The economy stinks. Business is lousy. Nobody is buying anything. Salespeople are closing and earning less. However, many are doing more of some things, namely – complaining about everything and blaming their company/product/market/the economy. These are usually the same ones closing and earning less. Many, but, not all.
On my way home the other night, I was talking with one of my reps who had just had a “great meeting” with an elusive client he had been pursuing for some time. Over a period of weeks, he’d done drive-bys to try to meet the client face to face and each time she was “in a meeting” or “on a conference call” or just “not in the office today.”
He kept stopping by, tried calling to set an appointment, even circled back for a second drive-by when he was told she would be “back later.” Finally, he got in and, you guessed it, got a small first order. As he was telling me about the sale, he remarked about how hard he had to work to make the sale.
Hey, the economy stinks and it’s forcing all of us (well, many of us) to find new ways to get it done, I told him. He replied that this economy is hiding opportunities and that they are opening and closing quickly. But, dealing with it is sharpening his skills and putting him in a great position for when the economy and our market both improve.
He gets it, and not surprisingly leads all reps in annual percent to goal. To sell in this economy you must work harder, work smarter, find more new ways to get it done. You will be out of your comfort zone for the foreseeable future. Deal with it, or choose “flight” when your fight or flight mechanism kicks in.
This economy is helping the best get better, the good who work hard to become the best and the rest out the door. It’s survival of the fittest and the end result improves the next generation of sales professionals.
What a great time to be selling.
Close it UP! 