| Staying Motivated |
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Need to stay motivated? So, what’s bugging you? We ask participants this question all the time and get these answers: 1. No one returns my calls! (See the last newsletter for some hints on this one) 2. Customers are afraid to commit and put off decision-making 3. It’s hard to get motivated when _____________ (fill in the blank.) Let’s discuss #3. It’s difficult to get motivated when…(pick one) “The economy hasn’t recovered” “The competition is killing us” “Our prices are too high” “My sales goals are impossible” “Our service is a problem” We can go on forever. The truth is, you may have valid obstacles to success, however, you don’t have control over any of these situations. So what CAN you do? Take responsibility of what you DO have control over and you’ll find that becomes a powerful motivator. For example, even if the economy hasn’t recovered in your industry, you still have potential buyers who have the authority and money to buy. They have to find a solution somewhere—if not with your company, than with your competitor. Uncover who they are and concentrate on those customers. What if the competition is “killing” you? Go kill them! What do you do that’s unique, better, and how can you differentiate yourself/your product/your service to make the customer think of you, first? (Do you know that most salespeople don’t know this answer?) Your prices are too high? According to whom? Every customer in the world is going to complain that your prices are too high; regardless of whether they are or not. It’s the standard complaint. If your prices are higher than the market, I’ll bet there’s a reason. Do you offer better quality, service, or have a stellar reputation in your industry? Perhaps it’s customer perception. Regardless of the reasons, you’ll find that 98% of buyers will purchase on quality—not just price. If you find a buyer who decides based on price only, you’ll probably lose the deal anyway, and your margins will suffer. Do you really want this business? Probably not. Also research shows us that the lowest margin customers are the most high maintenance customers. Thereby, lowering your margins even more. Who wants that? Let your competition suffer with these customers and have to deal with the headaches. Need a lower goal? Plan your time more efficiently. Stop whining and start selling. Concentrate on what you CAN DO with your customers. Perhaps add-on business, an auto-ship program, partnering with like vendors, better quality networking, get on the phone, register for a training session (SalesPEAK’s perhaps?)—make something happen. You’ll reach your goal! Is your service a problem? Who is the customer calling? Can you give the customer your mobile number, or a direct line to your sales support team, or the warehouse manager’s number, or a secret code into the system—get creative. Make sure your company’s management knows the importance of quality customer service to remain competitive in the market and with your customers. So, if motivation is your problem, get motivated! Get going! Try something new, and you’ll find that once you close just one more sale, you’ll feel more motivated to close more! (c) Renee Walkup, SalesPEAK, 678 587-9911 www.salespeak.com |
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