You’re just a salesperson, standing in front of a prospect… asking them to love your product.
It’s the romantic comedy of errors that can be the selling profession. See the thing is, selling and dating are a dynamic duo of similarities, that frankly we don’t talk enough about. So let’s unpack the parallels shall we?
Finding the perfect catch
We all know the age-old adage of ‘there are many fish in the sea.’ Whilst this may be synonymous with dating, it rings true to selling as well. The trick in both dating and selling is, not all fish… are a catch. So how do you make sure you are not wasting bait on the wrong ones?
Let’s pivot metaphors and narrow the sea down to a pool, dating pool, sales pool. Same same. The key is all about knowing what you’re looking for, and even more importantly what you’re not. The easiest way to miss out on potential prospects is by wasting time on those who just aren’t a match.
Whether you’re in the sales or dating game, a sea of possibilities sounds wonderful, but its simply unrealistic and impossible to stay afloat. If your target audience is everyone… it’s no one. And if your target area is everywhere… you are lost..
Thus, the where you start fishing is important, to make sure when refining your pool, that your fish do indeed swim in it. You need to fish, where the fish are. You need to fish in the pool of decision makers. You can’t be fishing for Mr. Right, in the pool of Mr. Right nows, you may as well hold on to your baited hook and breath, cause he ain’t biting there. Same in the sales environment, you need to ensure you don’t end up spending your time and resources on goldfish who can’t make Orca level decisions.
The next step is to know the what and the why of your product or service so well, that the who becomes clear. See through the vast sea and outline the viable opportunities. Let the view of the potential sales sea out there, be inspiration, but the let the clarity of your specific sales pool, be the guidance.
Looking out for red flags
To make things more complicated, not everyone who takes your bait, is worth reeling in. Sometimes prospects, similar to suitors, can promise the world of opportunities and interest, when in reality their commitment issues will leave you and your commission in a long-distance relationship.
How to avoid this sales heartbreak is by being acutely aware of potential red flags
- Do your research, know if it’s a good fit and a practical one.
- Trust your gut, if something feels off, its often because it is.
- Know your worth- don’t sell yourself or your company short. It’s a two way street.
- Let go of the ghosts. Have a limit of how much of your valuable time you will invest following up with those who leave you on read.
There’s an app for that
It’s the digital age, right? Love at first swipe. A strong WIFI connection trumps a strong romantic one. Your health app knows your heart better than you do. So, isn’t it time to update and download? Apps can be a buoy in the sea, a floatie in the pool and they help you just keep swimming smarter and not harder.
Whether perusing partners or prospects, technology is working for us, trying to reduce admin and increase efficiency, so that it takes less time to be more successful. Whether that success is a candle-lit dinner date or getting that tricky customer to sign on the dotted line. The specificities are almost irrelevant, the fact is we no longer have go it alone. Help is not only out there, but you can carry it in your pocket wherever you go.
There is a worry that it takes the romance out of selling and/or dating… the wining, the dining, the calling, the woo-ing of it all but lets be honest, nothing quite woo’s the heart and the wallet as finding ‘the one’, that bit easier. The important caveat of it all, is that apps don’t replace connection, they provide a conduit for it. The right apps are actually the best way to fish more… well… efficiently.
Making it to happily ever after
Do you salesperson, take you prospect, until contract expiration do you part?
Now, where sales apps surpass the dating ones, is they know success is a journey not a destination and that relationships need continuous support. Beyond the “I do”, you have to maintain that relationship, so they don’t one day wake up and say I don’t.
A quality sales app should do more than help you reel them in, it should help to keep tabs on the relationships on the line and know when more attention is needed. As we all know, never in the history of ever, have the words “I’m fine” been uttered by someone who is indeed actually fine. So, keeping a close eye on the status of these relationships on the heart line and bottom line are NB to securing those prospects, hook, line and sinker.
So the moral of this fairly odd tale, is that selling and dating share as many parallels as perils and whether you find yourself selling, swiping or schmoozing this Valentine’s month, remember to do it for the love of it.
written by Taylea du Toit (Marketing Manager)
