As I sit in the lobby of an industrial transport company, I can not help but think, why am I sitting here?

I have a meeting with a contact, who, according to my sales reports, has purchased products in the past. To me, it seemed logical to set an appointment with him and introduce myself. The problem is I had no real agenda.

I was merely asking for someone’s time.

When I went through sales training I was taught you needed five confirmed meetings a day. That should be the goal when you start in your territory.

So, this is exactly what I did. Unfortunately, I did not learn why you set a meeting, how to set a meeting, or why someone would want to meet.

Learning Value From Seneca

I reflected upon this situation as I read the philosophical, Seneca – On The Shortness Of Life. I enjoyed the following quote:

“All those who call you to themselves draw you away from yourself. […] I am always surprised to see some people demanding the time of others and meeting a most obliging response. Both sides have in view the reason for which the time is asked and neither regards the time itself — as if nothing there is being asked for and nothing given. They are trifling with life’s most precious commodity, being deceived because it is an intangible thing, not open to inspection and therefore reckoned very cheap — in fact, almost without any value.” – Seneca

I find this applicable to the life of the Sales Professional. We continually ask prospects for their time.

We claim the hardest part of the sales cycle is the close. In reality, the hardest part is asking for that first meeting.

Why?

We are asking for something more valuable than the money it takes to purchase. We asking the prospect to give their time. Possibly for something they know little about. The time we are asking for is their only non-renewable resource. To justify the time we ask for, we need to build a reason.

This is why value is the most important concept in sales.

Value provides you with justification to ask for a meeting. When it comes time to purchase, there should be no doubt in the prospect’s mind.

Value also lets you differentiate from the competition. Sometimes, the features and benefits are not enough to convince a buyer. What you can do for the customer and their business is what drives your value proposition.

So what is value exactly?

Value can be a general concept. It can be as general as whatever aspect of your pitch causes a prospect to buy. Or, as specific as the ROI your product will provide the customer. When I look at value, I believe it is a solution. Value is the customer’s problem you identify and your product can solve. In essence, you make the customer’s life easier.

In looking at the first meeting I scheduled when starting in sales, I had no idea why customers should meet with me. I was lucky the prospect was giving me the time to speak with him. I needed to build my value proposition. This I learned over time.

Building value is important. Everybody has a finite amount of time. This is how you justify meetings at work and build a valuable relationship with a customer.

Seneca On The Shortness Of Life is a great reminder of the value of time. We tend to put more value on our money than time. As Sales Professionals, we need to think of our prospects time. Provide value to justify the time we are asking for in the early stages of the sales cycle.

Good luck and good selling!

It was a typical weekday morning driving down Mission Blvd. to my first meeting. Then, I received the call.

I was fired.

I was fired and I hadn’t even made a sale yet. The persistence and time I had put into grooming a potential customer went down the drain.

My company and I could not deliver on the expectations we had set. This was the consequence of my persistence getting me the opportunity. Then, I oversold the client, resulting in getting me fired.

Here is my story.

The Oversold Sales Call

My story begins when I was trying to get my first appointment with a food company. Prospecting and due diligence in the account is walking around the warehouse. This to find the name of the correct person to speak with. This was an exhausting task, but worth it in the end. My industry had not graduated to LinkedIn yet.

After speaking to many people, I had the person I needed to begin my sales process. A process of dropping off literature 2-3 times to get on his radar. Then, the calls to schedule an appointment begin. I am a believer in the voicemail.

Traction began when I got a hold of him and the first appointment was scheduled. Speaking with a seasoned gentleman in his 40’s and I was fresh out of college. 22 years old and just finished my sales training program.

I was trying to get my prospect to try my service company for his warehouse. He was not thrilled with his current vendor, which is the perfect situation for a competitive conversion.

The Oversold Value Proposition

So, after I gave my pitch and value proposition, he said “I’ll give you a try when an issue comes up. If all goes well, we’ll discuss a shot at all my facilities.”

Of his facilities, I had two in my territory. Three of my counterparts each had one facility in their territories. I was ecstatic about the potential of this prospect.

The call never came.

Waiting for a Call

With no calls from my new contact, I began to follow up. I started at each week for a short time, then progressed to daily. The call always went to a voicemail, or I got his assistant. He was never in the office.

When is a prospect no longer interested?

With this particular account, and my need to increase sales, never.

Finally, after enough calling, I got the return call. He said “your up. Let’s see what your company can do.”

He explained the issue to me. I made the call a free diagnostic service call. I knew there was a good chance my team was not going to be able to do anything. In this situation, it was another companies equipment and the issue was electrical. This was a recipe for disaster, and I knew it.

Disaster is Coming

Knowing this was a disaster, I continued selling anyways. A mistake. But I figured, what’s the worst that can happen?

I showed up to the site with my service team. It was time to rock and roll.

