This blog is from Deb Brown Maher, author of the book, Sell Like Jesus. I do love her blogs, and she gives me permission to publish them for you. YA!
Which sounds better to you?
- Sporadic, intense flurries of sales activity
- Small amounts of sales activity done consistently over time
A tiny drop of water can drill a hole in a rock when it drips in the same spot over a long period of time. Likewise, a small amount of sales activity, when done consistently over time, yields better results than sporadic, intense flurries of activity. For example, you’ll get better results doing 3 prospect contact efforts daily than doing 25 in a single day. The reason that’s true comes back to your attitude toward sales.
Consistency of sales activity is the key, yet it proves to be difficult to do. The reality is that as a sole practitioner or small business owner, you must deliver whatever you sell, taking time away from doing sales activities. More to the point, you probably prefer delivering your offerings over selling them. After all, you went into business because you love what you do. Selling it, well, that’s often viewed as a necessary evil. That perspective kills consistency.
A new perspective on sales is needed.
The way you think about, and speak about, sales must change, so you can continue to deliver the products and services that you are passionate about and reap the rewards (profit plus satisfaction) of doing so. Otherwise, you’ll put yourself out of business.
What if you saw sales as empowering and life-changing-for-the-good instead of icky and gross? Think about it.
- How do your offerings change someone’s life for the better?
- What have your most satisfied customers told you about the benefits they’ve received working with you?
For my coaching clients, the tangible increase in sales is its own reward. But equally important are the psychological, quality of life improvements that people have experienced:
- “I no longer dread doing sales activities. Now I have fun doing them!”
- “I actually look forward to selling because I know what I sell helps my clients.”
- “It’s much easier to initiate contact and do follow-up calls because I’m offering solutions to problems and it is up to the prospect whether they buy or not.”
It all starts by changing how you think about sales.
Even our language needs to change.
A close second is changing the language we use when we speak about sales activities. Saying that sales is a necessary evil reinforces the negative, killing your motivation to do it. Switch to saying, “Sales is an opportunity to help someone new.” Swap out “I have to do sales,” for “I get to do sales.” See selling as a privilege not a chore and watch your closing rate increase dramatically. That means you get to help more people!
When you believe in what you do, the natural extension of that belief is to tell others about it. Take the next 3 days to become aware of your self-talk about sales. Write down what comes to mind and then review what you’ve written. Pray and ask God to help you make adjustments to shift your perspective toward sales. If you’d like to bounce your ideas off others who are on the same journey, consider attending one of my group sales coaching sessions.
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