The first week was a week of head spins. I was lost in the territory, and lost my mind a few times. I have only been to the Virginia Beach area once or twice and that was years ago when I was a Sales Trainer. I thought about when I was the Sales Training Guy and the confidence I had when the sale was the responsibility of the Sales Person. That's easy. Now the sale is on me.
I need direction so I used the Standing Clients as direction and went towards where they are and cold called around them using the name of the Clients as an affirmation for the new people to meet with me. It worked for about 100 yards from the Standing Client business and then after that the new prospects were not familiar with the Standing Client...people really need to be more friendly to their neighbors.
I only got to talk to 7 of the Standing Clients. I spoke to a lot of Gate Keepers and left my card with another 15. Out of the 7 I talked to 3 told me that they were canceling but 2 of the 3 said that we could at least get together The one Client just hung up on me. Not a nice guy but there are only two ways to get rid of a sales rep. You either shoo them away with anger and disdain or you ignore them. Pesky flies!
I am certainly being ignored by a few more of the Standing Clients as I have called them about 5 times this week after stopping in. They are way too busy to tell me "no" I guess. A no or a yes is all I work for. When someone says "maybe" that is most likely a slow no. Let's cut to the chase people, I am not one who twists arms but certainly would like a good apologetic for my products.
In the end I have 5 appointments with the Standing Clients...have 31 more Clients to get in front of over the next 7 weeks. 2 of those are canceling but at least agreed to listen to me. I did not get any new appointments, which in my business is most important. I have a pretty good followup system and will work towards calling on some of them this week. I put together a 3 ring binder with cards that I received which I glue down and write notes under. I have emailed and dropped off materials to roughly 10 new prospects but that usually yield nothing but wasted time...."email me something" is usually a maybe which in turn is a slow NO!
All week I lived in shaken confidence...Can I do this again? The fears of my financial security, the fears of what will I do next, the disappointment of having worked in this business for so long and now as I return to where I started with the company I wonder is this for me anymore. What or who am I? Am I a Sale Professional?
With all this doubt I take my own advice, "Plow the field David". That is simply it, I was not fortunate enough to run into that New Prospect that was waiting for "The Great One" to walk through the door. Instead I talked to many complacent or simply satisfied business owners whom did not need me, or because my confidence was so thin it showed and they thought little of me. "Plow the field" means for me to keep my head down and continue as the field is large and it needs planted. Call me Davey Appleseed I guess.
In the end last week was as productive as it was supposed to be. I got up and started work each day around 7am and stopped working around 6pm. The drive time was terrible a few days getting stuck in traffic 2 of the days for over 5 hours...The Tunnel...I can and will make phone calls in the future during those time. During the second traffic jam I decided I would carry my Prospecting Binder in the front seat to make calls.
Finally, I met some great people, they did not buy anything, just great people. I think I made a couple friends and asked for a couple referrals that did not work out but they were at least warm calls. I am looking forward to seeing one of the Standing Clients as she sent me an email that was very nice. She had visited my home town and went to a theater, where I worked for many years, to see a show. She actually seemed as though she was looking forward to meeting me as well. That was nice and made my day! Another rule about Professional Sales- people don't like you because you are likable, rather they like you because you are LIKE them.
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