SalesMotivation.net

by Jill Konrath

Sales gurus who give bad advice really make me mad. Because of their “guru status”, they’re often out of touch with what it takes to be successful in today’s business environment.

So here’s what got me ticked off this time. The other night I was catching up on my reading. Within 30 minutes, I encountered the exact same advice from “the ultimate success expert” who’s also a “leading authority on human potential and personal effectiveness.”

His name is irrelevant. His advice is dead wrong.

If you’re trying to crack into corporate accounts: Do not use “The 100 Call Method.” Let me repeat myself. Do not use “The 100 Call Method.”

That’s what this guru suggests you do if times are tough and sales are down. He says that when you make 100 face-to-face calls as fast as you can, “sales will start to pour in and your bank account will start to fill up.”

That’s a bunch of bologna! When you’re selling to corporate decision makers, they won’t meet with you if you haven’t invested time learning about their business. That’s the price of admission to big companies today. These buyers won’t give you one second of their precious time if you haven’t demonstrated that you’re willing to invest in them first.

Making 100 quick calls can only lead to even greater discouragement since you are virtually guaranteed to fail.

GURU ALERT: Don’t listen to sales gurus who have not worked in the business-to-business marketplace. Many of the current icons come from real estate, automotive, insurance or financial services sales. They’ve never sold to corporate accounts.

They don’t know how difficult it is to find decision maker’s names. They’ve never had to deal with voicemail, unreturned messages and customers who would rather stay with the status quo than make a change.

Yet they continue to spout advice as if they’re an expert in business-to-business sales. Not only is their guidance fundamentally wrong, you’ll actually lose or delay sales opportunities.

Unfortunately many unsuspecting “accidental” sellers believe that what they say is the gospel truth. It isn’t.

About the Author

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, is a recognized sales strategist in the highly competitive B2B market. A popular speaker at sales meetings, she helps her clients crack into corporate accounts, speed up their sales cycle and generate demand for their offering.

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