How to Build Your Confidence for Selling

In my early days of selling, I was a “winger.” I guess everyone knows what a “winger” is, but in case this is a new term for you, “wingers” describe not just salespeople, but people in general who rely on their ability to think on their feet and their ability to come up with the right words or expressions without any preparation at all.

I was a “winger” in college and my grades should have taught me that “winging” it through life was not the most effective path to success.

Then when I became a salesperson, I once again frequently chose to wait until the last minute to prepare for a big presentation.

As with most of us, just one life-changing event can teach us an important lesson that common sense should have taught us much earlier in life. In my case, this life-changing event took place in New York City in front of about 200 of my fellow salespeople.

Here’s the scenario: Along with my fellow salespeople around the country, I was invited to attend the kickoff of what was promised to be one of our company’s hottest new product lines. The company had chosen the name Ruco for this exciting new siding product. Ruco was made of a form of lightweight expanded concrete, but it looked a lot like wood from a distance. But in addition to looking a lot like wood, an installer could cut it with a saw and drive a nail through it. And to cap off the list of features Ruco possessed, it provided insulation benefits…just like real wood.

Each salesperson was mailed a demonstration kit in advance of the sales meeting with instructions to practice the demonstration often enough prior to arriving at the sales meeting to show off our presentation skills in front of the entire national sales force. I received the kit and the instructions just like all of the other salespeople, but unlike the others, I didn’t practice at all. I figured that if I was lucky enough to avoid having to go first, I was enough of a quick-study to “wing it” and get by just fine.

My plan didn’t work. In fact, my presentation was a disaster. I’ve never been so humiliated in my life. It was extremely obvious which salespeople practiced their presentations and which ones were like me -- “wingers.” One particular salesperson, when demonstrating how easy Ruco was to nail, hit his thumb with the hammer and blood shot all over the Ruco. Another was so nervous that his hands were visibly shaking when he held a lighted blowtorch underneath the Ruco to illustrate its insulation qualities.

In hindsight, this was one of the most important days of my selling life because it was on this day that I made the decision to never again rely on my wits to get me through a product presentation.

Today, before standing before an audience of salespeople, I spend several hours preparing. Even though I may have presented some of the same material before, I always practice. I always prepare. I never again want to experience the feelings I felt that day in New York City.

How about you? How are you at presenting one of your company’s key product lines? How long do you practice before standing in front of a prospect to make a key demonstration. Is it obvious to your potential customer that this presentation was not iimportant enough to you to adequately prepare?

As the great sales trainer Jim Rohn says, when you take your business too casually, you’re likely to become a casualty. So I encourage you, do your homework. Practice. An important presentation can be as important to your sales success as opening night can be for a Broadway actor. So don’t blow it by taking your profession too casually.

Bill Lee is author of Gross Margin: 26 Factors Affecting Your Bottom Line ($21.95) and 30 Ways Managers Shoot Themselves in the Foot ($21.95) Plus $6 S&H for the first book and $1 S&H for each additional book. To order, See Shopping Cart at http://www.BillLeeOnLine.com

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To Increase Sales Means You Must Map Your Icebergs

The Titanic was doomed because of what was below the water line or what could not be seen. With businesses in the U.S. failing annually at over 525,000 or one business closing every minute, it appears that many businesses sink because of what they cannot see.

Being able to see outside of the box so to speak is essential in today's business world. In the early 1900's, an Italian by the name of Vilfredo Pareto saw that 20% of the Italian population owned 80% of Italy. His mathematical formula is now recognized as the Pareto Principle. Later, individuals such as Dr. Joseph Juran and others used this formula to explain quality, organizational and individual performance.

The iceberg is a great visual of the Pareto Principle or what some also call the Pareto's Law. How much of your sales are below the water line and you cannot see them, but they are still there?

Years ago one of my close colleagues said that "We drive by more businesses that we ever get." What he was really saying is that we there is a whole of business that we do not see each and every day.

The question you need to ask yourself is "If I want to increase sales for continued business growth, what icebergs do I need to map?"

To be able to map your icebergs requires you to do some simple research regarding your business. For example, you can begin by identifying the 20% of your loyal customers (the tip of the iceberg) who deliver 80% of your revenue. Then look to what demographics and psychographics that they have in common. Now direct your efforts to the 80% of sales sales leads or potential customers that you can't see who share exactly the same characteristics.

Increasing sales is just not about finding more new business, but also demands that you hire sales focused individuals. Take the time to review the efforts of your current sales staff. Who are the top producers, again the tip of the iceberg, that deliver 80% of your sales? What traits do they have in common? When hiring, can you find new sales people with the similar traits?

When you being to map your icebergs, you will avoid the doom of those other failed businesses and not be another Titanic.

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Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S. is a speaker and Indianapolis business coach & Chicago business coach who has written hundreds of articles with a focus on improving individual and organizational performance through excellence in leadership to executable strategic plans.

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