THE REST OF THE YEAR

It seems funny to say “the rest of the year” when there are only 6 days left in 2012. It seems even funnier to say “the rest of your selling year” when there are only 4 days left if you count Monday which is New Year’s Eve.

Yet, work doesn’t stop because a new calendar begins nor does it stop because an old calendar ends.

So what should we as reps do for what is left of 2012? There are several things that will produce some awesome results. Think about where you are for the current year.

1)      Many of you, hopefully, have already met or exceeded your sales quotas. You need to look at your bonus opportunities. I have seen so many reps hit quotas and then leave money on the table because they stopped pushing themselves and missed bonus opportunities that were so close one good day would have meant thousands of dollars to them. You have 4 selling days left, make them count!

2)      Some of you are within striking distance of your quotas. This is the time to use your relationships with your customers to get you over the finish line. Go to your best and biggest customers and remind them of all the VALUE ADDED things you have done for them the past year. Let them know that you have gone above and beyond what they expected from a sales rep. Share with them the fact that you need X dollars to hit your quota and ask them for a BIG order. (DO NOT JUST LOAD THEM UP! MAKE SURE WHAT THEY ORDER IS PRODUCT THEY NEED) Keep in mind that if you load them up now you won’t be getting orders from them for a while, this may put you in the same position next year as you are right now. Use this opportunity to get new items in and set the stage for bigger sales next year.

3)      I know of a lot of companies that offer bonuses for reps who exceed their quotas. If you are one of the lucky reps that work for a company that will give you bonus dollars for going beyond your quota by certain figures, GO FOR IT! Know what the figure is you need to hit for the bonus and set your goals over the next 4 days to hit that figure.

4)      Unfortunately there are always some reps that are so far behind quota for the year that realistically there is no way that 4 days will make a difference. OK, put 2012 behind and start making your plans to blow it out in 2013. Do your homework, look at you customer lists and see where the opportunities lie for you to grow business next year. Look over your prospect list and make your plans on how you will open these new customers. Look at your pipeline and make sure you have your plan on how to keep it full. Look in the mirror and make sure the person looking back at you is ready willing and able to push forward to a new year.

The year is NOT over! Make the final days the best 4 days of the year no matter which group of reps you fall into.

2012 was an interesting year with the economy, the wars, the elections all having an impact on our business. 2013 is shaping up to be another interesting year filled with challenges and opportunities. It will be up to each and every one of us to use all our creative skills, all our selling skills, and all our business skills to assure that we come out on top.

Lorin

COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!

SAM I WAS

Over a year ago, 10/13/11 to be exact, I wrote about my Brother-In-Laws father SAM who to me was the consummate salesman. At the time Sam was 93 (I thought 94, does a year really matter at this point?) year’s young and going strong. However after his wonderful wife of over 70 years (again, I thought they were married 60+ but found out it was 70) passed away, Sam’s own health started to decline.

On December 15^th we lost Sam.

I say we, including everyone who will read this post, because when a lifelong salesman dies a little of each of dies along with him. I know that sounds so cliché, but in this case it is true. You see, as I said before, Sam was a salesman salesman. He was from the old school, he had the ethics of the old school, he had the persistence of the old school, he had the self-drive of the old school and most of all he had the LOVE for selling of the old school.

It was men and women like Sam that gave sales people a GOOD name. He was the kind of salesman that believed whatever he was selling, from Diamonds to his own artwork, it was not only the best but that everyone needed it and had reasons to back up his beliefs.

Unlike so many of the so called salespeople of today ho are nothing but order takers, Sam knew all the steps that it took to get the sale. He always built VALUE in his product and showed how ownership would benefit the customer and he made sure the product would meet the needs AND the wants of the customer.

Sam was selling right up until the end, he always had a piece of his artwork with him and would do his best, even from a wheelchair being pushed by one of his wonderful and dedicated caretakers, to find a prospect and go into his well-practiced and professionally delivered sales pitch. It may have been another patient, the nurse, or the doctor, but Sam always found a prospect.

As you can imagine at 94 years old he had patience. Along with his patience he also had the persistence of a Pit Bull. He knew that you may not say yes today, but if he could repeatedly show you the value and how his artwork would better your life you would eventually say yes.

WE lost a GREAT salesman. Our jobs just got a little more difficult because there is one less salesman doing it right and each of us needs to work a little harder to make up the difference. In Sam’s case we each need to work A LOT harder because the hole left by his passing is big one.

A final story about Sam. At the funeral Jeff, my Brother-in-Law spoke about his father. Sam was an artist and sold his own artwork. He had portraits of sports figures, famous people from all walks of life, and some religious portraits as well. Jeff said, “I can see my father now standing at the gates of heaven looking into G-Ds face and saying, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU NEED? A BEAUTIFUL PORTRAIT OF YOUR SON HANGING ON THE WALL, LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT I HAVE”

Goodbye Sam, Good Selling.

Lorin