We’ve all heard the saying, “Without customers…there is NO business!” You can have the greatest product or service on the market, but it is totally worthless if people don’t know about it. Whose job is it to bring in the customers?
As head of my organization one would argue that it is my job to bring customers through the door, or at least that of my sales staff. In reality though, it is the job of every member of my organization to attract and bring in customers. For the purpose of this blog though, we are going to concentrate on the direct sales professional.
“Sales” is the largest profession in the United States. There are more salespeople than any other single profession. Another saying that is applicable to the sales profession is…”Those closest one to the cash register control the paycheck.” Sales professionals rank consistently in the top 10 for highest paid individuals.
Unfortunately, the opportunity for a large paycheck also carries the greatest degree of risk. The sales process can easily become a “crap shoot” when it comes to closing the deal. Highly successful sales professionals learn early on how to qualify leads to minimize the associated risk. The process of finding those qualified leads is time consuming and emotionally taxing on the sales professional.
Sales professionals spend a good part of their workweek in situations in which they interact with potential leads…initiating and growing the relationships needed to qualify leads. These situational environments may include networking events, face-to-face meetings, presentations or training events, seminars or expos. In all of these situations, the sales professional is constantly required to maintain their “sales face.”
What is the “sales face?”
The “sales face” is that zone where the sales professional goes when he or she attempts to draw potential clients in by portraying authenticity, credibility and competency with a single look and a few select words. The elevator pitch is just one tool utilized by sales professionals in their sale efforts. However, body language is more important than even the pitch when attempting to win the audience of potential clients. The physical energy and mental acuity required for maintaining the connection necessary for relationship bonding can be exhausting!
I find that those days and weeks where sales take center-stage in my daily efforts to grow my business…I am exhausted and mentally drained, finding it difficult to concentrate on any other aspect of the business. Those days are the ones that I find myself relying more and more on my support resources to pick up the slack.
There are a few techniques that I have learned to implement to aid in minimizing the fatigue brought about by being in a constant state of “sales face.” Following is a list of just some of the techniques designed to strengthen my endurance and minimize recovery time during heavy “sales” oriented days.
- Believe in what you are selling. A sales representative is only as good as the knowledge behind the product or service being sold. Before attempting to hit the highway trying to convince others to buy…you have to be willing to commit personally. This endorsement will be reflected in your approach to potential clients and how you speak to them.
- Trust in your support resources. I learned a long time ago that I am not a “jack of all trades” and that I do have my limitations. Therefore, I have learned to trust my marketing and business development professionals to do their jobs. By them doing their jobs, it releases me to do mine more efficiently and effectively because the frontend processes have already been taken care of.
- Trust your instincts. For a very long time I struggled with the lack of confidence needed to “close the deal.” I thought that I had to make the most of every contact. The years have taught me to trust in my abilities rather than second-guessing myself. By trusting in my abilities I find that my “perception meter” remained fairly accurate. I learned to determine early on in the initial introduction the amount of effort I needed to pour into the relationship effort. Trusting in this basic instinct reduced the amount of stress involved when “working the room.”
- Limit your interaction. Many of my sales efforts involve the same networking events over and over again. Quality versus quantity is now the rule of the day. Rather than feeling the need to meet and leave an impression with everyone at a particular event, I have learned to be selective. Knowing that more than likely I will be seeing them again at the next event…I concentrate on a few very select individuals to begin to develop a solid meaningful relationship and establish a follow up meeting.
- Be pursued rather than always being the pursuer. The benefit of networking the same environments over and over again is that the more your face is seen…the more you are remembered, and the more you are remembered…the more people want to get to know you. I have found that in my efforts to create meaningful connections during my networking efforts, I have attracted others that seek me out after the fact to connect. This is a unique and extremely powerful position to be in.
- Qualify, Follow-up and Grow. My interaction during my networking and sales events is the first stage of the qualifying process. After all, no one wants to waste time pursuing something that is not there. The second stage comes in the follow-up. Prior to the follow up meeting with a potential client, I spend time getting to know them personally and professionally. There are many ways to do this, especially with the new forms of electronic social platforms. I will do my research via the internet, personal connections, etc. You would be amazed at what you can learn through “Google.”My research will reveal my approach for our next meeting and the amount of effort I want to put into further growing the relationship or not. Sometime…the relationship may not be one-on-one, but rather one degree to the left or right.
Bottom line, the key to managing the fatigue brought about by having to constantly maintain “sales face” is to take control and trust in your sales abilities. You do not have to prove your selling capabilities to anyone but yourself. Once you trust your knowledge and abilities to sell your product or service it will come naturally and produce the results you want.
DAVNA Enterprises, LLC is a Florida based firm specializing in the development and implementation of strategic marketing and business development programs locally and internationally. Whether a new business starting out or an existing firm seeking increased market exposure, rebranding or repositioning, DAVNA brings more than 35 years of experience and the expertise needed to successfully develop and execute strategies designed to achieve your ultimate goals. For more information visit www.davna.com or email info@davna.com
