When you or your sales people are making outbound calls or going to sell outside of the center, how many different types groups are you contacting? Are you putting all your eggs in one basket and just focusing on one group of schools, daycares or large businesses?
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
As people, we do not like to step out of our comfort zone. I know that I excel at marketing, social media, and training, but I don’t think I am great at selling. So like many of us, we typically just stick to what we know we are great at, but to be the best, we must work on the areas that are not our strengths. For me, I try to practice selling anytime I can. Whether it is trying to sell my husband on something I want, role playing with colleagues or clients, or really, just practicing selling to anyone who will just listen to me. But the key is that I step out of my comfort zone, I don’t put all my skills in one basket, I get out there and sell, and as Nike says I “Just Do It.”
We see so many times that sales teams that put all their eggs in one basket and sell to just schools, or daycares, or big businesses. It’s normal for people to stick to what they know and what is comfortable to them but how much more successful could sales teams be if they spread their base and get out of their comfort zone?
Planning for the Future
Think of it this way, when we are planning for our financial future, we typically split up our investment. If we are smart, will invest most of our money in areas that are safe but may not have a high return. Then we put a little bit in an area that may be risky, but it gives us a higher return on our investment. The point is no financial advisor would ever tell you to put all your money in one area, and sales should be the same way. It’s time to think out of the box when it comes to sales and who we are reaching out to. If you have just focused your time and effort on schools and daycares, think about reaching out to companies for summer picnics, team building events, meetings or company parties. If you spend most of your time on companies, think about reaching out to sports teams, daycares, or get a jump on schools.
The point is not to place your sales eggs in one basket. If you continue to do so, you are at a high risk of losing over time. Spread your time in different markets and find that balance of selling to those that are in our safety net and those that might be a higher risk to book. The place you haven’t been selling just might be the place you get the biggest return!
