We’ve all heard the phrase sell like your life depends on it. Well, it does. Your lifestyle is a direct reflection of the amount of sales you’ve made. Every turn you take, your life is on the line. More importantly the difference in your life is on the line. The difference between a Timex and Rolex.
Most salesmen sell like they will live to see another day. Even worse, some sell like eventually someone will buy from them out of sympathy. Even worse than that is those salesmen who can’t sell at all and the only deals they close are laydowns that management handed them.
Knowing that most salesmen don’t place enough value on their life should empower you too. Most of us abuse all sorts of substances, and pretty much anything we can. We are some of the most self destructive people on the planet, so when it comes to selling like our lives depend on it, some of us don’t care.
We’ve all heard it. You know the 80/20 rule. I believe that’s 100% BS though. In every sales industry I’ve had my hands on, it’s been 97/3. Those three percent sell like their lives depend on it. They get it. They work it. They put it all on the line. Because it is.
We work commission. We write our own checks. Why in the hell someone would want to write themselves a small check is beyond me. If you’re gonna give me the checkbook, I’m gonna make sure it’s got a lot of zeros in it when I cash the checks in it.
What does selling like your life’s on the line mean?
It means going all in and being relentless in sales. Think of it this way. You’re being held hostage and the only way you can be set free is by persuading the prospect in front of you to give you money, in the form of buying your sh!t. You can only be released by the commission earned from that persuasive conversation.
Yes. It’s that friggin serious.
The sooner you start treating your sales career that serious, the sooner you’ll find yourself making serious money. Serious money has a different definition to all of us. To some it’s $10k a month. To others its $10k a day. To some it’s $10k an hour. Whatever your definition is, you’ll never get serious money by playing around.
To many of us, it’s not just our life that’s on the line. As a father of two, there’s three lives on the line. As a business man who has contractors and service providers there’s even more lives on the line, plus their families. So why would I show up to a sales turn halfass? I don’t, that’s why.
I didn’t get into the sport or selling to play. I came to win. Win as many sales matches as possible. I’ve lost sleep, over objections. I’ve stayed awake at night stressing about stall tactics. I hate them. I want them to die and go to hell. Because of that, I show up every day ready to beat objections like they owe me money. Because THEY DO!
You didn’t choose this industry to live a mediocre life. Not the people who read this blog. Why on Earth you’d settle for it is beyond me. I’m not saying money is the best thing in the world, but it’s WAY up there on the list. You can’t deny it.
It’s also worth noting that only cool heads negotiate their way out of a hostage situation. You’ve never seen a movie where the hostage negotiator is screaming and bullying the perp into surrendering. You’ve never heard a hostage bully and scream their way free. That’s not how it works.
Selling like your life depends on it involves calculated moves. After all, if you make the wrong one, you’re dead. You’ve got to be cool, calm, under control, and strategic on what you’re going to say to get your way.
It will also help you to realize it’s not the prospect who’s holding you hostage. It’s their upper limits and objections. You’re negotiating against emotions not people. Sell the emotions. Close the objections. Every hero needs a villain. In sales, the villain is objections, and fears, not the person.
As salesmen we work a lot of hours. Then, we try and convince ourselves we don’t. For those of us who really enjoy our jobs, we act like it’s not work at all. BUT IT IS! You spend 6-10+ hours each and every day thinking, breathing, selling and living your work. Don’t you think you should get paid for all of that effort and time? You should.
If you’re looking for personal help, fill out the form below. ONLY IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT INVESTING IN YOURSELF. I’m 100% dedicated to your success but there’s a ton of free content on this site. If you’re not ready to invest in yourself, that’s cool, use the search bar on this blog. For those that are serious, we’ll take good care of you.
