There are some things you CAN’T do and still be professional.

I’ve been calling on car dealers, roofers, contractors, and small business owners for over 30 years and never once have I got hostile with anyone because they didn’t want to buy from me. Amateurs get frustrated, lose their cool, and become unprofessional when a call doesn’t go their way.

 Watch the video above to see me address my sales team over a recent problem.

I’ve been hard selling for over 30 years and nobody has ever said, “Hey, I’m going to file a lawsuit against you because you keep calling me so much.”  This happened to one of my sales guys recently—and I didn’t like it because he represents my brand. I know how to follow people up professionally—and you should too.

Professional Follow-Up has 2 categories of failure:

• You don’t follow up (you quit)
• You follow-up in the wrong way (unprofessionally)

Here are Tips for Being Professional:

#1 NEVER get antagonistic with the buyer!

Don’t ever challenge a guy on a phone call. The amateur salesperson starts finding fault with the customer. NEVER send a text or email that is confrontational. It will never work.

#2 No One Thing Can Blow a Deal, but 7 Things Will.

Do the wrong thing over and over again and you WILL blow a deal. The amateur believes he can’t do anything to blow a deal.

#3 The Professional Uses a TAG.   

This means bringing in a manager, a co-worker, a friend, your spouse—somebody to help close the deal. You don’t always have to go at it alone. I’ve had my wife get on a call and say, “Look, my husband Grant really wants this real estate deal, what can we do to get the ball rolling again?”  The amateur believes he can be the hero and always go solo.

#4 The Professional Always Corrects Him or Herself.

Look, we all make mistakes, but the professionals learn from them and don’t repeat them. Always keep learning. I’m still learning today!

#5 Don’t Be the Caveman Beating the Baby Seal with a Club.

If someone isn’t taking your offer, you need to figure out another lure or fill your pipeline. In fishing, if nothing is biting, try throwing other bait out. Don’t keep throwing the same bait over and over. Saying the same thing over and over is beating a dead horse. You need a variety of angles to hit someone with.

#6 Just Look to Help Someone.

Usually, during dry spells, you’re only focused on YOU. Flip that, and call people just to ask how you can serve them or give them something for free. You want to be transacting with people, even if it’s just baby money. Move down your product line and sell them something even just for $40.  Move around, because you need different plays!

Remember, only 2% of all sales happen on the first call. A true professional in any field never stops training, never stops learning, and always pushes him/herself to get better every day. My sales team is no exception. We push to be better every day, and I want my salespeople to be true professionals.

That means getting off the call with a smile.

If your kids or parents were listening to a phone call, what would they think? You don’t want to give up but you also want to listen to people. Sometimes push can be the thing that saves a deal, but it can also destroy one as well.

What is a professional salesperson?

Think about it like this…as a salesperson, do you want to be Rambo or the Predator?  I want to be the predator. Rambo’s deal is going to end poorly, it’s too much effort on the individual.

Rambo is reckless, disregards orders, uses violence to solve his problems, enters dangerous situations alone, and is just raw and aggressive. The Predator uses advanced technologies and will use a variety of tactics to get the job done.

Don’t be Rambo on the phone!

Be Great,

GC

P.S. Be my guest at my upcoming 10X Business Boot Camp to take a deep dive on the number one thing that drives any company: Sales.