MFP Copier Blog

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Sixteen of Selling

Yes,  I've been slowing down a bit on my blog posts lately.  When you're in a bit of a thunk who the heck wants to write about that!  

I've done my fair share of prospecting this week and I'm going to get nowhere near 400 calls.  I'll be happy if I get my hundred or so along with my hundred emails. 

I have one appointment scheduled for tomorrow and there is no closing opportunity.  I'm still hoping my opportunity ($13k) from last week can still come through by tomorrow.  I thought I would let the ball travel with them for a day or two.

Is it too early to start talking about Section 179? I don't think so because the earlier we speak about it the sooner some deals may get done.  In the past I would wait until October and have that chat with the client about the end of the fiscal year.  This year there will be no mention of the end of the fiscal year but the need to take advantage of those tax advantages while they are still in place.  Anyone getting my drift here?  Come November there may or may not be a new Marshall in town (D.C.)  With executive orders more normal than they once were a new President may elect to make sweeping changes at warp speed.  Business owners will need to pay attention if there is a change and will need to be pro-active.  Starting tomorrow one of the questions in emails and phone calls will be "have you thought about using section 179 yet for this fiscal year?"

I was talking with a leasing rep today about their book of business. I was curious how that person was doing moving into the end of the year.  I thought the answer would be doom and gloom, but I was surprised when that person told me it's still going to be a good year.  I asked "why so good?" and was told it was due to the falling out of a major player in the leasing business a few months ago.  It never ceases to amaze me that in such difficult times that there are still many businesses that are killing it!  Our job is to seek out those businesses and get the conversations going while the business it good.

I'm feeling a little more upbeat about September now since one of my $30K deals finally emerged from the weeds yesterday.  In the next few days we'll get back to business to see if we can make something happen.  This opportunity was not in my funnel for September.  In my previous blog I stated I needed an additional $80k in my funnel for this month.  The $30K is back in along with another $8k from an appointment that I had this afternoon.  Total is now $37K added and $43K to go for the funnel.  Make the funnel full and good things will happen.

It was Monday or Tuesday when I contacted a couple of my larger accounts.  What's large to me is probably small to others.  I was told on both calls that they will not have employees back to the office for the remainder of this year.  A conversation with another larger account told me end of first quarter for 2021.  I would suspect that this is the case with many larger companies and it's probably a great time to keep after the low hanging fruit (smaller clients) since they can change and adapt quicker than larger companies.

I also read and interesting article in the NYTimes today about emails.  That email went on to speak about "hope you are well" subject or in the body of the message.  Seems most are thinking "well, how the frak can I be well when there's a pandemic".  The article offered no alternatives but posted some other rants from those receivers and senders. I'm still going to use it because I really do care that you and your family are well.

I hope this email finds you well

That's about it for today and tonight, can't wait for tomorrow since we never know what tomorrow will bring us!

-=Good Selling=-

COVID19 "Remote Working" Day One Hundred and Thirteen of Selling Copiers

Today marked the last selling day of August for me.  I wanted to finish somewhere close to $100K but only managed to get to $82K.  There was one last client that had a shot on Friday for two orders. I was able to receive the smaller of the two orders.  Not what I was hoping for but I'm happy with the $82K. 

Closing early has a couple of bright spots for me as I see it.  For instance there's a little more urgency earlier in the month for that final push.  Then there's the calendar month that so many close by.  

The rest of this week is a mixed bag for me.  Tomorrow means heavy prospecting because I have nothing else to do. I'm pretty much caught up on proposals and my "to do" list.  The plan for tomorrow is to contact all on my opportunity list and then to dig into the CRM to see what I can develop.

I've been worried about September because I only have $66.4K that could close.  At this point in order to make my quarterly goal I need $46K.  This means that 70% of these opportunities will need to close by the 23rd of the month.  I'd be much happier if the $66.4K number was $150K and the reason for that is because of averages.  For me the average means that 66% of those opportunities will not close during the month.  You'll lose some, some will move the buying decision out further while others will fall of the face of the earth.  That 66% would be a bad number for me and means that I will only get about $22K of the $46K that is needed.

Another not so good sign is the Labor Day weekend that's right around the corner.  Figure on losing 1.5 working day thus our selling days is reduced to 20.5 days.  

The only way to win is to prospect. It's the phone calls, the emails, the in-mails or text messages that will add opportunities. Even when times are as bad as they are in New Jersey we need to remember that sales (selling) is a numbers game.  The more peeps you contact the greater your chances are for developing additional opportunities.  Thus the way I see it, is that I need to add $80K or so in opportunities for this month.  Yes, it's a tall task but I've never backed down from a challenge.  

There's something I want.  I want to have a better year than last year. I want to prove to my-self that I can do this even with a pandemic.  There's times, well it's almost every night before I fall asleep that I run through all of the opportunities, the revenues and the opportunities that may close.  In addition it's that time when I think about additional things I can do to help move an order to the finish line,  I just wish I could tape those thoughts because most are gone by the time I wake up.  

There are two goals for this month.  One is to hit my revenue number for the third quarter and the other is to garner an additional $80K in opportunities.  I'll be tracking both of these daily starting in the AM.  

I had one appointment today and that appointment was a good hour in travel time to get there.  As much as I don't like to waste that time anymore that time was much appreciated today because it gave me to time to think.  Most peeps will say when you're driving you're not working, however that's not the case because the entire time to and from the appointment is spent thinking about work.

By the time I got back to my home office and had some lunch it was about 2PM.  I spent the rest of the day prospecting with nothing gained.  But there is always tomorrow.

-=Good Selling=-

MSP & MSSP Industry Notes for August 23rd, 2020

“The foundational root of all success in sales is a fanatical focus on prospecting”

Jeb Blount

What is the purpose of prospecting? How would you define prospecting?

Prospect is from the Latin word prospectus which means a "view or outlook."

What is your outlook or view when it comes to prospecting?

Ask many in sales this question and you will hear a resounding, "to find deals." Or, they may say something such as, "to convince people to give them an appointment."

Unfortunately, many believe if they go on enough appointments and talk to enough people then everything will work out fine. Keep in mind, some sprinkle in some fairy dust on top of this logical thinking.

You might hear, "sales is a numbers game.” If you see enough people and make enough presentations, then you'll close enough deals.

Come on people, how old school! That archetype was from decades ago. What is concerning, most sales managers still believe, preach and teach this approach.

"Stop looking for needle in haystack. Stop looking for a deal to close in 30 days."

PLAY ALONG WITH ME

Let's all agree sales is a numbers game. If your goal is to speak with "X" number of people, to set "X" number of appointments, to close "X" number of deals, what happens to you when you fail to achieve the goal?

You feel like crap and you're miserable, as your quota breathing manager is lurking over your shoulder watching your every move. No matter how strong-willed you are you can only take so much.

Here's the question for all you, what should you do?

What are prospects? They're people, plain and simple.

SALES PROFESSIONALS CHANGE THEIR THINKING

I urge you to take prospecting action. Change your results by changing your thinking.

A sales professional views prospecting as an art. Their canvass is a human to human conversation.

I get it, sales are a numbers game, yeah, yeah, yeah... however; professionals shift numbers logic to...

• How many new conversations am I opening up every week?
• How many new relationships am I opening up every week?
• How many new social connections am I adding to my network every week?

I encourage you to take ownership of your sales funnel. I realize it. I get you have a monthly quota and quarter ending bonuses. I lived in your shoes, but without an ever-flowing relationship funnel you will never have an ever-flowing sales funnel.

What is inside your relationship network?

What if prospecting was about more than finding a deal in the 30-day window? What if it included building relationships and driving conversations in order to create the foundation for a healthy sales funnel?

Relationship development leads to opportunity development which leads to sales development.

Sales professionals are obsessed with developing their relationship funnel.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW?

According to Gartner and their research into the B2B buying journey,

"The typical buying group for a complex B2B solution involves six to 10 decision makers‚ each armed with four or five pieces of information they’ve gathered independently and must deconflict with the group."

If you apply this statement to prospecting then the question for you becomes...

How many relationships are you opening to effectively manage a sales and relationship funnel?

Filling up a relationship funnel requires two-way communication and conversation. Building a healthy and credible relationship funnel means leading with insight, education and storytelling.

What are you doing to earn the right to have a conversation?

Are you prospecting for the now? Are you prospecting for the later?

SALES PROFESSIONALS MANAGE THE FUNNELS

A favorite saying of mine is, "Sales reps are consistently inconsistent." Prospecting is part of the sales profession. I don't care what others may think! Prospecting is a non-negotiable daily activity but why does it become a negotiable activity for many?

Sales professionals know what they are prospecting for while sales reps find excuses.

When it comes to prospecting, I encourage all of you to take a mental snapshot of the number 8. The curves of the number 8 correlate to relationships moving in, around and out of the funnel as they move in, around and out of the sales funnel.

How you develop, nurture and build a healthy relationship funnel will play a significant part in the strength of your sales funnel.

"You must be consistent with your prospecting efforts or accept inconsistent sales results as a way of life."

PROSPECTING IS A NONNEGOTIABLE ACTIVITY

We all know how important the correct amount of sleep and exercise has in maintaining your health, then why does prospecting seem to be one of those things many should do more of but struggle to do it?

I get it, you brush off prospecting because you all have a lot going on in your busy day. Come on sales peeps! How many hours in a given week do you screw off?

Sales professionals keep prospecting the main thing

Unfortunately, many in sales prioritize their to-do list based on urgency, thus prospecting never gets their full attention until it becomes an actual emergency.

If you wait until your pipeline looks like the Sahara Desert, then it's already too late. The truth is you should be prospecting (and you know it) when times are good, not when they become desperate.

“There is no easy button in sales. Prospecting is hard, emotionally draining work, and it is the price you have to pay to earn a high income.”

Jeb Blount

I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and heartfelt strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.

Selling From the Heart is making a difference! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback, kindle and in audio. You can click on the book image below and this will take you to Amazon.

You can find more material inside Selling From The Heart.

In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market. 

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.

COVID19 "Remote Working" Day One Hundred and Ten of Selling Copiers

How could I not write the blog today since today marks 110 business days that I was option to working remotely.  With an average of 22 business days per month, today marks 5 full months.  

It was a terrible morning here in New Jersey. Right out 9:30AM we had some severe thunderstorms come through, by 10AM we were receiving tornado warnings.  Tornado warning in New Jersey?

Like I really need this, and I have no clue what to do even if I saw a tornado (hide?).  Fifteen minutes later power goes out and all I can hear is the repeating siren in town going off for a full minute at a time.  It must have went off ten times in thirty minutes.  Of course it was just and my dog in the house, I grabbed her and we both sat and waited to see what would happen.  

After forty minutes the tornado warning had passed and all was good at the homestead. We finally got back power in the 1PM area.  The loss of power really put a damper on my prospecting plans for the day. However after lunch I worked it all the way until 5:20PM.  What I ended up is with nothing. No appointments, no new opportunities and I wasn't able to move any deals forward with only three days left in the month.

I had an email exchange last night with one of my clients for a $16K order and all they needed was some addition data for insurance numbers for the lease.  Since I supplied that early this AM, I was hoping to have the docs today.  I didn't get them which prompted an email sent about 4:30PM.  I asked if I'll be receiving the documents tomorrow and then out a reason why I was asking.  Dang, I was asking because my month closes on Monday!  Adding another $16k would put me in the nineties for the month.

Back in May I had a net new client interested in a pre-owned wide format or new wide format.  The son and I went back and forth with different proposals and different configurations.  When push finally came to shove the client (son) stated that they (son & father) are putting off the purchase but would definitely get in touch with me when they are ready.  This was about May 26th. Today is August 18th and they were back on my follow up. There was no answer to my call which means an email goes out asap. Just something I always do.  I get an email response from the Father (both were copied on the email Father an Son) that they already purchased a wide format.

Alright I'm a big boy, if you're not going to buy from me or don't like me just tell me. But don't give me some bull**** reason and then I have to follow up to find out that you lied.  There's an old saying in sales that buyers are liars, of course I never ever want to to believe that is true however when something like this happens it does make you think.  People wonder why sales people are so jaded.

Enough of my rant, I just checked my incoming email and I got nothing.  I'm off tomorrow to spend a day with the wife at the beach. Will let the ball travel with the few deals I have going.  Do you think I'll be checking my email at the beach?

-=Good Selling=-