Chad Schapiro: Empty Boxes And Orders

There are two types of sales people. The first type is called the 'It Is Not My Fault Salesperson' and will routinely bring back excuses on why they didn't make the sale. The second type is the 'Empty Boxes and Orders Salesperson'. This sales professional is given that name because that is routinely what they bring back – empty boxes that used to hold product and back orders for more product. Now we don't have boxes or products that go in boxes but I think you get the idea.

If you are in sales you must decide which group you will fall into. Now, does this mean that if you are an 'Empty Boxes and Orders Salesperson' that you will one hundred percent of the time bring back empty boxes and orders? Of course not, every now and then you will bring back boxes of product and no orders. You will have times when it seems like you can't sign up an affiliate that loves non-profits and can't wait to work from home. However, because you are not the 'It is Not My Fault Salesperson' you refuse to allow yourself to make excuses or blame the situation or prospect for the lack of sales. Instead, you ask the question – What could I have done differently to earn the relationship? What could I have said that I didn't say that might have caused them to move to action?

When you shift the responsibility for making the sale from the prospect to yourself you are shifting your mindset from a victim of sales to a creator of sales. Victims of the sales environment have skinny kids and empty bank accounts. Creators of a positive sales environment take their kids on exotic vacations and need their own personal banker to handle all the money.

I use to sign up more people than anyone in the office. When the day was over I would tell everyone that I thought I could have done a few things differently to get more the next day. People would look at me and say,"how could you have done any better? You were great and created excitement with every person in the room!' I kind of smiled and said, 'Yeah, I guess you are right.'But you know what? That is just my attitude, after every sales presentation that I give I always ask the question, 'How could I have done more? How could I have created more awareness?' In other words, what can I do to get better.

The 'It Is Not My Fault Salesperson' refuses to ask those probing questions of themselves because in doing so they are admitting that they alone are responsible for the outcome of their income.Take responsibility for your numbers and results and I can't wait until you are bringing back empty boxes and orders more often than not!