Why You're Still Broke (and What You Can Do About It)

If the sky’s the limit in sales, then how come I know so many broke salespeople?

I’ll tell you why.

Most salespeople aren’t very good at their jobs.

I know that sounds harsh, but it’s also the truth. And the truth will set you free.

Look, it’s not their fault. Outdated sales training is the “square peg” of life, and it doesn’t really fit… well, anywhere anymore. And yet, it’s still what we are told to do.

Aren’t getting the results you want? Just call on more prospects!

Yikes, that sounds horrifying.

So, what’s the answer? Let’s start by talking about what definitely ISN’T the answer. We need to stop using the same, tired sales scripts that countless robo-reps before us have used. Our consumers are smart. They have the same Internet you and I have to look stuff up. And nine times out of ten, they already know A LOT about your thing before they even come to you (or you come to them).

No matter what you sell, it’s a commodity product in today’s virtually driven world where we have access to literally everything (and in many cases, it can be at our door in under an hour). That means if your marketing and your approaches look and feel like everyone else’s, you’ll sink even further into the depths of anonymity.

Different is better than better. 

Do you remember what your mom told you as a kid when Sammy or Susie copied what you were wearing or did their hair the same as yours?

“Oh honey, imitation is the best form of flattery.”

Well, that may be true for fashion choices, but it’s not true in business. If all you do is copy what other people in your space are doing, you know what you’ll get? Not much.

If you really want to imitate someone (and we definitely recommend it to keep from trying to unsuccessfully reinvent the wheel), pick a titan from ANOTHER industry and study what they are doing. Then maybe, just maybe, you can bring something new to the table!

The sad truth is that only a minuscule percentage of salespeople will ever achieve the kind of success that is widely promised in sales. I’m talking about six or seven figures in commission in just one year.

I think it’s because they are not being different enough.

Dogged determination and a good work ethic are definitely essential in the sales world. However, here’s the problem… you can have both of those traits (you can determine to keep going no matter what and work 60 hours a week), but if your head is already up against a wall, what good does it do to just keep pushing?

At some point, you’ve got to stop, look around and realize, “Hey, what I’ve been doing isn’t working. It could be time for something different.”

Notice I didn’t say “better.” You will never be able to convince prospects that are you “better” than everyone else. Why? Because they don’t care one iota about YOU. They care about THEM and their business.

Let’s do everyone a favor and stop the madness. Decide today to commit to be different.

Here is how you can get started:

1. Spend some time defining your personal brand - What makes you… you? Are there any special traits or qualities that you feel really make you stand out? If you are known only by the product or service you sell rather than by your own name, that’s your first clue that you need to show prospects you’re a unique human being.
2. Spend some time learning your customers’ business - As I said earlier, it’s not about YOU. It’s about THEM. Figure out what pain points are the most common in the lives of your customers and come up with some ways to make them hurt less. The key is that your solutions should have NOTHING to do with what you sell.
3. Spend some time crafting legit goals - If you aren’t reverse engineering your goals, then they are probably useless. Start from where you want to be and work backwards.

Success in sales is promised to no one. You have to keep dragging your knuckles through all the pain and roadblocks and woolly mammoth dung and keep going. And we’re here to help you when you need a friendly kick in the loincloth.

In our next blog, we’ll dive into the one thing that is really motivating you (even if you don’t want to admit it).

This article first appeared at KnuckleDraggingSales.com