Author: David Matney

Have I told you how grateful I am for you? How thankful I am that you allow me in your inbox, and give me feedback about how I can help you or move your business forward?

I am. I am very grateful.

And, in fact, some of the very best salespeople I know, the most successful ones I know, have a healthy appreciation and an abundance of gratitude.

They practice gratitude daily.

Gratitude – It’s a pretty broad concept to say that we are grateful and that we practice gratitude but what does it really mean? What does it mean and how could it be helpful for salespeople?

Here are 3 Ways Successful Sellers Use Gratitude (from my own experience):

1. Appreciate your failures. You might not expect to be grateful for failure. However deep appreciation for the bad experiences, the disappointments, the flops, the disasters, the mess-ups … is a tremendous benefit.

People that can get over the initial hurt, disappointment, and expectation of different outcomes can usually take lessons from it. Great salespeople are lifelong agile learners and they learn from the good but mostly the bad, the disappointing, or the ugly moments.

Lessons learned are applied forward, which makes you grateful for those terrible tasting “shit sandwiches” that give you tools or skills to achieve new successes.

2. Be grateful for clients. I Express gratitude to my clients because I know they have other choices. There is always someone out there trying to earn their attention and their business. I must keep earning their business so I’m grateful each time they choose me versus someone else.

I don’t expect their business because I’m not entitled to it. I’m not an order taker. I must keep showing value and renewing their interest. Working with many different sales teams and in different industries, I can tell you there is a megaton of competition out there for EVERY business. No one has a monopoly on goods or services anymore (well, almost no one).

You can’t afford to take for granted your existing customers. Show them love, do something special, tell them you appreciate that they chose you, and work hard to earn their loyalty.

3. Grateful for their career. Lastly, I think great salespeople are grateful for the opportunity to sell and for their career in sales. Some of my most enduring relationships have been with people that I called on knocked on their door one day and they became customers and later friends. If I look at my social circles, they’re filled with people that I’ve come to know through this career. They’re people that have produced the product that I’ve sold. They’re people that I have sold alongside with and people I have sold products or services to. Friends, colleagues, partners, mentors … an embarrassment of riches in my life … all because of this career in sales. I’m grateful for the career that’s allowed me to have an abundance of wonderful people in my network.

Thank you. If you’re reading this, this letter of gratitude includes YOU. Thank you for letting me into your inbox, your social feeds, your businesses, and your brains. I do NOT take that for granted.

Tell me, in your sales or business practices, what are you grateful for and how do you practice gratitude?

Until next time, stop hoping and start SELLING!

Happy Selling,

David

As a salesperson, the hustle never stops, but that doesn’t mean you can’t savor the flavors of Thanksgiving while closing deals and meeting your targets.

Let’s explore how you can infuse gratitude into your sales journey this festive season.

1. Count Your Wins: Begin your Thanksgiving celebration by counting your victories, both big and small. Reflect on successful deals closed, satisfied clients, and personal achievements. Gratitude starts with acknowledging the positives.

2. Express Appreciation: Take a moment to express gratitude to your clients and colleagues. A heartfelt “thank you” can go a long way in building lasting relationships. Consider sending personalized notes expressing your appreciation for their collaboration throughout the year.

3. Create a Thankful Atmosphere: Infuse your workspace with a Thanksgiving vibe. Decorate your desk with autumn-inspired elements, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. A pleasant work environment can boost your mood and productivity.

4. Give Back to the Community: Thanksgiving is a time for giving. Consider organizing a charity drive or volunteering as a team. Not only does this create a positive impact, but it also fosters a sense of camaraderie among your colleagues.

5. Strategic Networking: Thanksgiving gatherings provide an excellent opportunity for networking. Attend industry events, dinners, or virtual meet-ups with a mindset of building meaningful connections. Who knows, your next big client might be sharing the same cranberry sauce!

6. Balance Work and Personal Time: While meeting targets is crucial, it’s equally important to try and strike a balance. Allocate specific times for work and personal celebrations. This ensures you can enjoy the festivities without feeling overwhelmed by work commitments.

7. Reflect and Set Goals: Thanksgiving marks the transition to the end of the year. Take this time to reflect on your professional journey so far.

What have you learned?

