(By Loyd Ford) There is a scene in the Tom Hanks’ movie “Castaway” where he tries to build a raft to get off the island. At first, we just can’t do that. Why? Turns out there is a tide consistently pushing back onto the island. He couldn’t get out to the shipping lanes because it was difficult to get going.
Over The Coral Reef
He learned (and we should learn how this works) that the real goal is to develop a process that gets you over the coral reef. Most people give up before they ever reach the reef and just say, “It’s impossible.” But it isn’t.
A lot of people are intimidated about selling. My concern is that this is more about training and how we focus on results more than the habits of sellers and learning consistent behaviors that can only result in rising sales.
You can’t really control the outcome of every sale; people don’t want to be sold. They want to make good decisions. If you want to be a part of them seeing you as a good decision, they have to have a track record of success with you. That takes time, effort, consistency and caring about them.
What Separates Great Sellers From Everyone Else?
1. Selling is a process; it isn’t you selling someone.
2. Selling is about listening and learning.
3. Selling is about understanding your position.
4. Selling experts invest in themselves.
5. Selling – done well – is science. It is identifying the behaviors that can be executed regularly so that you continue to grow sales. It is creating a process that literally forces the start of these behaviors regularly (so you get over your own coral reef).
6. Selling well means that you should block out time each day only for prospecting because otherwise you will always find a reason to not prospect.
7. Selling as an expert involves proving to yourself that there is no harm in asking people for what you want.
You’ve heard all the sayings. The more people you see, the more people you sell. True. People buy from people they like. True. Now, it’s time to prove to yourself that what these things are really saying is:
• Create consistent prospecting windows every day for yourself and you will see more people.
• Don’t see these people once; see them many times: email them, text them, connect with them in social media and always – always – bring benefits for them first and every time you touch them. *If you consistently bring benefits, they will begin to see you as a trusted adviser. Notice I didn’t say sell them every time you see them.
• If you are committed to seeing, contacting, reaching out to prospects 7 to 11 times before you expect to sell them, you will be much more familiar to your prospect as someone who brings value instead of something always trying to sell them and move on.
Get a sales mentor. You need encouragement.
Read or watch videos that grow your skills at selling, at influencing, at building relationships, at effective storytelling.
You need grit to be a great seller. You will experience what we all experience in life. Good things and bad things happen to everyone. So what? The best sellers understand that when things are not working in the moment, that means they are going to turn…if you have the grit to keep digging and helping others.
Hard work always pays off. The price for success is paid every day. It doesn’t just show up only on game day.
Oh, and anytime someone says you can do less to make more money, don’t you buy it. Those that prepare, those that prospect every day, those that always reaches out to advertisers to help them in their business, they win.
How big do you want to win? Let me see. Apply these things and reach out telling me about your successes.
Loyd Ford is president and chief strategic officer at the branding consulting practice Rainmaker Pathway Consulting Works (RPC). They help solve programming and sales challenges. Reach him anytime at 864.448.4169 or [email protected].
