“It is not necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.” –Warren Buffett
It seems that in a world filled with social media, and keyboard warriors, the classic art of sales is nearly lost. As business owners, as entrepreneurs, as coaches, we cling to the latest social media trend, using strategies titled with buzzwords like attraction marketing and inbound sales as shortcuts to just putting in the work.
Are you putting in the work?
I once had a sales rep on my team who said: “I might not be the best at sales, but I know that if I do three times as many calls as everybody else, I can’t lose.” Let that register for a moment. She believed that even with average skills, she could outperform the majority of the team if she did three times the activity. She was right.
And within a few months, this young lady found herself promoted to lead another department where her skillset was fully utilised. This lesson reminds me of a Will Smith quote: “The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be out-worked, period. … But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things: You’re getting off first, or I’m going to die.”
Now, I don't want to encourage you to die on a treadmill.
Still, I do want to inspire you to prioritize prospecting activity, or as I like to call it, Revenue-Generating Activity (RGA). Yes, please think of this activity as being directly correlated to generating revenue. Sales don’t happen without a prospect engaging with your content in a way that influences them to consider making a change and solving a problem. It all starts with more prospects.
I currently run a program called Momentum 120. The sole strategy behind the success of the program is this:
- Reach out to 10 new people every week.
- Consistently follow up
- Make your primary focus helping them decide whether or not to solve the problem that you place under the spotlight.
If you lean into these priorities, your business can't help but be successful.
This approach has resulted in uncovering deals up to $300,000 sitting in pipelines. What kind of deals are you leaving on the table?
A mentor once described sales as a contact sport. He was exactly right. And the more contacts you make, the more you win. It doesn’t matter what the latest strategy or trend is: those who win are the ones doing the most prospecting and followup activity.
Prioritize this: Reach out to 10 new people every single week and continue to follow up until you help them decide to either solve their problem or be satisfied with things exactly as they are. This approach will not only change your business but will change the lives of those around you.
Jeremy DeMerchant
Jeremy DeMerchant is a #1 best-selling author, award-winning speaker, and creator of the Momentum 120 Sales Accelerator. Jeremy founded Permission To Sell Consulting Group after two decades of sales and leadership roles for industry giants in telecom, finance and education.
Jeremy DeMerchant
Jeremy DeMerchant is a #1 best-selling author, award-winning speaker, and creator of the Momentum 120 Sales Accelerator. Jeremy founded Permission To Sell Consulting Group after two decades of sales and leadership roles for industry giants in telecom, finance and education.
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