10 minutes a day that makes or breaks your paycheck

I have been in sales for about 10 years now.  That is nothing compared to a lot of folks that I know, but it's an eternity if you consider that most people can't take the first month of any sales job and end up quitting. Over the years, one of the most interesting things that I have observed and experienced, is the amount of time allocated to things that do not directly impact your paycheck.

Let's face it.  One of the most appealing aspects of a sales job is that you control your paycheck every single day.  This terrifies most adults because how can you build a life and a family based on such an uncertainty?  Luckily that very same thing is what draws in the money hungry people with drive, passion, and the confidence that they will not only make a good living, but a great living.  But what are you actually spending time practicing?  Is it how to open up a call? Is it practicing your presentation over and over again?  Is it making sure you have all your notes for the week in line so that you don't let any potential deals slip through the cracks?  Well, I hope you are spending time on all of those things.  But for some reason, most salespeople don't practice the only part of the sales process that makes you any money.  The close.

Don't get me wrong.  Cold calling, presentation skills and follow up is critical to any sales job, but if there is no grand finale to your song and dance, then no one is going to pay you to see it.

Every single time you look at your commission check, remember one thing: That money is directly related to the 10 minutes a day that you are successfully closing someone.  Why aren't we practicing that more?  And do we even know how?

Think about what is practiced daily/weekly/monthly in any well run sales organization:

Cold calling
Presenting
Putting together a proposal
Objections
Fulfillment
Paperwork

But how often are you sitting down and practicing closing someone?  And how do you even do it?

You should be practicing it every single hour of every single day that you are working.  You should be closing out every single conversation that you have with a prospect with a specific action that moves a sale forward.

You are going to spend the majority of your week getting in front of potential clients, putting notes in your CRM, and presenting your product.  No doubt that is going to suck up the majority of your time.  But when it comes time for that all important time to say "Let's get you started" most of us fail miserably because the question is never even asked and if it is, you hear your knees clanking against each other because we're so nervous.  But really what are you afraid of?  You hear "no" 90% of the time in sales, but the 10% of "yes'" is all that really matters.

Quick story.  I'm sure some of you listen to Preston and Steve.  Well I turned it on a few weeks ago and unfortunately I don't know who the comedian was that called in but his story was great.  He had seen Paul McCartney on the street without any security or fans around.  Long story short, he finally got the guts to go up to him, speak to him, and ask him to be a guest on his Podcast.  Paul McCartney said "Absolutely, here is my cell phone number."  The comedian, after telling the story, said "This was like asking out the girl of your dreams and she actually said "Yes!".  His point and my is the same.  If you don't act on that very short window of time you have each day to make something happen in your life and in your career, you will be asking "what if" forever.

Start asking for the order.  These prospects very rarely close themselves.  And people are very indecisive these days.  So help them make the decision.  If you believe in your product and you know it will help them, then tell them so.  And then ask them to sign your contract.  When they say it's too expensive, go back and work on how you prove value.  If they have to talk to their significant other, you schedule an appointment with both of them.  If they "know they need it but can't do it right now" reprove value by showing the gaps in how they currently run things. Then ask them for the order again!

Time is money and the 10 minutes a day that you need to be closing deals, you're probably not.  So next time you finish a presentation, and you enter the awkward 5 seconds where someone has to make a move, try saying "Mr. Customer, I truly believe it's time to get you started with this.  I wouldn't be here if I thought otherwise.  Now, let me ask you, what credit card gets you the most reward points?  That's the one I would suggest using."

Most of your time each day will be spent on what I mentioned above, but the time spent closing amounts to about 10 minutes a day depending on what you sell.  Those are the most important 10 minutes of your day.  Make them count and start asking for the sale.  If you don't, someone else will.  No reason why you should be paying some other kids college tuition because he wasn't afraid to ask for the sale that you couldn't.  The best presenters basically T up sales for good closers.  My favorite prospect to come across is the one that says "I already saw this presentation" because the leg work is all done.  Now I just have to close this person because the salesperson before me was unable to.  I mean come on, what's harder?  Opening up the pickle jar before or after the guy before you loosens it up?

Make YOUR 10 minutes count.

"You become what you think about all day"
Dave Altimari