Leadership and Sales BLOG

“To be, or not to be? That is the question.”

Shakespeare’s Hamlet asked that question as he pondered his mortality. He wanted to know whether it made sense for him to soldier on, or take the easy way out and end his life. Sales can be lot like Hamlet’s eternal question. When we’re marketing our services or products, some days strengthen our resolve, and other days test it. Many professionals make their business development efforts a test of wills or a test of personal value. It’s no wonder that people with great sales skills are in high demand in any economy, and it’s not surprising that those same people change jobs on average every 19-20 months. Sales can be a pressure cooker because we (a) quantify success, (b) have written objectives and (c) are reminded constantly of our successes and failures. Other than police officers and firefighters, how many workers have those criteria hanging over them?

In my 20+ years in sales I’ve made more than 200,000 cold calls. While I’m not “dialing for dollars” at the 175-200 calls a day rate anymore, my outbound contact with prospective clients is just as critical today as it was twenty years ago. Fortunately, the stress of selling abated greatly once I learned these Six Truths of business development.

1. Know your audience. Making one-hundred phone calls a day can de-personalize the people you’re calling, not to mention yourself. Instead of shooting for volume, shoot for quality. Wouldn’t you rather make fifteen to twenty high-value contacts a day, with people you’ve had time to research, than fishing for anyone with a pulse?  
2. Be a “Quiet Expert”. My first few years as a sales leader were spent trying to demonstrate how smart I was to everyone around me. I believe the technical term for my style back then was “Blowhard”! Instead of supporting the people around me, I tried to steamroller them with my knowledge. When I didn’t know something, I made a “best guess” and hoped that it was right. A “Quiet Expert” doesn’t need to demonstrate their awesome powers. A “QE” listens attentively to others and supports their knowledge. 
3. Ask better questions. Having a “script” for a business development interaction can be a blessing or a curse. Once the conversation veers off your agenda, you can feel like the proverbial fish out of water. Asking great questions takes the onus off you to talk; you’re still guiding the interaction but you’re not doing the heavy lifting. This “Truth” about selling led to the newest 89 Seconds to Success™ resource “The 52 Greatest Business Development Questions Ever!” card deck.   
4. Respect your connections. We’ve all had the experience of handing out business cards at a networking meeting. Two days later, three new email “Newsletters” show up in your in-box that you didn’t sign up to receive. “Respect” means that you ask permission before adding someone to your regular contact list. This also means narrowing the field of your professional contacts, so that you can follow-up with people in a personal and timely fashion. Think of it this way, having five great friends is far more valuable than having 100 casual acquaintances.
5.  Be the Rock. No, you don’t have to adopt the persona of a professional wrestler. Being the “Rock” in your professional relationships means being the voice of reason. It’s easy to get sucked in to office politics or petty complaints. We’ve all been party to those discussions, and we’ve all fallen victim to “victim” thinking. After surviving seven rounds of layoffs at a previous employer I can recall days when job cuts dominated my every move and thought. We should have been thinking about innovative ways to generate new business yet as a company, we became immobile and unable to move forward. The “Rock” stands steady and remains calm in crisis, while continuing to push the proverbial envelope.
6. Celebrate Success. In the 24/7 world of constant communication, somehow we’ve misplaced the ability to be spontaneous and joyful. Total immersion in your work may mean short-term gains coupled with long-term losses. The most meaningful recognition in my professional career was not an award I won, but when an employer recognized and rewarded the sacrifices my family had to make for me to accomplish my goals. To whom do you owe a “Thank You” to today?

Hamlet’s question led him on a long and tortured path that ended in murder and his ultimate demise. No doubt his internal strife was good for box office receipts in the early 17^th century. Regardless of external economic pressures or your internal strife, your sales efforts shouldn’t include personal agony. Following the Six Truths of business development helps you stay positive, and stay focused on what generates consistent achievement. After all, what good is success if you’re too depressed to enjoy it?

To bring the Six Truths and Mike’s 89 Seconds to Success™ business development resources to your next sales meeting, please call 720.851.5208 (US/Intl.) or visit us on the web at www.mikefaber.com</span>. The 52 Greatest Business Development Questions Ever! card deck is available at www.52BDcards.com</span>.