The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown life as we know into a blender. A lot has changed and it’s causing a lot of people to reassess where they are at this point of their lives. I know that I am.
Is the glass half-full or half-empty?
Look, I know the future looks uncertain and that there will be lots of changes going forward. Will we revert to the old normal? I don’t know. I do know that there will be a “new normal”.
Now is not the time to make like an ostrich and stick your head in the sand. It’s time to think strategically and be creative in order to keep building a thriving business and a rewarding life.
Get on the Phone
This is my first pandemic – it is NOT my first rodeo. My first sales trainer was a guy named Ira Gedan. He was a walking talking affirmation. He took me under his wing and taught me how to sell. I learned a lot from him. His advice whether times are tough or easy was the exact same technique for short-term business and cash: Call everyone you know.
The telephone is a marvelous invention, especially when you use it to make outgoing calls. The calls work wonders on your psyche, especially when times are tough. If you make enough calls, someone will indicate enough interest to set a virtual meeting with you.
Ira’s affirmation for this was – “This I know and know it well, the more I dial – the more I sell.”
Okay – the takeaway is this – if you make calls, you’re likely to get some business. If you don’t make any calls, you’re not going to get any business at all.
Fear of The Phone
The primary reason people don’t reach out by phone is that they are afraid of rejection. Plain and Simple. People are afraid that they’ll be seen as “selling” during tough times, which is unethical to them; that they’re “intruding” on busy people.
Poppycock.
The first problem with this is mindset. If you’re just peddling trinkets that have no value, then you should be afraid of the phone. A true professional provides value. It’s not about the sale, it’s about the relationship. If you’re providing value – how is this an intrusion of any kind?
The second problem has to do with your self-worth. If someone doesn’t need your product or service this very minute, it’s not personal. They’re not rejecting you as a human being. Where is the person in your sales pipeline? Has he just entered? Or has he been there a while? Is he truy qualified?
Sales is numbers game. There are a lot of NOs on the way to a YES.
Third, your prospect is putting off a decision until a “better” time. That’s called procrastination and it is based upon fear. The fear of making the wrong decision. If you’re providing value, now is as good a time as any.
Heal Thyself
Ira’s advice when I got thickheaded was – go for a walk and get it out of your system.
When you get back, get on the phone and start helping people solve their problems. A true professional does just that.
It’s all about how you position yourself – what value are you bringing to the table.
More to come,
Bobby