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

Setting intentions can provide a sense of direction.

This Thanksgiving, let gratitude be the secret ingredient in your sales success recipe. Whether you’re closing deals or carving the turkey, find joy in the journey and celebrate the wins, big and small. Cheers to a season of thankfulness and continued professional growth!

Happy Selling,

David

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, it’s only natural for me to think of all the things I’m thankful for. But I don’t need to wait till Thanksgiving week to think about them.

I think about them daily. Literally every day presents something for me to be thankful for.

Every morning I wake up in my own house. Thankful for functional lungs to breathe the air I breathe. To be able to move around and get ready on my own. To get in my car and go out and make sales calls to make money to pay for my car and house and food etc..

it’s really the little things that matter the most. The things we often take for granted. But I’m sooooo very thankful for them. Even if I complain sometimes. Even if I want more sometimes. I really am grateful for what I have. And I’m grateful for all the people in my life.

I cherish the relationships I have with my family and friends. Old and new. Every interaction we have, every laugh we share, every lesson learned. Good, bad, and ugly. I’m thankful for it all!!

So I challenge you, not only for this week, but for for the rest of the year, for 2023, and for years to come, instead of focusing on what you and don’t have, consistently reflect on what you do have and be thankful for.

Happy Selling,

David

In the high-stakes world of sales, confidence is your secret weapon. Picture yourself as a sales warrior, fearlessly conquering the battlefield of deals and negotiations.

To achieve this, you need an unwavering belief in yourself and your product. Fear has no place in the hearts of successful salespeople.

In today’s post, we’ll explore the top Ten Tips to help you become a fearless salesperson and build unshakeable confidence.

From the home office in Dickshooter, Idaho, Here are the

Top 10 Tips to Become Fearless and Confident

First, let’s start by looking at what makes salespeople LOSE confidence…

Salespeople can lose confidence in their sales role for various reasons. Here are five common factors that can erode a salesperson’s confidence:

1. Rejection and Failure: Sales is a profession where rejection and failure are part of the daily routine. Constantly hearing “no” or facing sales objections can wear down a salesperson’s confidence over time. Repeated setbacks can make them doubt their abilities and question their career choice.
2. Inconsistent Results: In sales, success can be inconsistent. Salespeople may experience periods of high achievement followed by dry spells. These fluctuations in performance can lead to self-doubt, as they struggle to understand why they can’t consistently replicate their successes.
3. Lack of Training and Support: Salespeople who don’t receive adequate training or support from their organization may feel ill-equipped to handle the challenges of their role. A lack of knowledge, tools, or guidance can lead to feelings of insecurity and decreased confidence.
4. Competitive Pressure: The competitive nature of the sales industry can be overwhelming. Salespeople often face intense competition from colleagues, rival companies, and market dynamics. The pressure to outperform others can create stress and self-doubt, affecting their confidence.
5. Changing Market Conditions: Sales success is closely tied to market conditions. Shifts in customer preferences, economic downturns, or changes in industry trends can disrupt a salesperson’s established strategies and lead to uncertainty about the future.

It’s important to note that losing confidence is a common challenge in sales, but it’s not insurmountable. Salespeople can work on building their confidence through ongoing training, support, and personal development efforts. They can also seek mentorship and adopt resilient mindsets to better navigate the ups and downs of the sales profession.

Here are the Top 10 Tips to Become Fearless and Confident to help you build YOUR confidence and become a fearless sales professional focused on a mission to help as many people as possible with your product…

Tip 10: Know Your Product Inside Out

Confidence starts with expertise. To be fearless, you must know your product or service like the back of your hand. Understand its features, benefits, and limitations. Anticipate questions and objections from potential customers and be prepared to address them confidently. When you’re a walking encyclopedia of your product, it’s hard for fear to creep in.

Tip 9: Seek Mentorship

Find a mentor or coach who can guide you through the ups and downs of your sales career. Learning from someone experienced can provide invaluable insights and boost your confidence. Becoming a fearless and confident salesperson is not an overnight transformation. It’s a journey of self-discovery, continuous improvement, and unwavering belief in yourself. To recap, here are some key takeaways:

Tip 8: Set Clear Goals

Fear often arises from uncertainty. Combat this by setting clear, achievable goals. Whether it’s hitting a specific sales target, acquiring new clients, or mastering a new sales technique, having clear objectives gives you a sense of purpose and direction. Celebrate your achievements along the way to reinforce your confidence.

