Peady’s Selling Engagement sponsored by IRD Prospector
Welcome to this week’s post on sales and selling success.
This post is dedicated to those who are new to the selling profession.
Starting a new career in any field is daunting but with media sales you’ll face some unique challenges and the longer you take getting up to speed, the longer it will take for you to hit your KPI’s. Not only are you getting used to the company’s culture but you’re also trying to get off to a good start.
Obviously, you’d like to sell the minute you sit down at your desk, but realistically that takes time.
So, what do you need to do?
The first 100 days
Your first 100 days will either make or break your career so a plan is vital. In those first 100 days you’ll be closely observed by managers and peers, you’ll be finding your way and you’ll find out if this career is for you!
First rule – Activity is everything! One of the few “controllables” is how many calls you make every day. Phone or F2F, it doesn’t matter but you need to be in-market as much as possible. Activity creates a pipeline of momentum and opportunity.
Second rule – Understand why you are doing this. If you really don’t know WHY you want to be in sales, chances are you won’t do the hard work needed to be successful. Trust me, selling isn’t just a job.
Rule three – Learn to handle and accept rejection. You’ll experience rejection on a daily basis. Its part of the job. Over time, every salesperson learns to toughen up and shrug off those ugly moments so find a coping strategy that works for you.
Rule four – Know your “numbers”. The best salespeople track their conversion rates all the way from prospecting through to closing (including client retention). As a basic you should track how many cold calls you make, how many appointments you set, and how many sales you make.
Finally – Practice and learn. It’s vital you have an ongoing learning plan to help you improve; is it negotiation, closing, networking, asking questions? Once you have the learning plan you’ll need to try these skills. Find someone you trust to practice with.
A great message on sales and selling
“And old Dave, he’d go up to his room, put on his green velvet slippers and pick up his phone and call the buyers, and without leaving his room, at the age of eighty-four, he made his living. And when I saw that, I realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want” Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman (check out the movie).
Until next week, good selling!
About the author
Stephen Pead is a media industry veteran of 30 years with significant experience in direct sales, sales management and general management. He is based in Sydney and specialises in helping SME’s market their businesses more effectively and providing training for salespeople and sales managers.
He can be contacted at [email protected]
