The fact that you chose to start reading this post supports my premise: People love secrets and shortcuts. The dirtier the better. That there's a technique, phrase or trick out there that would make the whole sales thing fall into place is a seductive idea. Indeed, sellers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on books, videos and seminars in search of this particular grail over the last several decades.
But after selling for my entire adult life and being a voice-in-the-ear for sellers in the digital marketing business for the last 20 years, I'm here to give away "the secret" - such as it is. Here goes.
Discipline, grit and hard work. Lots of it.
Disappointed? I get it. But true is true. Being a good seller is like playing good defense on the basketball court. While only a select few can soar above the rim or hit more than half of their three-point shots, anyone can play good defense. And, if fully committed, anyone can be a good seller.
Discipline, grit, hard work.
Good sellers have a strong sense of discipline. They make lists, they stay organized. They respect the clock and the calendar. They know when three days have passed since the last contact. Good sellers embrace process and pipeline. They develop positive habits.
Good sellers have grit. They stay in each conversation a little longer than is comfortable. They go and find one more name on an account...then they go find another one after that. They inspect their own work and progress. If prospects are elusive, they don't assume the door is closed; they assume it's worth knocking again. They don't fall apart in the face of criticism or rejection. They don't fear falling down; they obsess about getting up again.
Good sellers work hard. Great salespeople aren't born that way. They are forged by labor. They get up a little earlier and stay a little later....not to be seen, to achieve. They always believe there's one more thing that can be done to help a deal close. They take the time to properly thank their customers and their team members. They do homework. They go to see the customer, they visit the factory, they take the extra trip. Having estimated what it will take to succeed, they do 50% more.
Is this what it takes to be in sales? No. It's what it takes if you want to be good at it and deserve the business you get. All of it - every single word - is fully in your control.
And not for nothing...it's the same secret to success at everything else in life.
