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– The sales person who delivers
boilerplate proposals or quotes to
yawning, uninterested prospects, then
persistently calls ad nauseum for a
decision – perhaps 12 or 15 times – all
in the name of “good follow-up”;
– The sales person who doesn’t invest
in training on negotiation skills, then
persistently drops their price without
a corresponding reduction in value,
blaming their poor performance on the
economy or the competition;
– The sales person who lacks the skills
to identify the proper decision process in
an account, then persistently tries to sell
to people who do not have the ability to
buy what they are selling;
– Finally, and worst of all, the sales
manager who reinforces these bad habits
by focusing measurement of individual
productivity on activity, i.e. the number
of calls made, instead of on attainment
of specific bottom-line results.
In today’s fast-moving, hypercompetitive
business environment, the
skills required for selling success have
been turned upside down. Certainly,
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you still have to be persistent – more
so than ever – to be successful in sales.
However, you must also recognize the
difference between “good persistence”
and “dumb persistence.” You must
recognize the fact that your job has
changed in four fundamental areas:
1. You are an entrepreneur, not a
“peddler.” You are franchised by your
employer to run a business in your
territory. Your success is determined by
how you run your business, not by how
hard you work. You must therefore run
an efficient business.
2. Marketing, the ability to create
opportunities to sell, is a more
important skill to you than selling,
which is what you get to do when your
marketing works.
3. Using the definition in (2), coldcalling,
while important, is the least
effective form of marketing that you
have at your disposal.
and natural to us,” says Sayler. “People often do not know
what to do with their hands, so they will start with the fig leaf,
and then when they realize where their hands are, they will
quickly move their hands behind their backs. The best way to
break yourself of this habit is to practice being comfortable
with your hands straight down by your sides – after all it is
the natural place for them to be. Take notice of when you use
this movement. Once you know what kind of situation elicits
this motion, you can begin to consciously break yourself of
the habit.”
Don’t cross your arms. This stance is most frequently
understood to indicate upset or discomfort. In business,
others often interpret it as, “I am not open to discussion,”
or, “I am annoyed.”
4. Time is money, and how efficient
you are at utilizing your time – not how
many hours you put in – will determine
your results.
Given all of the changes in our
profession, you should remember that
we, as sales people, sell in exciting
times – times that are rapidly changing.
As noted earlier, choose wisely in your
approach to being persistent.
In the race to the top, you are either
the fast-moving hare, adapting quickly
to the environment around you, or you
are the plodding, dependable, tried-andtrue
tortoise – that unfortunate species
whose carcass gets splattered on the new
super-highway of success.
Work hard – but work smart. z
About the Author
Landy Chase, MBA, CSP, is an
expert who specializes in speaking
to corporations and associations
on professional selling and sales
management topics. His new book,
Competitive Selling, is now available
on www.amazon.com.To book Landy
for your next sales meeting, visit his
Web site at www.landychase.com or
call 800-370-8026.
“People habitually cross their arms over their chests when
listening or waiting, so this gesture can be a hard one to
overcome,” notes Sayler. “Those who know us well may look
at our arms across our chest and make nothing of it, thinking,
Oh, that’s just what John does when he listens. Since the crossedarms
gesture is one of the most misinterpreted nonverbals,
don’t do it. Why give others the chance to misunderstand?”
Do know when to put your hands on your hips. This is a
ready-to-take-action gesture – think gunfight at the OK Corral.
It makes most people appear bigger, because they are actually
taking up more space. Yet, it is often given negative labels by
others, such as meaning you are annoyed, closed, or won’t
listen, similar to placing your arms across your chest.
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