The Top Five Sales Myths

by John Chapin

As someone who has been in sales for more than 24 years, I continually hear debate over the following five sales myths. In this article, I will expose and throw light on these top sales myths.

1. Sales is NOT a numbers game.

The more people you talk to, the more business you will do. Period. Granted, you want quality behind the numbers and, depending upon your business, it may be helpful to do some research on the person you're calling beforehand.

That said, in order to be successful in sales you need lots of good solid relationships, and the only way to get them is to talk to lots of people. Know the number of people you need to talk to during the day in order to be successful and then go out and talk to that many people and more.

2. Cold calling is a waste of time and doesn't work.

I've built four different businesses primarily through cold calling. Cold calling is simply the fastest and most pro-active way to get leads. The reality is: if you are new in business or struggling, it's more than likely you don't have enough leads and you're not getting enough through networking, referrals and other sources... so it's time to cold call.

Yes, cold calling is the most difficult and time-consuming task you can do; yet unless you have millions of dollars to spend on marketing campaigns, cold calling yields results like no other prospecting method.

Also, cold calling builds character and keeps you grounded. If you can cold call effectively and with confidence, nothing will stop you. You will be able to do any other sales task you need to do in order to be successful.

3. Friday afternoon is a bad time to call on prospects and clients.

Most salespeople believe that prospects either take Friday afternoons off or, if they do work, that they don't want to be bothered by salespeople at this time. This is simply not true. Not only do most prospects work on Friday afternoons, they are also in a better mood at this time than at any other time during the week. As a result, Friday afternoon is a great time to prospect and close business.

Additionally, because most salespeople don't make calls at this time, you will stand out as someone who is dedicated and hardworking. The bottom line is: Friday afternoon is one of the best times to prospect and close business.

4. A good salesperson can sell ice to Eskimos.

The premise here is that a good salesperson could sell someone on something that is so obviously not needed. Nothing could be further from the truth. Top salespeople don't take advantage of people by selling them something they don't need. They make it all about the other person and what is best for them.

That said, are their some "temporary" sales successes who take advantage of people and make lots of sales by selling them items they don't need? Yes. But you can't take advantage of people for long and live a happy, fulfilling and successful life. The top salespeople only make the sale if it is a win-win.

5. The customer ISN'T always right.

If you have a mindset that the customer isn't always right, chances are great that you will not go above and beyond, you will not do more than expected, and you will not deliver top-notch, second-to-none follow-up and service after the sale.

If you do not do everything within your power to ensure the customer has a great experience, odds are they will have a mediocre experience at best and you will never stand out.

That said, is the customer always right? No, but you'd better walk into that conversation convinced they are, or they will pick up on your suspicion and indifference quickly - and as opposed to running into that 1 percent of unreasonable people, you'll find the number closer to 50 percent.

John Chapin is an award-winning sales speaker, trainer and coach, a number one sales rep in three industries, and the primary author of Sales Encyclopedia. For more info, visit www.completeselling.com.