Sales Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks

This week we've been sharing some lessons learned by Jill Konrath of Selling to Big Companies. These are fun stories, and not so fun sales lessons learned at the School of Hard Knocks. Here's lesson #3:

How to Cut the Crap

At another company, I walked in and told the receptionist that I wanted to speak to the person who made copier decisions. After a quick check with the boss, she escorted me into his office.

"Sit down," he said gruffly. "You've got 5 minutes. Talk."

"If you're busy, I'll come back," I said, trying to be gracious.

"Nope," he stated. "5 minutes. Tell me why I should buy your product. Your 5 minutes is starting now."

I mumbled. I stumbled. I tried to engage him in conversation. I tried to explain that I needed more time. He wasn't one bit interested. After 5 minutes, he arose and said, "Your time is up. You can leave now."

That ticked me off. I told him he was rude and obnoxious. Then I turned and stormed out of his office, shouting back at him, "I'll never sell you a Xerox machine. You don't deserve to work with Xerox."

I know it's hard to believe, but I really did lose my cool. And I'm also sure that guy never wanted to work with Xerox again. But he had a point. I couldn't concisely state why he should listen to me.

I wanted to build a relationship and warm up the call. That made me feel better. He was a busy man who chose to use his time judiciously. I didn't respect his needs. After that cold-calling disaster, I learned to net it out. That lesson is even more important today than it was years ago.

"The School of Hard Knocks can be brutal," says Konrath. "Every time you're knocked down or out, you have to make a choice about how to react. Are you going to get up again? Will you learn from the situation? The hardest thing in the world is to look at your own complicity in the situation,yet that is where the maximum growth is for you and ultimately, the key to your long-term sales success."

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. She is a frequent speaker at national sales meetings and association events. Learn more at http://www.sellingtobigcompanies.com/

The SalesDog blog will be quiet tomorrow while we celebrate Independence Day with our families. Happy 4th of July!