It’s Guest Post Monday, and today we have Tibor Shanto, principal at Renbor Sales Solutions Inc. Tibor is a recognized speaker and co-author of Shift!: Harness The Trigger Events That Turn Prospects Into Customers. He offers us great insights today:
Last year there was a major controversy in Toronto around panhandlers and others on the street and their impact on tourism and the like.
All this was sparked by an unfortunate set of events. Of course, the solution proposed by the city leadership was to ban all these people. As there was no rug on the street, I guess they were proposing that they be swept under the side walk.
This, of course, stirred further controversy and debate on the street, in the papers and talk radio, my favorite media vice.
I know, you’re reading this wondering what this has to do with cold calling, but stay with me.
One caller into the radio had a great suggestion. They were joking, of course, but I think they missed the brilliance of their suggestion when looked at from my perspective. The caller suggested that we should take all the panhandlers, put them in suits, and give them all jobs as cold callers. They clearly had no issues engaging strangers; no fear of rejection; no call reluctance, and they seem to have the proper work ethic as they were putting in a full day of work every day without costly supervision.
He was right. There was no flaw in his observation.
When you think about it, why do the people on the street panhandle?
You would think that for the majority it is very simple — if they do not, they will not eat; simple straight forward. There are, of course, those few who are out there because they can make loads of tax free money, and they earn more net panhandling than others do at work. The question still stands, “How do they overcome the fear of walking up to strangers and asking for money?”
As a sales rep, we usually only have to ask for the appointment, then go right for the gusto and try to close!
How do panhandlers find the discipline to do it day in day out 5, 6, 7 or even 8 hours a day? They understand that if you don’t initiate the process, there is little chance of reaching your objective. I wonder if they know their ratio of approaches to cash.
Unlike many salespeople, they do not spend time trying to figure out who to call and who not to call. They don’t pretend to be clairvoyant and try to determine if someone is a buyer by looking at their business cards or faces. They just systematically and consistently approach everybody in their territory; they make the call and deal with the results and the rewards.
They also do not spend a lot of time planning and researching or any of the other things that seem to consume the prospecting time reps set aside. Once they get to work, they make sure that they have what they need and then spend their time executing rather than rationalizing.
They also do not fool themselves that their “pipeline is full” or “I need to work on what is in the pipeline and then I can prospect.” They are never too busy planning and hoping.
They execute.
They have a system and process — and they execute. They don’t worry about interrupting or bothering their targets. They just approach, present their value proposition (“need to eat”), and execute. If someone says no, they are that much closer to the next close.
I am not suggesting that we become panhandlers, (although I am sure some of the ones on the main streets of Toronto are making more than some sales people in Toronto), but I would encourage everyone to stop and ask why the panhandler can consistently act and execute.
Tibor Shanto is a sought after trainer, and his work has appeared in numerous publications and leading websites. Called a brilliant sales tactician, Tibor helps organizations execute their strategy by using the EDGE Sales Process to create the perfect combination of strategy, tactics and skills to ensure execution. Tibor can be reached at
in**@Se********.ca
or + 1416 822-7781. You can read the Renbor Sales Solutions blog, The Pipeline, and follow Tibor on Twitter @Renbor.
