These things are NOT doing you a bit of good in your sales career.

Salespeople are typically spoken of by their personality traits. At least that’s the perception I get when talking to friends and family about my career. “You have such an outgoing positive personality I can see why you’re good at selling.” “You are disarming and upbeat. That’s probably why you’re good as a salesman.”

Although I obviously believe a lot more goes into selling than simply friendliness, personality, and a good outlook on life, I understand what people are trying to get at when they make these comments… they are telling me they want to buy from someone who is optimistic, charismatic, and puts them at ease. A hefty dose of optimism is in fact needed every work day in order to sell (and especially to prospect) and for many salespeople optimism comes easy. After all, who really wants to buy something from Debbie Downer?

But lately I've seen how optimism can be a huge deterrent to success for a sales professional particularly as it pertains to sales forecasting and consequently prospecting in my own career. As a result, I'm challenging myself to become more pessimistic only to the degree that it gets me more grounded in my outlook toward my pipeline.

Here's the common trap I fall into when I put on rose colored glasses:

"My pipeline looks good! I've got $5,000 in quotes out and I've spoken to all of my contacts. They haven't said 'no' yet. So these should all close this month! My quota is $2500 so even if I close half of them I'll have a decent month!"

What's wrong with this picture? The sales person who takes this approach has overestimated his closing percentage, has no idea if his potential customers see any value from him other than the price on his quote, and doesn't think he needs to add to his pipeline to replace closed deals! I don't think I'm alone in taking this approach. If I sit back like this I may close some sales along the way but I'm continually running out of time and creating a growing deficit each month that I may never overcome! Ouch!!

However, the sales professional who uses a healthy does of reality in terms of forecasting will continue to create a sense of urgency that pushes them onward. That sense of urgency should turn into activity that causes me to continue to dig deeper into the relationship I have with potential customers and to prospect with tenacity. A truer sense of optimism will emerge and it's not the kind that assumes the best simply for the sake of feeling better about my career.

Here's the sales professional I think more of us should look like:

"I've got $30,000 worth of quotes out for this month. Based on my most recent conversations with all of my potential customers, I see exactly what I need to do to create value around my prospects' decision to select my solution. I can also assume a good 'batting average' is .300 so I need to account for losing 70% of my funnel every month. That means I've got to keep prospecting to replace the deals I win, make up for my losses,  AND ADD to my pipeline each month. I'd better get to work!"

So I'm encouraging my fellow sales people to add a little pessimism to their diet each month. Not enough to bring negativity into the workplace but enough to avoid allowing your innate sense of optimism to drag you down by creating false expectations. Don't be the guy at the bar with spinach in his teeth who keeps striking out with the ladies but thinks "It's just a numbers game. If I ask enough times I'll hear a 'yes' eventually." Take a hard look at your attitude and your sales process and give it an honest assessment when forecasting. Find out what a "good" close ratio is for you and underestimate it so you'll continue to seek new business in a way that fosters long term growth instead of short term "getting by" numbers.

Since it’s inevitable that you will leave voice messages and, even though I believe it’s a less than ideal way to communicate, it’s a necessary evil and I’d like to learn how to do it better.

So what are your strategies? What works for you? What do you find works to get a call back and what do you find least amount of success in when leaving requests for a call back? Please leave your thoughts!

I don’t entirely agree with Gitomer’s dismissal of cold calling. In one of his latest videos, Jeffery explains why he thinks cold calling is over . If you want to watch the video it’s got some great insights and solid reasoning behind his argument. Theoretically, I agree with Gitomer’s stance about cold calling. He asserts that you should spend the same amount of time asking your existing customers for referrals and prospecting through the people you already have a relationship with. I completely agree that this is a great use of time and this viewpoint nudged me a little to start diving into my own customer base to reconnect and start asking for word of mouth business. It’s a smart thing to do. However, Gitomer doesn’t provide a method of generating brand new business for salespeople who don’t have an existing customer base to work with. But even if you have customers to call upon I don’t believe in throwing out the baby with the bath water when it comes to cold calls. I like to ask for referrals, but it still seems kind of like a passive way to get business. Customers can be procrastinators. Getting contact information from them for a referral can often times turn into quite a waiting game. I’d much rather engage with prospects directly and as quickly as possible and if there has to be a waiting game I’d rather it be for a contract and not a phone number. Generating referral business is smart and requires skill itself but I don’t think it’s a complete replacement for what you can accomplish through prospecting.