Tip 7: Continuous Learning

Sales is a dynamic field, and staying at the top of your game requires constant learning. Stay updated on industry trends, sales techniques, and the competition. Attend workshops, read books, and follow thought leaders in sales. The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel.

Tip 6: Embrace Rejection

Rejection is an inherent part of sales. Instead of fearing it, embrace it as a learning opportunity. Every “NO” brings you one step closer to a “YES.” Remember that even the most successful salespeople faced rejection in their careers. It’s a stepping stone, not a stumbling block.

Tip 5: Develop a Positive Mindset

A positive mindset is the cornerstone of confidence. Cultivate a “can-do” attitude, and banish negative self-talk. Replace self-doubt with self-affirmation. When you believe in yourself, others will too.

Tip 4: Practice, Practice, Practice

Confidence comes from competence, and competence comes from practice. Hone your sales skills regularly, role-play with colleagues, and seek feedback. The more you practice, the more fearless you become in real-life sales scenarios.

Tip 3: Build Strong Relationships

Sales is not just about transactions; it’s about building relationships. Invest time in connecting with your clients on a personal level. The stronger your relationships, the more confident you’ll feel when asking for the sale.

Tip 2: Stay Organized

Chaos breeds fear. Stay organized by using tools like CRM software, scheduling apps, and to-do lists. When you have a clear plan, you’ll feel more in control and confident in your daily tasks.

And the #1 Top 10 Tip to Become Fearless and Confident is….

Tip 1: Develop Active Listening Skills

A confident salesperson is an active listener. Pay attention to your customers’ needs, wants, and pain points. When you truly understand their concerns, you can offer tailored solutions. This not only builds trust but also boosts your confidence because you know you’re providing value.

• Know your product inside out.
• Develop active listening skills.
• Set clear goals.
• Commit to continuous learning.
• Embrace rejection as a learning opportunity.
• Cultivate a positive mindset.
• Practice, practice, practice.
• Build strong relationships.
• Stay organized.
• Seek mentorship.

In the end, remember that confidence is a mindset. Believe in your abilities, and you’ll become a sales warrior, fearlessly conquering the sales battlefield, one deal at a time. Embrace the challenges, celebrate the victories, and never stop striving for excellence. You’ve got this!

Now, go out there and unleash your inner sales warrior! Your success awaits, and fear has no place in your journey to greatness. Stay confident, stay fearless, and watch your sales career soar to new heights.

Have a great weekend everyone,

David

During this season of the year merchant services sales professionals have plenty of prospects, but merchants don’t want to buy at the holidays!  

There are two core objections which all merchants share between black Friday and Christmas.

• Too Busy!  “I can’t possibly do that right now.  I’m too busy trying to make sure everything works with what we’re doing.”
• Worry About Risk!  “I don’t want to switch right now.  What if you mess up my terminal, something goes wrong?”

Here are two tips for overcoming the “too busy” objection:

#1.  Your value proposition.  Whatever your value proposition might be, over the holidays  it’s going to be massively better.  During the month of December merchants are going to process a lot more transactions than any other time of the year.  

So, if you are offering savings, the savings are going to be tripled or quadrupled.  Offer them value.  That’s really, really important.

#2.  Your service.  Make sure you explain up front that the process you’re talking about will only require about ten minutes of the merchants’ time just to complete the paperwork.  Then assure them you’ll take care of everything else.  Even offer to train their employees if there’s a new terminal or something like that.

The risk objective can’t be “overcome.”  There is no amount of savings which will compensate for the risk of not having a terminal working during December.  Even if you could eliminate all fees completely with cash discounting, that wouldn’t matter.  Merchants are not going to be interested in doing that.  

However, offering this one assurance will give you the edge (don’t use this only at holiday time.)  Tell merchants,

“Look, here is what I’m going to do for you.  Your concern right now is that you don’t want me to bring a new terminal in and, God forbid, something happens to the terminal.  Then on December 20th or 21st you can’t accept credit cards.  

