Conrey is for Closers

That Dr. Seuss guy was pretty smart. It’s a shame we all forget about the great things he taught us when we were kids. Imagine him as a sales man. Green Eggs and Ham may have the most persistent salesman of all time in it – that Sam never does give up until he gets his close. The Cat in the Hat is all about being ultimately responsible for your actions. Then you get all these great quotes to keep in mind next time you are faced with a difficult day being a Salesman…

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Horton Hears a Who

Remember there is no client who doesn’t deserve your full attention and effort. It doesn’t matter if this is the biggest or smallest deal you’ve seen this year, the client deserves every bit the same treatment as your best ones – because they could be your best one soon.

“I’m telling you this ’cause you’re one of my friends. My alphabet starts where your alphabet ends! So, on beyond Z! It’s high time you were shown, That you don’t really know, All there is to be known.” – On Beyond Zebra!

There’s always more to learn, more to try, more to read or listen to. Be open-minded about new ways of doing things. If you’re not moving forward with new things, you’re behind the race.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better. Its not” – The Lorax

Don’t bitch about your problems – solve them. Bitching gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere.

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.” – Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Have faith in your own decisions, trust your gut and be ready to live with the path you’ve chosen. You’ll be the one to make your choices and be able to make changes the whole way. Its no one’s fault but your own. Own it.

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”

Be real, this will pay off in time. Don’t sweat it about those who don’t “get it” or disagree with you. If you argue too hard you end up losing the war even if you “win” the battle.

Thanks to the joy of the internet, I watched this TED Talk yesterday and was struck by the message and its application to sales. Please watch it first, it is worth the 5 minutes (at least the first 2 minutes – you can pay attention that long and get the point):

The message’s relation to sales seems clear – the art of delayed gratification can pay off long term. But how exactly?

It is less about delaying the close or about taking your time in the closing process and more about taking the time before you get to the close to build the relationship – to earn the deal. If you spent as much time building relationships with clients as you did trying to close them do you think that you’d close more often? More easily?

Take the time to really make sure you are aware of their needs and their desires, even beyond your direct service. If you’re a software development company, make sure you know what they are really trying to get out of the app long term – not just get your requirements document and start building. If you’re selling cars, make sure you know how they plan to use their new car, not just what they want to spend.

The kids in the video that didn’t eat their marshmallow and got to know it for fifteen minutes earned a second one for their patience and effort. Do you think that if you get to know your client you may get a repeat deal from them? Or a Referral? How much time is it worth to you to earn a lead like that?

Let go of your fear of failure – you’re going to fail.

Customers can smell fear like dogs, if they know that you “need” a sale they’re going to make it worse for you. You must always be negotiating from a fearless position. If they perceive fear your credibility in your product is going to be shot – “Why is he so desperate for me to say yes? What don’t I know?” You need to project the image of pure confidence, no matter if it was last month since you had someone say “yes”.

Be ready to fail – be willing to walk away if the deal isn’t there – be ready for a “No” – but expect the “Yes” – know that what you’re selling is exactly what they need to solve their problem.