If you know who you want to call on, and why, figuring out where to find them and what to say flow naturally. Furthermore, when you’re passionate about what you’re selling and why you’re selling it, you will be far more effective. Customers will sense your genuine concern and interest. They will respond. Passion makes the “no’s” easier to take and the “yesses” easier to come by.

Here’s a story that illustrates the point.

Recently I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine who is just starting out as a financial planner.

Tough business, especially when it comes to cold calling. Lots of competition. People tend to be happy with the financial assistance they have, or they’re oblivious to the fact they need help.

Sure enough, my friend was getting worn down by the rejection. She was taking a scattergun approach, calling on any and every local business she could find, and individuals she had loosely identified through a variety of networking sources. Not surprisingly, it was tough sledding for her to develop interest.

I asked her if there were any market segments she felt she could zero-in on. Eventually she said she’d really like to help divorced women get their financial feet back on the ground. Great idea! Divorced women need all the help they can get. They are an under served group, especially when it comes to finances.

Once she identified a market, a prospecting plan came easily. She knew where to find these women. She knew where they needed help. She knew how to help them. What started as a fairly downbeat conversation ended with optimism, enthusiasm, and clarity.

When you have optimism, enthusiasm, and clarity, it’s hard not to succeed in sales.

Word Sell … Scrambled Toast