Make it better…Sales savants or…

Make it better…Make it yours?

 

How many of us have left a business that we just visited and had this thought: “If I owned that place, I’d sure run it differently”? It’s a pretty sure bet that number’s close to 100%.

 

And that critical attitude is totally understandable given the nature of our vantagepoint. As business owners and or folks who daily address the needs of business owners, we get it. A business that isn’t efficient, or pleasant, wont long enjoy prosperity.

 

So, what about your business? Are folks ever feeling that way after dealing with you?

 

Regrettably chances are good occasionally that’s exactly what’s happening. So how do we prevent that sort of negative outcome and insure the possibility that their experience with us is one that leaves them feeling positive and happy? That outcome best starts with each of us stepping out of our inner looking protective shell and looking at ourselves from outside of it.

 

Are our “policies” really best for both us and our customers? Are we doing everything possible to make doing business with us as easy as it could be? Could we change the way we are doing some of the day-to-day stuff in a way that will better satisfy what our customers want, need and desire?

 

The answer to those questions might be yes or no. But unless we ask them (with brutal honesty) we won’t know. And if we don’t know, we could be leaving a lot of valuable improvements on the table.

 

Sales savants or…Sales workhorses?

Okay so you’ve read a lot of sales how-to books, watched some YouTube sales tip videos and even attended one of those sales seminars run by some hyperactive speaker, but your numbers are still lagging. So, does the answer to growing your new account sales lie in adopting yet another new approach?  Or does it mean just doing more of the same and accepting less than exciting growth?

 

Perhaps the answer to getting those better numbers is a lot simpler – even if less elegant.

 

That unglamorous something is an idea that’s analogous to some pretty ancient baseball history. While Babe Ruth was a great home run hitter, season after season he also led the majors in strike outs. Success in sales isn’t really much different. Truth be known, the most successful sales opener you know is frequently not the best sales person in town. What he is however is the most tenacious sales person.

 

By taking more swings at the ball and being able (and willing) to endure the occasional harsh rejection of a prospect who’s not the least bit interested in your message, you can overcome what all the seminars, books, podcasts, etc. can’t.

 

In the end success in sales is both a skill / ability and especially a numbers game. Make more calls and you’ll invariably make more sales.

 

Next up: Improving that batting average.