"To this excellent psychological direction, your Editor, as a businessman and having been a salesman, must add, from a strictly business standpoint:
If you're feeling snubbed by turndowns of your product, you're in the wrong business.
Whatever product it is that you sell, it's important to recognize that, likely, 90% or more people either won't need or don't want it. Even if you really had a better mouse trap - most people don't have mice - of those that do, many have a cat.
Efficient salesmanship is only 20% presenting your product. 80% of it is ferreting out those people who need and want it. Generally, this ferreting involves a time-consuming pitch of the product. Statistically, whatever the product, and whomever the salesman, it
usually will end in a 'no.'
Augmenting your efficiency in identifying your market will generally heighten performance far more than trying to be more persuasive. Each time you get a 'no' you're one step farther in
weeding out your non-market. That's what leads to success in sales.
Know your market; project your stats realistically, that is, what percentage you can expect. Play those stats and rate your improvement against them - not a hypothetical 100% that not even
Lee Iacocca could have achieved.
Finally, if, to be happy, you have to be able to persuade 100% of the people of the benefit of your product, you're in the wrong business. Try politics instead."
Hope you got something out of the "bare knuckle" advice above. By the way, I enjoyed the 1968 movie "Salesman", kind of a serious comedy. Description: Four relentless door-to-door salesmen deal with constant rejection, homesickness and inevitable burnout as they go across the country selling very expensive bibles to low-income Catholic families. Click HERE to view the trailer.
Click HERE for 25 movies with actors portraying salespersons, good and bad, but perhaps by watching these trailers you may pick up something.
Also, here's some great Websites and videos:
How to be a good salesperson- click HERE
Behaviors that make a good salesperson- click HERE
How to become a great salesperson- click HERE
Eleven (11) ways to become a GREAT salesperson- click HERE
Do you know who Mr. Shmooze is? If you're in sales, it would behoove you to be familiar with him- click HERE
Lastly, as a psychologist, I enjoyed reading Og Mandino's entire series. I actually recommended a salesman read Og Mandino's one book, "The Greatest Salesman In The World". The video below is a riveting true story of an entreprenuer who read Mandino's series. I would recommend for all discouraged salespersons to read all of Og Mandino's scrolls.
Click HERE for 25 movies with actors portraying salespersons, good and bad, but perhaps by watching these trailers you may pick up something.
Also, here's some great Websites and videos:
How to be a good salesperson- click HERE
Behaviors that make a good salesperson- click HERE
How to become a great salesperson- click HERE
Eleven (11) ways to become a GREAT salesperson- click HERE
Do you know who Mr. Shmooze is? If you're in sales, it would behoove you to be familiar with him- click HERE
Lastly, as a psychologist, I enjoyed reading Og Mandino's entire series. I actually recommended a salesman read Og Mandino's one book, "The Greatest Salesman In The World". The video below is a riveting true story of an entreprenuer who read Mandino's series. I would recommend for all discouraged salespersons to read all of Og Mandino's scrolls.
