Business Building

Perhaps the most misunderstood small business sales tool is networking.  I have seen competent and capable sales people waste away by spinning their wheels in unsuccessful attempts at networking and all the while believing that they were keeping busy and keeping their schedule full of activity that was bound to pay off.

What it takes is focus.  I mean, how do you get married?  Not by dating everyone in town and dedicating only on one or two occasions to each.  You focus and commit and dig in over time.

This is sales, not sales avoidance.  It takes putting out before you expect anything back.  Above all it takes time - and often company sales managers or owners are not willing to take the risk that a new sales person is doing this.  Why?  Well, how long does it take to find out if they have been doing the right thing?  For a long sales cycle business it can be about 6-12 months.  Or more.  How much salary and benefits has that cost them?  Tens of thousands.

These decision makers fall into two groups - Those who are over eager to cut and run at the first suspicion of an investment that has not paid off.  The others are those who will ride the losers all the way to the poor house in the mistaken belief that time will tell and the harvest is just around the next corner (they themselves are scared of losing).