Mark Hunter's Blog, page 40

What Does It Mean to Sell Today

I see sales as the most fantastic position anyone can have.  Often, I struggle with what to call it because I don’t see it as a profession, I don’t see it as a job, I see it as a lifestyle.   We’re in the middle of a pandemic, and clearly these are unusual times. It is in a time such as this that I see sales as an honor, because it is about helping people.    

More than ever, our job is to help people. The days of thinking you, as a salesperson, can jam something into someone’s face and get them to buy are long gone.  Customers are smart!  If I thought that’s what sales is all about, there is no way I would be in love with sales. I’m in love with sales simply because I love people. 

A core principle in my new book, A Mind for Sales is directed at helping you think differently about what you do and why.  Read this sentence from page 69 – take a moment to ponder on what it means to you:

Value other people more than yourself. Value their goals and aspirations more than your own. 

When I was in the midst of writing this book last year, I had no idea how much more weight this simple sentence would carry in helping each of us understand our role.  Embrace what this sentence is saying, and you’ll find yourself viewing sales not as a job, not as a profession, but as a lifestyle. 

I am sitting in my living room on Wednesday, March 25 writing this post. The last several weeks in the United States have been interesting to say the least.  By the time this comes out on Friday, March 27, who knows what else will have happened.  But there is one thing for certain and that is this: the role of sales will not have changed; it will still be the same. That role is the act of valuing other people more than yourself. 

How do you think you’re doing in valuing other people?  An easy way to measure this to define how much time you spend talking versus listening to the customer.  How often do you ask your customer for more insights on what they just shared with you?  How well do you know your customer’s real needs before you trying selling them anything?  Sales is about helping people. We cannot do this at all if we don’t work hard at doing the things I listed earlier in the paragraph well – listen more intently, ask follow-up questions, and seek to understand the needs.  

During the coming months, every salesperson will be challenged in ways they never imagined.  If we’re not prepared to listen to each person’s backstory and empathize, we’ll be kicked to the curb.  More than ever, customers want their voice heard. Each person feels that their world is unique, and it’s our job as salespeople, to find a way to live in it. 

Next week and each week from here on out, I challenge you to raise your game in valuing the customer more and taking more time to understand their goals, aspirations, and just life, regardless of what you sell.  You may think you’re selling a product – nope! First, you’re selling a relationship. 

Earlier today, I hosted a Facebook Live session and answered some people’s questions as well as took an early peek into my new book – the physical copy that was just sent to me.  Watch the recording below where I answer the questions and share a few thoughts about the pandemic we’re facing as a nation. 

 If you haven’t bought a copy of A Mind for Sales, here’s the link to pre-order.  Once you do, be sure to check out the book website – www.amindforsales.com – and take advantage of the special free bonus!

 

Copyright 2020, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

Can I Sell in Today’s Environment?

It’s true that the world has changed in the last few weeks, but the answer is still yes, with two caveats. We cannot forget about the elephant in the room. Now more than ever, people need to talk and our most important job is to listen. Let the customer talk. Let them share their story. A number of sales teams have told me that they’re having more conversations than ever before people feel isolated. And I’ve encountered the exact same thing with my phone calls. Allow the customer talk now more than you ever have. We are in a time where the business of sales is all about relationships.

You may find it takes longer for sales to close – that’s OK. Let’s be real here, we have a lot of outside factors at stake. The key is keeping things simple.  Make it easy for your customer to make a decision, and be flexible.  A key area where this plays out is when multiple people need to get involved. With everyone working from home, it is harder to have conversations. Without a doubt, the K.I.S.S. principle (keep it simple stupid) is applicable today.  If the product or service you sell is complex, break it down into smaller transactions so that the initial order can happen now. The pandemic should end soon, and by then, you’ll be in great shape to add on the sale’s more complex parts.

Second, you need to understand what’s happening in their world. Don’t try to sell to someone in the travel industry. That’s just not smart. They have far more important things to worry about.  How would you feel if your house just caught fire and somebody called wanting to sell you cable service. Most likely, you’d be jumping on that person. Be sensitive and know who you’re reaching out to. Take a moment to understand the backstory before you call.  Now this doesn’t mean you grind to a halt by doing investigative research before each call. It just means you do a better job of segmenting by industry, customer type, etc. For many salespeople, this means shifting where they are spending their time, but view this as a major opportunity. 

