Q & A For Sales People: Challenging Times

by Dave Kahle

Question:  

Sales are down, operating expenses are up, management is crying that sales expenses are up. What should a salesperson do in such a situation?

Answer:

These certainly are challenging times.  I’ve been through enough of these to have learned some things.  Even though I never liked going through difficult times, and would not wish them on anyone, I can honestly say that I always came out of them stronger, more confident, with more capabilities and more security than ever.  You can, too.

Here are a few things that I have learned along the way…

          I know this is easier said than done, but don’t worry about things you cannot control.  You cannot single-handedly change the economic climate, nor can you single-handedly control your company’s response to this slow economy.  The time, effort, and emotional energy you expend fretting over what might happen are wasted.  The economy is going to do what it is going to do regardless of your efforts.  So, don’t waste time worrying about it.

          Instead, concentrate on what you can do, on the things that you can control.  You can control your attitude, and you can control your behavior.

What one thing would grow your confidence, enhance your results, and make you more valuable in the eyes of your bosses? 

        Gaining mastery of the hardest thing for a B2B salesperson to do – make a  live, in-person visit on someone who doesn’t know you or your company. 

        Most B2B salespeople have never been trained in the ways to do it well. And so they avoid it.  They find other things to do and make up reasons for why they were unable to do it.  Salespeople become disheartened and sales managers grow frustrated

        I can fix that.  On February 13, at 12:00 noon (Eastern) I’ll present a one-hour webinar on the best way to prepare and execute a first call on a prospect.   

        I’ll take you through the mindset you need to be successful, the one key objective for every first call, and how to overcome distorted expectations.

        Then, I’ll identify the three key pieces of a well-executed first call, and show you how to prepare for each. You’ll be ready to go.  Confident and prepared.

In this 60 – minute session, you’ll

• Identify the key objective for a first call
• See why a first call seems so overwhelming.
• Gain an understanding of the three key components to a first call.
• Become equipped to thoroughly prepare for each of the three key components.

        This may be the only opportunity in your life to gain mastery of something that causes most salespeople to stumble.  Separate yourself from your competition. You’ll use the concepts and processes shared in this webinar for the rest of your career.

You owe it yourself to participate.

Click here to enroll. $47.00

Work on keeping your attitude positive.  A positive attitude for a salesperson is more than just a warm and fuzzy thing.  It has very real, practical value.  When you have a positive attitude, you look for opportunities and good things to happen.

          Since you are expecting them and looking for them, you see them.  If your attitude is negative and pessimistic, you don’t expect opportunities to present themselves.  Since you don’t expect them, you don’t see them when they develop.  As a result, you pass over opportunities, and your negative attitude becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

          Expose yourself to positive thoughts. Get a good sales book to read, and try to implement some of the ideas.  My Question Your Way to Sales Success book would be a great place to start.

          In addition to attending to your attitude, you can control your behavior.  Focus on doing your job more effectively.  Make sure you are digging deeper into your good accounts and finding additional opportunities to expand the... READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE