“This is more than just selling remote, this is selling in chaos”
-Nathan Jamail, Keynote Speaker, Bestselling Author
As a person who has carried a sales bag for over 30 years- who has sold door to door, over the phone, retail, business to business, 3rd party, e-commerce and everything in-between- I have never seen anything like the craziness and amount of distractions we are seeing today and I LOVE IT (let me clarify that I don’t love what the distractions ARE in and of themselves). Distractions in the world of sales is the greatest competitive advantage for focused, committed and practiced sales professionals. As sales professionals we can choose; is the current environment going to be our excuse for the lack luster sales results in 2020 or is it going to be our reason for success in 2020?
It does not matter if you were distracted for the last 3 months or the last 3 days, but what does matter is how we act now and tomorrow. I want to share with you three things to keep in mind as you decide to move forward this year in sales.
- First- assume the next five months will be your best five months of your career and act accordingly
- Second- block out the noise and news; nothing people or the media is saying is going to help you focus on selling
- Third- start practicing and perfecting your virtual selling skills and disciplines
The Best 5 Months Ever
No matter how your business has been over the past few months, I personally know many sales reps who are having the best year ever despite many others who are struggling. Important note: it does not matter how other sales people are doing- including your peers, competitors or the people you know. The only thing that matters is what you are going to do. If you are killing it, then keep moving and ride the momentum and don’t let naysayers distract you.
If you are finding yourself struggling then stop and rethink. In sales our mindset will determine the direction we go and our actions day to day. Just working harder is not the answer. If you are in quicksand and are sinking, the more you fight the deeper you will go. Push the reset button, get focused on what you are looking to achieve and redirect your focus and activities towards that new direction.
In my business I have had to do the same things I am sharing with you now (remember… I am a PUBLIC speaker..). Set your 
goals, forget realistic, there is nothing realistic about breaking records, but be logical. Don’t just dream up or throw some crazy goals you have no conviction for. We need a number that we can connect our daily and weekly activities to. Set your goal and align your activities and pipeline to that goal.
Sounds corny, but before we will achieve anything we must believe in it. Once we believe in it we will have the conviction for it. Once we have the conviction then we must put in place a plan of action and do the little things that make big things happen. Sounds simple but many of us skip this step and most never take the time to do it!
Block Out The Noise And The News
Most of us, if not all us, are working from home and along with this ‘benefit’, there are many distractions in this environment (whether it is a new thing or you have been working from home). There is the nasty negative media. TURN IT OFF! Don’t give anybody the power to determine your future success, not media, nay sayers, or even our own self doubt. When I write or create content, I put in my AirPods and my spiritual music on, so that I am alone in my thoughts and world. I do the same before I call clients and/or do virtual speeches. This process is my reset button, my way of tuning out the noise and distractions. And let’s not forget the kids or rest of the family who are also home with us. We have to find ways to keep our minds right and focus- it takes creative thinking and cooperation from those within your home.
Note: it is a good time to block out the media all the time, not just when you are working, as there isn’t any good thing coming from it and will lodge doubt, fear and worry in places you don’t need right now. This isn’t about putting our heads in the sand, it is about focusing on what we CAN control- and it surely isn’t what’s coming over the news or social media.
Once you block out the noise- take the plan you created for the “Best 5 Months Ever” and work it. Believe that the prospects and clients you are calling are looking for help and solutions you are providing. This is no time to sit back and see what happens. This is the time to take action and make things happen.
Selling virtually is more about our mindset, having a proper “Sales Professional’s” mindset, than it is abut our prospect’s and customer’s mindset or distractions. Don’t be afraid of the virtual sales process, embrace it. When we learn to transfer empathy, reliability, trust and influence via video or virtually, then imagine how much better we will be at it when we eventually get back to face to face (keep in mind the virtual thing, in many aspects, isn’t going away- so embrace it).
Selling virtually is not new for everyone, but it is a skill everyone can improve at no matter how good we already are! Selling is a hard enough job, don’t make it harder by getting in your own way.
Start Practicing And Perfecting Your Virtual Selling Skills:
As sales people we are always seeking ways to stand out from the competition, and today is no different. In fact it might be easier now than in the past if we are willing to work on our own skills and practice.
Step 1: Get out out of your comfort zone. Stop doing what you have done in the past and seek ways to do it better. Be bold and confident during introduction calls and video consultation meetings.
Step 2: Practice using your video tools with peers or friends, or even yourself before you go live with a client or prospect (this step is critical!).
Step 3: Like an athlete, create a daily routine with your top 3 daily activities and add a 4th- to practice and scrimmage for 30 minutes every morning before you start. Pro athletes never immediately jump into a game, no matter the sport, without warming up or completely a few practice runs- and neither should sales pros!
Step 4: Become a learner. The greatest and most successful leaders are learners. Learners are earners. Learn about being a better person, a better leader, a better sales pro. Start out reading 30 minutes per day. Look into credible online courses. Find a mentor or coach. Learn and get better.
Tips On Selling Virtually:
- Treat the process of meeting with a client the same as an in-person visit. Don’t only dress up 1/2 way. There are many memes (and real life) images of people only dressing the top half of their bodies. This is a disservice to yourself (and not worth saving the 5-10 minutes to finish dressing). We will act as we dress. Dressing a certain way conveys certain things. Tell your brain that you are ready for success by fully dressing as such.
- Use email or telephone to ask the client to set up a video meeting. Most will say, a phone call is fine, but like being in person is best, in video is second best. We need the visual connection.
- When using video, remember the sales process is the same as in person. Create likablity by being you, be genuine, but not familiar. Then build trust by asking purposeful questions to understand their business, perspective, priorities. Don’t ask questions just to find out how we can sell them. We can’t help someone we do not understand, and we do not fully understand until we have asked the right questions.
- Selling virtually requires more discipline and connection than in person because there is not the physically presence or energy between two humans over the phone/computer, so we must transfer it virtually. We do this by our tone, our engagement, our questions and our passion!
Final Thoughts:
Selling today follows the same priorities of any time in the past. Don’t accept your own excuses. Look at the situation and adjust. Like your sales calls, my keynote speeches are now virtual and have been for several months. I had to adjust and learn how to communicate and engage and connect with audiences all over the world via a camera. I love that my clients say they can still feel my passion over the computer, that they feel connected to me more than with others, but I know that I will keep practicing and keep improving because I might be good now, but I am not near as good as I will be next week!
Selling is a noble job, so stay noble, stay focused, stay committed to your clients and yourself and keep living the dream my friends!
