What Would Woody Do?

I enjoy the humor of Woody Allen, always have. Though as a kid I could not understand how Annie Hall beat Star Wars for best picture in 1977.

One of the best quotes attributed to Woody Allen is also one that every successful sales person should take to heart:

"80% Of Success Is Showing Up"

Think about it, if you are not showing up and talking with your customers then who is? Who is finding out if their buying needs have changed in the last three months? Who is getting to know the buyer and connecting on a personal level, establishing trust and credibility? Who is getting into your pocket and taking your commission?

Your competition, that's who.

This sounds simple enough, but when the economy went into the tank at the start of the Great Recession, many managers at mid-sized companies made the mistake of cutting back on their travel budgets. Times are lean...customers aren't buying any way...email, conference calls, and webinars will work just as well. These are nice but short sighted thoughts. As a sales trainer colleague of mine is fond of saying, "Sales is a contact sport." How true.

Email, conference calls, and webinars do not take the place of looking a buyer in the eye on their turf. Recently I was planning a trip to see a major buyer and had the customer say to me, "Bob, we are not going to buy anything this year. I guess you'll won't be coming out to see us." On the contrary! They have been a cornerstone of our business in the past and will be in the future. I'll let my competition save their travel pennies now so I can pick up the sales dollars later.

If you've not been out to see your customers, then get up and go! With the recovery starting and business beginning to thaw, you must be meeting your customers face to face and positioning you and your company as the right partner for their future growth.

Before the week is out, look over your core customers that were purchasing in 2006 and 2007 - over the past 18 months have any players changed or left the account, how have their purchases been for 2008 and 2009 compared to the previous two years, what are their buying plans for 2010 and 2011...are these the same plans they had just three months ago? What has changed at your company that you can tell them about in terms of your products, personnel, organization, or markets?

Stop reading and take action. You can either choose to sit behind your desk or you can stand up, get out, and show up.