When prospects fight in front of you

Published: Wed, 11/08/23

November 8, 2023

TOGETHER WITH

Welcome back to The Quota, or welcome for the first time, or maybe the second time— ok, this is getting kinda awkward. In this week’s issue, we’ll take a look at the interesting life of world-famous sales trainer Zig Ziglar, share a Sales Fail about a video call gone wrong, and give some advice to a retail rep who wants to get into B2B sales. Enjoy.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

Only 7 percent of companies respond within five minutes of a prospect’s form submission. Meanwhile, 50 percent don’t even respond until five business days later.

Source: Zendesk

SALES ROUNDUP

Here’s what’s happening in the sales world this week:

A car salesman is in big trouble after being arrested while out on a test drive with a customer. Yes, you read that correctly — a salesman got arrested while he was at work. The Albuquerque salesman was driving his dealership’s Ford Mustang at 103 mph in a 45 mph zone when he got pulled over and put in handcuffs. You can read the article and watch the video here.
What are some modern day sales “icks,” that is, things that turn customers away from needy salespeople? Sales trainer Josh Braun recently shared a list of 33 sales icks, according to people on LinkedIn. They include being inauthentic, not taking no for an answer, and the dreaded “just checking in” email. You can read the whole list here.

FEATURE

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The story of Zig Ziglar, the quintessential American salesman

"Be grateful. Believe. Try." A simple mantra but one that encapsulated the essence of Zig Ziglar's teachings. For more than four decades, Ziglar traveled the globe, spreading a message of positivity, faith, and motivation. His distinct style — blending sound-bite optimism with country wit — inspired countless individuals to pursue a better version of themselves.

He was more than just an American author, salesman, or motivational speaker. Zig Ziglar helped change the perception of salespeople in the eyes of the public through his positive demeanor and avoidance of high-pressure sales tactics.

Early Life

Born prematurely as the tenth of twelve children, he faced adversity from an early age. When he was just five years old, his family relocated from Alabama to Yazoo City, Mississippi, due to his father's new job. Tragically, a year later, he lost his father to a stroke, followed by the death of his younger sister just two days later.

His youthful years saw him enrolling in the Navy V-12 Navy College Training Program at the University of South Carolina between 1943 and 1945. However, in 1947, he decided to drop out of college, marking the beginning of his journey into the world of sales.

The Salesman's Rise

After leaving college, Ziglar took up a sales position with the WearEver Cookware company in Lancaster, South Carolina. His drive and talent didn't go unnoticed, and by 1950 he was promoted to divisional supervisor. But selling cookware was just the beginning for Ziglar. His growing passion for motivational speaking began to manifest, leading him to deliver speeches that resonated deeply with his audience.

In 1963, along with Richard "Dick" Gardner and Hal Krause, Ziglar was instrumental in establishing American Salesmasters. The company's goal was noble: to uplift the image of salespeople across America. They organized seminars across various cities, with speakers like Norman Vincent Peale, Maxwell Maltz, and Ziglar himself. Their audiences ranged from real estate agents and car salesmen to entrepreneurs and those curious about the world of sales.

Ziglar's motivational journey continued as he became a significant sales trainer for Mary Kay Cosmetics. He also took on the role of vice president and training director for the Automotive Performance Company in 1968, moving to Dallas, Texas. Despite facing challenges, including the company's bankruptcy in 1970, Ziglar's spirit remained indomitable.

Ziglar's Legacy

Later, Ziglar founded the Zigmanship Institute, which evolved into Ziglar, Inc. Over the years, Ziglar's reputation as a motivational speaker grew exponentially. He collaborated with Peter Lowe on motivational seminars and authored over 30 books, leaving a lasting mark on the self-help industry.

Labeling his unique approach 'The Ziglar Way', he reached out to people from all walks of life. He shared his wisdom through books (selling millions of copies), cassette tapes, podcasts, and notably, his personal presentations. At the pinnacle of his career, Ziglar charged a whopping $50,000 per speech, speaking 150 times a year. Even in his 70s, he still delivered 60 speeches a year.

Despite facing health challenges in 2007 after a fall, Ziglar's spirit remained unbroken. He continued with motivational seminars, inspiring audiences until his retirement in 2010. He passed away two years later at the age of 86.

To quote the late, great, sales trainer: “Remember that failure is an event, not a person.”

OUTBOUND PROSPECTING JUST GOT EASIER!

Tired of wasting precious time coming up with email, LinkedIn, and voicemail messages?

