October 1, 2002
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| It’s time to find some customers |
| By Andrew Gagen |
In one way or another, helping your company gain new business relates to your job security and the financial stability of your family. Why aren’t you doing more to help out?
We all know that nothing happens on the planet earth until someone sells something. This is true whether you’re reading about fighter jets being built for the Department of Defense (someone sold them those jets), you’re watching the World Series on T.V. (someone sold those expensive commercials to make it possible), or you have a friend starting his/her own company as a sole proprietor (they have to sell something just to survive).
You won’t look stupid!
My years of sales experience have taught me that the main reason people struggle in prospecting for new clients is self-centered fear. They somehow conclude that if they call someone up on the phone to ask for business they might end up looking stupid and being humiliated. I really don’t think that is very likely no matter how bad you are at sales.
Can you name a person who cold called you within the last 48 hours?
Can you name a person who cold-called you this week? I sincerely doubt it, and neither can the people you call. Making a phone call may be uncomfortable but even if you fall flat on your face you will be the only one who knows about it after you hang up. Prospects won’t remember you, I hate to break the bad news, but you are simply not that important.
All you have to worry about is how often you engage in the activity of attempting to be of value to people, the business will naturally follow. Be yourself, try to be helpful and considerate, and develop some relationships. Quit worrying about all of the details. When it comes to sales, any reasonable action is better than none. Your current skill level is just fine to get started, after all, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Be like Sammy!
Sammy Sosa was at the plate 556 times this year and struck out 144 times! That means he has struck out and had to walk back to the dugout more than 25 percent of the time. I’ve never seen anybody laughing at Sammy. I’ve never seen Sammy sitting in the dugout telling the coach he is hesitant to go back up there. I’ve never seen Sammy balking at the idea of picking up a baseball bat. So why are you hesitant to pick up the phone? If you made 556 prospecting calls this year and struck out 144 times, would your company be doing better? I would be very surprised if you answered anything other than yes.
Start now
Think of all of the ways you can help people. Think about the information you can share that would make other people more effective in their jobs. Call the people to whom you can be of value and simply offer to help. Don’t try to sell them anything, just try to be of service. If you adopt this simple attitude, and remember each and every day that no one will remember that you called unless the call goes well, you will be amazed at the difference it will make in your life. And when you stumble and fall and make a fool of yourself, or someone is unnecessarily rude to you, just remember Sammy Sosa – you’re in good company!
Andrew Gagen
is Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of InfoStaff, an
I.T. staffing company that he built from the ground up with his wife Tedd.
Andrew serves as President of the Independent Computer Consultants Association
in Chicago and has spent his entire 20-year career in sales and marketing.
He can be reached at andrew@infostaff.com.
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