UNEXPECTED WISDOM… while driving between Seminars in northern Ontario recently I came across one of those "did I just see what I think I saw?" situations. There was a large truck and trailer parked at the side of the road. Carefully printed on the side of the trailer were the words… "No Hot Product". Supposedly that message has something to do with safety. I thought to myself, "As weird as it sounds, I think there is a Sales Tip in there somewhere". Let's go back and look at the words on the side of the truck… how many Salespeople are out there trying to make a living with "No Hot Product"?
The answer… too many! In the Business of Sales there are lots of people earning a tremendous living. There are also Salespeople who are not doing as well as they could. That truck got me thinking… how many Salespeople are not succeeding because they have a sign on their truck that says "No Hot Product"?
Here is your ACTION STEP... the Business of Sales is pretty simple… you contact a prospect and introduce your product/service. If they have a need for what you are offering then you make a sale. If they don't need what you are selling, there is no sale. If you find yourself driving a truck that says "No Hot Product" then you have two choices:
1. Option #1. Fix Your Product/Service… if what you are selling is not desirable then you need to "spruce it up". You can do this in one of two ways:
a) Enhance it, make it more attractive, add some features and benefits (example: improve your Marketing Plan, buying terms, price, etc.)
b) Improve your "pitch" … get better at presenting, go back to the drawing board and practice your presentation (example: are you actually selling it or just waiting for them to say yes? Are you guilty of telling and not selling?)
2. Option #2. Replace Your Product/Service... if "fixing" is not the answer then you need to face the brutal truth. Not enough people are interested in what you have to sell. Don't try to sell "ice to an Inhuit". Go out and find a truly "Hot Product". Replace it.
To be successful in Sales you need to be driving a truck with a sign that says "Hot Product". Take control of what you are selling. Make sure that your product/service is highly desirable. Be excited about what you are selling. Being a great Salesperson certainly requires you to be a strong communicator and a powerful presenter… it is equally important that you are selling something that people want. Don't put yourself in a position of having to "push a rock up a hill" every time you make a Sales call. Make sure you are driving the right truck. NO Excuses.