telling you how bad a competitor is , you should walk away . Sell on your merits . . . and if you don ’ t have any , get some .
SENDING EMAILS AND CONNECTING
WITH PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA ARE NOT PRODUCTIVE PROSPECTING ACTIVITIES .
You get zero points unless a call is tied to it . Outside salespeople are called “ outside ” salespeople for a reason . You ’ re supposed to get outside of the office to go meet with check writers . COVID-19 is over . Get out to networking events , meetings , and conferences . Network . Visit people . Conduct canvassing . That ’ s your job if you ’ re a hunter . NEVER leave a meeting with a prospect without a SCHEDULED next action . Don ’ t waste your time . If they aren ’ t interested , have a polite and professional way to find out — then walk away to find a better , more interested prospect who is ready to buy . You must maintain control of the process , or you ’ ll waste your time .
DON ’ T SELL TO PEOPLE WHO ONLY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SAY “ NO .”
It ’ s difficult enough to deal with the willingness to buy ; don ’ t handicap yourself with their inability to buy , too . How do you know if they have the authority to buy ? Who influences their decisions ? Who is truly calling the shots ? Scripts and practice help , but you must have a willingness to ask tough questions . Are you the fool or the favorite ? Ask , “ Why do you want to do business with us ?”
ACTIVITIES DRIVE RESULTS , PERIOD .
Don ’ t whine and complain about the competition , the market , your customers , the leads you ’ re getting , etc . IF you ’ re doing enough of the right activities , you will succeed . You have to make up in numbers what you lack in skill . Following from the above , the weaker and more underdeveloped your skills are , the more you ’ ll need to do . Repetition of correct fundamentals develops skill . If you ’ re not willing to put in the work and do the activities required to succeed , you shouldn ’ t be in sales .
FOLLOW UP FAST ON EVERY LEAD .
The faster you respond , the better your chances are of getting the deal . Make sure you don ’ t give up on leads too quickly , and call at least 5 – 7 times in addition to emailing , mailing , and social messaging before you put them into drip marketing .
If you want to be successful in sales , you should work MORE than 9 to 5 . You control your income — and your raise becomes effective the minute you work more . Also , as the saying goes , “ Learners are earners .” What
Ask Yourself , What Would Robin Do ( WWRD )?
" THE FASTER YOU RESPOND , THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES ARE OF GETTING THE DEAL ."
book are you reading ? What method are you studying to be at the top of your game ? If you see yourself as a professional , you are constantly sharpening your skills .
HAVE SOMETHING INTERESTING TO SHARE .
Why should someone take your call ? Your meeting ? If all you can offer is to pitch a product or talk to someone about their “ needs ,” you don ’ t deserve a callback or a meeting . Great salespeople are fountains of knowledge and true consultants . They know things others don ’ t . When you meet with a true professional who knows their industry , product , and client , they can tell you things that are truly valuable . Bottom line , if you want more prospects to meet with you , do a better job at selling them on what THEY will get from the meeting .
INVITE THE “ NO .”
Your job is not alchemy , turning a cold rock into a gold nugget . Instead , keep prospecting to find the ones who want what you ’ re selling . Endlessly following up on people who were too polite to tell you “ no ” to your face is a giant waste of time . Let your marketing do the drip marketing for you , and put your efforts into finding someone who is ready to buy now .
Whining and complaining have never solved a problem , closed a sale , or accomplished anything productive . Grow up . Nobody is impressed by how good your excuses are .
Robin Robins is the IT industry ’ s most in-demand marketing consultant , sales trainer , and direct response marketing consultant who specializes in developing strategic marketing , sales and lead generation systems for MSPs , VARs and IT services companies .
Robin is the Founder of Technology Marketing Toolkit , MSP Success Magazine and Big Red Media . To date , her organization has coached , trained and consulted with over 10,000 IT business owners from all over the US and in 37 different countries . She currently runs the largest C-level peer group in the IT services channel for MSPs and her annual event , the IT Sales and Marketing Boot Camp , attracts over 1,600 attendees every year and is sponsored by the IT industry ’ s leading vendors .
This vast experience has given Robin a broad knowledge of hundreds of marketing and sales tactics used by some of the most successful , sales driven organizations in the world .
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