The first lesson from Fanatical Prospecting
In this article we will cover the first lesson to be drawn from Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount.
The Universal Law of Need: Why Desperation Can Sabotage Sales
Sales can be a challenging field, and it’s easy to feel desperate when your pipeline is empty. However, as salespeople face the Universal Law of Need, they must remember that desperation can sabotage their efforts. The Universal Law of Need governs desperation, stating that the more you need something, the less likely you are to get it.
Consider Jerry, whose inconsistent prospecting left him with only a handful of viable opportunities in his pipeline. Under tremendous pressure to close a deal before the end of the quarter, Jerry’s desperation magnified and accelerated failure. When you’re desperate, you no longer focus on what is required for success, but on what will happen if you don’t get what you need, thereby attracting failure.
Moreover, when you’re desperate, people can sense it through your tone of voice, body language, and actions, and they naturally repel salespeople who come across as needy or pathetic. Finally, desperation can cause you to make poor decisions, leaving you stressed, miserable, and digging a deeper hole.
In contrast, Sandra’s consistent prospecting, networking, and gaining of referrals have resulted in more than 30 opportunities in her funnel. While not all of them will close, Sandra feels little pressure because she knows that she can replace the prospects that fall out of her pipeline. Her disciplined approach has resulted in regular, predictable, and on-target sales, earning her sales manager’s trust.
Sandra’s success shows that it’s possible to avoid the Universal Law of Need by staying disciplined in your activity. While it may be tempting to focus solely on the deals that will help you survive, consistent prospecting and networking can lead to a steady stream of opportunities. By avoiding desperation, you can exude confidence and attract customers who want to do business with you.
In conclusion, the Universal Law of Need highlights the importance of avoiding desperation in sales. By staying disciplined in your activity and focusing on building a steady pipeline of opportunities, you can avoid desperation and attract success. Remember, the more you need something, the less likely you are to get it, so stay disciplined and avoid desperation to succeed in sales.
The 30-Day Rule: Why Consistent Prospecting Is Key to Sales Success
As a sales professional, have you ever found yourself in a slump, wondering why you’re not closing deals despite your best efforts? The answer may lie in a simple yet powerful rule called the 30-Day Rule.
The 30-Day Rule states that the prospecting you do in a 30-day period will pay off for the next 90 days. In other words, if you miss a day of prospecting, you may feel the consequences within the next three months. Miss a week, and you’ll likely see it reflected in your commission check. And if you neglect prospecting for an entire month, you’ll likely find yourself in a pipeline slump, feeling desperate and unsure how to climb out of it.
This rule is particularly relevant in B2B and high-end B2C sales, where the sales cycle is longer and relationship-building is critical. But it applies to all sales professionals, regardless of industry or product.
For example, consider the story of Greg, a sales pro who was frustrated with his inability to close deals. He thought he had a closing problem, but in reality, he had a prospecting problem. He had neglected prospecting in December, and three months later, he was feeling the consequences.
When you internalize the 30-Day Rule, it becomes a powerful motivator to never put off prospecting for another day. It’s easy to get distracted by other tasks or activities, but consistent prospecting is the key to building and maintaining a healthy pipeline.
So, if you’re feeling stuck in a sales slump, take a step back and evaluate your prospecting habits. Are you consistently reaching out to new prospects and nurturing existing ones? Or are you relying on stale leads and hoping for a miracle? Remember, the 30-Day Rule is always in play, and it’s up to you to use it to your advantage.
The Law of Replacement is a statistical formula that states that when a salesperson closes a deal, they lose not just one prospect, but all the other prospects that were in the pipeline at the time. This means that to keep their pipeline healthy and full, they must constantly replace those lost prospects with new ones.
This may sound like a simple concept, but it is often overlooked by salespeople and sales managers. In fact, failure to heed the Law of Replacement is a common reason why sales teams get stuck on the roller coaster, with inconsistent results and missed forecasts.
To avoid this, salespeople must adopt a fanatical prospecting mindset, constantly pushing new opportunities into their pipeline at a rate that matches or exceeds their closing ratio. This means dedicating time every day to prospecting, even when the pipeline seems full.
The First Rule of Sales Slumps: Start Prospecting
As a sales professional, experiencing a sales slump is a nightmare. It is a frustrating and challenging period, where you feel powerless and hopeless, and your confidence plummets. But what should you do when you find yourself in a slump? The answer is simple: Start prospecting. In this article, we will explore the first rule of sales slumps, which is to start prospecting, and the importance of consistent daily activity.
When you are in a sales slump, the first step is to take a deep breath and stop dwelling on negative emotions. Instead, focus your energy on daily prospecting. It is crucial to commit yourself to a routine of prospecting, no matter how challenging it may seem. Worrying about the future or regretting past mistakes will not change your situation. You are in control of your future, and daily prospecting is the key to success.
Arnold Palmer’s quote, “The more I practice, the luckier I get,” is particularly relevant in sales. The more you prospect, the luckier you get. Consistent prospecting is the key to connecting with the right people, in the right accounts, at the right time. It is the foundation of a successful sales career, and it requires daily commitment and discipline.
Many salespeople make the mistake of only prospecting when they are in a desperate situation, expecting instant miracles. When these miracles do not happen, they give up and fall back into mediocrity. But success in sales is a simple equation of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual activity. The cumulative impact of daily prospecting is massive, and it will take approximately 30 days of dedicated daily activity to get back on track.
Prospecting is not easy, and it takes a lot of effort and emotion. It requires hitting the phones, knocking on doors, sending emails and text messages, pounding LinkedIn, asking for referrals, attending networking events, and talking to strangers. It requires being fanatical and not letting anything or anyone stop you.
When you find yourself in a sales slump, start prospecting. The first rule of sales slumps is to stop digging the hole deeper and start swinging at the plate. Focus your energy, emotion, and effort on actions that you control, and commit yourself to daily prospecting. Remember, the more you prospect, the luckier you get, and success in sales is a simple equation of daily activity. So, go out there, hit the phones, and start swinging.
