Tales of Sales Experience
by Bob Myatt
1996 was my worst selling year ever, and I submit to you the
following reason:
Every sales person dreams of landing big corporate accounts. Just
imagine selling one or two accounts that make your entire year.
However, we must really force ourselves to get a grip on reality.
Dealing with giant accounts is often a nightmare rather than a dream
come true. This road requires the sales professional to work hard for
a long time, spend lots of travel money, and the rewards won't
necessarily be as great as imagined.
Even in those
cases when you know someone on the inside, say a Vice President,
chances are that there are many hundreds of VPs in the corporation,
and your acquaintance may not even know who the real decision maker
is.
Expect to spend a lot of time on pricing. It is often true that
large businesses are not price sensitive or are used to paying higher
prices to assure better quality, but they also know that your
competition is just as eager for their business.
Should you give up on large or corporate type accounts? The answer
may be "Yes." You must remember that you will waste a lot of time on
long closing cycles, time that you may not have.
Small to medium sized businesses are quicker and easier to secure,
they give you cash flow, and they can even be more profitable in the
long run.
Keep your hand in trying to sell a small number of
upscale businesses, but don't let it consume your selling life.
Want to see your name in print? The Green Sheet is
looking for Tales of Sales Success. It's a jungle out there, tell us
your adventures on the selling blacktop. What advice do you have for
dealing with the natives? How can other Sales Professionals avoid the
land-mines and quagmires that lurk along the selling process? Share
your insights, experience, and hard-earned knowledge with other
readers. Stories should be 100-150 words in length. Hardcopy and
handwritten submissions will be accepted. The Green Sheet will
PAY you if we use your story $50 for handwritten submissions and $100
for typed or computer formatted stories. Send your submissions to
Julie O'Ryan, Associate Editor, via e-mail
greensheet@greensheet.com or snail-mail at
P.O. Box 6008, Petaluma, CA 94955-6008.
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