Sales Training Tip: Tenacity Works

A recent survey among sales executives revealed the following:

80% of all sales are made after the fifth call
48% of salespeople call once and give up
25% call twice and quit
12% make three calls and stop
5% give up after the fourth call
Only 10% keep on calling

And, it is this 10% – the one salesperson in ten – that makes 80% of the sales.
– The National Research Bureau, Inc.

Tenacity with a Velvet Glove

It’s really true, tenacity works. The art of selling and consulting comes down to being persistent yet likable at the same time.
Sometimes, even for me, I’m torn between pressing into a client versus backing off. When my consulting intuition says, “Danger Will Robinson…this deal could go south or fizzle” I know I need to press in, but with a velvet glove.

The velvet glove could be restating the specific goals your client articulated in your initial meeting or restating the one or two challenges they spoke of with the impact of those challenges to their business.When you follow up via email, end your message with a question, such as, “Let’s touch base tomorrow on the next steps we discussed at our meeting. Okay with you?”

Clients realize you are boxing them in but if you do it with respect and clarity they will follow your lead. Try it and let me know how it goes.