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Let’s take a brief look at how you might be finding new business right now. In fact, don’t feel alone. This is how MOST sales people (especially those new to a sales
career) do it over and over again. Is it any wonder that sales (in almost ANY
industry) has incredibly high turn-over? Sales would be CAKE if you had a
NEVER ENDING pipeline full of warm prospects willing to meet with you and in most cases willing to become a customer!
The Typical Cold-Calling Week
It usually starts with the sales meeting. The sales meetings usually look the same. We go over last week’s good news, successes (and failures), we talk about leads that might be closed, and how close (or far) we are from hitting our ‘quota.’ Then, we have to get “pumped up.” Pumped up for what?
ANOTHER WEEK OF REJECTION
We then end our sales meeting, and the sales team goes back to their offices (or right out to the field) to begin the ritual.
The “ritual” usually entails 30 to 45 minutes of “getting organized,” checking voice mail, email, etc. Then, the sales people start their follow-up calls.
And after the follow-up calls, it’s time to start digging… Right? You know what I mean. Whether it’s by noon on Monday or fairly soon thereafter, it’s time to start making the calls. You either do it in person, or “hop on the phones,” but unless you’re already ‘slammed with business,’ YOU HAVE TO START
COLD-CALLING! YUCK!!
And we’ve met VERY FEW sales people who REALLY enjoyed this process. In fact, most sales people will waste at least an hour (or two, three, four…..) procrastinating that FIRST call. We have to sharpen the pencils, get our desk organized, get our “lead list” ready, talk to some coworkers, and WOW- it’s already time for lunch!
When we finally make that first call, (and I don’t care HOW long you’ve been in sales,) you get that sick gut-feeling in your stomach. Then, after pondering for a while, you pick up the phone and dial the first number:
You: “Hi! Can I talk to the purchasing agent?”
Secretary: “Can I tell her who’s calling?”
You: “Joe Smith with ZYA Company”
Secretary: “Can I tell her what this is regarding?”
You: “I was calling to see if she’s interested in our new line of ____ products”
Secretary: “I’m sorry, she only works on appointments. She doesn’t take calls from sales people. Why don’t I get your name and number, and she’ll call you if she’s interested.”
You: “O.K.”
CRUNCH
You just made your first sales call, and the dreaded “Gate-keeper” just mowed you down. The CRUNCH sound you heard was your pride and attitude just getting stepped on.
Then you repeat the process again. And again. And again.
Finally, after 5, 10, 15, 25, 50 calls, you FINALLY reach a decision-maker (d.m.) who is close to above the “Buy-line” enough to grant you an appointment.
YEAH! We got an appointment. Let’s celebrate. Take a break, tell our associates, get a drink of water, go to the bathroom, update our day-timer, etc.. Then, guess what….
You have to make more cold-calls and the “ritual” begins again.
And if you’re like every other sales person, you repeat this ritual until you finally take enough punches to “get over the hump.” “Getting over the hump” usually means you (if you’re lucky) build enough of a clientele that your cold-calling is finally
diminished. How long will this take you? Two years? Three years? Five years?
And what was it that “Got you over the hump?” Sure, hopefully you’re getting a bunch of repeat business. But the veterans that are really “over the hump” are getting something you don’t have: REFERRALS! In fact, these veterans get what we call “reverse referrals,” meaning they’re actually starting to get people calling them who were referred by their current customers- WITHOUT THEM HAVING TO DO ANYTHING!
The joy of “being over the hump!” The veterans who have arrived are happy. They took the punches. They paid their “dues.” They went through the “rights of passage” that EVERY rookie is supposed to go through. Only the toughest make it right?
WHAT IF you didn’t have to spend your first few years spending MOST of your week digging for new business. What if you could “leap-frog” right over the “rights of passage?” What if you didn’t have to have that horrible feeling everyday having to approach COMPLETE strangers trying to work your way into a cold-appointment?
YOU CAN!
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