That's right. If you want more sales, be offensive.
No, I don't mean being a jerk, or being profane, or anything like that.
I mean going on the OFFENSE.
Everyone knows that in any situation, negotiation, or sales transaction, you never, never want to be on the defense. Once you're on the defense, your opponent is in control. And once that happens, you're screwed.
Just watch a boxing match. As soon as one boxer is backed into a corner and his opponent is hammering him with a flurry of punches, it's pretty much all over for him.
Offense and Defense in Selling
For some bizarre reason, few salespeople are taught the principles of negotiating. This is a sad fact, since negotiation is the very essence of selling. Every - and I mean every - sales interaction is a negotiation.
I'm not necessarily talking about price negotiation, either. Even if you mail out an introductory letter or send a "cold" direct message on LinkedIn, you're negotiating, because you're asking for something from the prospect - an appointment, or a call back, a web conference, a referral - and as long as you're trying to get something, you're negotiating, whether you realize it or not.
The winner and the loser in every negotiation are determined by a very simple formula: The person with the power wins. The person without the power loses. End of story.
Power in Selling
Who has the power in selling - or in any negotiation, for that matter?
The person with the power is the one on the offensive, the one who can say either "yes" or "no."
The person without the power - the loser in the end - is the one who is on the defensive, who wants or needs something, and has given the other person the ability to say either "yes" or "no."
Why Most Salespeople are Losers
It's sad but true that most salespeople are losers at this game. I remember being told that 20-25% is a good (?) closing rate. It wasn't until I was closing upwards of 80% of my prospects that I realized just how foolish a statement that is!
Here's how salespeople give up their power, each and every time: They make it very clear that they want or need something - a sale - and then the prospect automatically has the power to say "yes" or "no."
The salesperson is instantly put on the defensive, and has no way out.
And the best way of all to get backed into a corner with no way out is to start a sales process with a cold call. Nothing says "I need a sale," or even, "I'm desperate for a sale," more than cold calling!
It's a guaranteed way to NEVER, EVER have power in selling, to always be on the defensive, and to have a miserable closing rate in sales.
And don't even get me started on the basic third-grade math of cold calling: Since the usual result of a cold call is nothing, then making 50 or 100 of them won't help either! I learned in third grade that 100 X 0 still equals ... ZERO! Nothing! Nada!
So forget about cold calling, for good, unless you want to be powerless, on the defensive, and get dismal sales results day in and day out.
Are you afraid of trying something new? Remember, the worst that can happen is nothing. Since nothing is the usual result of a cold call anyway, you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. So get out there and try something new and different. Besides, doing something different is fun. And that alone will make your job a lot easier!