I believe in cold calling. I don’t think it works just because you do it and I don’t think it entirely replaces working “smarter”. It’s a skill and a tool that can be used but like every tool you have to know how to wield it. I go to a lot of networking events and work hard within my contacts to generate business and get referrals. But the reason I still cold call is because I know how to do it. For me it’s actually a good use of time because I close sales from it. In fact all of the business I’ve closed in 2011 has been generated through cold calling. So while I agree with Gitomer’s encouragement to mine your own customers for more business and referrals, I still think prospecting “the old fashioned way” can pay off if you do it right.

I don’t consider myself a master of cold calling at all. In fact, I write about it often on this blog because I’m really much more of a student of it and discussing it helps me continue to learn. But here’s some quick facts I’ve compiled about cold calling that I’ve learned in my few years of selling. I hope it helps and feel free to share with me why you agree or disagree.

1) The biggest value cold calling brings for a salesperson is that it’s business YOU alone drummed up for your company. That through your own ingenuity and hard work YOU generated it. If you can get good at it you can prove to your employers that you are a highly valuable asset that is self motivated, self managed, and can profit the company with your own ability. You can become indispensable. For that reason alone I refuse to believe cold calls are a waste of time.

2) Cold calling is most effective when you take a “drip” approach. If you’re thoroughly prepared with a game plan, then your calls are meaningful, short, and always progress the sale. I use the term “drip” because I realize it takes several calls to just to get my first face to face appointment with a prospect. I take a very soft approach that adds just a little bit more information on each call. That way I can ask them to commit to something simple and reasonable (like receiving an email or something in the mail and later an appointment) and I don’t beat them over the head about my products or services. That doesn’t mean I don’t mention the benefits of my company (because I most definitely do) but I keep it short and sweet and to the point.

3) I think long term. If someone isn’t interested right away I make a note to call back when I think they will be. If they’re under contract I always remind myself to call within a month before that contract expires. If they say “call me in six months” I always call in six months. Persistence and follow through go a long way. It shows the prospect you’re serious about yourself, you’re professional and organized, and that your message is indeed valuable. You’re not just some dummy in a call center who won’t be around to follow up a year later.

Those are just some thoughts on why I will continue to cold call. It’s not dead. It’s not over. It just has to be done smarter and with more hard work. What do you think?

But in my years of selling the most valuable skill I’ve learned is to NOT look out for Number One. Instead I’ve seen just how far it really goes to start looking out for those around you. It seems counter-intuitive since as a salesperson you are trying so hard to hit YOUR goal, get YOUR commission, improve YOUR business, and get YOUR message across. However, I’ve gotten so many more amazingly good responses from the people I want to work with and I have built lasting and productive business relationships by simply finding ways to help THEM. Listen to THEM. Ask THEM questions. Find ways to bring THEM business. Take time to learn who THEY are. As Stephen Covey says in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

This isn’t a strategy or a ploy to make a good impression. If you use it as such,  people are smart and they’ll be able to quickly see through your little game. But if caring about others is truly a part of your character it will show in how you treat them. To put this into practical terms, I’m learning to make a habit of doing a small favor as often as I can for someone else I know. Call it karma, call it the Golden Rule, or call it what you want. I call it Good Business because caring and going out of your way is such a good investment and just makes good sense. It feels good. It yields good results. And even if I get nothing in return just the act of doing someone a favor is a quick way to boost my positivity and overcome the obstacles that keep me from working hard. That alone is worth a lot.

Do things that go a long way not just things that get the quick sale. Anyone can turn a transaction if they’re at the right place at the right time. But a career salesperson realizes how important it is to be around for the long haul through bridge building, consideration, and good ol’ fashioned human kindness.

So with that said… get in the habit of doing someone a favor. Write a recommendation on LinkedIn. Send a Thank You card. Buy your newest customer tickets to see their favorite team. Buy someone coffee and just listen to THEM talk about THEIR work, life, business, day etc. Do something exceptional. Be exceptional.

However, I’ve come to hate cold calling the way I hate doing sit ups. When I overcome my reluctance and see results, my hate turns to love because of what I got out of the exercise. Since cold calling is an exercise there is a right and a wrong way to do it. I still see cold calling as an skill that takes practice, refinement, and a lot of determination. And despite how ugly of a term it is and how desperately people are trying to find ways around it… it does indeed work.

