At the beginning of NDUB, I (Nathan) worked with one of my friends to provide hosting and web support. His name is David Bilby. He published this blog October 27, 2019, and now he’s no longer in business but still does sales.
I added my two cents in blue.
Enjoy!
The first part of my sales career was the most confusing and frustrating I had ever been in my life. I struggle still today. Spending hours and hours sitting at my computer waiting for new leads to come in through an antiquated website. Whining about not having any sales appointments to go to. Wondering why the marketing department was not helping me with sales literature. I spent lots of time hanging out with people, but nothing seemed to translate to business. Excuses abound. What I needed to do was to build a sales pipeline.
Here’s where marketing and sales aren’t one entity. They’re married. Both should be treated as separate but joined because they can’t live without each other. In marketing, we also call this a funnel.
Since then I have changed the way I approach the issue of my sales pipeline. And trust me this is exactly what I have to do right now! After the holidays and all the snow we have had in the area, my pipeline is dry. I am in the business of listening to the troubles the internet is causing local businesses and providing a way to ease the technological pains. In many ways, I perform the same type of tasks a doctor would perform. Where does it hurt, I can fix it. My pipeline needs to be full of people who are experiencing pain from their website, their online store, their merchant account, their backend database, and the list goes on.
Here are a few ways I increase my sales pipeline ( and you can too ).
As you do this, keep in mind your authentic self needs to remain who you are. Trust your skills, experience, and expertise. #beyou
Key #1: Activities that do not lead to leads are death.
You can build your strategic plans and clean your office as much as you want, but it isn’t going to result in sales. Actionable plans are necessary unless you don’t do them.
Brian Tracy says it this way. He says to repeat the phrase, “I am responsible”. “I am responsible”. Responsible for everything coming my way. Even for my lack of a sales pipeline. Responsible for the failed sale. I am responsible for my fat paycheck. What a freeing thought. No more excuses. No more blaming.
If I were to look back on my career 15 years ago, I would change everything. I would be more active in building relationships. I would spend more time serving others and increasing my network.
Getting out of your comfort zone is hard, but it’s a necessary process. These activities create the [marketing] momentum to attract my eyeballs to your value proposition, business, side hustle, etc. Don’t stop putting yourself out there.
Key #2: Relationships are more important than sales.
How can that be? Isn’t this a sales blog post? It is and I’m telling you after over a decade and a half of sales, I have focused so much on sales that I have neglected the thing that results in sales…. Relationships.
So where is that you can meet people and distinguish yourself as an expert in your field? Is it a leads meeting? Do you go door-to-door? Do you spend time on Linkedin? Trade shows? Wherever it is, remember you are there first to serve, then to sell. I would submit to you that when you spend more time listening and serving rather than selling, you will build a bigger pipeline. Build your pipeline by getting to know people and encouraging them in their work.
Send an encouraging card after you meet someone. No one does this anymore. Those who do will be noticeable and approachable. So listen and encourage, I promise those actions will not return void.
There’s a saying, ‘contacts lead to contracts.’ I agree. However, you must build a relationship with mutual understanding and trust. If you treat this person as a transaction, it may be your last. A relationship will build your brand.
Key #3: Keep moving regardless of how you feel
Especially in the dark days of winter, all of us sales types must keep going regardless of how we feel. It’s true, our emotions can get in the way of building a successful pipeline full of potential business. We all know it. Someone asked me lately, how is your self-talk? I had to be honest and say that my self-talk has been destroying me lately. Without even realizing it, I was killing myself from the inside out.
There are many directions we can go when we unpack the ‘feelings’ topic with sales and marketing. Without both of these actions, your business is dead. These are non-negotiables, so it can’t be about your feelings.
To make a sale under your process, it should be all about the client. This isn’t about you. Your job is to serve them with your products/services as the solution to their problem. So, it’s a happy moment for both parties.
The celebration trickles down to the marketing department to learn the right tactics to attract the right people in need of the products and/or services. Marketing is an investment. It’s a belief in everything the company stands for, so there shouldn’t be any negative feelings about putting yourself out there. If so, that’s another topic for you and a business coach.
Key #4: Evaluate, don’t be critical
For the most part, I am a pretty positive person. Ask anyone around me. My critical nature is internal. Eventually, that critical part of myself does come out. I usually mask the negative nature of the word ‘critical’ with the word ‘evaluation’.
It is difficult to take a step back and look at yourself from an honest point of view. Others see things we don’t see. If you are seeing more negative than positive, you may want to reach out to your friends for some positive. Look at the good and bad, not just one or the other.
I have a friend who runs a small local business, and it seems they can’t ever get ahead. He has the opposite problem. His glass is so full and even overflowing, that he cannot see those things he should change or adjust. What can you change today to bring about positive results in the future?
We all know that repetition creates habits. Yet, we seldom harness the power of the habit for our use. We can wield the power of habit by taking control of our actions.
Evaluation is critical for making improvements throughout any journey in a business’s life. Evolution never stops, and things change. What worked before may not work again. So, innovation doesn’t stop, and talking with people different from you will help. Ensure it’s the right people, not just friends talking over happy hour.
Your business will require change, so continue to innovate and improve your processes.
Key #5: Persistence always wins
This goes without saying. Persistence always results in success. The more people I meet, the more opportunity is added to my pipeline. Keep going regardless of how you feel.
We, as sales professionals, all know these truths. For some reason, I needed a reminder of them today. Comment if you would like to add some other ways you add to your pipeline.
David Bilby
Thanks, David. We don’t accept comments on our blog, but encourage them on our social channels.
As for persistence, it’s also a choice. Choosing to persist is more profound than a business decision. It’s a fundamental element of one’s character.
We’ll always persist to achieve our wants if it’s genuinely what we want. That’s why these processes exist.
That’s why these processes exist.