4th of July 2008, Independence Day! This is the day that Karl Sala finally declares his independence. He knows who he is; has performed tremendous--some say near-miraculous--client & personal ancestral research deeds on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, & is, oh, so much more cognizant of what he now needs to do.
OVER THREE DECADES, for various products & services, Karl has tele-marketed to thousands for electronic parts, time-share property, insurance, investments, etc.; knocked on thousands of doors for home security; talked with thousands of prospects for solving their customer service & financial issues.
AT FIDELITY INVESTMENTS, Karl brought in millions of dollars while serving only as a retirement specialist customer service rep.
IN A TRUE SALES POSITION at CrossCheck, a Rohnert Park, California check-guarantee company, with Karl's generally excellent telephone demeanor & tactful follow-up, he made a record-breaking sale (Starving Students Moving Company). However, in other sales positions, statistically speaking, Karl should have racked up more sales. But, why did he not?
NO--you owners & sales managers--it is NOT Karl's pitch that needs tweaking! You have done a great job in helping him to maximize his already great, natural talking-to-people skills. Some say: "It's just a numbers game." Well, NEWS FLASH: the numbers we need to do have markedly increased!
BY THE WAY, please, stop treating your sales rep's like numbers, for they are mostly valued workers who are doing the best they know how. You should be "wining & dining" them!
WITNESSES: The dismal facts about the economy was testified by many, but also yesterday by Karl's head marketing manager of a Las Vegas time-share call center. Based on a comparison to the same quarter of last year, their sales numbers are down at least 25% (but likely more). In the meantime, Karl is earning a token $8/hr. For 3 days' work, he took home $97. Woo-hoo.
TURNOVERS TO CLOSERS: In two different industries with differing marketing methodologies, with a great voice & normal, non-sales-sounding pitch, Karl has "turned over" an average of 1 qualified lead per hour to a seasoned closer.
ACTUAL SALES STATISTICS: Out of those, in 25 time-share attempted closes, ZERO sales have resulted. In home security, over two months, only 1 qualified (cleared credit, did not back out, etc.) sale/week resulted. "Oh, don't worry," the managers & owners keep saying, "You'll get one soon." The closers did just fine, using all their appropriate songs & dances.
RECESSION: Owners & managers want to blame the salespeople for their alleged laziness for lack of sales. Nobody in business & sales wants to admit it, but It is now incumbent upon us to realize the actuality that we are in a serious recession, & take steps to find a
SOLUTION: This does not mandate that we all give up. Instead, it requires some tweaking of the marketing attitude, methods, ways & means--& perhaps also the product &/or service. We must work smarter.
HOT SUN: Karl Sala has capably & without dizziness, worked door-to-door in 115 degree, no-clouds, full-sun, outdoor situations. He has now called & marketed to thousands of depressed, destitute, disinterested, fickle & otherwise negative persons.
THOSE WHO DO NOT LEARN FROM HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT: Karl will now take these varied sad & wonderful experiences & apply them to ancestry, genealogy & family history research. This means that Karl & Lynell will do genealogy research & genealogy workshops not only in the Phoenix, Arizona area, but also other states (countries?) willing to pay for THE VERY FIRST TWO PEOPLE INTERVIEWED, SELECTED & HIRED FOR ANCESTRY.COM's Expert Research Team! And, for THE GUY who fielded the MAJORITY of the phone calls made from Germany to Ancestry.de, i.e. Ancestry.com's mainland European website!
EUROPEAN SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS: At these proposed group seminars & one-on-one workshops, Karl & Lynell Sala will help people find what they seek; assist them with computerization, online & offline data, onsite & off-site documents, etc. They will thereby develop some private in-home clients & pre-paid consultations.
FOLLOW-UP WITH PROSPECTS & CLIENTS: Karl, in June 2008, by telephone, went to his genealogy clients & was able to get one $500 retainer in the mail. Karl followed up with a client yesterday who thanked Karl for having followed-up on the client's procrastination. He is allegedly sending the data, documents & dollars. Karl mentioned that he was moving in a week or two, so "could you send the package right away?" Yes, he assured Karl. Mal sehen (we'll see). The point is: call &/or visit the clients & prospects like you did the other people in Las Vegas & across the USA!
MORAL OF THIS BLOG? Go market, sell & service what you love & believe in. Inject some drama, song & dance, but keep your day-job. As Karl's Dad counseled: "Decide what it is you love to do & would perhaps do for no money at all. Then, go & do all you can to earn all you can in that occupation." Karl says: "In this world, without someone selling something, nothing happens."
REALITY CHECK: IF Karl will discipline his efforts & time to actually utilize what he has learned from the business world, work as hard & long for genealogy research & international research workshops as he did for other products & services, he should neither need to seek nor keep the "other" day-job very long.
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