When Selling Isn't Selling

Sales is a big part of my job. I have tried calling and writing people I don't know and letting them know what First Source has to offer. I have mixed success with the process. If I did it more, I'd have more successes (and more failures).

I think this sort of selling has its place. Doing it takes perseverence and self-confidence, two things most of us could use a little more of. But it's also outmoded.

I have landed and maintained some accounts by selling. Selling has it's place. But what has brought me the most success and revenue is simple conversation. I listen to clients, talk about their passions and my own, and share valuable information. People appreciate this and in turn want to buy.

If a phone call starts with a person telling you they have no need for your services, that's fine. Think of it as an opportunity to chat without having to mention business. How long have they worked there? What exactly does the person/organization do? Are they facing any special challenges now or in the coming months? If you can get them talking (in a natural and sincere way), they will either call you when a need arises or make a positive recommendation to someone else. The most amazing thing that happens is when at the end of a conversation, the person "remembers" to place an order that didn't seem to exist at the beginning of the conversation.

Making the conversation easy makes the buying process easy.

Great Quotes

Everyone loves to feel inspired, and nothing accomplishes this more efficiently than a good quote.

There are probably hundreds of websites where you can find quotes on all types of topics.

I'm pointing the working crowd toward this page of quotes today from the Human Resources page at About.com.

It's not inherently better than others, but the quotes are focused around issues of business and employment.

Also, About.com has a professional look to it that makes it OK to browse at work. This is more than you can say about a lot of sites. If someone walks past your cubicle while you're looking at about.com, they see white background with black letters and some red highlights. No flash, no sound, no huge images. It makes a difference.

Enjoy the quotes.

When Not To Call

Know when not to call.

The telephone is great, but it is not the best option in every situation.

Email is better sometimes since it is less disruptive and allows people to respond at their convenience.

A letter takes longer to arrive, but provides a more personalized touch and gives your words black-and-white permanency.

Personal visits are in fact most powerful, but not always appropriate. Often, for sales people an

Whether it's business or personal communication, think in advance about the best way to reach out in each situation based on what you hope to accomplish.

Self-Management

I came across this thought online from John Challenger and must agree:

"Today's newest breed of employee is the self-manager. These workers are the ones who survived the recent. waves of downsizing, both by seeking and capitalizing, on new opportunities and by learning new skills. Because these employees increasingly possess the skills and technological tools to supervise themselves-individually or in teams-they are eliminating the need for layers of management. More executives will soon find their jobs redundant, while self-managing front line workers become highly valued and virtually fire-proof. Everyone should strive to become self-managed. It is clearly the direction business is taking."

What do the self-managed act like? There has to be some passion for the job, of course. If you can't stand the work, there is far less motivation to meet the objectives. Integrity is also key. I'm defining integrity here as "doing the right thing even when no one is looking."

People are smarter now than ever and have more resources at their fingertips than ever before. As a result, more and more employees are able to get their marching orders and carry them out with less and less supervision.

Be sure to be on the right side of this coin.

Internal Dialogue Matters

"The most influential person who will talk to you all day is you, so you should be very careful about what you say to you!" -- Zig Ziglar

There's been a great deal of hype lately about the law of attraction, which was made most popular by the recent book The Secret.

Allow me to fully disclose this mysterious secret of the ages once and for all:

Whatever you think about happens.

The implications of this law are far-reaching and include the business world. I suppose it's most evident in the world of sales. Motivation, positive thinking, and visualization are an integral part of sales success. Many sales coaches will tell you to do whatever's necessary to get into a good mood before meetings, especially with strangers. This is because your mood transfers on to the person with whom you're speaking for better or worse.

If you're relaxed, upbeat, and engaging, those around you will be engaged.

If you're tense, unprepared, and inattentive, you will lose your audience real quick.

These mental dynamics are so subtle that a lot of people never take time to notice how they feel from moment to moment.

Change your thoughts (for better or worse), and your reality will follow.

Make Someone Owe You

On a blog called The Job Bored, Brian provides a great tip to improve the effectiveness of your network. He points out that the size of your network isn't as important as how many of those people want to do something for you.

The best way to get people to want to do you favors is to do favors for them.

This is an interesting paradox: Due to the laws of Karma, the best thing greedy, self-centered people can do to get more of what they want is to give freely of their time and resources.

It's true--people will go out of their way to consult with, buy from, refer, and generally help those to whom they feel indebted.

This is a hard-and-fast rule, but there's not a direct correlation here. Each kind act will not yield a corresponding benefit for you. Some will go completely unappreciated or unnoticed. But when more of the people in your cell phone's contacts are eager to do all they can for you, you're in a good place.

Do something nice for everyone you can. Go above and beyond. Don't wait till someone helps you to pay them back. You be the one to get the ball rolling, and you're much more likely to catch it on the rebound.

The "You're Welcome" Mindset

I'm on the phone a lot here, and I find myself saying "thank you" frequently. Even when people are thanking me, I'll often reply with a hearty "thank you."

It's polite, but is it what I really mean to say?

If I'm providing a service (paid or not) and a client thanks me, I think it makes sense to sincerely say "you're welcome."

I feel like "you're welcome" is not used often enough in our society. As if "thank you" is the more noble of these two complementary phrases.

Being able to say "you're welcome" puts you at an advantage in business. People are grateful for your product, and you are glad to offer it.

The only trick is, you have to provide a product that people truly feel fortunate to pay for and recieve.