Salesperson 101: It's a Jungle Out There

It’s time for a little self-reflection. In sales, like the jungle, the rule is, “the hungry eat”. Sometimes you have to ask yourself: are you really seeking out success or are you waiting for someone to bring it to you?

I ran a sales floor for many years. I had one rule. The hungry eat. That meant that there was no up system, no taking turns with calls or walk ins. If you were faster on the phone, you got more calls. If you kept your eye on the door, you got more ups. We had a phone system where you had to dial 101 to pick up a call and some staff would have the first two numbers dialed on the phone, so when they picked the phone up they only had to hit one. I recall watching as a customer would pull onto the lot and one rep would go for the front door and another would cut through the garage to beat them to the up. Oh, the good ol’ days, it was a jungle out there.

The not-so-hungry salesperson is waiting.

Times have changed. It doesn’t feel like much of a jungle out there anymore. So much of the business has become about electronic leads of all kinds. The phone calls are less, the walk-ins even fewer. In the old days you had a bunch of staff staring at the door or the phone waiting for something to happen; now it’s the computer or the smartphone. Waiting. That’s what it is, the difference between the hungry salesperson and the not-so-hungry salesperson. The not-so-hungry salesperson is waiting. Waiting for a new lead to come in. Waiting for the phone to ring. Waiting for that rare walk-in to come through the door. Waiting for someone to hand them something so they can eat. Because they just aren’t hungry enough to go get it themselves.

You know the hungry salesperson when you see them. They aren’t waiting. They are seeking out leads from wherever they can get them. They are all over the phone when it rings. They always have one eye on the door. They understand that if they are to have success, they can’t wait for someone else to give them something; they need to hunt it down themselves.

Think of that jungle for a moment. Two lions. One is sitting, waiting for some other lion to bring them something, or maybe some stupid antelope just to limp by. I know, I know, lions and antelopes don't live in the jungle, but work with me. The other lion is on the hunt. Always seeking food. Moving around. Paying attention. Who’s going to eat?

By the time that skinny lion lifts it’s head up, the other one is out on the lot eating.

That’s right, it’s still a jungle out there and the hungry still eat. The ones that are all over it. They aren’t waiting for someone to send them a lead. They are seeking out more leads. They aren’t playing fair. “There’s an up. Oh it’s your turn, no it’s your turn, It's ok you take it,” By the time that skinny lion lifts it’s head up, the other one is out on the lot eating. When that lazy salesperson is sitting, waiting for that lead, or that phone to ring, the other is asking for a list of people to call or email. Disciplined and making a 100 sales calls a day even if it’s just to get that one extra customer. Because they are hungry.

So the next time you're sitting there thinking it’s slow, waiting for a lead to hit, or the phone to ring or maybe even for that one up to walk through the door, maybe it’s time for just a little self-reflection and ask yourself, are you really hungry? What can you do to make it happen instead of waiting for someone else to do it for you? Just saying.