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A) Not now, I'm too darned busy. B) When my manager comes up with a clever sales contest, or C) Every single week…especially when I’m incredibly busy. O.K., you get the point. The most successful (and profitable) salespeople are constantly finding ways to fill their new business pipeline. Imagine the selling cycle as a pipeline. Make a new contact, and you’re sending them into your sales development pipeline, where you’ll work with them on fact-finding and brainstorming. You’re getting to know them.,…and they’re getting to know you. They come out the other end when they buy which, depending on your industry, could be two minutes or two years later. Now, if there aren't enough prospects in the pipeline, and a business slowdown occurs, you’re stuck. The pipeline is dry…and so is your paycheck. When this happens, most of us will blame time. Even people who are reasonably good time managers find it difficult to do it all when it comes to maintaining current customers, with all the contact and administrative time required, and still be effective prospectors. Top performers recognize this as an excuse, and do what it takes ahead of time to avoid the empty pipeline problem. Their strategy is based on three clearly-defined steps: 1.) They have a plan. Essential elements of their plan are to have a goal, a prospect list and a means to measure their progress. The 20-4-1 Rule says that for every 20 prospects called, only about 4 will eventually entertain serious proposals from you, and that 1 out of those four will buy right away. We can argue the justifications of specific numbers, but the lesson is: not every prospect called is going to buy now, so plan to talk with more than you need. Another part of your plan is to create the actual Target Prospect list. These are what we call 'future customers.' Rather than just listing those top-of-mind names, invest some time and do a little digging via business publications, on-line resources or through networking to create a larger, more balanced list of large, small, short-term and long-term prospects. Then, make your plan measurable. Some companies will measure by using the number of new prospects visited on a weekly basis, or number of presentations made. During peak times, sales pros sometimes use Cluster Contact systems. An example would be a mass mailing to each prospect in the pipeline with an article and a handwritten note, keeping them and their company at the top of each prospect's mind. 2.) Set Aside Business Development Time. All the talk is cheap if we fail to take action. One of the smartest ways to self-discipline is to isolate blocks of time every week for new business development. Treat that time like you would an appointment with your best customer. Schedule other activities around it. 3.) The Third Step is Personal Discipline. You're busy. Everyone's busy. Yet, peak performers 'make the time' to keep growing. Business development will be unsuccessful if it's a sometime thing. Your existing accounts may be exhausting your time now, and adding another activity may appear a hindrance to serving them. But challenge yourself, be disciplined with yourself. And, every week that you fulfill your plan, give yourself a personal reward. Oh, and I made a reference to ‘successful (and profitable) salespeople’ earlier. Here’s why: When you have a steady stream of prospective customers, you’re going to present and negotiate with a calm, clear mind, and be far less likely to suffer from Midnight Urgency….that feeling of waking up in the middle of the night thinking “I’ll do ANYTHING to get that order!” Your confidence helps close more sales while your rate integrity stays intact. Work your plan and keep your pipeline filled. You’ll feel better about your sales career, sleep great at night and make a ton of money, too. Joe Guertin is an advertising sales trainer, speaker and coach.
His programs have informed and entertained newspapers nationwide. Your
comments are welcome to joe@joeguertin.com, or visit his Sales Resource Center at www.streetfighterselling.com.
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