Obviously, if that was even a slight concern, I wouldn’t recommend doing this until after the first of the year.  But I’m actually going to turn this around for you and make it much MORE secure, much less risky.  We are not going to cancel your existing merchant account. If I bring my new terminal, you’ll save a lot of money.  During the holidays your savings will be two or three times more than normal.  Your current, working terminal will simply be set aside.  It will stay plugged in and ready to use if needed.  

There is 99% chance that the new terminal will work great; you’re going to love it; and you’ll save lots of money.  After the first of the year, we’ll cancel your existing account.  In the meantime, if there is any problem with the new terminal, just put the old one back in place and use it!  

Of course, I’ll be here within an hour or so to correct any problem that arises.  Basically, I’m going to provide you with less risk instead of more; you’ll have two working terminals.  

So, let me ask you a question, Mr. Jones.  Keeping in mind all the savings I’m going to provide and the fact that it’s only going to take about ten minutes of your time, don’t  you think this deal is worthwhile?  To have an extra terminal here during the busy holiday season is a great idea.  Then if something does happen to one of your terminals, you’ve got a second one ready to use.  That makes sense to you, doesn’t it?”

That’s how you sell retail merchants during the holiday season!  Go over the “busy” objection with your value and service.  Then go over the “risk” objection by flipping it and actually showing merchants you are giving them an extra terminal.

Hopefully, that will be of help to you as you get out there and try to sell merchants during the holiday season.

Happy Selling,

David

You may think “yes” is the most important word in sales.  But I’m going to surprise you. 

The most important word in sales is “NEXT.”  I’ll tell you two times especially when you should use “NEXT” to your advantage.

#1.  During your prospecting campaign.  One great temptation during a pitch is to become enamored by all the prospects who express interest in your value proposition.  You’ll find many people are interested.  They’ll say, “Yeah, I do have that problem.  I am looking for a solution to that.”  But remember that a lot of those people will not buy from you!  You may come to the end date of your pitch saying, “Oh Wow!  My pitch  for pizza shops is over, but I still have seven pizza shops who are interested.  I should probably focus on that for another week and try to get everything I can out of it.” 

NO, you shouldn’t!  Move on to the NEXT merchant.  Sure, you’ll still try to sell those seven.  But do that while you’ve moved on to your hair salon prospecting campaign or whatever the NEXT one is.

#2.  When you’ve made a sale.  Fantastic!  You closed the deal.  Now is the time to make another sale.  Just NEXT, NEXT, NEXT.  Keep going.  Keep making sales.  Don’t sit in your car for an hour watching Netflix shows to celebrate.  (And be sure you DID make the sale.  Or did someone just show interest?  That is not a sale.  You should realize those are two very different things!)  Even when you’ve closed a deal keep moving to the NEXT business.

Whether the “NEXT” is a NEXT action step or next prospect or letting that prospect go, “NEXT” is so important.  Or even on the prospecting campaign level, be asking, “What’s the NEXT campaign.”  Start on that one tomorrow.  Of course, still make those follow-ups.  But start accomplishing the NEXT objective.

Always remember the most important word is sales is not “YES.”  The most important word in sales is “NEXT.”

Happy selling,

David

The holiday season is upon us — decorations, gifts, and time away from the office. For sales reps, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, because getting in touch with people and having them make commitments becomes significantly more difficult as people take days off and focus on things other than responding to emails and contract signature requests.

But the holiday season need not be a time of struggle. In fact, there are plenty of opportunities to make it a great time for selling if you not only change your mindset but switch up your approach to take full advantage of changes that take place around the last 6 weeks of the year.

I want to help you do just that, so I’ve put together a list of five things sales reps can do to close deals despite the holiday season. And even if you only do one or two of the following, you’re likely to see some impact.

Oh, and before I forget: Happy Holidays!!!

1. Set expectations early and clearly

The holiday season isn’t the time to waffle, especially since there are only a limited number of weeks left in the year.

This is why it’s more important than ever to set the right expectations early, and to schedule follow-up meetings while you’re on a call, not via email after. Clearly state what your goals are, the order in which you expect to proceed, and the milestones you would like to hit (with your prospect’s help).