A recent example is one of my clients in Asia who has built their business exclusively with an industry that has been shut down due to the pandemic.  Since their core clients closed, they’ve had to pivot to a new industry. After getting over the panic and accepting reality, they knew they had to find business somewhere, somehow. The result is now they’re selling into a new industry, one that’s never been touched. After the pandemic, this company will be even bigger and once the industry that is closed comes back, they will have an entirely new market.  Do not, for a moment, view our present situation as the end for your business or for your ability to sell. There are out opportunities out there!

At the core of all this is the underlying question I ask all salespeople, “Do you believe you can help this person?”  If the answer is “yes,” then it is your responsibility to reach out to them.  Let me frame this up again with the example from earlier about a sudden house fire. If you now received a call from someone selling a cleaning service that specialized in house fires, you would be very open to hearing more.  When you know your audience, it is amazing how much success you can have.

Many of you know about my new book, A Mind For Sales, coming out in just a little over a week. A few people have asked me if I am going to delay the release. My answer is no. That option has never crossed my mind; in fact, I believe the timing is better than ever. Why? I believe in the message, and I am confident it will make a huge difference in those who read it. I believe I have the ability to help others, so it my responsibility to sell the book. Truly, I think failing to sell the book now would be a disservice to the those who need it most.  Sales is about helping people, and we help them best when we sell. 

The key during this entire period is not being tone-deaf.  Be sensitive, listen to your customers, take the time to personally engage. Yes, I am telling you to ditch the pitch!  This is not a time for scripts; it’s a time for human conversations between two people who are dealing with similar issues.

The biggest point in all of this is don’t think you can’t sell with the nation and the world in our current situation. Certainly, you may have to adjust what markets you sell into and you will need to adjust your selling process, but that does not mean stop. I believe there are significant opportunities out there today, and when we get past this, there will be a vast number of opportunities. 

We will get through this and probably as quick as we got into it, we may very well find ourselves stepping out of it. Never once have I not believe in mankind and most of all, I have never lost my belief that we are at our best when we’re serving one another. To me, that’s sales and that’s why I say there is never a day of no opportunities. It’s our job to find them.

Copyright 2020, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

Monday Motivation Video: Are You Spending Enough Time With Your Customers?

I am referring to actually seeing your customers, doing what I call CFT “customer facing time.” In sales, CFT is what matters. I talk a lot about this term in my new book, A Mind for Sales. Customer facing time is the amount of time you spend talking with a customer / prospect or actively engaging with them. If you want to close more sales, you need to increase your CFT; there is definitely a direct correlation between the two.

 

Video:  Spending More Time with Customers-  https://youtu.be/XZDFS56TO9A

 

I hate to break it to you, but you’re not going to get into the Top Producers Club or the President’s Circle by having your CRM (customer relationship management) perfect. Sorry, that might keep your boss off your back, but it’s not crucial. CRM may be what puts bonus / commission money in your pocket, but your CFT is most important. Too many times, I see sales managers beating up their salespeople demanding their CRM be updated and sometimes even at the expense of CFT.  I’m not implying that CRM is not important – it is; however, when you’re struggling to make a number, which initials would you rather invest in?  CFT should be your answer.

 

There are two parts to your CFT number that you need to break down. First, look at your CFT score with existing customers and secondly, look at your CFT score for prospects. How do the two numbers compare? Too many people find that their numbers are lopsided; the CFT number of existing customers is 5 or 6x more than the CFT number for prospects. When I see numbers so disproportional, I know the salesperson will soon find themselves in trouble. Why? It’s simple. When all you do is rely on existing customers, your future is in their hands. Did you get into sales to have your future placed in the hands of others? I doubt it. Sales is about creating opportunities, and it is about prospecting! Your prospecting CFT number determines if you will consistently make your sales quota.

