Transforming Your Circumstances

Have you ever heard the expression, “Make lemonade?” I have to say that as a group, the Sales Professionals of the world are a pretty sour bunch. They like to complain. They will complain about having to report their activity. They will complain about having to do the activity they have to report on. They will complain that they need more resources. They complain about not getting enough leads. They complain their compensation plan is not generous enough. They complain their territory is too small. They complain that Service “just doesn’t understand.” You get the idea, they have not exactly created a positive image of themselves in general.

Make Lemonade

So it is not surprising that sales producers will come up to me and complain about a lack of everything. They don’t have what they need in order to succeed.

The point I like to make to them is that the reality is they need to do what they can with what they have. They need to focus on what they can control versus complaining about what they can’t control. So, what we do is help them assess their current situation. We take a look at what they do have, and what they can leverage to help them be effective.

1. Find stories – build case studies to tell their story more effectively, so that they can be more effective in front of clients. When a client or a prospect hears a story, they put themselves in the story. It is one of the most effective ways of selling. The even better news is that it costs the company and the Sales Professional nothing! Happy clients are more than willing to share their stories.
2. Find out why – Why do companies do business with you? What keeps them coming back? What are the characteristics of your happiest clients? Once you know the answers to these questions, create a profile of the ideal client. Create a list and go after them. This creates focus and an easier sale where you don’t need as much “stuff” in order to sell them.
3. Become a friend of marketing – Even if marketing is the intern in the cube next to you, make a list of things you need and prioritize them. Let them know the “why” you have discovered from clients and help them create new campaigns focused on your ideal client.
4. Sell more – when you sell more and problem solve instead of complaining, you are in a much stronger position to get more.
5. Be prepared – once you have sold more, have your priority list of needs so when the opportunity to get more resources presents itself you are ready.

Create the Plan

Finally, create a very simple plan for how you are going to execute on each one of those areas. Make sure it is focused on the right targets, right buyers and the right activity to ensure you succeed. By doing this, you can turn it around from a negative to a positive. Focus on what you can control in order to drive more business, more happiness and less complaining.