"But I'm Always Prospecting!"

I read a great post recently on Paul McCord's blog about how "busy" salespeople can be. This is the same guy who only reads email and answers phone calls at four specific times throughout the day (something I haven't been able to bring myself to do!), so I trust he knows what he's talking about when it comes to productivity.

Here's his story:

"But I'm always prospecting." That was Rachel's response when we began talking about her failure to generate enough business to make the cut with her broker/dealer. Rachel is a relatively new salesperson who has been struggling for months and she and her manager have been trying to find a way to get her on track.

It didn't take long for the conversation to get around to her activities, in particular her prospecting activities. She was baffled by her lack of success because as she said, she was 'always prospecting.'

Rachel showed me a list of several hundred names and phone numbers she had on a call list - a few dozen had check marks beside them, even fewer were scratched through. She showed me the stacks of fliers and letters she had mailed out. She showed me a list of networking events she had attended over the past couple of months. She showed me a passel of follow-up emails she had sent out. She told me that her business card had been added to every corkboard in every restaurant, laundromat, and other business that had a board to display customers' cards.

Rachel had been busy; there was no doubt about that. The problem was although she had been busy, she hadn't been prospecting. In reality she was finding ways not to prospect. She engaged in a great deal of activity, but the activity she engaged in wasn't the activity that would produce business; instead, it was the activity that made her feel good, made her feel productive, allowed her to convince herself that she was being extremely active.

We salespeople tend to focus on activity - after all, activity is what gets us in the door, gets us the business we must have in order to succeed. But activity alone is fruitless. Activity for activity's sake is just as sure a way to failure as inactivity.

Investing time and energy in the wrong activities has killed as many sales careers as inactivity has. As salespeople we have three very basic duties - finding and connecting with quality prospects, working with those prospects to help them satisfy needs or wants, and insuring that they are taken care of during and after the sale. Everything else is busy work and busy work doesn't make a sale, doesn't generate income, and doesn't move us toward our sales or income goals.

Before you engage in any activity consider whether that activity is income producing or not. If it isn't directly producing income, does it really need to be done? If not, move on to an activity that will directly lead to a sale.

Author of "Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals," and "SuperStar Selling: 12 Keys to Becoming a Sales SuperStar," Paul McCord is president of McCord & Associates, a sales training and management-consulting firm.

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Begging is Not Attractive

Yet you do it every day without realizing. How often do you find yourself thanking someone for taking your call? Or, asking for just five minutes of a prospect's time? You may think you're being polite, but you're coming across as begging.

Sounding pathetic is one of the surest ways to ensure that your customer will lack confidence and respect for both you and your organization, says sales trainer Tim Connor. People buy when they are ready to buy, not when you need to sell. You'll project a lack of confidence when you say things like:

"What time is convenient for you?" Instead of, "Let's see if we can arrange a mutually beneficial time."

"We're the best in the business." Instead of, "Let's see if our product or service will solve your problem."

"When can you let me know your decision?" Instead of, "Let's set a time to discuss your decision."

"Can I call you in a few weeks to follow-up?" Instead of, "I'll call you in a few weeks to discuss your questions and further interest."

These are just a few of the ways you may be sending prospects the message that you lack credibility and confidence in your ability to perform. Incorporate Tim's suggestions into your sales dialogue and enjoy the respect that is sure to follow.

-- Tim Connor is CEO of SalesClubsofAmerica.com and a contributor to Top Dog Sales Secrets. He is a popular speaker, sales trainer and successful author. Visit his website at TimConnor.com

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Cold Calling Demystified

What sales activity do you dread the most? If you're like most sales professionals, it's cold calling. Picking up the phone and talking with a perfect stranger (who has the power to reject you) can strike fear in the heart of even the most confident salesperson.

Fortunately, Wendy Weiss, "The Queen of Cold Calling" (and one of the featured authors in Top Dog Sales Secrets) has outlined 8 strategies to guarantee your cold calling success.

Cold Calling Strategy #1: Make telephone calls

No one will buy from you if they do not know of you, your company/products/services. Every sale has its own cycle. Depending on what you are selling, it could be a short cycle of a day or two, or it could be a long cycle of a year or two. Your call is your introduction and the start of your entire sales process. Without that initial prospecting call, you will not close any sales.

Check out the rest of Wendy's strategies at: 8 Strategies to Guarantee Cold Calling Success

Wendy Weiss is a former ballet dancer who set appointments for clients as her day job. She was so effective, one of her clients dubbed her the "Queen of Cold Calling." The title stuck. When injuries sidelined her dance career, Wendy transformed her day job into a full-time career as a sales trainer, coach and author. Her clients include ADP, Avon and Sprint.

Wendy's the real deal. She has a ton of free resources and terrific training programs on her site. Check it out at http://www.wendyweiss.com/ or e-mail her at wendy@wendyweiss.com

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