If you want to succeed in sales, you must have fun on your sales calls. In fact, I’d even say that if you’re not having fun, then you’re doing it wrong! Not to worry though — today we’re going to find out exactly how to make sales a blast so that you can start enjoying your career and earning more commissions.
First things first, you have to stop acting like a sweaty-palm salesperson. What’s that, you ask? A sweaty-palm salesperson is the guy who’s high-strung and constantly worried about losing the deal. If you think the world is on your shoulders during every sales call, you’re a sweaty-palm salesperson. And sorry to say, but when prospects sniff this out they run in the other direction. Every time. Fear-based selling simply doesn’t work.
You need to relax, have fun, and turn sales into a game. After all, if you don’t make this deal, another deal will be in the works soon enough. Once you come to realize this, sales will become not only tolerable, but highly enjoyable.
Why it Matters to Have Fun in Sales
- Helps form deeper connections. You’ll build stronger bonds with your clients and colleagues when you make sales fun.
- Increases productivity. When you’re having a good time, you’ll be more productive than ever, putting in more calls each day than you ever thought possible.
- Improves your outlook on life. Studies show that doing what you love has a stress reduction effect and improves your mood all around.
- Inspires those around you. If you want to leave a lasting legacy, then just remember people don’t remember the grinches of the world, they remember those who enjoyed life.
- Earn more money! For some, this is the icing on the cake. But either way you slice it, you’ll likely make more sales and thus more money when you’re having a good time.
So with that said, here are 6 ways to have an absolute BLAST while blasting through your sales numbers.
#1 Smile and Dial
I recently wrote an article about the importance of smiling while cold calling. Your prospect can “hear” your smile, and your positivity is contagious. Also, when you smile, you send a subliminal or subconscious message to your own psyche, telling yourself that you’re in a good mood, which in turn puts you in a good mood. In other words, you can trick your mind into being happy. Hey, if it works, it works!
#2 Do your research!
While doing the research isn’t exactly a joy, a few minutes of research on your prospect gives you something to say on your calls. You’ll have a baseline understanding of who your prospect is, the activities they enjoy, maybe their favorite sports teams, etc. Taken together, this is conversation material, which means your creative juices should be flowing as you dial through the day. Think of it this way, would you rather talk to someone you know, or a complete stranger you know nothing about? Talking to folks you know — or at least sort of know — is way more fun!
#3 Go for the “Wow!” factor
If you really want to make sales fun, shoot for the “Wow!” factor on every single call. The more you blow your prospects out of the water with your tonality, your preparedness, and sheer passion, the more likely they are to do business with you. The byproduct of this is more engaged buyers and positive vibes all around, which translates to — you guessed it — more fun. If you can wow your prospect’s socks off (proverbially speaking, of course) then you’ll win the game of sales.
#4 Bet on yourself
Put your money where your mouth is and go head-to-head with a colleague or a group of colleagues. See who can notch more cold calls in a day, who can set the most appointments, who can get away with the most creative opening line, and the list goes on. This helps to spice things up while fostering healthy competition and a little workplace banter. And it drives everyone to be their best. OK – maybe don’t bet money, but why not wager coffee, donuts, or lunch. Winner gets the glory and bragging rights. And the loser pays. If this doesn’t make your work day fun, I don’t know what will.
#5 Ring the bell!
Ever been on a sales floor with a bell? You know, like a ding! ding! bell? The salesperson who made a successful sales call (booked a meeting, closed a deal, etc.) gets to ring the bell. Well, there’s nothing like hearing a colleague ring that bell to shift you into high gear. It’s human nature – and it’s especially in the salesperson’s DNA to perform and to be celebrated for their hustle. Whether you’re making calls from the office or at home in a remote working environment, you should put up a bell. It’s all about incentive. And it’s all about fun.
#6 Play ping-pong or foosball
Whoever said you can’t mix work and play? If you’re a manager, it’s time to put in a ping pong or foosball table in the office. Or, if you’re an SDR or otherwise on the sales floor, why not pitch the idea to your manager? You’ve got nothing to lose and a whole lot of movement, competition, and fun to gain. Just be sure to keep a healthy work/play balance. But if you can squeeze in 20-30 minutes of physical and tactile play into your workday, you’ll be much better off for it. Trust me.
Final Words
So to sum it up, it’s not only necessary to have fun in sales, it’s vital. It has a whole range of rippling benefits — from improving your mood to inspiring others, and even earning more commission. And remember, this doesn’t mean you must forsake your laser focus and sharp edge. No! You still have to have a hunter’s mentality to succeed. But you can have fun on your hunts. Just follow the tips and tricks I’ve highlighted above, and you’re as good as gold.
Until next time…
Johnny-Lee Reinoso