This story appears in the
June 1999 issue of
Startups.
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Did you know if you place a baby shark in a glass cage
that's not large enough to accommodate a full-grown shark, the
shark will not grow to full size? (Stick with us--there's a
reason for imparting this seemingly far-fetched bit of trivia.)
According to sales expert Richard Friedman, president and CEO of
Legal Review International LLC in Westport, Connecticut, the same
barriers that prohibit the growth of a full-blown Jaws can diminish
sales success (now you get it). Specifically, he points to three
particular attitudes that are common barriers to achieving maximum
sales success:
1. "If I'm at an appointment, I must be making
money." Not. You need to figure out whether a follow-up visit
is really worth your time, or whether you just like talking about
your kids with this particular prospect.
2. "I know this market like the back of my hand." Each
prospect is unique, even if they're all attorneys--well, maybe
that's a bad example--and you need to do your homework on each
individual.
3. "I've got a system that works for me." Not good
enough, particularly if you find nine out of 10 prospects hang up
on you before you're even 10 seconds into your pitch.
Friedman suggests that to overcome these barriers, you devote 15
percent of your time to personal and professional development,
whether that means taking classes, reading books or simply asking
your spouse to rate your phone manner.
Julia Miller is a Los Angeles business writer specializing in
sales and marketing.
