The signs are out there….
But the question is do you even see them? This is the critical question! Do you notice the signs and then do you act accordingly!
In this instance I am talking about the economic signs that are out there. Things like housing sales, unemployment claims and new filings, inventories and the stock market. For as much negative press as the declining stock market received in 2008 you think that more time would be spent talking about the good news, specifically the rebounding of the market this year. The Dow Jones average hit a low point on March 1, 2009 of 6470. As of this minute the Dow Jones Average is at 9852, representing an increase of 3,382 points or a 52 + % gain! I know, I know... there are other factors that affect us all that maybe a lot more pertinent in our daily lives than the averages in the stock market but I think we can all agree that a big part of this recession and our eventual recovery involves our attitudes and our state of mind.
Who likes a whiner or a complainer? No one does…right? This is true even though they might have a real good reason to complain. The fact of the matter is that most of us will try to get away from that person because of the way it affects us.
Now let’s reverse the situation. Have you ever met that person that is always positive? I have met them before. Even in situations where I might say boy this person has a lot of problems going on and they turn around and say “you know Dave, it could be a lot worse…we are just happy to have a good support system!” WOW, talk about looking at things with a different perspective.
Again, getting back to the signs of the economy how is your attitude? There is no busier time of the year in the promotional products industry and for that reason it is critical that you are upbeat and positive in all of your dealings. Remember what we said above that no one likes a whiner or a complainer. Well guess what…no one wants to buy from a whiner or a complainer!
How are you approaching your customers? Are you stopping by or calling to pick up an order or are you visiting them to find out about their needs with the ultimate goal of showing them creative ideas that will help them to grow their sales and meet their own objectives? Which is it? Are you talking about the good signs in the economy or are you stuck in the past lamenting how bad things have been?
It is important that each of us does their own self evaluation to determine what “vibes” they might be giving off when meeting with others. Ask other around you whom you trust about how you might be perceived in this regard. Do they generally view you as positive or negative or in the middle, kind of blah, not too upbeat, but not too negative either.
In a strange way I believe that most of us probably don’t want to know the real answer to this question. Perhaps we are afraid that the famous actor Jack Nicholson, in one of his famous roles, is going to show up and shout at the top of his lungs “you can’t handle the truth!” I sincerely doubt that his is going to happen to any of us. The good thing about all of this is that you control your destiny here. It can all change with the next sales call!
I see the signs of things getting better. Not only do I see these signs in the general economy but I see the signs in our business over the last six weeks. More orders are coming in. Some salespeople are selling some very large orders. Customers are asking for more quotes as they consider new projects involving promotional products.
See the note that I received yesterday from a few of our reps
– “I have been getting only one or two calls per day....left town Thurs and Fri, and there were 9 calls when I got back. I think that I need to leave town more often. Wrote several orders today, and I am making approx. 20 cold calls per week. I never thought I would have to go back out to "walking the streets!" It is what it is “
Another top rep told me that he has over 60 quotes out right now for projects and that he feels like many of these will result in orders. As we spoke he was trying to finalize a nice order for 9,000 umbrellas from HIT. When it rains it pours…this is fantastic news!
These two reps are experiencing the signs of an economic turnaround now. The fact that they are experiencing some successes should be a sign for you and me both. I would like to emphasize a point made in the first example above that many of you may have missed…
The sales rep is making 20 cold calls per week
When I began in this business I was taught that 20 cold calls per day were necessary to succeed. I understand that this number was set out there for the newcomer who was trying to get started in the business. How many cold calls are each of you making?
I think we would be ecstatic if each and every one of you were making 20 new cold contacts each and every week! Can we commit to trying this? As anyone who has committed themselves to doing this will tell you it always pays off. In some cases it may be a form of delayed gratification, meaning calls that you make today end up panning out three months down the road.
On the other side of the coin if you make no sales calls on new prospects I can tell you there is no need to wait for the results. The reward for doing absolutely nothing is nothing and it is immediate!
So today’s message is Attitude and Action…check your attitude to make sure it is positive and upbeat and once you know this to be true get up and out there meeting and greeting existing customers and prospects to find out how you can meet their needs with creative ideas and products. You can do it!
Good luck and Happy Selling!
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