In the world of sales today we are judged based on our performance. Those who perform well often find success and fulfillment. Then there are those who underachieve and find themselves fading away into obscurity. It is a two way street and you either are moving in one direction or the other.
Today I want to share with you some insight that can help you see with clarity which way you are headed. The best way to do this is to take a life experience and translate it over to the sales world. With that being said, I ask you to compare the concepts of fishing with selling. What you will find is that success and failure is based on three main principles – location, equipment and bait.
When you think of fishing, it is location that is the first important factor into finding success. In every body of water there are areas fishermen call hot spots. These are areas where the fish are known to be and the odds of success are greater. This is where everyone should desire to fish because the location is set for success.
The problem is that many fishermen keep their hot spots a secret so the valuable information is withheld from fellow fishermen. Without this information you find yourself at the watering hole living on a prayer of finding success. At this point you have two options. You can stay at your spot and sit there until something happens or move around from place to place looking for the hot spot.
Sadly, many sales associates choose to stay at the same spot, doing the same thing, and getting the same results. Eventually they will make a sale or find success, but the wait is boring and tedious. If only they knew they could move around and try different areas until they found a hot spot, fishing would become more meaningful and enjoyable with success upon success. I encourage you to try new concepts and ideas until you find what works for you. When you find the right location you will find a much more rewarding experience filled with success.
The next important key to finding success in fishing is your equipment. Fishing from a boat is much easier than fishing from shore. It allows you access to many areas of the water you could not reach from shore. This allows you to find success that the shore fishermen could only dream of. Then there is the type of pole you use and the fishing line. The fishing line is very important. If you had a 15 lb line and hooked a 30 lb fish, the odds are that your line is going to break. If you were just using a stick and some line you can forget about it. The equipment is equivalent to sales skills in the sales industry. Make sure you have the right equipment to find success.
Finally, the third most important ingredient for successful fishing is the bait. You could have the right location and the proper equipment, but if you use the wrong bait it would ruin your chances for success. Could you imagine trying to catch a fish with a piece of candy? You would be sitting there all day with zero results because fish do not like candy.
Many sales associates use the wrong bait. The bait is your selling style and presentation. What may seem good to you may not be appealing to your customer. You should really think about this concept and discover the meaning behind it. Make sure you give your customers what they desire and then you will find success.
In closing I will leave you with something to think about. I want you to think about the bad fisherman for a moment. This is the one who sits at the same spot for hours every day just hoping for a nibble. What they often find is that their bait was taken long ago and their efforts were meaningless. Don’t be a bad fisherman as a sales associate. I challenge you to move around and find your hot spots. Then sharpen your skills giving you the best equipment available to find success. Finally create a selling style and presentation that will appeal to your customers and keep them coming back for more.
Hopefully this has opened up your mind to the concept of how you sell your customers. Sometimes we just need to see things in a different light to help us understand it more clearly.
Over the next three months I will share insight on all three areas in greater detail. For those of you looking for a greater success I encourage you to look into my Modern Day Selling training course. It is designed to help you find the hot spots, give you the right equipment and use the finest bait available for success.
Brian Barfield offers fresh insight in sales training and teaching people how to reconnect with one another. His first book “Modern Day Selling” is a detailed road map designed to help sales associates find true and lasting success by reconnecting with their customers. It is currently available on many websites in paperback and e-book. His second book, “The Modern Day Store” was published earlier this year and is available on Amazon and many other websites. For more information on speaking or training seminars Brian can be reached at brian@moderndayselling.com.
