Companies fail every day because of a lack of sales.

It’s been my observation that business people will make any kind of excuse they can think of not prospect for sales and go on sales calls.  I’ve heard it all.

Such as:

‘I can’t make a sale because I don’t have the right business cards.’

‘I can’t make a sales call because we need a new brochure.’

‘You don’t understand, when I sell, I don’t need to make a lot of sales calls.  I go for quality over quantity.’

And there are a thousand more excuses.  Including the latest, which is:  ‘Nobody wants to buy anything.  There’s a recession going on.’

That’s true.  There is a recession going on.  The worst since the Great Depression of 1929. 

Granted, consumers and companies alike have cut back on their spending.  And yes, unemployment is high.  But over 90% of the population is still employed and receiving a paycheck.  Certain industries have been particularly hit hard during this economic crisis but other industries have benefited.  Not every company is in serious financial trouble due to the recession.  In fact, many are still doing relatively well considering the dire reports in the media. 

So there are still sales to be had.  But you just have to worker harder, smarter, more creatively and put in longer hours in order to accomplish your sales goals.

This is what it comes down to:  If you had an accountant who told you they would have liked to finish the accounting but they didn’t have a pencil.  Or the production crew didn’t go to the warehouse or storage room for supplies and ran out of production materials which stopped the manufacturing of your company’s number one selling product.  Or the receptionist decided it was more important to go down the hall to the vending machine for a can of soda pop rather than answer the calls coming in requiring her assistance.  You just wouldn’t stand for it, would you?

But yet CEOs, company presidents and business owners often seem to buy all the excuses why their sales force doesn’t sell.  Why is that?  Who’s the boss here – you or your sales people?

The sales force was hired to prospect and sell whether sales conditions were ideal or whether it was a tough marketplace.  There are just no excuses for not selling. 

If business is tough, make more calls.  Sharpen your sales technique.  Be at your first call early in the morning.  Don’t take two hour lunch breaks.  Don’t quit in the middle of the day.  Work a full five day work week.  Do your paperwork at night or on weekends giving you more selling time during the day. 

If your sales are down, hold a weekly sales meeting to discuss in an open forum ways to get sales coming in again.  Sales that will bring long term value and be able to develop solid customer relationships over the years.  Think out of the box.  Analyze sales – what works, what doesn’t work.  Spend time with your sales team on sales calls, go cold calling with them or visit accounts together, so you have perspective and insight as to what it is like out there right now with the customer.

If sales people aren’t selling, the person to hold responsible is the person who runs the company.  Know what your sales people are doing, have realistic expectations of performance and remember, no matter what, sales people are expected to sell that’s why you hired them.

For, as you know, without sales, your company is doomed for failure.