 

You might be an Account Executive who manages five accounts and asking yourself right now, “how does this apply to me?” For you, the prospecting CFT number is based on the amount of time you spend developing new opportunities with the accounts you manage.  It’s about meeting new people and visiting new divisions. It’s about creating incremental sales opportunities.  The last thing you can afford to do is to sit there and merely accept orders as they come to you.  I call that customer service, not sales!  By allowing yourself to be compensated at an Account Executive or Account Manager level and not be out there actively getting new business is stealing from your company! 

 

Regardless of your sales role, you need to know your CFT and you need to pay attention to it.  As you monitor your CFT, remember it is solely customer facing time. It is not customer thinking time – you know the time where you’re thinking you need to do something, but you never do it.  CFT is the exact time you spend talking with a customer or actively engaged with them via email, messaging, phone, etc. Yes, the talking could be with a demo, a review, a video call or any number of other things, but it comes down to one thing: actively engaging with the customer.

 

As I’ve been in sales for many years, I have seen time and time again a direct correlation between CFT and making quota.  It’s true that the salespeople who most frequently make quota are the ones who have the CFT numbers.

 

I encourage you to dig deeper into the importance of CFT as well as how to be successful at it. You’ll find all of this and more in my new book A Mind For Sales. It is scheduled to be released on March 31, 2020! I couldn’t be more thankful for its relevancy in our current situation. Pre-order today. 

One last thing, as a loyal follower of my blog, you are invited to join the official Launch Team for A Mind For Sales and help spread the word.  As we are quickly approaching launch day, we need your help! Want to know more? 

My ideal launch team members:

…love to read.

…love sales.

…enjoy using Facebook.

…like to tell others about the books they are reading.

…are willing to share about new books on social media.

…are willing to write a review of the book on Goodreads and Amazon.

…are interested in sales, leadership, and how to positively impact your sales relationships.

If this sounds like you, I would love to have you on the team! Please follow these two easy steps:

Fill out the launch team form:    https://forms.gle/Vjg6QsbnFvEdiS6MA

2. Click this link and answer the questions to join the launch team Facebook group!

Thanks! I appreciate you. I’ll see you in the group! 

 

Copyright 2020, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Calm Voice, 15 Things You Can Do Now as a Sales Leader

A few of my thoughts on being a sales leader during this period of disruption:

If you’re over the age of 30, you have lived through 9/11, the financial crisis, Ebola, SARS, MERS, the “great recession” and many other events. During each and every one of those catastrophes, everything around us felt earth shattering and life-changing; yet amazingly, each ended when nobody expected them to. In addition, through each one of those difficult seasons, we all learned a tremendous amount that has helped us moving forward. The hardship we’re currently experiencing is no different; this too shall pass. Yes, we do and will continue to have to make some difficult decisions; however, with each one, we must put into perspective what the long-term implications will be.  

The one item we have all been called to do is to remain calm and confident – we will get through this. Yes, we are navigating uncharted waters but just like the captain of a boat encountering a major storm; although, the storm might be new, the skills to navigate the storm are not. We are the “captains” with the understanding to guide our “ships” to either the safe harbor or out to open calm waters. 

 

1. Often, the greatest sales opportunities arise when customers are in need the most. Do not think for a moment your market is gone. It may have shifted, but it is still there, and when viewed properly, you’ll find bigger opportunities.

 

2. Be there for customers / clients to help them with their business. I’m telling all salespeople to stay in contact with their customers even more than ever right now, and not to commiserate but to proactively help them problem solve and help identify solutions, answers. Customers reward those vendors who stick with them in tough times.

 

3. With existing customers, take nothing for granted. Collaborate with them and look downstream at who their customers are. Help identify ways that you can assist them; be prepared for potential shocks.

 

4. Make it as simple as possible for customers to do business with you. Don’t try and sell everything. Just get the customer going with one thing, and build from there. There is still a lot of business out there; we just have to be creative and patient.

 

5. Be incredibly sensitive to others. We must listen better than we’ve ever listened before. If there’s ever a time for salespeople and customer service people to listen, it is now. Over the last week, I’ve heard about some amazing conversations amongst salespeople. These discussions are creating massive loyalty, and it is simply the right thing to do.

