Keep Your Pump Primed

Keep Your Pump Primed

In sales, there will be a certain amount of lag time in your sales cycle between the time you begin prospecting and the time you are paid your commission. In the employee benefit arena, I educated my new sales agents about that lag time. In a perfect world, where one contact generated the initial appointment and in one meeting the company approved the program – it would still take around two weeks to complete the entire process from contact to payment of commission.

Additionally, your income will follow your activity level – both up and down. So if your sales cycle is a two week process from start to finish – your income will follow your activity by that same time period.

The mistake that very many sales people make is that they allow their “prospecting pump” to develop pockets of air. They do this because when they are in the delivery phase of their sales cycle, and their commissions are coming in – they reduce their prospecting efforts. The next thing you know, they are gasping for air.

Avoid those gaps of air in your prospecting pump by doing the following:

1. Always allow at least two hours per day for prospecting – even in the delivery and payment part of your sales cycle. I refer to those two-hour periods as Action Blocks. You will normally find it easier to schedule appointments at this time because you have just experienced a “win” and that breeds more success.
2. Develop a solid referral strategy. I teach a method of generating referrals called a “Growing Your Sales Through Give and Gain Networks”. It has served me well over the years. I give referrals, make connections for others, and it always seems to come back. Pay it forward.
3. Avail yourself to automation. Whether on the internet, via email, or social media – stay up to date on the latest sales technology that is designed to help you keep your pipeline filled.

If you keep the gaps out of your prospecting pump – you will also keep the gaps out of your bank account.

QUESTION:  How many prospecting attempts must you make in order to set one new appointment?