Now is Not the Time to Give Up!

By Dave Tester

Most sales eople just want to go out and sell something. Usually, they’re not worried about finding a solution or a creative idea for a client’s problem. They’re more interested in getting the signature on the proverbial dotted line. Today prospects are telling us things we have never heard before as sale people, “I want to know the return on my investment,“ or "I'm trying to make payroll," and of course, "I don't have any money and the economy is killing me."
Five years ago, sales people would profess great customer service and solution driven tactics or models but at the end of the sales day what they really wanted was just the commission check. The customer didn’t care because business was so good. Now that things are tougher you ask “What should I do” besides looking for a new sales job. How about not giving up on the one you have and starting to look at the world the way your kids do.
One of my favorite questions to ask kids is: “What would do with that old Burger King building?”
“What if we made it into a toy store!” a nine-year old replied. Instead of just moving real estate or tearing down the structure, they look at a more obvious solution. The key principle here is that kids are not afraid to brainstorm. Remember, they aren’t concerned about what others think.
“How about a business that makes awesome cakes?” my twelve-year-old son asked a friend.
“We’ll call it Cake Matters.” The more we probe, we learn that he’ll make theme cakes, use organic ingredients and he’ll takes orders online so that other kids around the United States can get the cake that really matters to them.
So I ask: what are you doing differently than your competition in sales. Not much if you’re just complaining. But if you need a fresh perspective how about driving a different way to work for the next five days. Your brain will work in new ways, and you'll see new prospects. Most people tell me they only have two different routes to work and they give up after that. Try waking up an hour earlier or volunteering some time. Your mind works better early in the morning and helping others will give you a feeling of gratitude.
Think like a kid and use your creativity, stop complaining, be generous and help others and more importantly remember now this is NOT the time to give up.