Are You Missing The Point In Sales?
#OneQuestion As I've mentioned probably far too many times, my wife and I have two beautiful daughters and they're the best thing that ever happened to us!
But there's a story...
Early on in our first pregnancy we naturally wanted to know what to expect, so we asked our OB doctor which books to read (the "What To Expect" series, etc).
The doctor's response was nothing of what I expected. She said, "I'd much rather have you reading books about how to take care of the baby after she arrives, rather than reading about what to expect day-by-day during your pregnancy."
In other words, we were missing the point. And her answer made perfect sense!
Likewise, here are the most common questions that I, and other sales experts, get all the time:
"How can I get more leads?"
"How can I get more appointments?"
"How can I get more proposals out there?"
To which I reply:
"You're missing the point!"
Sales managers are especially guilty of this. Most are OBSESSED with short-term minutiae like number of calls, number of appointments, ad nauseam, ad infinitum, ad mortem... without looking at the big picture of sales and revenue generated.
Here's the problem: We're not paid to make calls or set appointments. We're paid to MAKE SALES. That's it!
Not too long ago I saw the movie "In The Line Of Fire" again. In one conversation, John Malkovich's character says, "The Japanese are beating us because while our companies are looking toward the next quarter, they are planning the next quarter-century."
Obsessing over sales "activity" instead of focusing JUST on closing sales is exactly the same kind of short-sighted mistake.
I see it all the time. Companies want me to show them how to get more leads or more appointments. What they're not considering is the QUALITY of leads. Quality always trumps quantity!
What good is getting 100 leads that result in 5 sales (5% close rate) when better prospecting methods can generate 100 leads that get 20 or 30 sales?
I like to brag that I have consistently closed 4 out of 5 sales. BUT - I didn't enjoy an 80% close rate in sales versus my co-workers' 20% average because I was a better salesman, but rather because I was working better-quality leads.
In other words, my co-workers were MISSING THE POINT, yet were still blissfully ignorant and happy with their 20% close rate.
I demanded something better and so I learned what it takes to get leads who are ready to BUY RIGHT NOW and as a result, close 4 out of 5 on the first try.
If you're not closing 4 out of 5 sales, you're not spending your time with the best prospects. Always remember that a segment of the market is pre-disposed to buy from you, if only they knew about you and your offering. Start using intelligent, modern, Information Age strategies to attract sales prospects and your results will soar!
Learn how you can stop cold calling forever and become a sales rock star by downloading a 37-page PDF preview of the Never Cold Call Again System here.
New York Times best-selling author Frank Rumbauskas is the author of the Never Cold Call Again® System and has won numerous accolades, such as Readers Choice for Business Book of the Year from 800-CEO-READ, and has been named one of Fast Company’s top 30 most influential people. To learn more, and to download a free 37-page PDF preview of his Never Cold Call Again lead-generation system, visit NeverColdCall.com#OneQuestion