A conversation with a Canon executive roughly 6 months ago came to mind during one of my weekly coaching calls and I wanted to bring it to your attention. The essence of what she said was this:
In order to succeed in sales, be a nuisance.
The comment was in reference to a few Canon salespeople who were constantly badgering her for information on marketing and Outlook and equipment capabilities and applications. At first, she was getting exasperated with their constant requests, but one day she took the time to look these reps up and see where they stood nationally.
All were among the countries leaders in terms of sales!
That comment really stuck with me and I wanted to pass along to you as a Short Attention Span Sales Tip this week. My advice, then is:
- Be a nuisance to your boss. Ask for leads. Ask about accounts she or he believes have greater potential and just need a rep on them. Ask for additional training. Ask to go to conferences. Be relentless!
- Be a nuisance to your vendors. Badger your paper sales rep for information and education. Ask if they can put on a paper show for your clients. Ask your digital/inkjet equipment vendor for applications and education. Be relentless!
- Be a nuisance to industry experts, trade associations, and users groups. Asked to connect with them on LinkedIn. Asked about their resources and archived educational material. Ask about industry events. Be relentless!
Unless you have a fervent need to be liked by everyone, remember this is not a popularity contest. The meek are rarely at the top of the sales and therefore earnings chart.
I would venture to say there are hundreds if not thousands of opportunities for you to get ahead, all untapped unless you become a nuisance and seek them out.
