You Don't Get Paid To Almost Sell

Much has been made over the years in countless books and seminars about how selling makes things happen. And it’s true – without a sale taking place, no one at your company has anything to do. There’s no need for accounting, maintenance, human resources, or any other department for that matter, until money is coming in the door.?

But this line of reasoning misses out on another part of that equation, and one that’s just as important in the long term: until a sale is made, nothing is happening for the salespeople, either.

They’re not getting paid. There’s no momentum. Basically, without any sales, the salespeople are unemployed.

In fact, they’re worse than unemployed if they’re devoting a lot of their time and energy to not earning a dime. Even the best professionals sometimes miss this point. You don’t get paid to almost sell something. This rule still applies when it was a really big potential sale, and even if it was a client you really wanted. The one that got away is just that; now it’s time to move on.?

Missing out on an order you thought was virtually done, or losing a string of existing clients, can really leave a mark. I’ve been there, and if you’ve been in the business for more than a year or two, you probably have too. There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging the let-downs, just as it’s only natural to celebrate the successes. For me, the sting of a missed sale usually melts away with a quick walk through the park. Other top performers I know spend time at the gym or go for a drive. They take a quick break to get their heads straight, and there’s no reason you can’t do the same. But once you’ve spent an hour or two feeling bad, it’s time to get back on the horse. Otherwise, being down becomes a bad habit that holds you back.?

That’s because, as salespeople, we’re paid for what we create. There’s usually no one to look over our shoulder, and we can always choose to become busy rather than productive.

To see what I mean, visit the office of a low- performing salesperson and ask them how their day is going. You’ll soon discover that those folks on the bottom of the ladder are extraordinarily busy. In fact, they’re working harder than anyone. What makes them so ineffective, though, is what they’re busy with. They’ve got papers to file, calls to organize, pamphlets to read, and nine hundred other things to do that won’t get them any closer to finalizing an order.

Their real aim isn’t to make any money, it’s to be busy and look like they’re trying.

And they accomplish this by filling their days with tasks that relieve tension and make them feel good, instead of doing the one thing that would make an actual difference – selling something.?

To avoid being in this kind of rut, the easiest thing to do is set a goal to sell something. It doesn’t matter what it is, or how much it costs. Simply decide that you’re going to focus all of your energy on earning a commission you didn’t have yesterday, last week, or twenty minutes ago. To the degree that you can, put off anything else that might be on your plate. Skip the meetings and lunches, put off creating new proposals for a couple of hours, and ignore the letters and magazines lying around your office. I don’t mean that you should slack off or stop paying attention to the details of your work, only that you need to set aside a little time to focus on creating a bit of revenue, even if that revenue won’t buy you much more than lunch. Concentrate on selling something, and don’t stop until you do.?

There are a few benefits to this approach. First, making a new sale, no matter how big or small, always makes you feel better. Secondly, it means more money for you, even if it’s just a little bit. I’ve never met a salesperson anywhere who couldn’t use another sale, or another commission check. But most importantly, it gets the ball rolling. Opening accounts and getting orders validates you as a professional. It takes you out of the frame of mind of failure and rejection, and starts you thinking about making money. And it’s that enthusiasm that will carry you from one sale to the next and get you past dips in your career.?

If you want to make everyday sales, you need to make that your goal.

Approach your day with the mindset that you’re going to find a new customer and generate some income, and then resist the urge to do things that make you feel good while wasting time. Nothing happens for you or your company until a sale is made, so keep your focus there and remember that you don’t get paid until it happens.?