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Are You Kissing Frogs Or Making Sales?

Guest post by: Kim Duke

Article Overview: Most of us were taught "You have to kiss many frogs before you meet the handsome prince." The problem is you've probably applied this philosophy to getting business as well! When I first started selling years ago, I was told the exact same thing. My boss actually threw the Yellow Pages on my desk and said "Go Get 'Em Kid!" (I kid you not)

Are You Kissing Frogs Or Making Sales?

Now I'm a girl that loves a fairytale as much as anyone. As a little girl, I lived with my nose in a book (and many of them were about damsels in distress waiting for someone to save them)
Oh my - this princess has grown up!
I get tons of email from my subscribers saying...
"Kim, I call a ton of people every day, I network like a madwoman and still my sales are slow. Someone told me I just had to focus on getting my "name out there" in front of lots of people...but it isn't working. Help! "
Sales Diva To The Rescue!
I know what you've been told and there is a grain of truth to it just as there is in any old fairytale. People have to know about you before they can buy from you.
Most of us were taught "You have to kiss many frogs before you meet the handsome prince." The problem is you've probably applied this philosophy to getting business as well!
When I first started selling years ago, I was told the exact same thing. My boss actually threw the Yellow Pages on my desk and said
"Go Get 'Em Kid!" (I kid you not)
So I did what any 20 year old kid would do...I opened the phone book to the A section and started working my way through those yellow pages.
Yikes. I "wised up" somewhere around F....because even though I was making tons of calls and seeing many "potential customers" I was broke, drove a 1978 Plymouth Caravelle that backfired and I was on straight commission. Not fun.
The Biggest Mistake Is Kissing Frogs In The First Place
One of the biggest time, energy and self-confidence wasters comes from salespeople and business owners who chase the wrong customers. It is that simple. Are you one of them?
If you're not making the money you want - then I would bet one of your biggest sales issues is that you don't know who you should sell to.
And because you don't know, are too afraid to ask, or prefer to just stay busy and broke - you are kissing frogs left, right and centre thinking one of them will turn into your dream customer.
Don't Fall For The Myths Of:
• Cold calling
• Volume = More Customers
• Your customer transforming from a frog to a prince!

What Do I Want You To Do Instead?
Spend a few days brainstorming and researching where your customers hang out. What associations do they belong to? What clubs? What do they read? Where do they live? What types of hobbies do they do? How do they spend their time? What websites and blogs are they focused on? Do they volunteer? Have kids? Ride a Harley?
The more you know about your customer, the more focused you can be on your strategic sales activities to attract them. Think NICHE vs NEVERLAND.
So there.
Love From Your Sales Diva,
Kim

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Article Tags: boss, business owners, diva, email, exact same thing, fairytale, frogs, grain of truth, handsome prince, help sales, kissing frogs, little girl, myths, phone book, plymouth caravelle, salespeople, self confidence, straight commission, time energy, wasters



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