by Tom Reilly
Writers scribble a thousand words per day for years to learn their craft. Marathon runners log hundreds of miles to prepare for a 26 mile race. Musicians rehearse four-minute songs for hours to get them right. It takes a quantity of practice to create a quality performance.
For whatever reason, salespeople do not make as many face-to-face sales calls today as they did in the recent past. They spend time generating reports, handling service issues, or attending meetings. One estimate is that salespeople spend 67% of their time on non-selling activities. How can salespeople achieve proficiency when they spend so little time with customers?
This is a good time of year to resolve spending more face-time with customers. The economy is good; companies have money; and buyers are spending. When times are good, it is easy to get drawn into a false sense of security that the business will continue to come to you.
With your focus on getting busy, it is time to perfect your technique. Practice asking better questions and listening to customers. Work on customizing your presentations to the buyer’s needs. Wordsmith and edit your proposals. Experiment with different closing techniques. Debrief after each sales call to re-adjust your selling strategy based on your meeting. The best time to work on selling technique is when customers are in the buying mode.
What would it mean to your sales if you made one additional face-to-face call on customers every day?