If you plan and set the right expectations upfront, you’re less likely to have to chase prospects down later.

2. Take advantage of others’ downtime

Many of your fellow sales reps will wind down their activities during the holiday season, whether it’s because they don’t think they’ll be effective, or because they’re tired from the rest of the year’s efforts.

This creates a great opportunity for you to stand out, and to prospect while everybody else is resting on their laurels. And from the prospect’s side of things, they might be out of the office, but almost everybody will still be checking their phones and emails, which is makes it a great time for you to get in touch.

3. Join in the gift-giving

As a child, you probably loved receiving gifts, right? Well, lots of people still love it, which is why you should take advantage of the holiday season and send your prospects (and existing customers?) some gifts, showing them that not only are you thinking of them, but that you’re willing to take the time and care to send them something nice.

There are companies that make gift-giving completely seamless, such as Postal and Sendoso (among others), so if you have the budget to spend a few bucks, it’ll be more than worth it, as you’ll be setting yourself apart from your competition while putting a smile on your prospect’s faces.

4. Send some holiday well-wishes

Of course, you’ll probably reference the holidays in your emails (and sign-offs) to prospects.

But the holiday season provides another great opportunity: reaching out to your existing customers and to past prospects who you might not have closed, to let them know you’re thinking about them, and that you’re still here in case they want anything.

Of course, this is a bit opportunistic (it’s sales after all), but it’s also the perfect excuse to reach out, and if nothing else, when the time comes for them to buy, they’ll remember that nice person who was kind enough to send them some holiday wishes.

5. Have (and use others’) festive mindsets

The holidays can bring out the cheer in even the most Grinch-y among us, which presents a great opportunity for enterprising sales reps.

Are you going to assume that nobody is buying, and therefore go into the last month of the year with a pessimistic attitude? Or will you flip that on its head, and change your outlook to one of positivity and cheer?

If you do the latter, then you might not only cheer up the people you’re talking to, but you might also convince them that you’re the right person to buy from and that there’s no need to wait.

But it’s up to you: you can either be a Grinch who misses their year end quota or a cheerful sales rep who exceeds it.

Happy Selling,

David

In the world of sales, success is often measured not only by the numbers on the board but also by the resilience and determination of the salesperson. The journey to becoming a top sales professional is riddled with challenges, rejections, and setbacks. However, those who persevere and never give up are the ones who ultimately achieve greatness in the field of sales.

1. Embrace Rejection. One of the fundamental truths in sales is that rejection is a part of the game. Every “NO” gets you closer to a “YES.” Instead of letting rejection discourage you, use it as motivation to improve and refine your approach. Remember, even the most successful salespeople have faced countless rejections on their path to success.

2. Set Clear Goals: Motivation in sales often stems from having clear, achievable goals. Set both short-term and long-term objectives for yourself. Break them down into manageable steps, and celebrate your achievements along the way. These milestones will keep you motivated and focused on your journey.

3. Continuously Learn and Adapt: The sales landscape is constantly evolving, with new technologies and strategies emerging regularly. Stay updated and open to learning. Attend sales seminars, read books, and seek mentorship from experienced professionals. Adaptability is key to staying relevant and competitive.

4. Build Strong Relationships: Sales isn’t just about closing deals; it’s also about building relationships. Focus on understanding your clients’ needs and providing value to them. Building trust and rapport with customers can lead to repeat business and referrals, ultimately boosting your sales.

5. Stay Positive and Resilient: Maintaining a positive attitude in the face of challenges is crucial. Sales can be tough, but your mindset can make all the difference. Surround yourself with positive influences, practice self-care, and remind yourself of your achievements to stay resilient.

6. Learn from Failure: Failure is not a roadblock but a stepping stone. When you encounter setbacks, take the time to analyze what went wrong and how you can improve. Learning from your failures will make you a more skilled and resilient salesperson.

In the world of sales remember that success is a journey, not a destination.

The road may be filled with obstacles, but those who never give up, embrace rejection, set clear goals, adapt, build relationships, stay positive, and learn from failure are the ones who ultimately achieve greatness. So, keep pushing forward, stay motivated, and success in sales will be within your reach. Remember, the next “YES” might be just around the corner!

