Because they have a poor self-image and low self-esteem.

I won’t get into why I think celebrities have such poor self-images (but I do have my opinions I’d be glad to share over an adult beverage if you’re ever in SoCal) but I will share my ideas on why sales people in general, and new sales people in particular, have such low self-esteem.

One word: Confusion.

In 100% of the companies that bring me in to work with them their sales management skills are 180˚ out of whack! The typical yo-yo sales environment suffering from low morale, high turnover, eroding margins, excessive cancellations and change orders and customer complaints are managing RESULTS instead of PERFORMANCE!

What does that mean?

Without a gun you and I cannot control what our prospects do. We cannot MAKE THEM reach for the checkbook and open it up to us. But we can control whether or not we called them and set an appointment with them and asked pertinent, relevant, thought-provoking questions of them that showed our expertise and competence.

But every company I’ve ever worked at as an employee or consulted with manages based on results instead of performance. (In a way I’m glad because this means they need me. If they were doing it right I’d be out of a job!) This leads to “hockey stick” sales that all come at the end of the month or quarter at lower margins and higher stress.

What companies should do is manage performance and pay on results. When that new sales person shows up they should be told something along the lines of:

• Your monthly sales target is $12,000 or $3,000 per week.
• The average sale is $1,000 so you need to get three new clients a week.
• The average closing ratio is 33%, which means you need 3 appointments to make a sale, which means you need to go on 9 appointments a week.
• One out of every 4 appointments you make will cancel so you need to make 4 appointments to get 3, which means you need to set 12 appointments a week.
• To get one appointment you must speak to 5 decision makers and follow this exact script, which means you must speak to 60 decision makers a week.
• To reach 5 decision makers you must speak to 15 gatekeepers and follow this exact script.
• To reach 15 gatekeepers you must make 35 calls a day and follow this exact script, and/or…
• Go to three networking events a week and introduce yourself in this exact manner, and/or…
• Give two talks a week on this topic to this audience with this exact call to action, and/or…
• Mail 50 pieces of mail a week to these exact businesses with this exact call to action, and/or…

You get the point and you know it doesn’t happen this way.

Most of the time the hiring manager will say something like, “You’re a big boy. You’ve been in this game long enough. You know what to do. Heck, when I started we didn’t even have cell phones or computers. Now go sell something!” and they go back into their office with their “open door policy” because your all “family.”

This is the beginning of the end for that sales rep and they just started! They are thoroughly confused and dejected because they see others making sales at the company but nothing has been codified so they’re not sure how to start, what to say and more importantly, what questions to ask.
Instead, they are given some nice brochures, they are briefed on all of the patents they have and the number of employees and how the founder started the company in her garage and they are told to go make sales. W. Edwards Deming is rolling over in his grave.

How well do you know your own numbers?

What kind of example are you setting for your sales staff?

Are you the bottleneck to your own success?

Can your 5-figure strategies get you to 6 or 7+ figure results?

Would you like a new perspective from someone that has made all of the mistakes and also won all of the awards in retail sales, business to business sales, business to government sales, business to consumer sales and the all important human being to human being sales?

The first call is free and I guarantee you will learn something during our 30 minutes together that can put an extra $1,000 in your pocket within 60 days. But you have to call first.

Good selling.

Remember, Life is good. It’s “gooder” when you’re selling.

P.S. July 30th the f.r.e.e report “The 7 Deadly Sins of Selling” 32-page report with the f.r.e.e. CD, f.r.e.e. consultation and other bonuses will be removed from my website forever. To get your copy please visit my homepage now and simply enter your first name and email. Starting Friday I’m beginning an in-depth, live review of “The 7 Deadly Sins of Selling” with Q&A during each session. You can participate all 7 hours – July 10th, 14th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, 28th and 30th for just $7 total. You can register here.

Remember to Keep Christ in Christmas and it will all work out.

Here’s a list of 45 things to always keep in mind to live a happier, more fulfilling life. I received it as a presentation yesterday from from my mother-in-law. It was much nicer with all of the photos but this is still a powerful and moving list.

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
12. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
13. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
14. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
15. Take a deep breath.
16. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ”In five years, will this matter?”.
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business…
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
38. Get outside every day.
39. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

On December 4th, 2009 a lady delivered a baby boy on a Southwest Airlines flight.

Even though the captain decided to divert to Denver the baby still joined the mile high club!
A doctor and two nurses on board helped deliver the baby at the back of the plane with the help of flight attendants and an in-flight medical radio service. Both are fine.
How would you handle this:

1. Charge her for a second ticket?

2. Refund her ticket?

3. Do nothing?