Yes, YOU Can! Sell Even When No One Wants to Buy

by Rebecca A. Novack | Editor | The Daily Anchor

I’ve been talking to myself a lot over the past month; I’ve been saying that if I hear one more sales person whine about the state of our economy and that nobody will buy their product right now, no matter how much effort they put into selling, I will write this article and put them in their place. Well, here I am.

Sales people need to buck up and shut up. Get low to the ground, focus, and hustle. The pity party needs to stop if you want to live through this recession.  As I said in my last article, about marketing unpopular products, “go back to the drawing table, put on your thinking cap, and craft a new marketing plan exactly for that target market waiting for your message of that product that fits their needs and wants today.” Whatever the product is you are selling there is someone who wants and needs what you have to sell them. Go back to Sales 101 even if you have been in the industry for 20 years. Leave the ego at home and get back in the game with a new perspective and a positive attitude. We all need a refresher here and there, and I am helping by giving a huge wake-up call to all you whiners!

Stop focusing on the media headlines, get off Twitter and Facebook, stop congregating around the water cooler with other AE’s, get to the office early, pick up the phone, and actually sell your product. Yes, that is your job, remember? Sales people are amazing! We can handle loads of rejection, love talking and educating others on what we know, and without us most companies would not be around. Do you realize that sales affects the entire company? How do people in marketing, accounting, office operations, etc. get paid? Us. It is up to the sales team to bring in revenue and keep the company alive. If you’re a sales person, now is a pertinent time to realize you can make a difference and help keep your company out of the red. You signed up for the job, now follow through.

One of my favorite sites, Just Sell, offers motivational desktop wallpapers, email updates with motivational messages, and checklists to keep sales people on track. Their mission statement says it all: “To help individuals & companies sell more.” Just Sell also has a book called “Sales Tough: Step Up, Work Hard, Be Valuable.”  Sales is not complicated and their basic point is, “No fluff, no clichés, no jargon.” Love it! Right now, you need to live and breathe sales.

Yes, times are tough, but companies are still doing business and work is still getting done.

Here are my quick tips to pull your lazy ass out of the gutter and start doing the job you are being PAID to do, sell.

Print this out. Put it under your pillow for good luck. Most of all, wake up and sell.

1.  Focus on Relationships: I really hope you are already doing this through the good and the bad times, but let me just drive it home in case: build strong relationships with your client base and always be creating new relationships. Now more than ever is the time to focus on those who are already believe in your product. Know what your current clients like and dislike and fix what is bothering them to the best of your ability. Put yourself in their shoes, learn what their frustrations are, and keep the communication strong between them and yourself. You should never receive a “surprise” phone call with a major issue they have with your product, because you’ve already done a good job preventing any fires by maintaining a strong relationship.

2. Always be prepared: About 20% of sales executives will not be affected by this economy. Why? They are selling a product that will always be in demand or they are PREPARED. Showing up is half the battle and the other half is being prepared. Do your research, find the weak links in your prospect and how you will help them fix their downfalls, understand how your product can help them, and most of all be sympathetic, but don’t be fake. Be ready for the common FAQ’s that are constantly asked of you by others and make sure you knock out any objections before they have the chance to ask you. Also, be prepared with facts and numbers supporting your argument so they can’t find reasons to not buy from you.

3. Time Management: Increase your activity by 40%. Don’t depend on your pipeline of people you have called 5 times and who continue to send you to voicemail. You need two or three times the prospects you use to have to survive this economy. Sales is a numbers game; the more you put out there the stronger the return. Right now, in this economy, it takes heart, focus, and dedication to get those numbers where they need to be. Put in the extra time, but more than that, manage your time and be smart about where you place your efforts.  Make more calls, qualify more prospects, and engage potential buyers. But, before you call 100 random people, determine who your best clients are, and target more like them. Why do your top clients do business with you? If you don’t know, which you should, then ask them.

4. Be more visible: Again, stop feeling sorry for yourself. Don’t crawl in a cave and hide from the world until the economy recovers. Now is the time to increase your networking activities and make sure you are attending the correct networking events. Attend happy hour in the financial district to meet those that are smart and may have a company that needs your product. Look for groups that reflect your industry or chamber of commerce events.  Even if those prospects you meet don’t have money now, they may in six months, and you need to be on the forefront of their mind to make sure they remember you when you call.

5. Sales 101: Good job. Your skills have been good enough to get you where you are today, but have you made sure they will get you to tomorrow and the next day.  Don’t depend on luck and the fact that you “deserve” to close deals.  Yes, sales people are hardworking, but in the good times some sales professionals get caught up in their ego and forget what they need to do to get through the tough times. Evaluate your sales skills, refine your questions and tactics, and learn how your customers buying process has changed.  What challenges are they facing?  What do you need to do for your clients? What can you do to keep them? Have you asked them for referrals? Hello? Ask. They are sometimes your best chances for new leads.

Suck it up

Remember your competition is facing the same obstacles you are, so stop feeling bad for yourself. Look at this as a time to get ahead and sharpen your sales skills. I am ruthless. When it comes to sales, I’m the nicest bitch you’ve ever met. I refuse to give up. I myself am facing the same challenges every other sales professional is facing, but I will not allow that to throw me off track. I will remain focused and fight for my company. Why? I believe in the product I sell and I believe that my current clients and prospects will and can truly benefit from what I have to offer. I know that what I offer will help pull them through the economy and will ultimately place them ahead of the game. We are lucky to be Americans. Together we will get through this downturn, but it’ll take focus, determination, and love for sales. Do it. Just sell.

Tagged as: Recession, Sales, Sales tips