This is why it works for me personally and some of the ways I’ve noticed that have gotten results in my own cold calling.

1) I do my research before I call. That doesn’t mean I spend an hour on each company but I have tools that allow me to quickly know whether or not the company I’m about to call would be a good fit for BroadRiver or not and allow me to identify exactly who I should talk to. I use this knowledge to my benefit when I call to “warm up” the call just a bit so that that what I’m bringing to the conversation is relevant to that person’s daily duties.

2) I introduce myself and the name of my company as soon as I get the person I want to talk to on the phone with me. This may seem like a no-brainer but the purpose is to communicate that I am confident in who I am and that what I offer is actually a huge benefit for the person I am speaking with. I’ve been on the receiving end of many calls where the caller wouldn’t quickly identify themselves or tell me what they are calling about. In the first 5 seconds you’ve either won the right to keep talking or you’ve got someone ready to hang up on you. Keeping the mystery is a quick way to an early exit.

3) I get to the reason for my call very quickly. I don’t do a lot of chit chat or beating around the bush. Along with stating who I am I want to make sure I get to why I’m calling very quickly. Refining my intro and “elevator pitch” is an ongoing process for me but the better I become at effectively stating the purpose for my call and communicating a short, concise description of what I do, the easier it is to keep the conversation going.

4) I give a clear call to action at the end of the call. The best cold calls are the ones that last around 30-60 seconds but in that time I’ve been able to clearly communicate who I am, who my company is, what we do, why I called, and what the next step will be. With the clear call to action I’ve given the person I’m talking to something easy to agree to (like an email or an appointment) and I make plans to stay in touch. My type of sales is not highly transactional so I realize it’s going to take quite a few conversations and I have to be willing to commit to the process for the long haul. Giving a call to action rather than “just calling to talk” type of conversations makes the difference between wasting a potential customer’s time and being someone who offers something valuable.

These are just a few of my observations but knowing these basics and building on the quality of my outbound calling has equaled success in my career. I’m still learning how to make this activity work even more effectively for me so I’d love to hear your thoughts.

What works for you? Have you had success at cold calling? OR Have you ever received a cold call that resulted in you giving them your business?

I am a salesperson as well as a want-to-be chef, lazy yoga attendee, and obsessive knitter. Putting my mind to
making a career out of sales and learning as much as possible along the way.

We all get the same amount of time each day, it’s how we use it that counts – and we’ve all
probably heard this phrase in some shape or form.

Here are a few tactics I’ve picked over the years from various training resources, colleagues,
and authors. What has worked best for you when it comes to time management?

1. Don’t schedule more than 80% of your time each day, allow for unexpected
tasks/phone calls and they won’t become as stressful.
2. Write down the six most important things you must get done for the day early that
morning or the evening before. Always get these six done.
3. For intense time management therapy, track what you are doing on a 15 minute, 30
minute, or hour increment and see what you get done. Very eye-opening. When do you
work most effectively?
4. Give yourself short breaks/rewards (snacks!) throughout the day for finishing parts of
your to-do list. And yes, you must have a list.
5. For the big hairy projects, write a ridiculously easy starting point as a to do list item.
Check that off after completing and you have officially “broken the ice!” It feels good to
cross things off.

To make sure you have the actual energy to keep going, other than getting enough sleep (and
ideally, exercise) it helps to read over something positive every day. When you expect good
things to happen and feel confident, it’s much easier to get started and keep going!

~Laura Jilke
Find me on Linkedin or Twitter @LauraJilke

Soliciting is irritating because the solicitor is asking you to buy something on the his terms only and NOT yours. However selling is solutions based. Since a true salesperson seeks to solve your problems and increase value (lower costs, improved efficiency, revolutionize a system or way of doing things) a salesperson will listen carefully and act on YOUR terms.

Solicitors ask that the sale be made TODAY no matter what the circumstances. Salespeople on the other hand respectfully understand, anticipate, and respond to YOUR time frame.

Soliciting is asking for you to buy into a product that is irrelevant or completely disruptive to your work or life. And although even in true selling the nature of cold calling is always interruptive it doesn’t have to be disruptive. The question is “Did you interrupt me to talk about something that is relevant to what I’m doing?”. For example, I call upon IT professionals all day but what I have to talk to them about is completely relevant to what they’re working on, thinking about, talking about, and dealing with all day long. When I have the opportunity to really talk about what I and my company can do to help improve their way of doing things it’s not disruptive but helpful because we’re aiming to partner with them and improve their work lives and company atmosphere.

