Confession of a Salesman "New Business Owners Can Delegate Everything Else Except Marketing"

Confession of a Salesman "New Business Owners Can Delegate Everything Else Except Marketing"

By Bo Sanchez 

I’m a salesman. There, I said it. That’s VERY difficult to blurt out. Because “salesman” is a curse word in some sectors of society. In the Top 10 list of Most Shameful Professions in the World, “salesman” is next to “prostitute”. Which is very sad. For more than 30 years, I’ve been a missionary.

salesperson

And a missionary is a Salesman for God. So for decades, I’ve had great practice. And I found it very easy to “sell” God. Because there was no self interest. Once people “bought” my fantastic “product”, the customer just thanks me. I didn’t get paid. 

But when I became an entrepreneur (selling herbal products), the money part of the transaction gave me the creeps. I was going to get paid! And so I was imagining that each of my customers was asking (silently), “Hmm, do you REALLY love me or do you just want to earn a quick buck?” 

At the TrulyRichClub, I’m teaching you now that your answer to your customer SHOULD always be, “I love you. I really do. And yes, I will earn a buck in this transaction. So that I can feed my family, tithe to the ministry, and give to the poor. And a part of the buck I earn will still serve you, because it will go to developing better products that will serve you more (Also called R&D or Research and Development).” 

Selling SHOULD Be Your Number #1 Skill! 

When I think about it, 99 percent of all the successful entrepreneurs I know are fantastic sales people. They sell day in and day out. Before they are manufacturers, or inventors, or artists, or accountants, or managers— they are SALES PEOPLE first and foremost! 

Years ago, I still had time to say “yes” to schools who invited me to be their graduation speaker. After the event, when those young, wet-behind-the-ears, fresh college grads (still wearing their togas) tell me they want to be entrepreneurs, I always tell them, “Get a sales job first! Even just for a year.” When they hear that, they wince. Some of them are revolted by the idea. 

But that’s how I started as an entrepreneur. My one-year experience selling herbal products for an MLM company made me learn the psychology of selling products. I’ve moved out of that business a long time ago, but I’m VERY grateful for the experience of selling house-to-house, face-to-face, and belly to-belly. Today, my salesletters are DYNAMITE because I learned how to sell person-to-person.

Great Entrepreneurship Sell, Sell, Sell! 

Especially if your business is brand new, you can delegate everything else—but NOT marketing. If you’re the CEO, you should be the Number One Sales Person in your company. (Businesses that collapse because of lack of sales simply means the business owner didn’t know how to sell. Which is a CAPITAL SIN in Entrepreneurship. If you want to become an entrepreneur, you’ve got to be a sales person!) 

I like what Marketing Guru Dan Kennedy said: “Frankly, if you have emotional hang-ups about sales and marketing, don’t ‘like’ it, are convinced you aren’t good at it, and refuse to hunker down and get good at it, I just don’t have much hope for you when it comes to wealth attraction.” 

In other words, you’ve got to be… 

Will You be Ashamed Or Will You Be Shameless? 

I’m not only a salesman. I’m a Shameless Promoter. My critics call me such. Why? They complain that I’m always selling stuff to people. In almost every email I send, I’m peddling something. 

Today, it’s a health seminar. Tomorrow, it’s a book. The next day, it’s an opportunity to donate to a ministry. The following day, an invitation to join the TrulyRichClub. Etcetera. 

Yes, I’m shameless. REASON: Because I will never be ashamed of HELPING PEOPLE. I sell my GREAT PRODUCTS. My products will bless my customers, elevate their lives, and transform their destinies! My gosh. 

Why in the world will I be ashamed of that? In fact, it’s the other way around: I should be ASHAMED of myself if I don’t use all my guns to sell my great products to my customers. Shame on me for being so selfish and lazy—if I know that my products will bless them—massively!  

Be Shameless by not Being Shameless 

Actually, I’m not talking about being shamelessly loud, pushy, and obnoxious. That’s NOT what I mean. (I’m not like that.) By shameless, I mean “quietly persistent” in selling—no matter how many rejections you get. 

That’s the story of Mark Victory Hansen and Jack Canfield, creators of the book, Chicken Soup for the Soul. Oh, these two are INCURABLE shameless self-promoters. 

