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Everyone is a prospect! If you make the effort!

There is an old Cuban proverb which says â€When the sun rises, it rises for everyone." Nowhere is this more true than in the business of selling!

At the beginning of each week, I would meet with the instructors who ran my karate schools, and we would discuss three key statistics. How many people called for information? How many people came in to take a trial lesson? And how many signed up?

Once we had established these figures, it was pretty easy to see who was doing well and who was in need of help. A studio that had twenty calls and signed up only five students needed help. When this was pointed out, even in the most diplomatic way, the instructor would immediately tell me that most of the people who called were just flakes -- not real prospects. Why? Because itâ€™s much easier to blame your sales failures on your prospects rather than yourself, and this holds true whether you sell cars, real estate, computers, or shoes.

On one occasion, I sat in while an instructor pitched a young man in his late teens on a course of lessons. After a short trial lesson in which the prospect seemed to be enthusiastic and excited, he left without signing up. I asked the instructor what happened, and he replied, â€œHe was a flake; he has no money."

I brought the instructor over from his desk to the window, just in time to see the prospect leave the parking lot in a brand new truck. He had been wearing top-of-the-line Nike sneakers that cost $150. A Tag wrist watch worth $750, an expensive designer track suit and a $70 Reebok golf shirt. Now tell me again that the young man who just left had no money! Someone paid for all that stuff! The truth of the matter is that the instructor didn't convince him that he had something to offer more valuable than clothes or watches or pickup trucks. The young man had the money, or access to it. He just wasn't given reasons compelling enough to spend it at a karate school! The instructor insulated himself against failure by dismissing a perfectly good prospect as a â€œflake.â€

But who is the real flake in that scenario? Let me pose a serious question. How often do you go to the yellow pages, look up the number of a specific business, and call them to make an appointment while having absolutely no intention whatsoever of buying their product or service? I certainly do not have that kind of time to waste in my life. Iâ€™m not about to drive miles to look at products or services in which I have absolutely no interest! Now, with an expensive product like a house or car, itâ€™s possible that some people may get a little ahead of themselves in making the first inquiries, but the desire to buy is still there and that comes before anything else can happen!

Turning flakes into buyers

Rather than let my staff dismiss people as flakes, I trained them to treat every person as a possible client. If you treat everyone as a prospect and talk to them as if you expect them to accept your proposal, you will be surprised, NO amazed by the number of flakes, who suddenly become buyers. For example, one afternoon I was sitting in my karate school with my feet up on my desk waiting for the world to discover me when the phone rang. I picked it up on the third ring and answered Martial Arts America. "How can I help you?"

The caller did not respond at once then a woman said in a confused tone, â€œEr-r-r, is this the pet shop?â€

Realizing that not much had happened so far that day I decided to give her a shot. â€œWell you're close. This is Martial Arts America. Let me ask you something. Are you always this lucky?â€ I questioned.

â€œWhat do you mean? I think I have the wrong number.â€ she replied

â€œNo,â€ I insisted enthusiastically â€œYou have the right number. You are our 13th caller. Youâ€™ve just won our grand prize!â€

â€œI did?â€ she exclaimed astonished, â€œI never win anything! What did I win?

â€œA free week of karate lessons!â€ I replied excitedly.

â€œKarate lessons? Youâ€™re kidding. Really?â€ she said.

â€œYou bet. When would you like to start? Tonight? or Friday?â€ I said.

â€œJust a minute.â€ she said hesitating for a moment Can I let my boys have the lessons?â€

â€œOf course. In fact, you can bring the whole family if you like.â€ I responded .

â€œWhat time on Friday?â€ she asked now beginning to sound really interested.

â€œHow about 4 p.m.?â€ I replied.

â€œYes, that's great. Bret and John will be so excited! Thanks. Where exactly are you located?â€ she asked.

â€œWell I guess you know where the pet shop is? We are four doors down to the left as you face the front of the building. I look forward to meeting you and your boys on Friday at 4, Goodbyeâ€ With that I hung up knowing I had a new idea for rainy days.

Now, I am not trying to suggest that sales will jump dramatically, if you try this, but over the course of a year, you might make sales to three or four people who would not otherwise have become clients. Look at it as an entertaining challenge to your enthusiasm and sales skills. By the way the lady brought in her boys and after the free week of lessons signed them both up for a year. Later on she even took some lessons herself.

As Francis Bacon so aptly said "A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds."