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Near Death Of A Salesman
That sales opportunity that leads to so much money looks oh so tempting. This is easy money you make just for going out and talking to some people. A delicious piece of cake job that you want a slice of. Sounds like an opportunity that is too good to be true.
You request a sales position interview, sweat thru it, and yes you happen become one of the lucky chosen. You just fell into the death trap.
At first your sales manager appears to be a pleasant understanding guy with 12 to 15 agents under his command. Initially he works on your mind daily. How superior these products are. Heck, they almost sell themselves. With quick fire action, your find out from another new agent, that your sales manager is not going to provide leads. This is a big mental wound. You are go to dig up your own or dig your grave..
From wonderful, your manager becomes slave driver. He forces you to make up a lead list of 100 relatives, friends, neighbors, church members, etc. That now becomes the game plan for your revival. You should get plenty of sales opportunities. These are not 100 leads but 100 people you happen to know. As a result your “leads” get more “pity sales” than sales from people wanting or needing what you sell.
Every night before you go to rest, you always see clouds of career death looming overhead. The self termination of 85% of salespeople occurs within 18 months after being hired. In the office you notice the seats in the office are occupied by newer agents with new phone directories. This projects rather strange and spooky feelings. (Almost like a funeral parlor). It is not just you, it is like a plague sweeping across the helpless new salespeople.
The truth stinks of rotting meat. Where are those leads you were told about in the interview? Your sales manager barks at you for not getting referrals, and for not talking to enough acquaintances.. You too are provided with a death valley phone directory to start cold calling for leads. When unknown people object to seeing them, your sales manager crushes your ego, saying if you were more persistent you could have got a lead. You start to think your company, agency, and manager want you to sink six feet under.
It’s plain not right when your sales manager is constantly behind closed doors interviewing for new salespeople. Shouldn’t he be working leads with you and his other salespeople?. You observe new agents are dropping quicker than a fly, but the ones that fail, pass on without a memorial service. Fresh “new blood” keeps arriving, but what about all the missing bodies?
The hard to face facts creep into your no longer immune system.Your sales health is failing from lead deprivation. No leads produces zero income, no matter how great you can sell. Either you must quit now or borrow $1,000 from a family member. If you want to make money in sales, you have to use your own seed money to survive and prosper. You need leads to sell, not a phone directory for random prospecting.
It is actually a very easy formula to set up your lead system. A fair number of leads + decent quality = more sales presentations = more sales income. Pump quality leads into your system by looking up a list broker. He can match up a list of 2,500 possible prospects who might be interest in your products. He can also connect you with a combo large mailer /printer. The person arranging your sales pieces is helpful in the wording of your sales piece to mazimize your response. 2,500 inexpensive postcards are printed with your message.
FINALLY GETTING LEADS. Have 1,250 sales pieces mailed now. The next batch of your 1,250 sales pieces should be sent out 10 to 12 days later. Your first batch of leads produces 12 to 15 responses. These people are eager to talk with you. 7 appointments gets 4 sales and $2,500.00 in commissions. Quickly pay off $100 on your loan, and invest another $1,000 before the second batch of leads come in. With stubborn determination you plan out how to keep from being buried alive.
First you start digging yourself out of the grave. At this point 2 sales miracles will automatically happen. You quickly get more experience leading to a higher rate of appointments. This causes more sales at higher amounts.
THE DEVIL was your sales manager, sales agency, and home office company. YOUR SAVIOR WAS GOOD LEADS