 

6. Don’t allow others to see you as being concerned. People take their cues from those around them, especially their leaders. Just like looking at news sites, social media, online can quickly change how we feel, so can someone’s actions.

 

7. Be the positive voice in our generally negative world right now. For every door that closes, there is another one that opens. Unless we have the right mindset, we will never see the open door.

 

8. Sales is the most critical department in these periods, and it’s important for customers to know that. Without sales, any business will soon fade away. Keep feeding your sales team and the customer’s sales teams with ideas, strategies, and most of all, confidence.

 

9. Help those around us see the full picture that this too shall pass. History has shown with every other pandemic, they have a lifespan and within months, it is gone. Keep an eye on the 3rd quarter. Don’t overthink today. Make decisions accordingly.

 

10. The employees who are now being asked to work from home are not going to feel comfortable. The key here is over communicating and accepting their workspace for what it is. Don’t pass judgement. Do try to have one phone call per day, minimum, with everyone. Ideally, this should be a video call.

 

11. Respect the variety of other people your employees and customers are now dealing with when working from home. The child crying in the background is not an issue. The dog that needs to be walked is OK. Let’s be real, this is a whole new world for nearly everyone working from home. 

 

12. Employees and others can become concerned with outside issues, so make time for them; however, stay firm in reminding them that they still have a job to do. Keeping employees focused on long-term projects will have a calming effect on everyone.

 

13. Demonstrate flexibility with everyone; schedules are changing for everyone. Allow yourself the freedom in your day to accept changes to meetings, calls, etc.. essentially everything. 

 

14. Don’t panic. As quickly as we got into this situation, things can turn. It can be easy to let people go, but in this market, we don’t know what the labor supply will be on the other end. Holding onto employees creates dedicate which in turn, will increase efficiency, etc.

 

15. We are currently dealing with two issues: health and economic. Yes, both are intertwined, but one will not physically harm anyone. Most importantly, we need to help others put things…life into perspective and support one another. Together, we will get though this.

 

Be the leader that your customers, your peers, your co-workers, your friends, and your family are counting on you to be.

 

Copyright 2020, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

 

 

Do You Have A Mind for Sales?

Just like everything else, sales has changed in the last couple of weeks.  The pandemic we are currently facing is challenging basic norms but one thing never changes, business is still about people connecting with people.  Sales is all about people, always. Today’s challenge lies in the different norms that are requiring us to think differently.

Video:  Do you have a mind for sales in tough times? 

When I wrote my new book last year planned to release in March of 2020, I had no idea the state our country would be in right now, making it even more appropriate for everyone’s situation.  I’m confident in the US and confident in people, so I rest assured that we will get through this and get through it fast. The bigger question is how will we fare for it?  We are all facing three issues right now: health, mental and economic. Each one involves another; they are intertwined. The one that nobody is talking about is our mental state. Let’s be honest, the confusion all of this has created is certainly impacting our state of mind.  This is one reason why I’m posting a new video each day on my LinkedIn and Facebook pages. I am sharing these to give you my perspective and help you put things into perspective because my fear, and probably your fear too, is the mental and economic impact this whole thing will have for years to come. No doubt there will be seen and unseen scars! If you have not watched these videos I’m mentioning, check out my LinkedIn page: linkedin.com/in/markhunter.

One of the reasons why I am confident we will come through this is because of my faith. I have learned not to worry about things I cannot control but rather to focus on what I can. If for no other reason, my faith is why I remain confident through it all and confident in my ability to reach out and help others. Now stop and think about that for a moment. That is what sales is all about – sales is helping people.

Having a mind for sales is putting the customer first by taking the time to listen to them.



Have a mind for sales is caring more about why you sell than about what you sell.



Having a mind for sales is being a sales leader.



Having a mind for sales is creating incremental value for your customers.



Having a mind for sales is prospecting and selling with integrity.



Having a mind for sales is being authentic with everyone you meet.



Having a mind for sales is building a team of people all with the same focus: helping each other.



