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On The Road To Self-Improvement
Ask Chuck
By Chuck Piola, For The Bulletin
Chuck, how did you get good at selling? I’m holding my own, but I’m antsy. I know I haven’t reached my full potential. Did you ever feel this way? If so, what did you do? How can I break through?
We all hear that selling is a process, but getting good at it is a process also. I can empathize with you. I can remember holding my own, yet, being dissatisfied with my 20 percent closing ratio. I knew there were sales people closing 40 to 50 percent of the people they approached. I began to wonder whether I was too soft on the close. I thought that maybe I had given up too soon. A lot of self-doubt entered my mind.
Considering that I had practically jumped through rings of fire just to get appointments and considering all the energy that went into my presentations, letting 80 percent of my prospects slip away was like reeling in blue ribbon tunas over and over again only to have them squirm from my arms and jump back into the ocean every time I removed the hooks. It really started to bother me.
So, I told my manager that I wanted to work on closing. I told him that I wanted to ride with him for a day just to observe his tenacity. I did, and then I rode with two or three other really great sales people. I spent the day with each of them listening to their approach and watching them in action. I slowly began to apply in my day-to-day selling what I had learned from studying others. Before long, my sales increased. I went from 20 to 25 percent, and then to 30 percent, and then to a 40 percent plus closing ratio. I broke through.
The most difficult part of this exercise was applying their qualities. I could not become the people I observed. I could not assume their persona. I had to apply what I learned from them and make it work for me.
I also told my sales manager that I wanted to work on closing techniques at the next sales meeting. I suggested that all the sales people brainstorm to come up with new techniques. And it worked. The exercise helped all of us. Eventually, my efforts paid big dividends. With a lot of work, I got better at selling.
It’s painful because you have to climb out of your comfort zone. In order to achieve, you constantly have to take risks in order to double your closing ratio. Remember, it’s a numbers game. When you put up big numbers, you will close a certain percentage - even if you’re not good at it. But once you get good at it and keep putting up those big numbers, you can double your income.
This is why I talk about fear so much. You have to constantly remind yourself that if you start with nothing, you have nothing to lose. Every time hesitation creeps in, ask yourself “What have I got to lose?” You’ll find that the answer is always “nothing.”
You can email Chuck Piola business-related questions at askchuck@thebulletin.us. You may also mail correspondence to Ask Chuck, PO Box 212, Swarthmore, Pa 19081. For more information about Chuck Piola visit www.ChuckPiola.com. To book Mr. Piola as a speaker or to find out about cooperative marketing opportunities with Going In Cold visit PR Coordinates at www.PRCoordinates.com or call 610-338-0229.
We all hear that selling is a process, but getting good at it is a process also. I can empathize with you. I can remember holding my own, yet, being dissatisfied with my 20 percent closing ratio. I knew there were sales people closing 40 to 50 percent of the people they approached. I began to wonder whether I was too soft on the close. I thought that maybe I had given up too soon. A lot of self-doubt entered my mind.
Considering that I had practically jumped through rings of fire just to get appointments and considering all the energy that went into my presentations, letting 80 percent of my prospects slip away was like reeling in blue ribbon tunas over and over again only to have them squirm from my arms and jump back into the ocean every time I removed the hooks. It really started to bother me.
So, I told my manager that I wanted to work on closing. I told him that I wanted to ride with him for a day just to observe his tenacity. I did, and then I rode with two or three other really great sales people. I spent the day with each of them listening to their approach and watching them in action. I slowly began to apply in my day-to-day selling what I had learned from studying others. Before long, my sales increased. I went from 20 to 25 percent, and then to 30 percent, and then to a 40 percent plus closing ratio. I broke through.
The most difficult part of this exercise was applying their qualities. I could not become the people I observed. I could not assume their persona. I had to apply what I learned from them and make it work for me.
I also told my sales manager that I wanted to work on closing techniques at the next sales meeting. I suggested that all the sales people brainstorm to come up with new techniques. And it worked. The exercise helped all of us. Eventually, my efforts paid big dividends. With a lot of work, I got better at selling.
It’s painful because you have to climb out of your comfort zone. In order to achieve, you constantly have to take risks in order to double your closing ratio. Remember, it’s a numbers game. When you put up big numbers, you will close a certain percentage - even if you’re not good at it. But once you get good at it and keep putting up those big numbers, you can double your income.
This is why I talk about fear so much. You have to constantly remind yourself that if you start with nothing, you have nothing to lose. Every time hesitation creeps in, ask yourself “What have I got to lose?” You’ll find that the answer is always “nothing.”
You can email Chuck Piola business-related questions at askchuck@thebulletin.us. You may also mail correspondence to Ask Chuck, PO Box 212, Swarthmore, Pa 19081. For more information about Chuck Piola visit www.ChuckPiola.com. To book Mr. Piola as a speaker or to find out about cooperative marketing opportunities with Going In Cold visit PR Coordinates at www.PRCoordinates.com or call 610-338-0229.
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