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Oh, and did we mention Owler AI is built into the Owler Chrome Extension, meaning you can use it when browsing company websites, LinkedIn and Salesforce? It’s a game-changer for ambitious sales teams.

Learn how it works here!

MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

LOOKING FOR A NEW SALES JOB?

Tired of unreachable prospects? Overbearing managers? Too many meetings that could have been an email?

Try a fresh start with a role at Cox Business! Cox offers:

Competitive salary plus top-notch bonus & incentive plans
Full benefits (including healthcare from day one)
Extra perks (like free home internet, cable and smart home automation)
Career advancement and professional development

Browse open sales roles from entry-level to leadership positions here.

Browse open roles!

QUIZ

Which company did HubSpot acquire in November 2023?

A. ZoomInfo
B. Hershey
C. Apollo
D. Clearbit

SALES FAILS

Each week, we bring you the most cringe-worthy sales moments from across the web. To submit your sales fail story for consideration, click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

I had a funny thing happen to me recently that I thought would be perfect for your newsletter. I’m in B2B sales, but would rather not mention my industry since I want this to remain completely confidential.

About a month and a half ago, I was on a sales call with a potential prospect. They were working remotely, and I was too (I am fully remote). This was my second Zoom meeting with them. I had already sent them a proposal, and this call was to go over their questions, which they’d put together after talking to their team.

We had just gotten on the call and were doing a bit of small talk. The prospect was in his bedroom or office with the door closed. He seemed to be in a good mood and not overly concerned about anything.

All of a sudden, the door swung open and a woman, who I assume was his wife or partner, came in screaming. “You REALLY did that. REALLY!?” She completely ignored the fact that he was on a call and stood just off camera, while the guy spun around in his chair to look at her. He looked like he was in shock.

I heard her yell, “You are the most DISRESPECTFUL person I’ve ever met in my entire life,” and “ME, ME, ME, it’s always all about you, isn’t it,” before the screen went black as he’d clearly ended the call.

I got an apologetic email from him a few hours later, and he promised he would be in touch after talking to his bosses. We are still in contact, but he hasn’t gotten the sign-off yet. I kind of hope I get to talk to him again so he can tell me what he did that was so bad lol.

Anonymous Location withheld

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- November 2023

WORTH A PEEK

Have you ever watched a TED Talk before? No, you say, since you were too busy being screamed at by prospects, management and your family?! Well, we have good news for you: HubSpot put together a list of 15 Ted Talks every salesperson should watch. If you want to kill a few hours, you can check the list out here.

ASK THE QUOTA

Want to submit a question and be featured in our advice column? Click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

Dear Quota Team

I’ve been in retail sales for almost six years. I don’t have a college degree, only a GED and some community college credits. I make pretty good money, especially considering my educational background, but I honestly feel like I’ve hit my ceiling when it comes to my earnings and don’t think I’ll be able to advance if I stay in my current industry.

I’m on social media and I see and read about people making huge money in more “prestigious” sales jobs, which are almost always B2B. I want to make the switch into something with more advancement potential, but I’m worried that companies will take one look at my resume and put it in the trash since I never went to college and have been in retail my entire life.

Do you have any advice for breaking into something with more of a career path?

Ambitious in the Midwest

Dear Ambitious,

Your educational background need not hold you back. There are, of course, some roles that won’t hire without a college degree, but there are hundreds of thousands of others that won’t even bother to look.

The more important thing to focus on is how to make yourself unignorable.

What does this mean?

If you plan to just shoot your resume out into the ether and hope for a response, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage. Rather, you should not only do everything you can to get your name and face in front of the right people, you should plan on making them an offer they can’t refuse.

This means having an updated LinkedIn profile, so if they want to look you up, there’s a person with a (good) photo they can review. It means making a list of companies that might be good targets and finding out who the hiring manager and/or sales leaders are. It means doing the research on the available roles (you should stick to entry-level sales roles) and on the company itself, and composing a clear and concise message showing you not only understand their needs and current market conditions, but that you’re the person who can deliver for them.

Basically, you need to treat the job hunt like a B2B sale. Prospecting, heavy research, and tailoring a message that’s so good that it can’t be ignored.

This sounds hard, right? Well, it’ll be great practice for the role itself. And if you do the above, then you’ll be going above and beyond what 95% of other candidates are willing to do. And if you want to break out of retail and into a B2B career path, this is the best way. Good luck!

Quiz answer: D. HubSpot acquired Clearbit — (you can read the source article here)

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How did you like today's story?

Today's email was written by Ken Kupchik, Erica Furgiuele, Steve Rado, and Emily Hill.

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