Salespeople working in remote locations often complain that those working in more populated areas have it easier because they have a larger pool of prospective customers.

Allow me to put that complaint to bed. Recently I had a conversation with the district sales manager for a large insurance agency. He told me about a particular agent working in a large city, whom I’ll call Sam. Sam was a consistent top performer in the company, but many other agents attributed Sam’s big numbers to working out of a big-city office.

Well, when Sam transferred out of that busy location to a smaller office in the country, it didn’t take long to achieve the top sales position there as well. Where the other agents were getting only 20 new applications per month, Sam was getting between 40 and 50. And Sam was new to the area!

The difference? Sam understood that sales is not about selling — it’s about building relationships.

And, magically, Sam knew how to pick up the phone.

Poor performers often sit around waiting for customers to come through the door. Top performers pick up the telephone and stay in touch with their client base. They know that it’s easier to keep current clients than it is to gain new ones, and they know that referrals come when they have good relationships with their clients.

What? Pick up the telephone? Many salespeople tell me that they’d rather not contact current clients because they’re afraid the clients will have a complaint about something, and a phone call will only stir the pot to lose that client’s business.

What these sales people are really telling me is that they don’t know how to solve problems. If when you call, by chance, the client has a problem or a concern, it’s the perfect opportunity to resolve that issue and make the client happy. The client takes comfort that the agent is there looking out for his or her needs.

Sales people are problem solvers.

People like doing business with service providers that look out for them. It makes them loyal. They buy even more products and services, and they even refer their friends and coworkers.

Picking up the phone is an effort that makes salespeople more successful.

Share This

Filed in Work, Business, Opinion, Training, Motivation, Management, Sales, Selling, Customer Service, Workplace