Some people in our industry spend so much time talking about selling, thinking about selling and worrying about selling, that they rarely find the time to actually sell! The best salespeople I know are essentially machines as they perform the most important and profitable tasks associated with selling. They focus, like a laser to identify new leads, quickly qualify them and convert the qualified leads into sales. And like a machine, they perform those tasks again and again: methodically, consistently and repetitiously. They just keep churning it out. Selling is not about reflection In fact, the most profitable and productive salespeople don't waste time, think about past failures, worry about uncooperative prospects, complain about tough gatekeepers or put off sales calls. Instead, they just focus relentlessly on doing the job now. So they do it, and they do it, and they do it, and then they do it some more! Naturally, they evaluate what works and eliminate what doesn't, but they don't dwell on analysis. Instead, they dwell on action. They take action and get it done. Contrast that with the actions of average or below average salespeople. Many come to work, grab a cup of coffee, chit-chat for a while and wonder who they might talk to that day. Maybe they pick up the phone and "reach out," "touch base," or "check in" with a prospect or former client. Some don't set a real objective for the call. They don't identify "next steps" or define outcomes. Instead, they just chat or schmooze in the hope that maybe someone they touch base with that day will say, "hey, while I have you on the phone, do you mind if I place an order with you?" Of course, that never happens, but tomorrow is another day! If Your Sales Aren't Where You Want Them to Be, Ask Yourself, "How Much of My Time Do I Spend Thinking About Selling and How Much Do I Focus on Actually Doing it? Do I Qualify, Meet and Interact With High-Probability Prospects and Clients? So if you're not earning up to your potential, examine your daily actions. What percentage of your day do you think, plan and put out fires? And what percentage of your day do you identify client needs and sell solutions to people? Track your actions for just a day or two. You may be surprised at the results. How many people did you contact? What percentage did you qualify in? How many did you qualify out? Which ones had specific needs and how many people convinced you they had no needs at all. Imagine that. A human being with no needs at all. In the meantime, if you want to spend more time selling and less time spinning your wheels, call us at 1-800-494-2721. Are you finally ready to grow your business? If so, check out the five primary ways we help promotional product distributors grow: Just Getting Started? If you (or someone on your team) is just getting started in promotional products sales, learn how we can help. Need Clients Now? If you’re already grounded in the essentials of promotional product sales and just need to get clients now, click here. Want EQP/Preferential Pricing? Are you an established industry veteran doing a significant volume of sales? If so, click here to get End Quantity Pricing from many of the top supplier lines in the promo industry. Time to Hire Salespeople? If you want to grow your promo sales by hiring others, click here. Ready to Dominate Your Market? If you’re serious about creating top-of-mind-awareness with the very best prospects in your market, schedule a one-on-one Strategy Session here.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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