Selling in the Coming Tough Times

Selling is the lifeblood of every business.

Your sales are like oxygen that keep your business alive. Even the best product or service won’t survive if you can’t sell it. If you can’t sell, the other things you do in your business don’t matter.?

Most of us don’t have a herd of “hungry-to-buy” customers lined up waiting outside our door. We have to generate interest, sell our product, and close the deal. Ultimately, your ability to sell determines the success of your business.?

Selling in Tough Times

But here’s the problem:

During prolonged periods of prosperity, businesses get used to incoming orders. When the tides are high and money is easy, businesses can coast through without mastering sales. Business owners can get lulled into complacency during the good times and selling can take a backseat.?

But when contraction looms and economic slowdowns hit, every sales shortcoming gets magnified. There comes a time in every business owner or entrepreneur’s journey when they must confront the essence of selling head-on. But sadly, many shy away from selling.

Sales Avoidance

Many business owners fear the dreaded “salesperson” label like the plague. They never take the time to master the true art and science of selling. This is a critical error.?

Some sidestep the selling hurdle by hiring sales reps. But often, that doesn’t work. Hiring the right salesperson can be tricky.

That’s because most professional salespeople usually only learn a few basics about their craft. They typically learn a few fundamental skills in the first 90 days or so on the job. And then they spend the rest of their careers operating under this initial, foundational knowledge. They coast along with that modest “know-how” for a lifetime.?

If any other professional took that approach, they would soon be out of business.?

No One is a “Born Salesperson”

There’s no such thing as a “born salesperson.”?

I am an expert in sales. But believe me when I say that I was not a natural-born salesperson. I have never met anyone who was born with closing skills. These skills are developed.?

Sure, some people have a magnetic charm that lends itself to sales. Some people have a natural ability to build rapport. But they won’t become masters at the art of bringing in revenue unless they develop a full set of sales skills. I spent countless hours training and practicing my craft before I mastered the art of selling.

When the economy gets tough, selling gets harder. And many salespeople stumble and fall. They become statistics. It’s only after it is too late, that they wish they would have done more to sharpen their skills.?

During tough times, success is the prize awarded to those who spent the time mastering sales. The people who succeed are those who developed their entire set of sales skills.?

Salespeople of this caliber can benefit from contracting markets. There is more business for them as their competition falls by the wayside. Deals end up in the hands of the best salespeople. Not in the hands of the mediocre, the average, or the order takers.?

But selling is not just limited to professionals.

Everyone is in Sales

In business, everyone is in sales.

The receptionist on the phone – sales. Your customer service team – sales. Your technicians – sales. No matter how groundbreaking your product or service is, if you and your team can't sell it, you won't benefit.

That’s how important selling is to your success. And that’s why it is critical to develop your full range of selling skills.

Selling Skills

Listen, you can’t survive and prosper if you don’t learn to sell yourself, your products, services, and ideas.?

Now is the time to work daily on training, education, and improving your sales skills. Do this no matter what position you have in your organization. People who can generate sales and revenue will never be without work, money, or opportunity. You must commit to understanding selling as a system. Don’t approach it merely as a job. Commit to becoming a sales expert as a way to the top.??

Take every opportunity to learn the art of selling. Use commute time to and from work each day to listen to proven-to-work sales training material. Focus your attention on growing your business. Start using objections as a way to close more deals. Learn negotiating strategies that will double your revenue.?

Periods of slowdown are the time to train, not the time to complain. It’s critical to learn (or relearn) everything there is to know about selling. You need to know how to create selling opportunities, determine your prospects’ needs, and get agreement. You must be able to present, negotiate, and close.?

And there’s no place better to master the art of selling than Cardone University.?

Cardone U is a one-stop solution covering every aspect of sales - from basics to advanced strategies.

Today, you can join the thousands of entrepreneurs who have used Cardone U to transform their businesses.?

Schedule a call with one of my Cardone University Advisors to learn how it works

Be Great,

Grant Cardone