Having a mind for sales is knowing your objective is to influence and impact others.



Having a mind for sales is knowing time is your most valuable asset.



Having a mind for sales is knowing who your perfect customer is and staying focused on them.



Having a mind for sales is knowing that you have to continually improve your selling process.



Having a mind for sales is knowing what your limitations are and not making false claims.

Our greatest days as a nation lie ahead of us when we come out of this hardship. I do believe we will sooner rather than later, thanks to the flurry of intellectual advances in every sector of society. Out of our greatest pain always comes our greatest gains; this time will be no different. Our focus now needs to be on confidence, calmness, and keeping things in perspective. When we lose sight of any one of those three things, we spin out of control and fail to make good decisions.

Sales is without a doubt the greatest job one could have. There are few other occupations where you can have the ability to influence and impact so many people across so many different companies, communities, and countries.  Each day, regardless of what the news might say, or what others might talk about, my mission remains the same and that is, focus on others and focus on being the person I know I can be. That is what it looks like to have a mind for sales.

Go pre-order my new book, A Mind For Sales and gain full access to the bonus content! Then, visit the A Mind For Sales website.

Also, be sure to join my Launch Team Facebook Group for special info, exciting announcements, and giveaways. Mention this blog post when you fill out the launch team form: https://forms.gle/Vjg6QsbnFvEdiS6MA and then click here to join the group. I’ll see you there!

Copyright 2020, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

How Should We Respond in Tough Times? Lessons From My Father…

This past week has been one of the more difficult weeks for all of us. I have reached out to my kids who live in other states much more than normal.  My wife and I are spending time together without the consumption of stuff or doing, but just to enjoy each other’s company. I’ve also found myself feeling a whole series of emotions as I help deal with customer issues that quickly evolve into personal conversations. 

It’s in times like this that you can’t help but feel vulnerable. If you know me personally, you might wonder how can that be because you think, “Mark you’re always so optimistic.”  Yes, I do view myself as an optimist. I owe it to my father for passing on that great quality.

Growing up, I saw him face significant challenges. My family did not view ourselves as poor, just economically gifted.  Over the years, I watched him handle that and his own major health issues with an amazing level of optimism.  Regardless of the bad news shared by his doctors or the pain it brought,  he never failed to see the bright side.

One particular time stands out to me as I fondly remember him and his life- he was recovering from another battle with cancer. Although his mobility going forward would be limited, he viewed it with great confidence.  He never viewed his limited mobility as an inconvenience; he saw it as something to master. Every physical setback, he viewed as an opportunity to find new ways to deal with the basics- ones you and I take for granted.  His outlook never wavered, he never once complained and most of all, he never once stopped going out of his way to help others. 

The impact my father had on others never ceased to amaze me. No matter what, he always had time for whoever was on the phone or whoever wanted to meet. His face always beamed with a smile even when his body was writhing in pain. Yes, as I look back, I believe that helping others was in his DNA; however, I firmly believe it was all about him not looking at his own situation.  This has taught me that the best way to respond in tough times is by reaching out and helping others.   

So, the situation we’re in is not permanent, and if there’s one thing I’ve figured out, permanent is never permanent.  Just when we think things can’t or will not change, they do.  Certainly, a few months ago, none of us thought we would be in the current situation, but we are. None of us can change what is happening in the world, but we can change how we respond to it. 

I believe that our greatest opportunities only lie ahead of us- in the days, months, and years to come.  My father never stopped moving forward; he was driven by his optimism and anchored in his faith.  I’m thankful I learned to embrace his optimism and am grounded in my faith.  It’s in times like this that those assets are priceless. 

When your phone rings or an email arrives, and the person on the other end is looking for assistance or just an ear to listen, stop and make time for them.  We are a community, and we are at our best when we support one another.  Our support for others is not to be given in exchange for something else. No, you do it out of your love for the other person.   

Our best days are in front of us. Yes, there are challenges on the path. There are tough decisions to make. But life is full of detours… always. I thank God I didn’t know all this was coming! Can you imagine how much more stress and anxiety there would have been, or how much more toilet paper we would have stockpiled? 

