is going to be major change in the company, then why not see how sales can change?
If new products are going to be offered, what if they're harder to sell? You may need a bigger commission out of products or services that most will not have a need for. If people in other departments are getting raises, why don't you get a commission increase?
If you act like sales is truly what keeps your company together (and it is!), then you need to realize that the sales force needs to change along with the company. Even if we are not discussing payment, sales is the glue that holds a company together. If you change what you are gluing, but don't change how you apply the glue, what you are gluing will surely fall apart.
Have any of you successfully negotiated a commission increase? If so, do you have any tips? What motivated you to seek that raise? Please comment!
Also, if you have any ideas for what you would like to see discussed on this blog, please feel free to share in the comments as well!
Thursday, March 12, 2015
A Very Odd Way of Getting Your Sales Voicemails Returned!
Voicemail is one of, if not the worst aspect of a sales career. Many people are busy or ignore their calls. As a result, you get to leave them a message! And what do they do with that message? Usually, they'll delete it. Often, without even listening.
Very few people return voicemails, usually because they go through so many calls like yours. Eventually, they'll just tune out and delete your message and soon as they even begin to suspect that it's a sales pitch.
I recently heard about a very unorthodox way of getting voicemails returned and I have to say that I would never have even contemplated doing this. It goes against the very fabric of what I have been taught over the course of my sales career: hang up in the middle of the message.
That's right. Just hang up. Think about that for a second. Seems like a scummy move, right? After all, it is certainly rude to just hang up the phone in the middle of a call. So why should you hang up in the middle of a message?
It piques their curiosity. Imagine getting a message saying "Hey, this is Rob. I have a great idea for-". And the phone goes dead. What was this guy trying to say? Even if it's not pressing, it will certainly interest you at least a tiny bit.
Will the person call back? Maybe, maybe not. If not, try calling them again and telling them you tried to contact them recently and that what you mentioned is not going to be relevant much longer.
After I tried to do some "hang-up" voicemails, I got an extra sale per week, on average. Now, that may not sound like much, but it is quite impressive in my industry if you sell that much.
Go ahead; try it. Just hang up in the middle of your message! Worst case scenario is that you lose out on that one particular prospect. That doesn't mean it has to hurt your bottom line. Experiment a little!
So has anyone has increased their sales by hanging up when leaving voicemails? Have you attempted this? Please comment below!
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Four Ways to Spring your way to more sales in 2015
Spring is just around the corner, so I thought it would be a opportune time to discuss boosting your sales.
Look at the picture above. What do you see? A flower that hasn't bloomed yet. Why am I showing you this? Because this represents opportunity. It is up to you to see that flower bloom, just as it is up to you to see your sales grow!
I am going to give you four surprisingly simple tips that I found helpful to me and some of my colleagues in increasing their sales around spring-time.
Golf Outings: If your swing is faulty, now is the time for you to bust out your golf club! This is especially handy when you know you are going to be doing a lot of business with middle aged men. Nothing but the green and fresh air. It's quite relaxing, isn't it? Your prospects and clients most likely also think so, and very little matters more than getting someone in a good food, if you want them to buy. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to get out on the green!
Use the Weather to your Advantage: No, nice weather will not get you an easy sale in and of itself (unless you're selling air conditioning!). I am referring more to the fact that it has been found that when the weather is good, people are in better moods. Naturally, the better mood people are in, the more likely they will buy! Use this as motivation to get out there and sell!
Up your Cold Calling Campaign: Many people think that January is a great time to call on people. I agree that a new year is a great time to bring about change in an organization. However, I also find that many organizations make their changes during the summer months, which means that the spring months are when much decision making gets done. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and cold call like you've never cold called before!
Reach Out to Former Clients and Contacts: This reinforces the other three tips I have mentioned. Get a hold of them and do something that will allow them to enjoy the weather. Even if they don't want to buy, they certainly would rather go out and play golf than sit in their offices all day!
These are just a few ways that you can use the nicer weather to motivate yourself and get yourself more sales in the Springtime. Anybody else have any tips for this time of year? What do you do? What are your experiences? Comment below!
I am going to give you four surprisingly simple tips that I found helpful to me and some of my colleagues in increasing their sales around spring-time.
Golf Outings: If your swing is faulty, now is the time for you to bust out your golf club! This is especially handy when you know you are going to be doing a lot of business with middle aged men. Nothing but the green and fresh air. It's quite relaxing, isn't it? Your prospects and clients most likely also think so, and very little matters more than getting someone in a good food, if you want them to buy. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to get out on the green!
Use the Weather to your Advantage: No, nice weather will not get you an easy sale in and of itself (unless you're selling air conditioning!). I am referring more to the fact that it has been found that when the weather is good, people are in better moods. Naturally, the better mood people are in, the more likely they will buy! Use this as motivation to get out there and sell!
Up your Cold Calling Campaign: Many people think that January is a great time to call on people. I agree that a new year is a great time to bring about change in an organization. However, I also find that many organizations make their changes during the summer months, which means that the spring months are when much decision making gets done. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and cold call like you've never cold called before!
Reach Out to Former Clients and Contacts: This reinforces the other three tips I have mentioned. Get a hold of them and do something that will allow them to enjoy the weather. Even if they don't want to buy, they certainly would rather go out and play golf than sit in their offices all day!
These are just a few ways that you can use the nicer weather to motivate yourself and get yourself more sales in the Springtime. Anybody else have any tips for this time of year? What do you do? What are your experiences? Comment below!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Being Yourself: The Easiest Way to Increase your Sales!
I have seen far too many salespeople collapse under the pressure that a sales career entails. I used to bend under the pressure as well, until one of my old bosses gave me some solid advice that sticks with me to this day: just be yourself.
Just be yourself; what a simple tip!
I used to fall into the trap of trying to be someone I'm not when I went out selling. As a result, I came across as somebody who had something to hide. I was always trying to push the product and get people to buy, buy, buy. Needless to say, I did not make as many sales as I would have.
After I decided to instead simply approach potential customers with natural conversation and less sales pushiness. I noticed that I was beginning to enjoy goings on sales calls more. That I was enjoying speaking with people. As a result, my meetings with prospects were more productive and I could more easily communicate my thoughts and the prospect's needs to them.
Try it: simply stop overthinking and let your natural self take over. Stop trying to sell and start trying to help. Be a HELPER, not a SALESPERSON! Do this, and you will start to forge a stronger sales path than you currently have.
Just be yourself; what a simple tip!
I used to fall into the trap of trying to be someone I'm not when I went out selling. As a result, I came across as somebody who had something to hide. I was always trying to push the product and get people to buy, buy, buy. Needless to say, I did not make as many sales as I would have.
After I decided to instead simply approach potential customers with natural conversation and less sales pushiness. I noticed that I was beginning to enjoy goings on sales calls more. That I was enjoying speaking with people. As a result, my meetings with prospects were more productive and I could more easily communicate my thoughts and the prospect's needs to them.
Try it: simply stop overthinking and let your natural self take over. Stop trying to sell and start trying to help. Be a HELPER, not a SALESPERSON! Do this, and you will start to forge a stronger sales path than you currently have.
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