How Tenacity Helps You To Sell More

Copyright (c) 2009 Gavin Ingham

I've recently been on a weekend break in a beautiful spot in the North of England. What's more, the sun has shone and the weather has been great. Early one afternoon I was sitting by the lake and a young family (Mother, father, 2 year old boy) arrived for refreshments. Mother sat down and father asked her what she would like. "Tea", she said. Father then tirned to the young boy, "Robert, what would you like?"

The two year old, wearing blue shorts and a white t-shirt and still standing up puffed his chest out, looked his Dad in the eye and stated, "Feed ducks!" Dad looked straight back at him and asked again, "What would you like to drink?"

"Feed ducks," came back the reply.

"We can feed the ducks afterwards Robert but we are sitting down for a nice drink now, what would you like?"

"Feed ducks," Robert shot back decisively and like a boy who was not to be messed with.

"Robert, we are having a drink now so sit down and tell Daddy what you would like," said Mum.

"Feed ducks," retorted Robert.

"Robert, we are having a drink now," said Mum, "If you don't behave yourself there will be trouble." "Yes Robert," agreed Dad, "Decide now or you will be sorry."

"Feed ducks."

"Robert, if you don't behave we won't have a drink," said Mum.

"Feed ducks."

Various items were picked up off the table, Mum stood up and Robert and the family disappeared off towards the edge of the lake where they stood peacefully and Robert got to... feed ducks.

As a motivational speaker and sales training consultant I see a lot of salespeople every day who could do with a shot of Robert's tenacity and persistence. I meet a lot of people who need a dose of Robert's determination and clarity of focus. Robert succeeded by focusing on what he wanted and then taking action until he got it. It wasn't clever, it wasn't pretty but it worked.

And a lot of salespeople and business builders that I know could do with being a bit more like Robert.

Too many salespeople spend their lives looking for a reason why they cannot ask for the deal, why now is not the time to close and why the client might say no. In my sales seminars, I teach cutting-edge sales techniques that take the pressure off your prospect and help them to make the right decisions for them. I help salespeople to get away from ABC (Always Be Closing) and apply truly consultative selling techniques and strategies...

But as Robert demonstrated, selling is all about tenacity and persistence and sometimes it doesn't matter how you do it, you just have to take action.