Our best response is to relax and to be present for the other person whoever it might be.  It may be a customer, or a peer, or even a competitor.  The business of business begins with people.  Life is people, life is community. We will get through this; we always do.  Although none of us are old enough to remember World War II, there were many dark days when things didn’t appear like they would work out, yet they did.  Out of WWII came the greatest period of economic growth the US has ever seen.  I believe the same will happen this time, and not just for the US but for the world.  

No matter what challenge my father faced, he never ran from it. He would run to it, and with gusto and excitement to always find a solution. He was the master at finding alternative solutions.  Once, when his doctor told him he was too weak to work, he worked around it by sneaking out to his car to take naps during the day.  To him, obstacles did not exist.  Obstacles were only an invitation to find a new solution.  It’s our duty to tackle each challenge in the same manner. 

This is the time to find solutions, not just for ourselves but for our customers, our co-workers and our friends.  This is our time to be the person we’ve been called to be: a servant.  May we pray we never face a situation like this again; but if we do, let’s face it with the memory of working through this experience.  Life is good. It always has been, and it always will be when we choose to make it not about ourselves but about helping others.  Each and every day, let’s impact others to help make them stronger. 

Copyright 2020, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

Monday Motivation Video: Do Not Rely on Marketing!

You’re in sales and it is your responsibility to own the customer. Yes, it’s a tall task but to own the customer means you’re the one that gets things rolling or as many would say, “close the sale.” I prefer to say, “open the sale” but we’ll save that for another day.

Video:

If you’re the one responsible for closing the sale, you should be the one responsible for the sales process and for the leads that start the whole process. If you believe this and I hope you do, then why do you allow marketing to control your leads? It’s time to stop relying on marketing and go get your own leads. Your own leads are waiting for you; they exist by way of referrals from existing customers. They already exist by way of those you know that suddenly raise their hand and show interest. They exist because you know your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) and therefore, you know where others that match that profile are located. You know all of this and are able to get great leads, because you’re good at what you do.

There’s an interesting correlation between a salesperson’s effectiveness and their lead source. The better the salesperson you are, the more you develop your own leads. Gee, that should make marketing feel good about the leads they generate. I’m fine with that. In fact, I’d prefer they didn’t spend any time gathering leads. I’d prefer marketing focus on building brand awareness, educating the marketplace, and in general, building brand/company equity. When marketing does that well, it makes everything else easier because prospects know who you are when you call.

Sales and marketing might be cousins but they’re certainly not siblings. Siblings tend to have a love/hate relationship. To me, that’s not healthy; one quarter they like each other because everything is going great, the next quarter they’re at each other’s throats. If the two are cousins, the relationship is better for two reasons. First, they only see each other a couple of times a year – Thanksgiving and family reunion picnic held every summer. Because they don’t see each other much, they don’t try to play in the other person’s sandbox. This means they are able to get stuff done without interfering one another.

Salespeople make it happen. They never turn down assistance. If marketing wants to send over leads, fine but at the end of the day, the only thing that matters are the great leads you will be able to close tomorrow. My new book A Mind For Sales deals with the issue of sales and marketing and how the two departments should operate. Spoiler alert! I share several controversial things in the book, and sorry I’m not going to say any more, you’ll just have to read it. Pre-order today!

Copyright 2020, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

Selling In Difficult Times Requires Having a Mind for Sales

Regardless of what’s happening around you, it is still your job to make things happen, to make sales, and to deliver the numbers.  We can’t change the world or what is happening around us, but we can change how we respond to what’s happening around us.  Little did I realize that when I sat one year ago to write my newest book, A Mind For Sales how appropriate it would be for today. 

Video:  Selling in Difficult Times:

Your customers need you more than ever during difficult times. Why do I say that? Because you have the ability to help them get through the difficult times that are out of their control.

During tough times, your customers don’t need to a reminder that times are tough; they don’t need your help seeing that. What they do need is a calmness, a stable voice and proven ideas they can use now.  In doing so, you will also benefit in becoming more stable and calm yourself as you help others.  A calm voice is a confident voice and the confident voice is one people listen to.   