Happy Selling,

David

In this post, I will walk you through The Top 10 ways to stand out as a salesperson. 

Note that these 10 are not in a rank order. Each one is just as important as the other. However, if you want to stand out and be seen as the salesperson every company wants to deal with, you must exemplify these 10 traits. You must possess these not just some of the time, but all of the time. Let’s get started! 

From the Home Office in Tightwad, Missouri 

Here are the Top 10 ways to stand out as a salesperson.

10. Trust 

The number one quality is trust. This probably sounds cliché. It sounds so trite, but you know what? Trust must always be at the core. I share this one first, because when you demonstrate the other nine things that I’m about to share with you, you will find yourself in a position of creating trust for your customers. Trust is not what you say. Trust is not what you do. No, trust is what you say, and it’s backed up by what you do. 

9. Research and Development 

R&D stands for the Research and Development Department, and this is the department you want to be for your customers. You want to actively work on research and development for them. What does that mean? It means you’re bringing them ideas. You’re bringing them solutions and new ones that they would not have thought of. Because you understand their business so well, you’re seen as a person highly capable of bringing them keen insights. 

8. Timely 

Timely means you say what you’re going to do and you do it. You follow through – always! You show up on time. You’re punctual and more importantly, you respect their time. When you say it’s going to be a short phone call, you keep it short. When you say it’s going to be 15 minutes for a meeting, it is 15 minutes. When you say you’re going to have something to them by Tuesday at 4:00, you deliver it to them by Tuesday at 1:00. You always exceed whatever schedule that you create. Timely is absolutely imperative, and especially at the prospecting level, because customers often say, “I don’t want you wasting my time.” What does that mean? That means that you respect their time. 

7. Respectful 

What does it mean to be respectful? It is demonstrating that you understand where they’re coming from both personally and professionally. Now, I could break personally and professionally apart, but I am going to keep it together, because when I understand someone professionally, I understand him/her personally. And when I understand you personally, I’m going to understand you professionally. When you’re respectful, you understand your position, where you came from, and what your goals are. Being respectful involves understanding you as an individual just as much as understanding your business. When I understand both areas, I am respectful. 

6. Listen 

Yes, listen. Again, many people say, “You’re kidding me. Really?” But it is amazing how few salespeople truly listen. You want to be the salesperson who not only listens what’s being said, but also listens for what’s not being said. You want to listen to what’s being seen and what’s not being seen. Listening skills involve the eyes just as much as they do the ears. Body language in all forms demonstrates what’s really going on. Listening is about understanding where the customer’s going. Listening is about helping the customer feel more confident in being able to share more insights with you. And that leads me to my next one relating to a level of confidence. 

5. Integrity 

Integrity means there is a level of honesty. There’s a level of absolute genuine compassion being demonstrated. Integrity means that you’re living out integrity to them as the customer as well as all of their employees. Integrity is portrayed when you’re see as the same person all of the time no matter what. Whether you’re in front of the customer or whether you’re in front of a barista, whether you’re in front of a CEO, or whether you’re in front of a waiter in a restaurant, you are a person of integrity. This is not something you turn on or off. Integrity is 24/7. 

4. Helpful 

It sounds basic, but helpful is not just helping the customer with what they see or what they need, but being helpful in other ways. I always say that the mark of a great salesperson is when the salesperson is asked for input and assistance on things that they don’t sell, they don’t have anything to do with. What does that mean? That means that the customer must have a level of confidence. They must see trust. They must see integrity. Once they start to see all of those things in you, the customer looks to you as able to help them. Being helpful goes beyond normal expectations. Being helpful goes past what should be done to get the deal. Helpfulness is about creating a long-term relationship. 

3. Transparency 

Transparency is something that’s often not on display. It refers to those times when an order is not happening right, when something didn’t get followed up correctly, or when you may have dropped the ball on something, you are willing to say, “Hey, here’s what went wrong.” Being transparent is the willingness and humility to throw yourself under the bus. Sometimes you put yourself under the bus if that’s what it takes, because you’re upright and honest with the customer. Furthermore, when you’re transparent, that’s how you demonstrate integrity and trust. 

