Building Your Sales Muscles
Good morning!
The number one surgery for men over 40 is to repair the rotator cuff, the muscle that runs from the shoulder down to the bicep. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Bill, this is a sales tip. How in the world are you going to connect that useless piece of information with an idea for helping me to grow my sales?”
Like this…
The single most important selling skill a rep can have is the ability to research and understand the business needs of a company prior to the start of a prospecting process. For example, by looking at their website, a rep should be able to garner information that helps him or her to finish the sentence that starts, “The purpose of my call is …” with something other than, “… to talk to you about your print/signage/labels/packaging/promotion.”
Building this skill is very much like rebuilding your shoulder after rotator cuff surgery.
How would I know this?
Because five years ago I had mine completely removed and reattached. I literally could not move my arm away from my body. There was absolutely no muscle. Taking a shower, I’d look like the pirate on a bottle of Captain Morgan Rum with my bent arm resting on my knee.
Excruciatingly slowly, and a bit painfully, I was able to build some strength in my shoulder. There I was on the phone standing in my kitchen lifting a can of soup up to eye level and back down again over and over. Eventually, the muscle was rebuilt.
Researching a company is very much like this. At first, it slow and painful. You don’t know what to look for and you don’t know where to look. You click around the website but you’re not able to understand the clues.
The first time you try it, it might take 30 minutes to come up with semi-decent approach. The second time, it takes less and the result is better. And each time after that, as you improve and “build that muscle group,” you get faster and the information you gather is stronger.
Taking this important step, you are able to drastically improve the quality of your sales call. Suddenly, you aren’t “selling.” You are solving. Your voicemail messages are better. Your confidence level rises because suddenly you believe you can bring value whereas before all you could do was lower cost.
Obtaining this skill will change your sales life and maybe even earn you a pirate’s booty.
Visit SalesVault.pro. I can also be reached at 781-934-7036 or bill@salesvault.pro.
Bill Farquharson is a respected industry expert and highly sought after speaker known for his energetic and entertaining presentations. Bill engages his audiences with wit and wisdom earned as a 40-year print sales veteran while teaching new ideas for solving classic sales challenges. Email him at bill@salesvault.pro or call (781) 934-7036. Bill’s two books, The 25 Best Print Sales Tips Ever and Who’s Making Money at Digital/Inkjet Printing…and How? as well as information on his new subscription-based website, The Sales Vault, are available at salesvault.pro.
