Where Are You Going?

Credit: Sherry Love

A friend of mine wrote a book. The title is How To Own Your Future. Once upon a time you could find it on Amazon. I suspect you still can.

The book is aimed at college students. Specifically, it’s aimed at students committed to expensive majors without a plan or thought for employment. He addresses the cost of education and the staggering college loan debt. He wrote the book before all of the loan forgiveness talk became popular.

The book is spot on. Spending money and worse…spending time without a plan is shameful. Money is hard to replace. Time is simply gone. Those hours, days and years are gone forever.

Looking at his book, I have to ask. Do we think about this the way we should as reps? Do we look at our days and reconcile time against prospects? What I’m asking is, do we invest time with brands that deserve our attention?

It’s a cold fact but each of us is Selling Our Life For Dollars. We’re trading time for bucks. We’re looking for a return, or should be, on every hour invested. Are you happy with your success?

The reality of selling is that not every prospect is going to work out. Selling involves lots of “this isn’t going to work out” moments. If you’re batting 100% you aren’t making enough calls.

Having said that, you owe it to yourself, your family and your company to invest time where it pays. You want a process or criteria for deciding when to punt. It’s ok to hit the prospect flush handle and move on.

I learned that early in my career. I’ve written about it before. I spent a year courting a guy that kept dangling their “Spring Promotion” in front of me. When it came along, I didn’t earn it. It turned out to be tiny too. Booking it at full price wouldn’t have covered my sales time. I didn’t do my research and I didn’t know when to cut the cord.

I’m repeating previous blogs but you owe it to yourself to have a clear picture of the prospect. What kind of work do they have? Who do they buy from now? Why do they buy from them? How does what you know about them line up with what you offer?

Of course, the prospect picture will evolve. As you learn more, you’ll fill in blanks. These details will help you target specific areas. They will influence your talk track and suggested services. You might be better for one department and not another.

It’s a worn-out sales saying. “If You Don’t Know Where You’re Going Any Road Will Get You There.” If you’ve been selling more than a month you’ve likely heard that one. The point is, start with a goal and a plan.

Selling is Simple. What kind of work do you want? Who has it? Identify companies in this space. Learn all you can. Get your story in order. Make contact and know when to cut the cord.

My pal that wrote the book? His basement is full of them. His subject was spot on but he didn’t have a sales plan. He spent more than a year writing it and a bunch of money on printing. So far, it has been a waste. Don’t let that happen to you.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions.