Tag Archives: boondoggle

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!

Boondoggling to the New Year

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Are you familiar with the term Boondoggling?  It is defined as “to do work of little or no practical value merely to keep or look busy.” A few years back when I worked as an outside sales executive I was really offended by a boss that asked me if I was “boondoggling” one Holiday Season.  I think he only made that reference to me the first year I worked for him and he may have not really had an understanding of my work ethic.  I was really shocked that he thought I would waste this time of year to “Boondoggle”.  If I wanted to take time off then I would have taken time off.

As an outside sales person you rarely should find yourself in the office, let alone in the office to “boondoggle”.   Your job is to be in front of clients and prospects.  Typically during 9 to 5 you are making sales calls or attending meetings.  If you have paperwork it gets put on hold for after hours so that you make yourself available as much as possible for client interactions.  The end of the year is a treat for me.  It’s a great time to plan and get caught up.  A successful salesperson does not have time to Boondoggle anytime of the year.  This does not mean that I do not enjoy taking time to break and I am not afraid to say today I am taking a break.

The two weeks at the end of December are far from Boondoggling for those of us who choose work.  It’s a great time to get caught up on loose ends and create plans for the New Year.  The planning that we can get done during this time helps to create a successful year ahead!  So for those that choose to Boondoggle and not make the most of your days before the New Year….you probably should have just taken the time off and recharged.  There is nothing wrong with shutting down….however if you are going to boondoggle you probably just wasted some valuable time.