Successful Sales People Deliver a Reputation First!

Everything starts from your first appearance. Dress appropriately (shine your shoes and look the role). You'll find that being a success no matter the profession, starts with your very own mental makeup.

Sales work and athletics are tied together: they both can play on your nerves and they're exhilarating! The key is to be consistent over a long period of time versus great for that one moment. Same in the sales world. What good is it when you've sold a sponsorship package worth several thousands but forgot to deliver key assets in the package during the term of the contract only to have the relationship dissolve one year later over your lack of follow through?

Here's an example that illustrates the point of how your "Reputation" can be defined in just a matter of seconds and how dependable you will be seen as a person that can deliver in the future?

During one of my first sales closings, I had put together a major partnership with a major healthcare organization. It was significant for my sports club. As the deal was getting signed, my client stated: "Jim, you know, now that we're major corporate partners, if and when we need favors for tickets, we trust that this will be no issue? You know, when we call on the (other local sport team in town) for tickets, they seem to deliver within 30 minutes". I quickly blurted out in less than a split-second "that I would deliver the tickets within 15 minutes!"

Well, come opening day in our team's inaugural home game, my contact phoned me early in the afternoon. She had asked for several tickets for her management team. I hung up the phone. Had a staffer quickly print the best available. Ran to my car. Like an idiot, I sped through our city streets hoping that no police car was hovering around? 

When I arrived at my destination, I stopped my car in front of the hospital street-side lobby. After being yelled at by the valet person about leaving my vehicle behind with no keys, I had to run a 4.3/40 once into the hospital front door and got to the elevators that would take me up to their corporate office floor. There, I would jog down what seemed like a very long corridor only to see my corporate contact actually standing right outside her door. I remember breathing so hard when I reached this individual and as I got to within a few feet of her, she held her hand out as if it were a street stop sign. She then took hold of her wrist and quickly glanced down at her watch and blurted out in this loud, exciting voice: "Damn, Jim, You Did It!! 13 minutes and 37 seconds!"

I looked up at her smiling face and asked what the time was all about? She quickly said, "We were timing you Jim! After all, you made that bold statement to us that you would deliver anytime within 15 minutes, so we wanted to see if you were a man of your word!" 

As I delivered our game tickets to my corporate contact, we both laughed out loud. When I turned to leave and headed back to my office, it finally dawned on me that this was a test to measure my dependability? 

From that moment, I was good as Gold with this group! They knew I cared. That I delivered.

Jim Loria