Sales Dad

Why Sales Dad? It's a good question. I share why in the clip below. #PromotionalProducts #SalesCoaching

I used to get emotionally wrapped around the axle. When I lost an order. When a prospect ghosted me. When I felt slighted by a colleague. When something went haywire at home. Making mountains out of molehills became a terrible habit. It was exhausting for me (and everyone in my sphere). My reactions to negative outcomes attracted more negativity. After reflecting, I realized what needed to change was me. Not others. Not the events. Not the outcomes. I started practicing letting go of the outcomes. By paying closer attention to my reactions, I developed a brighter outlook. It also made me aware of the positivity surrounding me. The more I noticed positive things, the more I attracted them. Don't get me wrong, it's not always butterflies and blue skies. I still get wrapped around the axle occasionally. However, I no longer let it ruin my day, week, or month. Here’s to releasing the outcome and noticing the positive situations all around us!

#SalesTip

I'm looking forward to joining the Branded Merch Network team to discuss how crucial developing a resilient sales mindset is to your success. Please join the conversation next Tuesday at 12:30 PT. I'll see you there!

Are you only relying on emails to contact prospects and customers? If so, consider changing your approach by picking up the phone. Here’s what’s missing in an email-only approach: Inflection Warmth Tonality Sound Mixing up your outreach with phone calls lets your clients and prospects hear you. Even if you’re leaving a message. Many sales coaches are voicemail-averse. I disagree. Leave messages. You’ll be better served by your prospects and clients hearing you. Think about how you read sales emails through your filters. Not great, right? Your messages are landing the same way. Pick up the phone. Your voice will make a difference.

There’s a ton of advice out there about learning. Read these ten books this month. Subscribe to these 50 newsletters. Blah, blah, blah. Here’s an easy way to learn (and remember what you learned). At the end of each day, take a minute and jot down one thing you learned. Just one. It doesn’t matter what it is. On Sunday evening, look back at the seven things you learned. By the end of the month, you’ll have 30 or so new learnings. After one year, you’ll have captured 365 things you learned in the last 12 months. Doing so will allow you to remember them and implement them. So, what did you learn today?

During my recent conversations, a common challenge has been top of mind for some distributors. They all have terrific ideas for growing their businesses. However, implementing them takes a lot of work. Most days, they live in their inboxes, and the ideas move to the bottom of the to-do list. I get it. As a solopreneur, you're wearing all of the hats. The good news is you can make progress on your ideas by following the steps below: 1️⃣ Break It Down: Chunk your idea into manageable tasks. It's easier to tackle small steps than one giant leap. Schedule the tasks as appointments on your calendar and consider them client meetings (and you're the client). 2️⃣ Set Deadlines: Nothing gets things moving like a deadline. Hold yourself accountable with realistic timelines. 3️⃣ Seek Feedback: Get input from peers, mentors, or experts to refine your approach. 4️⃣ Stay Flexible: Things will not always go as planned. Be open to adjusting your strategy as needed. 5️⃣ Celebrate Progress: Every milestone counts. Recognize and celebrate your wins along the way. Remember, keep it simple. Completing the low-hanging tasks will give you a boost. Doing so will give you the confidence to take action on the rest of your list.

Want the sale? Sometimes, it’s as easy as matching the urgency of your client. We’re furnishing our flat in Portugal, so we headed to a nearby appliance store. Only to be frustrated with the lack of sales help (until we asked). We were prepared to purchase several large appliances. The salesperson was pleasant and knowledgeable about the items we wanted. The floor-model washing machine had a few scratches and dings. We asked if a discount was available because of the minor imperfections. A simple question stopped the sale. We left with the promise of an email the following day with an answer. No email arrived. The next day, our Uber driver dropped us at the wrong shopping center, and we accidentally visited a different location of the same chain store. A salesperson approached us when we walked in and asked if he could assist us. He ended up making the largest sale he’d ever had. The difference? He was focused on solutions and overcame similar floor-model issues. He matched our urgency to get the order in motion (living without a refrigerator presents unique challenges). Our new appliances arrive at the end of the week. And we couldn’t be happier.

A distributor and I were chatting recently about his slow start to the year. A few projects didn’t come to fruition, coupled with clients’ deferred spending decisions. Coasting from his success in 2023 (particularly Q1) was a significant factor in the slowdown. Prospecting for new business went on the back burner. Sending fresh ideas to his top clients came to a crawl. Now, it’s a scramble drill to break even in Q1. Resting on your laurels from the previous week, month, or year is tempting. Do whatever you can to avoid it. Stay on the lookout for new opportunities. Continue to build strong client relationships by creating value for them. Share new trends and create product decks for their upcoming events. Work with your trusted suppliers on lookbooks for your top clients and prospects. Keep turning over those rocks. Your efforts will be worth it.