"Selling is Just a Hysterical Activity on the Way to the Grave"

Our founder David Sandler once said, “Selling is just a hysterical activity on the way to the grave.” What did he mean by this?

We can't take our work too seriously. Let’s face it- if you told someone they had to go out and do something over and over, and that they would fail far more often than they would ever win, how often would they continue to do it?

Well, I just defined sales! That's what it is. If you think about it, we prospect, we quote, we propose, we present, we do these things over and over, and we lose a lot more than we win. Yet good salespeople persist and carry on.

If you don't have a good attitude and you don’t treat it as a game, it gets hard. Can I just remind everyone to have some fun out there? Can we laugh? Can we joke with people? Can we not be so serious?

I've done a lot of coaching over the years, and one way I help my clients improve is by listening to their calls. Half the time I have to tell them to relax... Calm down... Have some fun... Make a joke... Be different!

At Sandler Training we have a strategy called a pattern-interrupt. A pattern-interrupt is saying or doing something that's unorthodox. It's different from what one would expect. It causes people to look at you in a different light. Instead of telling someone what they want to hear, a pattern-interrupt signals to your prospect that you are genuine, unique, and secure in yourself because you're not "afraid" of their reaction.

Here's an example of how to use a pattern-interrupt:

You and a prospect are meeting for coffee to become familiar with each other and to discuss reasons for doing business. You enjoy some light conversation and move onto the actual purpose of the meeting. Your prospect eventually asks you, "How can your company fix my problem?"

A typical sales person would jump into presentation mode. All the charts, pamphlets, graphs, and demos come out. "I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED!"

Instead, answer the question with a pattern-interrupt: "I don't know yet. Sometimes we're not a 'good fit' for everyone, and that's okay! Tell me more about..."

Use the pattern-interrupt as a tool to set yourself apart from your competition, build trust with your prospect, and hopefully get some laughs at your next meeting.

There is power in having wit and humor in the sales process.

Be gutsy! Be unique! Be funny! Be successful!

For more hints like this, download our free report, "5 Secrets for Personal and Professional Growth".