These are just a few differences that I see but thinking about this is important because it directly impacts the paradigm of how you go about your sales career. You can either be a panhandler or an expert solutions provider. A disruptor who takes your prospects mind off of what is important to them or someone who gently yet effectively enters into their world and dramatically assists with what they’re setting out to accomplish each day. You can either be a desperate solicitor or a professional salesperson. The former promises a life of frustration and failure. The latter is energizing and full of adventure.

This is the kind of day we're having in Atlanta today. I wish they were all this good.

I used to laugh about the idea of talking about the weather because I think of people awkwardly fumbling through conversation and resorting to pithy observations that drag out a mutually painful experience. However, as a sales guy, I find myself talking about it more than I ever imagined I would. The funny thing is, I don’t feel disingenuous or lame when I talk about it with people I’ve just met or I’m reconnecting with and especially not with my prospects. Why is that?

Because when I’m talking to someone new I don’t yet know what our common interests are and so I’m not entitled to talk about their lives, family, or where they went to college. But the great thing about the weather is that it’s instant common ground. Talking about it is not just about making obvious comments on what’s in the sky but it’s a way to make a first connection because the weather is the one thing we’re all guaranteed to be experiencing simultaneously even if everything else about us is vastly different.

Also, I learn interesting things about people when we talk about the weather. I can learn about where someone is from, what they like or dislike about where they live now, I learn about the nature of their job, do they like outdoor sports and if so which teams. Getting someone’s response to the weather or sharing your own thoughts about the weather and hearing their responses can open up a flood of conversation.

I use to think small talk was for people who didn’t know how to talk to others. Now I see it as a necessary skill that can be developed and provide a gateway into awesome opportunities. Truly taking the time to learn about who you are talking to and making a personal connection is a vastly  important part of the sales process. And if you don’t know why that’s important you should get out of sales.

Selling is something you have to push for. When I use the word “push”, I hope you’re not envisioning the pushy salesman who “won’t take no for an answer” right now. Because what I’m really talking about is the other 98% percent of selling (I have no data to back up this number. Let’s just say it’s hyperbole.)  that doesn’t rely on friendliness and personality at all but rather persistence, research, prospecting, getting your quotes out on time, and diligently showing up every day ready to work your butt off.

Pushing means getting over the lost opportunity and replacing it with three more.

Pushing means prospecting until you’ve exceeded your goals.

Pushing means timeliness, presentation, professionalism even when you had a bad morning or a bad evening before.

Pushing means persistently working to get that appointment or get back in front of that prospect.

And most of all pushing means going against the stream, swimming up current, and in opposition of what is natural or easy. It’s tough!!

Yes personality does help in sales to some degree and some people are naturally made for this profession. But if you’re relying on personality or even talent alone to set you apart, you’ll be quickly disillusioned when you lose to someone who did the hard work you didn’t do.

Unfortunately, this attitude (along with just the pressure of sales) seeps heavily into the salesperson’s world causing impatience and an unhealthy sense of urgency that becomes detectable panic. Getting a lead who is looking for what you sell and ready to buy in the near future is great. But the reality is that this is rare and ideal at best and growing a business around this mentality is simply dooming it to failure.

So if you’re a sales hunter, cold caller, field rep or anyone responsible for generating brand new business, I suggest taking a “drip” approach. It’s vastly important to implement a strategy that warms your leads to you, truly interests them in what you offer, and creates an environment where buying makes sense for the customer. But in order to do that you have to build trust. Trust amongst your customers is the absolute best way to create an environment where buying makes sense. Yet, in much of the same way that you make a new friend, earning trust is a gradual and somewhat time consuming process. In seas that are filled (and continuing to be filled) with competition, trust is more important than ever in earning new business.

Here’s the challenge: when you’re prospecting, rather than blasting away with all the benefits and everything your company does all at once and hoping to close the sale right away, leave your prospects with a drip each time that is actionable and will further the process. Actionable- because it’s something the prospect can respond to and people who are inundated with information all day long will be much more likely to act on a task or accept an appointment rather than ingest more data. “Furthering the process” just means that a follow up is scheduled or committed to. Set a specific timeline for your next drip and have your customer buy into talking again because really they are continuing to buy into YOU. Get your prospect to buy completely into YOU with each drip and they will buy what you are selling.

It takes a drop at a time but eventually all the dripping will fill the bucket.