Tag Archives: never give up

Why a Sales Person Should Love Friday

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Fridays have always been my favorite day of the week as a salesperson.  This is not for the reason you may think.  I actually love it for 3 simple reasons.

1)  PEOPLE ARE NICER! As a salesperson you have to make cold calls.  Whether you like it or not if you are truly a good sales person and want to find NEW business you are going to have to call on someone you don’t know.  So you may be the nicest person in the world with the best product in the world chances are you still going to have a cold call that the other person blows you off.  Guess what on Friday especially Friday afternoon I have met my best prospects.  The gate keeper that hated their job on Monday is so excited that they won’t be coming back for two days.  They wouldn’t give you the time of day on Tuesday but come Friday they want to be nice because “hey it’s Friday”.

It’s amazing how much more open people are when they are looking forward to something.  It sounds simple but people on Friday tend to be more laid back.  For many companies they implement a casual day on Friday.  The office feels less stiff and people feed off of that.  Use your Friday’s to get on the phone or get in your car and make those sales calls.

2) PROSPECTS APPRECIATE YOUR DEDICATION!  People are ready to start their weekend and many see co-workers or employees around them already starting to take an early weekend.  When you show up or call on Friday the person you reach appreciates that you are working too.  As much as they might not want to be there they see you are in it with them.  It’s nice to know that if someone works hard to earn your business they will typically works just as hard to keep your business.

There is nothing worse than buying something from a smooth talker and when you need them they aren’t there.  Sales people that show up on Friday will also answer their phone when you need them.

3) ALWAYS END MY WEEK ON A HIGH!  Mondays are a fresh start and you have the chance to start your week off right, but what’s even better on a Monday is when you closed the week before on a good note.  Put some positive energy in on Friday so that you can avoid that dreadful Monday feeling.  If you leave the week feeling productive chances are you will bring that with you on Monday.

So drop the stereotypes about sales people hitting the golf course on Friday, and make Friday your best day for cold calling and finding opportunities.  You will thank yourself!

I almost gave up…..

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I was a few months into my first outside sales job. The first month was so exciting and I was ready to take on the world and then I had this serious breakdown about 90 days into the job and I got scared.  REALLY SCARED!  I had never experienced this feeling in other jobs.  In the past, if I was given a task I completed it and moved on to the next.   I always did as my boss asked and there were not too many variables to get in my way.  This sales thing though……was like something I never experienced.  I was doing everything I could and was not getting the Sale.   WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME?!?! I had called hundreds if not  thousands of people.   The receptionists were starting to actually like seeing me stop by. I had attended networking events on a regular basis.

The worst part about my paranoia, was that my peers were bringing in new deals and they did not seem to be stressed.  At that moment, I was fortunate enough to work with someone that talked “some” sense into me and walked me off the ledge.  My coworker  explained to me what was going on.  She had been in sales for years and so had my peers.  They had built up their networks and contacts overtime, and their clients knew to call them without thinking about any other options.  I was the newest rep on the block and had just introduced myself to the world.  I needed to keep my head up and keep plugging along.  Eventually, I would see the rewards.  She explained to me that she went through the same situation when she started and told me you need to build a pipeline.  You need to find opportunities and stay on top of them.  I watched the pipeline like a hawk and stayed on every single opportunity no matter how big or small.

My coworker’s pep talk helped me a for a few weeks and then I was scared again….until one day I had a email message requesting a meeting to talk about services and pricing.   I had called on this prospect for months and finally I heard back.  I had stopped by, called, and emailed for months, and each time I reached out they were too busy to meet.  They were polite and busy at the same time.   I was getting used that from most of the prospects, so that day when I opened my email from them I nearly cried.  They actually wanted to buy something and FROM ME!  I quickly responded and we scheduled a meeting.  The day of the meeting I was so excited to go to their office.  I even brought my office manager so he could assure them we would handle their orders to the best of our ability.   We parked at a meter outside their office and I paid for an hour.  Let me tell you that was the best parking ticket I ever received because my meeting went over an hour and we sealed the deal.  From that day forward, I decided to never give up because the feeling you get when you win after you try so hard is the best feeling I have ever experienced in my professional career.

So on the days I feel defeated and I want to give up I remember that if I keep trying I will feel that win again if I stay the course! To earn a prospect’s trust and business is an amazing compliment and truly a win to celebrate!