How to Maximize Sales by Minimizing Windshield Time

During the late 1980's I was a field sales representative for a computer distributor, selling computer systems and peripherals in and around Los Angeles, California. The traffic was horrendous, and the time I wasted driving to and from appointments just drove me crazy (no pun intended).

Sure, you could have cell phone conversations with prospects and customers, but you couldn't write notes while driving (unless you had a death wish), and you couldn't prepare proposals and fax them. Plus, there was nothing like slogging through traffic to attend a meeting, only to learn that the meeting had been cancelled at the last minute.

Why did I spend so much time driving? The company I worked for had a prejudice against salespeople spending time in the office. They felt that salespeople should be in front of prospects and customers as much as humanly possible, and that time spent is the office was "wasted time". Many other companies shared this philosophy, which meant that prospects and customers were "trained" to book appointments with salespeople if they wanted their assistance.

I have always been a true believer in the saying, "a salesperson's only inventory is TIME." I felt that if I could find some way to reduce my "windshield time", I would be much more productive. Fortunately I worked for a progressive sales manager, and he gave me permission to try the following experiment.

Whenever a telephone conversation with a prospect or customer got to the point where it made sense for us to book an appointment, I would book the appointment. However, instead of ending the call, I would say something like: "(Name), your time is valuable, and so is mine. I'd like to make sure we make the best use of our time together on (appointment date). If it's OK with you, I'd like to ask you some questions prior to our meeting so that I can be as well-prepared as possible. Do you have time now, or should we book a brief telephone appointment between now and (appointment date)?" I found that prospects and customers were always willing to make time to answer my questions, either right then or during a scheduled telephone call. What questions did I ask? All of the questions I needed to ask to thoroughly qualify the opportunity! When I had finished the opportunity qualification, I would say something like: "(Name), we can still get together on (appointment date) if you wish. Or, I could fax you a proposal in 20 minutes. Which would you prefer?" Do you know what? Not ONE prospect or customer EVER wanted to go ahead with our scheduled appointment! They were delighted that I could fax them a proposal so quickly. They weren't interested in having a meeting or seeing me in person -- they were interested in having their problems solved!

The end result of the experiment was that I made my quota during my first full year as a field sales representative for the computer distributor, and more than doubled my quota the next year. When I was promoted to sales management, I quietly ignored my employer's mandate that salespeople spend most of their time in front of customers. Instead, I trained my sales team to do what I had done, and my sales branch performed exceptionally well.

Does that mean you should never have in-person meetings with prospects or customers? Of course not! In-person meetings can provide real value, especially when it comes to building lasting relationships. The challenge is that most businesspeople are extremely busy, and they want their problems solved as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you can help them achieve that goal, you will have the luxury of choosing mutually convenient times to schedule stress-free in-person meetings.

In today's world, with the availability of e-mail, teleconferencing, and web conferencing technologies, it is easier than ever to sell effectively while minimizing windshield time. Use technology to your advantage, and make maximum use of your only inventory -- time!

Copyright 2005 -- Alan Rigg

Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Selling: Why Most Salespeople Don't Perform and What to Do About It. To learn more about his book and sign up for more FREE sales and sales management tips, visit http://www.8020performance.com.

---

The Choice between Yes and Yes: A Psychological Revelation

Three year old Kara was throwing a tantrum. She didn't... Read More

A Great Sales Technique: Be Aware of Sales Myth #5

A myth can best be described as somebody or something... Read More

3 Steps to Immediately Improve Sales

Want to increase sales within your company? It's not as... Read More

7 Sales Skills to Improve On

The following 7 sales skills are what I have found... Read More

Effective Account Management

Congratulations! You successfully sold one or more of your company's... Read More

Increase Sales - Overcoming Barriers

Ever thought to yourself, "If only my team members would... Read More

12 Sure-Fire Steps To Improve Your Retail Sales

The purpose of any business is to bring in customers,... Read More

How To Master The Art And Science Of Super Salesmanship In 3½ Minutes Flat!

Dear Friend,You #1 weapon in advertising will always be...Superior Salesmanship.I... Read More

Prep Your Customer

When I first moved to Seattle, I worked for 9... Read More

The Key to Driving Sales is Understanding What Not How

What does it take to make a sale lately?In Sales,... Read More

The Quickest Way To Increase Your Sales

The quickest way to increase sales is to make things... Read More

The Most Underused and Powerful Method of Lead Generation

Are you worried about whom you'll sell today so you... Read More

TheTop 10 Reasons Why Salespeople Get Outsold

In my business, it has been an interesting and very... Read More

5 Ways to Increase Business Sales by Contacting Your Existing Customers

One of the best ways to increase your sales and... Read More

Sell Yourself - Sell Anything!

Each of us sells every single day. We are all... Read More

Sales and the City

It's all about relationships!Here is how a popular TV show... Read More

Prospecting: Not A Wild Goose Chase... Its A HUNT

Prospecting for future customers can be fun if you approach... Read More

Instant Rapport: The Key to Sales Success

Did you ever meet someone with whom you just clicked?... Read More

Do You Know the Emotion Behind the Objection?

Prospects have many reasons (you might think excuses) for not... Read More

You Dont Love Your Kids if You Dont . . .

"You don't love your kids if you don't buy my... Read More

The #1 Lead Generation System of Top Sales People

Developing an abundant supply of targeted referrals is the number... Read More

11 Secrets to Leadership in Sales

In his classic book, "Think and Grow Rich", Napoleon Hill... Read More

Closing The Sale

Several weeks ago I asked my Newsletter subscribers to send... Read More

The Canned Sales Pitch Myth

Canned or scripted sales approaches are rarely successful, because one... Read More

Youre Hired... I Think

I'm not a fan of "The Donald" and I had... Read More

Follow-Up Marketing: How to Win More Sales with Less Effort

A study done by the Association of Sales Executives revealed... Read More

The Top Five Traits of a Successful Salesperson

If you're looking for a successful salesperson to hire, a... Read More

Sales Leads: 10 Sure Fire Ways To Unleash An Avalanche Of Sales

If you knew a few sure fire ideas that have... Read More

You CAN Be a Great Salesperson!

When you are in sales, you have the choice to... Read More

Visual Science of Selling

Statistics state that 55% of people judgments are made based... Read More

Psychology of Converting a Prospect to Money

If you want a truly successful business, you need to... Read More

Get Over Your Resistance to Sales

I have found that there are two best ways to... Read More

11 Powerful Methods of Sales Lead Generation

Are you searching for new and innovative ways of sales... Read More