How Top Performers Stay Warm When the Market Feels Cold
Given that our weather here in Cincinnati is going to be in the single digits to teens for most of this week, our Sales Brew this week is a long-distance dedication from 1977, when Foreigner released their debut album, which included the song “Cold as Ice.” And yes, our weather this week is, in fact, cold as ice.
Something else that can be cold as ice is the current market conditions in your industry or your individual sales results. Sometimes these factors are beyond your control (think market conditions, for example). Sometimes you are doing the right things but are just on a cold streak in terms of outcomes.
So how can you heat up your sales results? Here are two things to consider:
1. Process > Outcome
The first thing you can do is remember the algebraic expression “P > O,” which means process is more important than outcome. Even the most talented salespeople do not control the outcomes they receive. The only thing you can control is the process that you follow. That means sometimes you will do all the right things with your prospect, and the business will find its way to one of your competitors. It is worth pointing out that the opposite can occur. You can do the wrong things but wind up getting the right result. It is very much like golf, where a bad shot can have a good result. Sometimes you need to take a philosophical look at things and remember to keep following your process. Remember, if you fall in love with the process, the process will always love you back. You just do not know when it will love you back.
2. Turn Up the Hunting Intensity
The second thing you can do is increase your hunting intensity. Most salespeople react to cold streaks by taking a break (some rely on an early happy hour to drown their sorrows). But the best salespeople double down by putting in more effort, not less. As our co-founder Tony Cole has been fond of saying over the years, “hard work has been known to work.”
As I close, just a few more lines from the song:
You’re as cold as ice
You’re willing to sacrifice our love
You never take advice
Someday you’ll pay the price, I know
Take the advice here, so you do not pay the price!
Author:
Mark Trinkle
Chief Growth Officer
Anthony Cole Training Group
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