Double This, Double That, Double Sales

Is the job of sales twice as hard now than ever before? Yes and no. Arguments could be made for both sides. Are there more obstacles put in front of us making it harder to connect with a customer (caller ID, locked doors, voicemail, etc.)? Yes. But does technology also make it easier than ever to secure repeat orders (online ordering, storefront, etc.)? Yes to that, too. Some aspects of the job require double the effort. Many components result in double the headaches. But thinking in doubles will also drive your 2025 sales growth.

1. Double up on same-prospect calling — It’s one of my favorite things to do when speaking to a live audience on the subject of diligence and its effect on sales growth. I’ll say, “Owners and managers in the room: What percentage of the time — when an outside sales rep calls and leaves you a voicemail — do you never hear from them again?” I’ve asked that question for 25 years and the answer always comes back, “90% or more.” Think about that. Nine out of 10 times, your competition (and probably you) call once, leave a voicemail, and then abandon pursuit because a shiny object caught their eye. If you double your call count and make just one more phone call to this prospect, you will have done something that only 10% of salespeople do. Oh, and make a third call to be in the top one percentile.

2. Double your chances — The most important action to take prior to prospecting is to do some research. Peruse their website. Read up on the vertical. Come up with a way to finish the sentence that starts, “The purpose of my call is … ” and feel good about it. The downside is this process can be time-consuming. Although you can learn to quicken this skill over time, it would be nice if there was a way to increase your efficiency and get more out of your effort. And there is: By calling on two people per company, you double your productivity. Plus, if you don’t hit it off with the first contact, you have a second chance. That’s a double bonus!

3. Double back — Sorry to hear you lost that bid. Here’s a great way to not only win the next one but pick up the entire account. Let a couple of weeks go by, then call the client up and say, “Just checking to see how everything went. Did the job arrive on time? Were you pleased with the quality? And (most importantly) did the winning vendor make a follow-up phone call like this? We might not have been the lowest price, but following up with customers is one of the additional services that make us worth any extra cost.” The biggest issue buyers have with salespeople is the absence of a phone call like this. You are showing up the competition and demonstrating why you are different.

4. Double your listening ratio — As the saying goes, “You have two ears and one mouth. That means you should spend twice as much time listening as you do speaking.” Listening is a lost art. It’s a gift when you make someone feel heard. It requires being present and in the moment, totally dialed in on what the client is saying. This shows respect and professionalism while sending the client a clear message: I value what you are saying. It seems like a small point, but look into the eyes of the next person you speak to and you will see what I mean. People are not always listening to you. Very often they are simply processing what you are saying so that they can come up with a retort. You need to be twice the listener you are now.

5. Double down on Fridays — “What’s the worst day of the week to make a sales call?” When I ask that question of a live audience, I consistently hear the same answer: Fridays! I get the thinking. No one wants to hear from a sales rep on a Friday. Many are out of the office or “working” from home. And if somebody is in the office, they’ve got the weekend on their mind and are not in the mood. The thing is, your competition shares this assumptive, sales-killing belief. That’s why you need to double down on your Friday sales efforts. Why not make the assumption Fridays are GREAT days for sales calls because customers are in a good mood? Wayne Gretzky’s father once told him, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” If you believe Fridays are bad days for a call, you might as well believe Mondays suck, too. Together, that’s 40% of the workweek. Change your thinking and double your end-of-week sales activity.

6. Double That Assertiveness — On a scale of zero to obnoxious, assertiveness comes just after passive and just before aggressive. If you double your sales efforts and think of yourself as being assertive, your sales will grow. Make one more sales call today. Try that Big Fish you’ve been pursuing one more time. Leave one more voicemail. Oh, and remember the “nine out of 10 times one voicemail goes without a follow-up” factoid? Not only should you double your assertiveness and make another call, double that message’s effectiveness by leaving an assertive message like, “This is my second attempt to reach you. How many people call you twice? Can you imagine how hard I will work for you once you become a client of mine?” Come on. I double dog dare you!

7. Double your objection replies — Let’s say a client tells you your price is too high. You counter by justifying the difference but they aren’t having it. Wikipedia defines an objection as, “A request for more information.” Typically, a sales rep will push back on the objection, but only once. You have nothing to lose by doubling up on your response. Oftentimes, a customer objection is thrown out there to test your resolve. I remember a sales exercise where eight out of 10 salespeople caved when challenged with the objection, “Your price is too high.” The other two stood their ground and were rewarded the business. Don’t just seek to overcome that objection, be prepared with a second argument.

Top salespeople know to do more than just make one call, focus on one decision-maker, and give up after one attempt. Their sales volume is twice what yours is because they double down, double back, and double up. A client challenges their pricing and they do a double take. They are prepared with double the reasons why they deserve the business. So, start today. Start immediately. Get selling … (wait for it) … on the double.