Hey, sales are slow, Jeffrey, HELP!
What do I do?
I seem to have lost a sale or three around here someplace. I just had them last quarter, what happened? Things were so good, sales all over the place. And then all of a sudden, BOOM, (or should I say ‘bust’) they’re gone.
For the past two weeks I’ve been providing you the strategies and formulas for converting from the dot.bombed, rose colored, “New Economy” to the emerging, not as robust, “New New Economy,” where things ain’t so rosy.
Well, now what? TWO THINGS: Easy answers, hard work. And I’ll be in there fighting myself to keep my share of my market. I’ll be selling, while others are whining. You?
I have the formula. BUT, it will require a different (than last year’s) work ethic to make it happen. I’ll tell you what to do, but you gotta do it, baby. Here are the rest of the 24.5 sales and personal strategies needed to succeed in these new new times, and a new new question at the end of each strategy to test your reality:
13. Create a REAL (and perceived) difference between you and everyone else. Work on differentiation in new ways. Change EVERYTHING ordinary to memorable. Greetings, literature, proposals, messages, and you. New new question: What is memorable about you? What is different about you?
14. The new new rules include the internet and ecommerce. For speed, ease of doing business, the appearance of 24.7.365, ease of communication, scheduling, inventory availability, AND information that helps others build THEIR business, your web presence must border on dominance. If you didn’t invest in the web when you had the money, bite a bullet and do it now. Or prepare to lose to someone who does. New new question: What is WOW about your website?
15. Study Creativity. Upgrade everything you say, every action you take, and every customer communication (brochure, fax cover sheet, business card, invoice) to WOW! New new question: What book on creativity have you read in the past three months?
16. Learn the joy of rejection. Practice by making more cold calls. More people will be saying “no” to you. Get over it. New new question: What do you say when someone tells you “no”? What should (could you) you say?
17. Work while others sleep. The earlier you rise, the better chance you have of bettering yourself and beating the competition. This column has existed and thrived for 9 years. Written early in the morning and late at night. I owe my success to the fact that I’m willing to do more than most other people are willing to do. Much more. Look at “balance” a new way – if you’re not working out of balance, your checkbook will be. New new question: What are your work hours? What are your TV hours?
18. Become a morning person, not an evening person. After 43 years, I finally discovered that my thoughts are better and clearer in the morning. If you’re reading this and think “you’ve got it all wrong Jeffrey, I’m an evening person” You’re incorrect. The reason most people don’t think of themselves as morning people is because they’re so screwed up the night before, they can’t function in the morning. New new question: What do you do with your early morning hours? What else could you be doing?
19. What you do off the job, will determine your success on the job. Invest your money in books and training not beer. (re-read number 15). New new question: What are you doing in the evening that’s keeping you from being a morning person? Ouch!
20. Put your goals in front of your face and say them twice a day. The formula for achieving goals may differ, but the universal truth of “out of sight, out of mind,” still remains valid. Write your goals on post it notes on your bathroom mirror and read them twice a day until they’re accomplished. Then post them on your bedroom mirror. New new question: What goals are you not even working on?
21. Figure out the daily dose and do that no matter what. Part two of goal achievement is to break the goal down into daily actions. Save $1,000 at three bucks a day. Make 30 sales with 5 appointments a day. If you figure out and can consistently achieve the smallest bite each day, any goal is within your grasp. New new question: What small bit could you do each day toward your biggest goal?
22. Bet on yourself – and get in shape to do it or you won’t win the race. You better be a lean, mean, selling machine. This is a time to invest in your mental self, not in your material self. New new question: What can you do to get “leaner and meaner”? How much are you investing in you?
23. It is, and always has been your attitude. If someone asks you “How ya doin?” You respond with: “Cashin’ checks!” New new question: What do you say when people ask you, “How’s it going?”
24. It’s not up to your company. It’s up to you. Take responsibility and ownership of your job, your work habits, your customers, and yourself. New new question: Who are you blaming for things you should be taking responsibility for?
24.5 Regain the tenacity you had as a four year old in the grocery store asking your mom for a candy bar, and not taking “no” for an answer. How often did you make that sale? As often as you’re making sales now? How tenacious were you then? Now? If you need help in this area, take your child shopping. New new question: Giving up too soon? What could you be fighting harder for?
Wow – that’s a list. All you have to do is master each strategy and the market share will remain yours.
Business Summary? Sure. There’s less (but lots) of business, but don’t be looking too hard and look past your biggest asset — present customers and vendors (yes vendors). Do all you can to keep your customers loyal, because your foxy competition is hungry and looking for food in your hen house. Take new new steps to keep your customers loyal.
Personal Summary? Sure. The New New Economy will be shaped and determined by the dedication to the New New You!
Last week’s column…Part two: Missed it? Want it? Part one: Missed it? Want it? Go to www.gitomer.com – register if you’re a first time user — and enter NEW NEW ECONOMY in the GitBit bit box. You’ll get all three parts. Go there now.
Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Sales Bible, and Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless. President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts training programs on selling and customer service. He can be reached at 704/333-1112 or e-mail to salesman@gitomer.com
