It's Easier To Do It Than To Think About It

We all have fears about doing anything new or seemingly unpleasant. When I was in second grade they came out with the polio vaccines that we received by injections - shots. All kids hated shots in those days. So when Mom said, "be sure to come home right after school so we can go get your polio shot," I was a wreck all day. When all of the anticipation concluded and the shot was administered, it was not in any way even close to as bad as I had predicted. Unfortunately, we do not out grow this ability to over create bad things. Working with sales people on a regular basis I am continuously amazed at how many experienced sales people hate to Prospect, simply because they are afraid of rejection. Some psychologist somewhere must have come up with the idea that prospects that don't want to see a salesman on a cold call are somehow "rejecting" them. I think that is too far fetched. If a prospect doesn't want to see me, he simply doesn't want to see me, I am not being rejected! We have a friend who has been in sales for over 30 years. He is extremely well educated, but never really learned how to sell. So for his entire career he has been servicing customers and occasionally making some new sales. He is a wonderfully nice guy who simply has created a mind set that is terrified of what he considers that "rejection" I just mentioned. In reality his fears are groundless, but remember, perception is reality, and he perceives fear. He was in our office not long ago and had a name that he felt would be a good lead for our company and suggested he would write this person a letter and then try to arrange a luncheon meeting for the three of us. Now, I am exactly the opposite of this. I suggested that we call the prospect right then. My friend didn't want to hear that, we needed to "grease the skids" a bit. While we were talking, I got a call and had to go to my office to answer it. When I finished that phone call, I just called the prospect and got an appointment. I went back to the conference room and announced to my friend that he didn't need to worry about writing the letter; I had an appointment with the prospect. He was shocked. "What did you say?" "How did he react?" I was kind of surprised at his response. Prospecting is one of the most important steps in the selling process, yet so many people are uncomfortable with it. Yet is the only tool - skill - we have to get new customers. It is the skill we use to get into a position where we can begin to employ our selling skills. Without Prospects, we don't need selling skills! Of course, we created the BLITZ CALL