After they put together their book, Chicken Soup for the Soul, they went to New York to look for a publisher. But in that city, they were rejected by 33 publishers. Finally, their agent said, 

“Sorry, but this book isn’t going to sell.” But the two partners never gave up. They went to California with backpacks full of manuscripts of their book to look for a publisher there. But it happened there again—they were turned down by 134 publishers! 

But talk about being shameless. They still never gave up! One day, a little publisher read their manuscript and agreed to publish their book. The two authors asked 100 friends to sell 100 copies of the book—so they could sell their first 10,000 copies. And they promised to do five things EVERY DAY to promote the book. 

Result? In 18 months, Chicken Soup for the Soul became a bestseller. Today, 19 years later, they have sold $2 billion for the entire series plus merchandise. So far, they’ve sold 112 million copies of all their books.  

Big Question for Today 

Do you want your business to be very profitable this year? Then let me ask you this question: Who is your MAIN SALES PERSON? Who is the guy that gets the best clients? Who is the guy that nails the biggest orders? Who is the guy that seals the longest-term contracts? 

If you’re the OWNER of the business, and your business is NEW, then I hope the answer to that question is the good lookin’ guy or gal you see in the bathroom mirror every morning. 

Promote Yourself or Your Product DAILY Hang this sign on your wall: “Do something every day to promote yourself.” It’s so easy to forget this very important job when the accounting books need to be balanced, and when the computer needs to be repaired, and the packages need to be sent, and the… oh, you get the point. 

Let me give you 4 “Shameless” Marketing Projects…  

Marketing Project 1: 

Write 6 to 12 Special Specific Offers for the Year 

discount

Think in terms of seasonal “Campaigns” or “Offers” where you focus on one product in your business. Why do this? Promoting a specific product is better than promoting your entire business.

Schedule these Special Specific Offers one for every month or every two months of the year. It could be a discount or a free gift for every purchase. For each Special Offer, write a leaflet or letter. Always put urgency—either through a limited time or a limited number of products available. Because people are busy. 

Even if they want your product, they’ll forget about it five minutes later. Once you have the leaflet or letter, you can distribute it by (1) mailing the leaflet to every existing customer, and ask them (nicely) to give it to their friends; (2) delivering the leaflet to offices or homes around your business; (3) Handing it out in your store; (4) and any envelop that leaves your office SHOULD have the leaflet inside; (5) post it on Facebook and email it; Be a non-stop promoter!  

Marketing Project 2: 

Get Free Print Publicity 

Editors of newspapers and magazines are always on the lookout for good “human interest”. Next: Write a double-spaced, one page article about yourself and what you do. (If you don’t know how to write, hire a writer to do this for you.) 

It’s best that it’s connected to a holiday or event, such as Valentines, Holy Week, Graduation, Summer, Christmas, etc… For example, if the article is connected to Valentines, on the right hand corner of that one page article, write the line, “To be used before Valentines Day.” 

It’s so much better if you know someone inside the newsroom or editorial offices. Get to know the editors, and connect with them through friends and acquaintances. When you submit your article to their office, give them a sample of your product or a voucher of your product.  

Marketing Project 3: 

Guest in Radio and TV 

Do the same for other media. Give your actual product or a product voucher (or a nice gift) to all radio hosts in every radio station around your city; And do the same for all TV hosts, directors, scriptwriters, production heads you know. With your product and product voucher, write a short letter telling them that just in case they need an expert on your topic of expertise, you’re willing to guest in their show. 

The more interesting your character and story is, the higher chances you have for getting invited as a guest. To do this more effectively, read the next project below…  

Marketing Project 4: 

Create Your Own Book! 

This is why I believe every entrepreneur should create an authored book. Between an entrepreneur who has written a book and another entrepreneur who hasn’t written a book—guess who will get invited in radio and TV? 

If you have authored your own book, send it to the radio host or TV host or newspaper editor. In their minds, you’ll stand out. You’re not ordinary entrepreneur, you’re an expert entrepreneur.

Friend, be the most loving salesman in the world! 

Source: Wrote by Bo Sanchez, TrulyRichClub, EntrepCircle Wealthstrategy