If I had a dollar for every time I heard a sales professional say “nobody is buying”, let’s face it, I would be writing this blog from an island. The truth is… nobody buys anything unless there is value. Second, nobody buys unless there is a relationship. The reason a sales professional would say nobody is buying is because your prospects don’t know who you are. If your prospects don’t know who you are why on Earth would they answer your phone calls, emails, LinkedIn messages, etc… Ask yourself this question, “Would you return a sales call from someone you didn’t know?”
The world has changed from the cold calling days of marketing. Trust me, I started as a commodity trader in Chicago and became a broker making 300 calls a day with just a phone and a rolodex. That was 20 years ago mind you before the consumer got the internet. That style of marketing worked back then when people actually sat at a desk or at home with a LAN line next to them. Don’t get me wrong, you still need to have activity in the form of the phone, conference calls, webex, etc… But the approach needs to be strategic and pin pointed where your odds of making a deal close are increased. The shotgun approach doesn’t work because sales cycle takes way too long especially if you are selling a commoditized product, meaning you’re not the only act in town.
Let’s put into perspective, the Oil & Gas industry is taking a beating right now as we all know. Ironically, there are a lot of companies that are still “buying”. You know how I know that? It’s called relationships. Relationships are not just built over time so don’t get discouraged that you missed the boat. Relationships are also code for referrals. Work smarter not harder people! Here are ways that you can build long term relationships in the short term in any industry sector:
- Ask your current and past customers of WDYK (Who Do You Know)
- Build strategic partnerships with your company
- Institute a competitive referral program for partnerships, colleagues, etc…
- Attend as many professional organizations that will yield ROI
- Be active in Social Media and professional blogs, white papers, and speaking events
- Be active in press releases about your company so you have something to talk about in conversation, i.e., “Did you see the recent write up about us in the ….”
- Host happy hours and networking events that will yield ROI