Seizing the opportunity means employing all the techniques possible. It means doing things most other salespeople don't do. Superior salespeople identify opportunities quickly and effectively, and then they use all their resources to turn potential success into sales dollars.
What does seizing opportunities look like in action? Let's look at a couple of examples. Consider prospecting, for instance. Most salespeople loathe the process because they don't understand that it's the engine that drives the entire sales process.
There are a number of ways in which you can prospect.
One of the most effective is simply by using word of mouth. I make word of mouth work for me by telling every person I meet what I do for a living. If you were to meet me face to face, I’d tell you that I'm president of Floyd Wickman Coaching and that we're a nationwide sales training & coaching company headquartered in Atlanta, GA. I'd tell you that we are unique in that we don’t have contracts, our coaches have a minimum of 15 years experience with a proven track record of success and we have a ‘no questions asked’, money back guarantee.
Whether we met in a business context or not, you'd get all that information about me and my company when we met. I'm out to tell everybody what I do because I realize the truth about prospecting: Every single person I meet knows an additional 250 people. And it's a pretty good bet that at least one of those 250 people will be interested in talking to me about sales training and coaching at some point.
Understand: I'm not aiming to get you to sign up with me when I tell you all about my company. I simply want you to recognize what I do and perhaps tell somebody else about it. I know that every time I tell somebody what I do for a living, I'm probably going to get a lead somewhere down the line as a result of having had that conversation.
The best salespeople I've encountered tell everybody in their own circle what they do for a living, and enlighten each new acquaintance, as well. My advice to newer salespeople is simple: contact all your friends, relatives, and acquaintances and tell them about your business. Don't try to sell to these people - that will turn them off. Simply let these people know what you're doing and describe the way you work. Be a real estate agent, not a secret agent.
But seizing the opportunity is more than just taking the initiative to track down leads, or even calling several contacts within a category before you cross it off your prospecting list. Seizing the opportunity means taking full advantage of each new situation as it presents itself. And, paradoxically enough, seizing the opportunity means being able to keep from getting distracted with the idea of closing the sale.
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