! y


WHY YOU ARE NOT SELLING. (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT)


Twenty yearsy ago, I began my career y r journey intoy “sales”. You


know, the profession where people get no respect, is looked at as a necessary evil,y would rather gor


pretty high,y career would allowme to achieve my financialy


and I knew that a successful sales goals.


and one that the customers we seek


sit throughonemore LunchandLearn. I madeacareer changer because I wantedmore control over myr for myself wasf


through a root canal without Novocain than y income. The bar Ir set


I began where most people with nomoney, but want to learn go. The library. I read as many booksy job selling print. I built my skilly career with a company thaty


Nothing was given at this company, but if youf idea, andcould monetize it, the skywasy my career, I think thatk to at least offer anyr


r then I will consider thisr


level up, and then began my had large aspirations to grow. had a good


I have accumulated enough knowledge y opinion on what I think works,k


does not. And please remember: This is not a one size fits all, but one that works for me.r on their journeyr


y into our industry, and actually improvey article a success.


OBSERVATION #1 There is no book, process, video, seminar, or courser


But if If can help out one person it,


that can


“make” a customer buy. You can spend all the money andy time you want seeking that silver bulletr


in the process. line to say, or thatr


manipulative process that you are using on your prospectr to “guide” them through to a “close”. But it won’t work. And you will look foolishk


OBSERVATION #2 Parties, dinners, tickets are all good. They exist


y to create


brand awareness. And that can be a good, and necessary thing. But in most cases, that is all it can do. In some cases, it can backfire. Several years ago, there was a very bigy


and eat their steak.r


seemed like they tooky because they arey


Zero. kmefor granted.r company


that seemed to sponsor everything. Dinners, parties, drinks, sporting events, you name it. Sure, I thought, I will drink their booze,r


a customer. Well, I didn’t. I actually gavey smaller companyr


But you know what? It Like it was a given that


so big, it was automatic I would become my moneyy


to know me. You know how much money they spenty my attention?y


OBSERVATION #3 You dropped the ball. The once a year trader


y to the


y that talked tome, and made an effort to get to get


show you attend,


the stress balls you give out, and the $50 Applebee’s gift card you gave away fromy


nothing. Now the excuses start. It’s my literature.y lack ofk


54 | COMMON INTEREST®


the card in the fishbowl thing yields It’s our


f social media presence! It’s the market I am in, it’s so


the limit. Throughout and what


OBSERVATION #4 There are a finite group of peoplef corner ofr thef


you will want to meet. They willy or yourr


as I could, and got a go. They arey for goodr waiting for yourr


r failure, in our industry. So you need to go where they on committees, they arey


economy. They arey r


outings, boat cruises. They teachy their timer


had. I thanked her forr classes. They givey causes. While they arey owner wasr not sitting around


phone, emailed them, or told themin person you appreciate their efforts?r party CAIy for ourr


r phone call, have you ever picked up the A very well-knowny


r industry. It was not about anything other thanr


her Ir appreciate her forr industry.


at the last holiday


r all she does educationally telling


r what she does: Trying to improve our


OBSERVATION #5 Money. In sales, it’s all about money, right? Let me put it to you this way: Like Observation #4, there is a finite group of people on the vendor sider They arey


the true leaders of thef They


have spent years at one company. They rarelyy because they knowy


middle ground here. And if youf And you will be exposed sooner orr everyone in sales, and very fewy


ymake a jump,


there is one thing they have in common. It’s NEVER about are, or your


important people don’t like that. But y


them. Ever. The term “client focused” is tossed around a lot these days. But either your


are not. There is no


are not, you are in trouble. r later. It’s rarefied air forr


achieve it.


OBSERVATION #6 HowdoI become “client focused”? Google® are a ton of booksf


it. Iamsure there and articles telling you “how” to do it, but I


think itk is a few things, and some of itf involves luck. The kind you can make, and the kind that the universe creates. If youf don’t have a product, program, or solutionr the life of af property managery fast. If youf


for howr present at a company andy


r easier, then you better getr the only thingy


going to make the life of af property managery And then live it by turningy for ther


promises. If youf Good luck, and have a prosperous 2017! A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter you do


is bore them with how great you are, and, even worse, tell them stories about it, then you may asy well leave now. Look in a mirror everyr


those words into action, working


best company iny the industry, and delivering on your do those things, I promise you will succeed.


y day, and repeat as often as necessary: “I am r easier today”.r


to make one


By Wayne Srsen, American Building Contractors


crowded. It’s the economy. It’s the Board! They picked the wrong company! No to all of that. 90% of the time when you fail, just look ink reasons unknown.


the mirror. The other 10%r of the time is for


that exist in our littler very important people that greatly impacty


r


your success,


at trade shows, golf away


that are very important people. sectors they represent.y


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64