A Week of Sales Calls

Some days it is difficult to know what to write.  Perhaps, some days, I should write nothing, however, when I restarted this blog a month ago, I committed to myself to write something every day if possible.  I think I have missed one.

This past week was one of travel for business.  I was making sales calls.  Such weeks tire me, yet there is much that needs done here and I struggle with thoughts that I need to be out "ticking things off my list" when what I am doing is sitting at the computer and wishing for a nap although it is only 8:15 in the morning.

It is good to be back home.  I don't sleep well when traveling.  Even though motels look much the same wherever they might be -- whether of the same chain or different -- there is variety in the comfort of the bed and in the most important of all things, the thermostat in the room.  It seems I can never get the thermostat set to a level that is consistently comfortable.

Typically when I travel for business I have at least one or two set appointments.  I also like to do some "cold calling" on such trips if time allows.  It is difficult to coordinate schedules so that I can have back-to-back-to-back scheduled meetings without slack time, so I fill that slack by "dropping in" on potential customers.  I did a lot of that this week.

Many people in sales dread making cold calls.  I think they are my favorite type of call.  It is always interesting to see how you will be received and whether or not you will actually have the opportunity to present your pitch to someone with the power to make a decision.  I always assume on a cold call that it is merely exploratory to see if there is interest which might lead to further calls and ultimately a sale.  Rarely in the type of services that I represent do you make a sale on the first call.

One call this week will go in my "Effective Techniques in Sales" book which will likely never be written.  I dropped by a potential customer and asked for the manager by name.  He was not in his office, but was out dealing with something.  His assistant, however, called him on the phone and let him know that I was there and would like to visit with him.  He said yes, and that he would be back to the office in a few minutes.

I waited patiently for about 5 minutes for him to come in.  When he did, I reintroduced myself to him since it had been many years since I had previously met him and he didn't really remember me.  He said, "You've got 2 minutes," and proceeded to take me into his office where he offered me a seat.  Usually the "you've got 2 minutes" doesn't go with an offer to take a seat.

I gave him my 20 second "elevator speech" and said, "That's it.  Now, what are we going to talk about for the next minute and a half?"  He looked at me and kind of chuckled and said, "Hmmm.....I'm interested, tell me more."

That is always what a salesperson wants to hear -- the prospect asking for more information.  Forty-five minutes later I left with the promise to follow up in the near future.

Will it lead to a sale?  I don't know, but it is the kind of call that makes what I do gratifying.