212

Are you into patterns? 8/1/18 is today's date. It's a palindromic number which means it reads the same backwards and forwards. 212 refers to the number of days that we've checked off this year. Another palindrome. So, what? What's the point? How does this help grow sales?

Easy. Do you notice patterns if you're not looking for them? How many times did you write or type the date today? Did you notice the palindrome? Here's how it relates to sales. Sometimes we miss patterns if we aren't looking specifically for it or it hasn't been pointed out to us. BTW, have you figured out the significance of 212 palindrome to sales? There isn't one (unless you stretch into thinking about the boiling point). However, once I noticed 8118, I went looking to see if I could find another pattern and there it was.

Do you know what your sales patterns are? I'm not talking about scripts or tactics, although they are most definitely patterns. I'm talking about the patterns that you can't always see. For instance, do you have one particular objection that kills your sale every time because you never figured out how to handle it? What's the pattern of events that happens that results in no sale? Put the pattern under a microscope and look for causes and effects. Do you have a pattern for brushing your teeth? Tying your shoes? Your workout routine? If you think about it, you have many behavioral patterns. We do many of them without thinking about the process. Time to brush my teeth. Left side, front, right side, inside right, inside front, inside left, tongue, done. Just the way my dentist showed me. No cavities! Sometimes working out doesn't go smoothly. You know how some exercises are just harder some days? What do you do? Skip it? Modify it? Do it extra?

How about on a sales call? What's hardest? The first contact? Getting to the decision maker? Getting budget? Getting the prospect to engage? Getting pain/need? Timeline? Buying process? What do you do? Skip it? Keep at it until you get it? Close enough? Would your manager agree? Would I agree?

I socialized an article this morning. Did you know that the top 1% in the US earns 26 times the average of the other 99%. TWENTY SIX TIMES! That's crazy! Why? and how do you go about fixing it for you? Do they have 26 things that you don't have? Do you have 26 issues that they don't have? What if you could fix ONE THING? Do you have any patterns that are less than optimal?

Let me close with this question. What if you could fix one sales competency this week and earn as much in the 5 months between 8/1/18 and 1/1 as you did in the 7 months between 1/1 and 8/1/18?

Aren't palindromes fun?

BTW, if you'd like to ask a question or book a call, click the brown chat button at the bottom right. I'm usually nearby.