Question

Why?  It's a question that my kids ask me and drives me crazy, but it's a great question.  Why do  we do what we do?  Why are we selling this way?  Why are you wanting to buy?  I guessed it's one of those things my kids can teach me - never be satisfied with the answer but keep asking why.

Rocket Science It's Not

Sales isn't rocket science.  Oh there are formulas, processes and best practices but it always comes down to the same things.  Do the work and get paid for it.  So what is the work?  Get in front of clients and prospects and then listen.  Really that's it.  Nothing more.  OK you should take notes so you remember things, but that's it.  So many books are written about sales - maybe I should write one.  It would have one page and it would say LISTEN.

Sales is so easy...

Just a side note - if sales is so damn easy was isn't everyone in it and making a crap load of money???
Oh that's because it isn't that easy.  There are parts that are, and parts that aren't, but overall it is a skill that most people don't have and don't want (just like I can't program in Java, and never will).
Saying that - I wouldn't do anything else in the world.  To me sales is awesome and fun and it allows me to wake up every day and be excited to attack.
OK getting off my soap box now.
Enjoy the rest of the day and remember to have fun!
#salesfun

Sales Fun

Life can suck - both at work and at home.  Bad things happen - it's life.  Why do we let this drag us down?  People don't want to meet with me to hear about all the problems I'm dealing with that day.  We all have issues.  My job is to sell, but more importantly it is to understand what is bothering them both at work, but also at home.  My best skill is listening (most of the time, but I do seem to lose the skill when at home, but I am working on that one).  I listen and people talk.  I look in their eyes so they know that I am there with them - with what ever they want to talk about.  I also want to have fun.  The meeting is not over unless I can get the other person to laugh.  I want to have fun, and I want other to have fun with me.  Try it - don't dwell on how you lost a deal, how someone did you wrong or whatever is stuck in your head.  That's not to say you can't deal with it, but not when you are in front of others.  So I am starting a new focus - #SalesFun (I hear if you put the # sign in front of something it is real).  What do you do to have fun?  How often do you do it?  Why not more often?
I look forward to hearing from you...

Administration vs selling

How much of your day is dedicated to administration work versus meeting and talking to clients and prospects?  Yes documenting what is going on in your day is important, but not as important as actually doing the work.  This is a never ending discussion that will happen between sales and management.  Do the sales work, but you need to document to show your activity points and build your pipeline.  Both of these are important and have a reason to have time dedicated to them (you schedule time on your calendar for prospecting and client meetings why not dedicate office time also).  So the moral is - you need to do them both, and dedicate the time.