Difficult times bring out the real leaders.  In my book, A Mind For Sales I expound upon this idea and use my signature phrase: “sales is leadership and leadership is sales.”  Right now, you have the ability as a salesperson to magnify your calmness and become the sales leader others look to. 

It’s easy to wallow in the same mud as everyone else and get caught in what the internet saying and social media is posting. Trust me, I get it. But hear me when I say that a pig playing in the mud requires no intelligence. All the pig, and all you, are doing in the muck is following the herd. Your focus shouldn’t be on what the herd is doing but rather on your customers; they need us now more than ever.   

Your customers need to hear from you. They need your ideas, they need your solutions.  You must be seen by your customers as an extension of their R&D Department (research and development).  A lot of your customers are in a fog, because they’re preoccupied with the turmoil around them. It’s up to you to stay calm and show them where they need to focus their energy and mind.  And guess what? You can’t do that if you’re caught up in the same mayhem. You can only do that by focusing on tomorrow’s opportunities rather than today’s challenges.

This is also not the time to back off on prospecting. It’s time to double down and get after it!  The key is making it simply for your customer to do business with you. You want to be able to lay out in very simple terms how you can help.  During difficult times, it can be tough for customers to focus, and a transaction that requires extensive time to understand or an excessive number of sales calls won’t be to your advantage. 

Now let’s deal with some hard truths about how to handle things when you find yourself caught up in the confusion and difficult issues surrounding our world today.  First of all, relax! Then, do 3 things:

Know that tough times don’t ever last. It’s just fact – they never do.  Things might seem dark today but tomorrow always offers us new opportunities.  From a pure economics perspective, every recession in the past has ended… always!



It’s in tough times that the best solutions are found.  When times are good, it’s amazing how quickly we can look past things; however, as soon as things slow, our eyes are opened to significant opportunities come. 



Most importantly, never stop believing in yourself.  You are your greatest asset. Your ability to impact others will never change and your ability to view each day as an opportunity for growth will never disappear. Be the optimist. Take the initiative and lead. For myself, the most beneficial fuel is living my faith in accepting the fact that I don’t have all the answers, but there is one who does. That is where I put my trust. Without getting spiritual, let me just be blunt… those who truly put their faith in God can maneuver through difficult times better, and with joy!

Coronavirus may or may not be a factor on the radar screen one week from now, or one month from now. You don’t know.  I don’t know. Nobody knows. The one thing I do know is that today, I will strive to be the sales leader I’m capable of being with every person I meet.

My new book, A Mind For Sales is a must read, especially in times like this. Find out more about the book as well as supplement materials by visiting: www.amindforsales.com.

Copyright 2020, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

Why Am I Not Closing More Sales?

Is this really the question you should be asking yourself?  You might have an issue closing more sales but is that really the right question you should be asking? The tendency with this question is to only look at your closing techniques and how you can strengthen them. The answer lies not in your closing techniques but actually in how you prospect and who you prospect. 

Video:  Why Am I Not Closing More Sales:

You can’t sell a customer something they don’t want or do have not have a need for, yet this is what you’re doing when you have the wrong prospect.  If you fail to have a clear ICP (ideal customer profile), you will chase the wrong person.  This is why I say that you can’t take a Walmart shopper and make them a Nordstrom customer; it’s just not going to happen.  Both are great retailers; but they appeal to completely different types of shoppers.  The same applies to you and what you sell.   

When your ICP is throughly defined, it is amazing how much more focused you can be.  It all comes down to spending the majority of your time on those with the highest potential.  Customers have options; they have more choices than ever before, which means they are more selective than ever, regardless of what you sell.  In order to move a lead to the prospect phase and ultimately to becoming a customer requires focus on your part. Focusing starts with understanding who your prospect is and who he/she is not. Too many salespeople have what I refer to as squirrel leads.  A squirrel lead is one that pops up out of nowhere and distracts your attention.  You’re distracted because they’re right in front of you, and you think you can convert them to a customer.  You will fall for the squirrel unless you first determine if they fit your ICP.    

Spending time with only those who match your desired ICP is only the first step in being able to close deals at a higher ratio; however, if you only focus on this group you’ll save a massive amount of time.  Knowing your ICP allows you to know which questions to ask, and what information to share.  This puts you in a position of confidently knowing that you can help your customers. When you’re more confident, the customer becomes more confident.  Ask yourself if you have ever had a non-confident customer buy from you?  No, the only customers who buy from you are ones who are confident.  The more confident they are, the faster they will make their decision and the higher the price they’ll be willing to pay. Let’s look at an even more powerful scenario: you focus just on those those who match your ICP and then you don’t need as many prospects in your pipeline.   The beauty of not needing as many is that you get to spend more time with the ones you do have.  This all ends up allowing you to spend your time more efficiently and not waste it on anything but the best. 

The ability to close more sales does not lie in polishing up your closing skills, it lies in polishing up your prospecting skills. Closing deals should actually be the easiest part of the sales process. Why? Because it’s the result of all of the activities leading up to that point in time.  Your sales process is a pipeline: you cannot get out of one end anything different than what you put into the other end. It’s that simple!

In my new book, A Mind For Sales I wrote all about how to create the right ICP and how to manage your sales process. I strongly suggest you get a copy of the book and if you lead a sales team, buy copies for your entire team.  Learn more about the book and how I can help you and your sales team by visiting www.amindforsales.com.

Copyright 2020, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

Monday Motivation Video: Your Customers Are Not Bowling Pins

Your customers are not bowling pins waiting to be knocked over, they are customers waiting for you to open up a relationship with them. Too often, salespeople see customers as nothing more than a barrier to blow through to earn their commission. This is the reason why I actually don’t like the term “closing” a sale. I prefer to say we are “opening” a relationship.

Let’s all admit, we love to close a sale. The only thing better than closing a sale is closing one fast and easily. If you’re in sales, you know that this is the key to success; however, there’s an issue with this mentality. The issue is that if you begin thinking that every sale is just another “close,” we forget about the sale’s value and the impact it can have in creating many more sales in the future.

When you make a sale, are you programmed to think about how you can leverage the first sale into another one? This is a big reason why I don’t like the term, “close.” I prefer the term “open,” as in opening a relationship when making a sale. When you tell yourself that you’re closing a sale, you immediately view that as the end. Frankly, the only good sale is one that leads to the next sale; this is why I firmly believe in viewing each sale made as opening a relationship. Look at where the bulk of your business comes from. Ask yourself how much of it comes from existing customers either in the form of repeat sales or referrals.

You should focus on this percentage trending upwards in the long-term. If so, you’re doing your job in doing your job. On the other hand, if this percentage is not trending upwards, ask yourself if you’re viewing your customers as bowling pins. Every one of you have massive amounts of businesses waiting for you if you’re just willing to take the time and view each customer as a long-term relationship. It really becomes powerful when you look at it in terms of your cost in acquiring a new customer. It is always far cheaper to get more business from an existing customer than it is to go hunt for an entirely new customer. Do not see this as permission to not prospect or to dial it down. NO! Prospecting is always an essential activity. You have to treat prospecting like a muscle and it must be exercised. Failing to prospect causes the prospecting muscle to become weak and flabby, so when you need it most, it won’t be there.

Sales is a beautiful way to earn a living. It’s about helping people and enabling others to achieve their goals. Something funny happens when you help your customers achieve their goals – you’ll actually wind up closer to achieving yours. Your customers are not bowling pins; what you sell is not a bowling ball. You’re selling success for you and for your customer.

This is just one of the many ideas I write about in my new book, A Mind For Sales. I encourage you to pick up a copy and read it. You’ll find many effective strategies and ideas being used today by top performing salespeople to help them stay top performing. I’ve created a website just for you to learn more about the book, access free resources, and of course get your copy – go here!

And one last VERY important thing, I would be thrilled to have you a part of the A Mind for Sales Facebook Launch Team. This community has already been a beneficial tool for many, and I want you it to be for you too. Just fill out the launch team form: https://forms.gle/Vjg6QsbnFvEdiS6MA and click here to join. Come on!

Copyright 2020, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.