Barking for Referrals

Many sales people have no idea of what to do to be successful. Their employer has trained them in the product or service information, but hasn't spent time teaching them how to sell. The worst companies just say, "Here's the yellow pages, now go call people for the rest of this afternoon."

Jan has just been licensed as a financial planner. From her previous life as a dog groomer, this is a huge change, but one that she welcomes. She seems to have a knack for the information and easily passed her exams to be licensed. But now she's in the dumps. She's gone from being at the top of the world to the very depth of the deepest valley. Why? No one wants to see her. In fact they run away from her when they are nice and when they're not, they're rude. Jan sits at her desk all day long, dialing and hoping that she can find someone who will answer the phone and be interested in what she has to say. Unfortunately, there are not many of those. Jan is afraid she is going to lose her job.

Jan will be more successful and keep that job if she decides who she is going to sell to. Selling to the whole world is frustrating, unproductive and time consuming. To start, she might want to select one or two markets to focus her efforts for the next six to twelve months. As a very successful dog groomer for 15 years, Jan had hundreds of satisfied customers. She could use that former client base as a starting point.

When asked if she had contacted those former clients, Jan stepped back and said, "No, I couldn't do that. They are from a separate world from where I'm at now. It's a world I've left behind." After more conversation, Jan realized that she was squandering opportunity. Her past clients were loyal, having brought several generations of pets to her. She was trusted. What better prospects than former smiling customers.

"How do I get started," Jan asked, "should I send out an announcement letter? Announcement letters do just that, make announcements. As a financial planner, Jan needs that personal touch. She was encouraged to select four or five of her very favorite clients and then to call them to schedule time to have coffee with each. Her goal was to find out more about these people, and what kind of help they needed (besides dog grooming!) She was also instructed NOT to sell her services. Several months after meeting an old customer for coffee, this previous customer called Jan when she changed jobs and needed someone to help her transfer her 401K from the old employer. She told Jan, "I'm so glad to be using your services again, because you were always so good to me in the past.

There are two lessons to be learned from Jan. It's easier to focus on a group of people who have something in common. When you meet with them individually, you gain more knowledge about them and the group they are involved with. As you learn more about them, they also learn more about you, and from their perspective you become the expert. The second lesson is that if you stay in touch with people from your past, they not only can help you, but are willing to help you to be successful in the future.

Many sales people have no idea of what to do to be successful. Their employer has trained them in the product or service information, but hasn't spent time teaching them how to sell. The worst companies just say, "Here's the yellow pages, now go call people for the rest of this afternoon."

Jan has just been licensed as a financial planner. From her previous life as a dog groomer, this is a huge change, but one that she welcomes. She seems to have a knack for the information and easily passed her exams to be licensed. But now she's in the dumps. She's gone from being at the top of the world to the very depth of the deepest valley. Why? No one wants to see her. In fact they run away from her when they are nice and when they're not, they're rude. Jan sits at her desk all day long, dialing and hoping that she can find someone who will answer the phone and be interested in what she has to say. Unfortunately, there are not many of those. Jan is afraid she is going to lose her job.

Jan will be more successful and keep that job if she decides who she is going to sell to. Selling to the whole world is frustrating, unproductive and time consuming. To start, she might want to select one or two markets to focus her efforts for the next six to twelve months. As a very successful dog groomer for 15 years, Jan had hundreds of satisfied customers. She could use that former client base as a starting point.

When asked if she had contacted those former clients, Jan stepped back and said, "No, I couldn't do that. They are from a separate world from where I'm at now. It's a world I've left behind." After more conversation, Jan realized that she was squandering opportunity. Her past clients were loyal, having brought several generations of pets to her. She was trusted. What better prospects than former smiling customers.

"How do I get started," Jan asked, "should I send out an announcement letter? Announcement letters do just that, make announcements. As a financial planner, Jan needs that personal touch. She was encouraged to select four or five of her very favorite clients and then to call them to schedule time to have coffee with each. Her goal was to find out more about these people, and what kind of help they needed (besides dog grooming!) She was also instructed NOT to sell her services. Several months after meeting an old customer for coffee, this previous customer called Jan when she changed jobs and needed someone to help her transfer her 401K from the old employer. She told Jan, "I'm so glad to be using your services again, because you were always so good to me in the past.

There are two lessons to be learned from Jan. It's easier to focus on a group of people who have something in common. When you meet with them individually, you gain more knowledge about them and the group they are involved with. As you learn more about them, they also learn more about you, and from their perspective you become the expert. The second lesson is that if you stay in touch with people from your past, they not only can help you, but are willing to help you to be successful in the future.