2. Honesty 

Being honest, being truthful. Yes, I’m sure you’re seeing how all 10 of these fit together. When you’re honest, it is amazing how nothing else gets hit. You see, you can’t be transparent without being honest. You can’t be honest without showing trust. See how all these begin to come together? 

And the #1 way to stand out as a salesperson is……

1. Committed  

Do you have a level of commitment to the merchant? Do you have a level of commitment to yourself? 

It’s true that when people are committed, they don’t make excuses. When people are committed, they’re focused on making sure the task at hand gets done. When they’re committed, they follow through and deliver on what needs to be done. When they’re committed, results happen. Do customers want to deal with companies and salespeople who aren’t committed to them or to the outcome that they’re looking for? No, of course not! I intentionally started with trust as number one, and ended with commitment as number 10, because ‘trust’ and ‘commitment’ are the bookends to the other eight items. 

Here’s some questions I want you to ask yourself right now: of the 10 traits I shared, which is your strongest? And where are your weaknesses?

Focus in on your strength. Take that to the next level, but then look at one of your weaknesses and think about how you can improve and correct that.

How can you bring your weaknesses up to a higher level where you can be that salesperson that a customer says continually demonstrate all 10 of these traits at a high level?   

Have a great weekend,

David

Cold calling… just saying the word may make you shiver. No one really likes to make cold calls, but if you’re in any kind of sales position, it’s probably a part of your job. Facing rejection and offering your product or service confidently takes guts. Here are some great tips to help you increase your success and turn those cold calls into winning ones!

1. Set personal feelings aside.

When making cold calls, you have to understand what you’re getting into. In many ways, what you’re doing is basically an interruption to anyone – they have a job to do, and your call isn’t high up on their priority list. Rejection is imminent. Depending on the nature of your business, you may hear more “no’s” than “yes’s”. This doesn’t mean you remove all feeling. Your prospects and smart and will know immediately if you’re just trying to make a sale. But you can’t take it personally when people tell you any number of objections or even get upset with you.

2. Design a script.

Having a proper script may help you to concisely explain the benefits associated with our product and services within a short span of time. The less time the prospect has to listen to an explanation, the better. In other words, rather than ‘beating around the bush,’ you should provide a description and succinct set of reasons to buy our services.

3. Lead with an offer or a solution, not a question.

When starting out a cold call, asking a question first will end the conversation much faster than you want, especially if the answer is yes or no. Your product or service can be the solution to someone’s problem. So if you lead by offering your solution, the prospect can take more of a vested interest. Your goal is to build a business relationship that will last – if you’re providing something the prospect need or solve a pain point, they’re more likely to remain loyal to you.

4. Have a long-term vision.

When cold calls are the main source of your prospective leads, it can be easy to get bogged down in the sheer amount of time these calls take. But if you have a long-term vision, you’ll be able to get past some of the nuances of cold calling and keep your focus on successfully helping your prospects. It’s all about the long game. When you can see the big picture and the part you play in it, you can keep your mindset positive.

5. Set realistic, reachable goals.

After figuring out your long-term vision, take the time to set some reachable goals. A lot of salespeople set their sights too high, whether because of pressure or because of what they think is required, and this will ultimately lead to major burn out. Keep your goals realistic.  Take a close look at your close ratio and set realistic expectations, and determine what your goals should be from there.

6. It takes a personal touch.

It may sound strange, but when you add some of your personality into your cold calling, it increases familiarity with your prospects and can lead to a better business relationship. Whether it’s the CEO or the gatekeepers (the secretaries, cashiers, managers, wait staff), take notes and make it personal – remember names or past conversations. When salespeople are too aggressive or pushy, it disinterests prospects. You don’t have to take control of the whole conversation. Listen and respond when a prospect has a problem or an issue. Making them feel important will increase sales exponentially.

7. Practice makes perfect.

Everyone knows that the only way to get better at something is with practice. Rehearsing your pitch before making your calls is in your best interest. Some experts believe in practicing in front of a mirror, or making sure your body language speaks positively (remember to smile!). Your attitude will determine which direction the call goes. If you’re positive, the prospect will be too.

Cold calling is not always a joy, but your attitude is the determining factor in how those calls will go. Warm those calls up by putting some concentrated effort into improving your cold-calling mindset.

Happy Selling,

David