Why Aren’t You Selling More? The Top Five Answers

I love that question. In fact, I even own the URLs www.WhyArentYouSellingMore.com and www.WAYSM.com even though I have no idea what to do with either of them! But with every sales seminar I give, that question is raised at some point or another. Ofttimes, in fact, I will fly in to give a two- or three-hour gig and have no slides or PowerPoint file, just a pad of paper, a pen and those five words.

The answers are almost predictable. Having asked it hundreds of times, I know what’s coming. Sometimes I even mouth along as the attendee speaks (though the guy in Iowa who yelled, “I would, but I go to too many danged seminars!” took me by surprise).

So, picture this: Your company hires Bill Farquharson to be its sales manager (good move, btw) and I come stomping in to that first sales meeting and bellow out the question.

What would you say when it was your turn to talk? Take a moment to jot down a few answers. When you are done, continue reading and I will share with you the top five answers that I have heard over the years.

Ready? Go...

Okay, welcome back. How’d you do against the following:

1. “Other than, ‘Who does your buying?,’ I don’t know what to say when I call!”

2. “I’d sell more if I had better prices!”

3. “I can’t seem to find the time to sell, given all that I have to do around here!”

4. “I’m really not sure what kinds of companies to call on!”

5. “I can’t get anyone to call me back!”

Look familiar? Perhaps all five ring true. These answers are actually numbered in order of their commonness. Voice mail continues to be the single biggest issue sales people face in trying to build new business. It seems that the chances of a voice mail message being returned are only slightly better than Lady Gaga’s odds of getting invited back to a Mets’ game.