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Like many, I have read as many books on sales as I can. I have read about the psychology of sales, body language, every book on closes I could get my hands on and I have learnt a little from every book.

A trainer I once had a session with showed demonstrated the most important two features a Salesman needs, passion and self motivation. It was a lesson I have never forgotten, without that passion and sense of adventure and challenge, you are nothing. He stressed the importance of cold calling to keep you sharp, that matching of wits to get through a receptionist who claims a no name policy and through the project manager or buyer when all he receives is sales calls. It's a challenge and one to be embraced. I am supposedly beyond cold calling but I still choose to do it as it is an incredibly important part of who I am, it keeps the fears away and conditions you to face rejection and bounce back again.

Self motivation keeps you doing it, you can't afford to get jaded, every call needs to have the same enthusiasm as the first, every knock back needs to be shrugged off and for every blow that you receive, every order that slips or is lost, you have to brush yourself down and look for the next opportunity.

Sales at the sharp end is not easy matter and as important as proper planning and organization are, without the strength of will, creative thinking and the passion for the challenge, it all amounts to zip.
I train sales teams on a product set, it is part of my job and my goal is to inspire second rate Distribution teams to sell our products. How many other vendors do they hear this crap from? What can I do that's different? I don't do powerpoint presentations, everyone else does. I assess them as people and work out what makes them tick and that is my in. I give them a true story to back up everything I say, examples that they can relate to, I show them where they can find opportunities and I will hit the phones with them. I always come out with a handful of opportunities, always.
From these opportunities come my meetings. A meeting is a no brainer, I view a meeting as a commitment to buy. Would you see someone unless you had an interest in what they're selling? The key here is to understand that people buy from people. My regular customers are hand picked growth accounts and they will see me socially as well as at work. I have met some of their families and have eaten at their houses, sure, not every customer is that welcoming and not every customer is looking for

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