My experience with sales began in the printing business. I had graduated from high school (just barely) and after three months at a junior college, secured a job as a delivery boy for a printing company. My grandmother lived with me, so with a whopping $95 of her Social Security and my paycheck for printing delivery, we had a shaky start.I worked my way through the printing plant, and just two years later I was running a press, earning $4,250 a year. At age 20, I married a registered nurse. She moved in with my grandmother and me. Our combined income allowed us to buy a small home, (1,200 square feet at $98 a month) but I was dissatisfied with my future earnings prospects.
Then came a career turning point in my life. While I was running my press, a salesman came to call on our printing plant, selling supplies. He was a nice fellow, drove a nice car and he came and went as he pleased. I was jealous of his freedom. I thought that maybe I could become a salesman. Approaching my boss with the idea of going into sales brought amusement and ridicule. I was told that I knew nothing of sales. He brought up how shy I was (I wouldn’t even introduce myself to a stranger), and that overall I was just immature for my age.
After thinking about it for a few weeks, the salesman’s visits emboldened me even more to become a salesman myself. My boss had humiliated me and I had accepted it. A new strategy had to be employed. I went into the boss’s office and made him an offer he couldn’t resist. If he would allow me to represent his company, I would sell printing from 8 a.m. until noon, for free. I would have lunch at home, change my clothes and report to the press from 1 p.m. until 10 p.m., to compensate for the paid hours I was supposed to work. He accepted the offer.
For the next year I worked my plan. I talked him into paying me commission on my sales after a few months of working for free. Finally, I was a full-time salesman, but it certainly didn’t come easy.
My first day in sales, I was so fearful that I couldn’t walk into the door of a business. I drove around for four hours, completely ashamed of myself. That day I went to work running the press completely demoralized. Then I had an idea. I would go out the next morning with 10 business cards in my shirt pocket and I would not quit that day until I gave them to someone.
Fortunately, upon entering the first door of a business, the gatekeeper was a nice lady who cheerfully told me that if she needed any printing, she would call for a quote. I was thrilled, jumping up and down all the way to my car. I then became determined to get rid of as many business cards as I could each day and eventually I was introduced to decision-makers.
Numbers did the trick. This led to a reasonably successful career for 15 years in printing and supply sales. Then I left for bigger game. I entered the insurance industry at 35 years old with no prospects — I was in need of a tried and proven method of building a client list.
During my years in the printing business, I met a great mentor. His name was Judge Ziglar, whose brother, Zig, is the famous speaker. Judge was a sales trainer who wrote a book called, “Timid Salesmen Have Skinny Kids.” He taught me how to make numbers work, telling a story of when he had a heart attack. His doctor wouldn’t allow Judge to work for six weeks but he was allowed to walk for mild exercise. Judge then decided to experiment with numbers during this time off. Wearing a coat and tie, he went door-to-door in local neighborhoods. His statement to the homeowners was, “Good morning, my name is Judge Ziglar with Action Now. May I come in?” Fifteen percent of the homeowners allowed Judge a brief audience in their home to secure an appointment. After six weeks and 5,000 doors, Judge was invited into 750 homes, with little explanation of the purpose of his visit.
As you build your practice, numbers will work even if your sales skills are weak. Next month, we will go to the next level.
Kim L. Magdalein is a producer and owner of PresentYourPractice.com. He entered the industry in 1985, and went into private practice in 2001 serving the Jacksonville, Fla., retirement community. He has personally presented hundreds of seminars and created a thriving practice. He created Present Your Practice in 2004 to serve producers with seminar productions and methods for optimizing seminar attendance with qualified prospects. He can be reached at (800)909-9894.
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