As I suspected, we could not determine the issue. It took an hour, and the diagnosis my service guy suggested was wrong.

Not his fault. I should have known this would happen. It was not our expertise. It was a long shot.

My service guy left and I got chewed out by the potential customer. He then called his current vendor and they fixed the problem in 15 minutes. Not good. Then again, they installed the equipment. They should know how to fix a problem they potentially created.

I thought I struck out and this was the end for me. But, I received another call. I get a second chance.

My Second Chance

The second call was for a door issue. It needed to be done that day. This is usually the case in the service business. So, I said “we got this” and made my calls.

I drove to the facility and took a look. Then, called my service team to get out to the site. Nobody was in my area. We couldn’t do it that day. I oversold him a second time.

After an hour of calling around, I called my prospect back and told him the news. He already had his current vendor on the way. We lost twice. For two jobs we should have been able to do.

Persistence pays, but I oversold the client. It was that, or I was going to have a tough time competing in my local market. I had to rethink my strategy. Decide if I was going to go back for a third try at his business.

Three Times a Charm

Over the course of the next week, as I was thinking about what to do with the prospect, the phone rings. It is my new buddy at the food company.

He said, “I will give you one more shot at this. I like you and you made a real effort to get my business. It seems that my current vendor doesn’t care that much about my business. So, if there is something better, I would like to try.”

Shocked, I said, “thank you, I would love another shot at your business. What do you have?” As he told me, red flags went up. I wasn’t sure we were going to be able to take care of him that day.

I said “I thank you for the opportunities. You have given more than most. Unfortunately, I can’t take care of you.” At that point, I was fired. I had the opportunities, but unfortunately, I couldn’t deliver.

I oversold the client.

What did I learn through this process?

A few things.

1. Knowing your market and capabilities are a must. Sometimes this comes with experience. Making mistakes. But learning your place in a given market is essential. Sales Professionals cannot be everything to everybody. Companies cannot either.
2. Overselling and taking risks is sometimes necessary. Though, understanding your limitations will allow you to gain credibility and win a customer.
3. Persistence pays. The customer respected my persistence for his business. He continued to give me the benefit of the doubt.

I like to think my persistence got me in the door. Unfortunately, my over eagerness for his business is what caused the relationship to fall apart.

Qualifying in the early steps of the sales process are essential. Thus, when the opportunity to close presents itself, it is a no-brainer for the customer.

Good luck and good selling!

In 2015, my goal was to begin a habit of daily writing. The solution was a daily journal.

For me, starting a daily writing habit was a way for me to emulate “successful people”. To start, I began writing freelance articles, attempting a journal, and trying to find a series of prompts.

Daily writing is a New Years Resolution. As with most New Years Resolutions, I fell off the wagon rather quickly.

Why?

I did not have a clear purpose of why I wanted to begin the habit. After taking a couple months break, it occurred to me why daily writing is beneficial.

Writing every day boosts creativity, and provides a way to clear your thoughts. A brain dump so you can focus on the day ahead.

I didn’t want to begin aimlessly writing words. I needed some focus. A way to create something beneficial. It doesn’t matter if it is just peace of mind or the next literary masterpiece.

This is how I began to write a “daily journal”.

This is not “Dear Journal”. It’s about what I did yesterday and what my plans for today are. Really, it is a way to structure my thoughts before walking out the door. After a short time, I realized the benefits.

Journaling is a tool to document successes and failures. Providing reflection to better plan for the next day, the next call, or the next promotion. I should have been doing this years ago.

I chose a daily journal structure, and here is what it looks like.

The Daily Journal Structure

I have my daily journal separated into three sections. I take a look at what I did yesterday, how I am now, as well as my plans for today.

It’s a simple concept of past present and future. For me, it provides structure and a nudge to start writing.

Also, I find it easier to write with questions then a blank page.

Yesterday

In the yesterday section, I take a look at the prior day’s tasks. It is a way to reflect on what I have accomplished, read, and learned.

Forcing myself to reflect on the previous day is asking whether I was productive or busy. A way to improve focus and productivity.

Now

The now section is an opportunity to free write. If there is a topic or issue I am thinking about, I can jot it down. Then, I can come back to it later and explore it in more depth.

It is a brain dump opportunity. Mind clearing to be clear, concise, and effective in my daily tasks. Being physically in one place and mentally in another can be a productivity killer.

My Plans

The final section is planning for the day. Laying out a roadmap of the day’s most important tasks. This is a chance to plan, prioritize, and organize.

To take this one step further, I use the Tim Ferriss strategy. I define the one item I need to do today, even if nothing else happens.

This creates priorities in my day. I can then begin to do the most important item first, which is probably the most daunting.

Daily Journal Template

Below is my daily journal template. Feel free to join me in daily journaling.

Journal Template

Good luck and good selling!