Better To Keep Up Than Catch Up
When you don’t have any leads it’s because of what you didn’t do 3 months before, not what you need to do now.
If you know your sales cycle well, you’ll know that it takes X number of weeks, months or even years to convert a lead.
When you do, you can build that into your sales forecast or pipeline – assuming you know your conversion rate that is : )
Sales is pretty simple when you boil it down.
It’s about 2 things:
1. Maths
2. Psychology
You need to know your numbers (maths) and you need to know your specific customer (psychology).
Most rural businesses are heavy on the former and light on the latter.
Numbers come from action.
If you’re across your required run rate – like cricket – you know what you need to do to make your numbers.
Set the total, work out the average sale amount and the % of customers you need to close to in order to reach your quota or target.
The higher the average sale or conversion, the quicker your sales cycle.
And the quicker you make your sales cycles, the more sales you’ll make.
If you’re across your ideal customer, you’ll already know the conversations they are having in their own head.
You’ll be able to influence and infiltrate the internal narrative they are having with themselves.
You can call out in your marketing message with specificity so you connect.
You will know what drives and motivates them most (pain, fear, loss, inconvenience, common enemy etc.)
You will know which buttons to push to trigger them to reach out, ask for more information or exchange an email in return for some valuable content that can support a potential purchase decision.
The problem I constantly see is rural sales reps who only think of themselves.
They are always in full-blown “sales mode”.
Yet hardly ever in buyer mode.
They rarely go deep enough.
80% are so disorganised they don’t even plan their days.
They don’t do enough homework on their customers.
And they don’t take the time to plan out their attack – what they will say, when and why (what we call in our training pre-call plans).
Most of time it’s left to chance, or worse timing.
But it’s not just about customer psychology.
It’s about psychology of self, first and foremost.
In order to succeed in sales you have to get your head in the game.
Working out what you need to do and why.
Doing debriefs.
Taking time to reflect on your sales performance like all other professionals do that prevent you from making the same mistakes again.
It’s about making and taking the time to train and study.
Sales is more about mindset than it is mechanics.
You need to get your own head straight before you attempt the same with your customer.
If you’re constantly chasing the same leads, it’s sign that you aren’t doing enough prospecting and your pipeline is poor.
Keeping up with a ton of leads tells you a much more positive picture about your performance.
If you keep up with your prospecting you’ll never need to catch up because you’ll be always be ahead and never behind.
Put yourself in that position of power by keeping on pace.
Don’t stop.
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P.S. I’ve just added some new expert interviews on my Podcast – The Science of Sales for Rural – download some episodes to make the most of your next work trip or car ride.
If you’re struggling with rural sales right now, grab a 30-minute Rural Sales Coaching Call with me here
Make sure you also get a copy of my ‘How To Succeed In Rural Sales’ ebook before I take it down. You can download your FREE copy here
P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready…here are 4 other ways I can help grow your rural business:
1. Grab a free copy of my book – it’s the roadmap to help you make more rural sales quickly, easily and simply. Download your free copy here
2. Join our How To Master Rural Sales Psychology Group – a private Facebook community where I share a ton of free training tools, videos and resources almost daily. Join here
3. Sign up for our Rural Sales Success® Programme – we will teach you and your team how to become rural sales legends and arm you with the sales super power that is psychology. Email me back with the word “SALES” and I’ll send you the details.
4. Work with me – if you’d like to work with me and smash your 2022 sales goals, email me back with the word “WORK” and what you need help with most.
