Top 3 ways to stay in the game when you run out of steam

Introduction

In our sales training we discuss how the difference between a good salesperson and a great salesperson that can keep their head in the game when it counts often comes down to the power of the pause.
It’s that moment you see a champion take a deep breath, count to three, call game on and remind themselves to keep their eye on the prize.

Rarely do we acknowledge the sales game is heavily dependent on an age-old formula of volume and frequency. We remain in love with the idea that every prospect should become that next red-hot sale, yet when we look at the statistics, history tells us no one person, process, or technology has mastered a 100 per cent sales close rate.

Statistically speaking, every “no” is getting you closer to the next “yes”, and that elusive yes is all that’s needed to conclude some campaigns as a real winner for you, your team and even your company.

In some markets, all you need is one sale to make a massive ROI, yet despite knowing all this, hearing “no” and accepting rejection can take its toll on us, it can even leave us feeling deflated, alone and stuck with no end in sight.

The following is for you, the frontline troops of our industry that forge forward, day in day out, the tips here have been battle tested and have helped me develop the right conditioning and mindset to stay on track when it’s raining “no thanks” and “doughnuts” for the day.

Dovetails and timing…

Let’s consider for a moment that “no” does not mean they are rejecting you, or your product – instead, let’s entertain the thought that they like you; however, they also believe that right now your offer is not a suitable fit for them. In contrast, the people that do accept your offer, love you and see your opportunity as a well-crafted dovetail joint for them.

Play your cards right…

Often there are factors are out of your control, and some prospects have no budget, and no one wants to sell to a client that cannot afford to pay for your offer, right?

These days the sales process is also becoming more complex, with additional stakeholders wanting their needs met as well, yet all it takes is for one of these key players to begin championing your solution and the proposal sitting on the desk of the mysterious decision maker can now have a pulse again.

Your pitch is one in a million…

It’s worth reminding yourself you are not the only one out there, your pitch is one of many that is screaming for your prospect’s attention, whether it be other competitors in your market, non-related offers in their inbox offering free shipping or those three telemarketers calling them on the phone as you are reading this right now.

We are all getting “pitched” thousands of times a day, it’s the jungle we live in, but as consumers, we also know that we respond and pay attention to what we consider to be urgent needs.

When we feel hungry, we eat, when we look thirsty, we drink. Prospects tend to believe that when they receive a well-suited proposal – they will move forward, however, in their own time.

Slow is fast…

All too often we lose sight of this game, it has always been a marathon rather than a sprint – yet we still try to sprint as much as we can thinking we will get there faster, only to find the hare never beats the tortoise.

The secret to a marathon is pace and consistency, adopting this outlook as a “sales pro athlete” can put the challenges ahead of you into a realistic perspective to maintain consistent momentum and energy.

Dig for gold…

Take it all in, the good, the bad and the ugly, learning why your prospect has declined your offer is a golden opportunity to dig deep, adjust and revise in preparation for your next potential client.

It is also worth noting that if the prospect is saying no to your proposal, it does not mean they do not know someone else that your offer could ideally suit – keep doors open and avoid burning bridges, this game is about strong networks, it is never what you know rather than whom you know.

Finally, never lose sight of what you have achieved, take a moment to understand you earned every sale, you paid the price for every prize – being grateful can be great fuel for the journey ahead for you, as tomorrow we get ready to do it all over again. If you’re interested in learning more about how we coach our client to exceed their goals, check out our sales coaching packages.