What to Do When You're New

Veteran sales professionals on the ISP-Marketing list provide advice to a sales beginner on how to learn the fine art of finding prospects and closing sales.

[July 1, 2002]

On the ISP-Marketing list in June, RF inquired,

"Being a newbie salesman, I need some help regarding meetings with prospects. What are some good ways to get them to reveal business concerns they're dealing with? Short of 'So, dude, any problems I can work on,' does anyone have some ideas on how to reveal issues that could create a profitable opportunity?"

A number of respondents recommended further study, if only via books on tape:

[MS advised] "You really should consider going to a professional sales training class. Without professional sales training, I probably wouldn't be doing what I am today. If you don't want to invest in a course, I suggest picking up Jeffrey H. Gitomer's book, 'The Sales Bible.' It's an invaluable resource, and it will help you get started."

[HB added] "The biggest favor you can ever do yourself is to go to the bookstore and buy Stephen Covey's '7 Habits of Highly Successful People' and Brian Tracey's 'Thinking Big.' Buy them both on tape, and keep them in your car."

Others suggested that the most important thing is to develop personal relationships with your clients:

[MS offered] "Form a relationship with your clients: don't just try to sell them something. You want to show them how you personally can help them succeed in life and achieve their goals. You need to become a resource to your clients, so that when they have questions, any questions at all, they call you."

[JB agreed] "You must gain a trusting relationship before, during, and after the sale. The more expensive your product or service, the greater the impact on the buyer, and the deeper your relationship with them must be in order to close the sale. I have closed many deals based solely on my relationship with the prospect and client: they trusted me implicitly. The more closely a marketing and sales process reflects the natural human relationship, the easier it will be to execute."

HB disagreed, pointing out that you've got to focus on why you're working together in the first place:

"Never see a prospect without flat out asking for their business—ranging from 'So, can we earn your business,' to 'Provided we could show you a plan you are comfortable with, when would you be looking to get started?' Don't be a free consultant."

Others shared some ideas on how to handle the meeting itself:

[JW offered] "First of all, just ask if they're having any network problems, and address some of the key areas that tend to be issues. For example, 'What are you doing about security issues?' 'Do you have a firewall, and is it properly configured to protect your enterprise?' Determine what is mission critical for your client, and identify areas that could use attention. This is less a sales process than it is a consulting cycle: be professional, and focus your concerns on the functionality of their network."

[BH added] "Just ask them what their concerns are—and at the end of the meeting, ask, 'What question should I be asking that I'm not asking?' That one will bring up untold issues, and will show that you don't want to leave any stone unturned."

—End