OFFERING ice to Eskimos

Image of Dean Homicki knelling down to demonstrate a product with a customer at an outside trade show

"Hey Dean, I’ve got Trent Sales on the phone. He wants to talk to you about your business and how he could help you get more followers on Instagram?"

Okay, so this may touch a nerve or too? Without sales, your business dies, and in business to business transactions, it's essential that you have an open mind for people who approach you to do the same.

But I confess that I have been known to be a stickler for turning away, avoiding, rejecting, diverting and cancelling cold-calling salespeople. I value my time, and the busier I become, the even more precious it becomes?

The underlying issue for any cold call salesperson is that it's, what? 'COLD' Unless it's hot and I need some relief, I'm most likely operating at the right business temperature.

The self-reflective and challenging news flash is that all creators and business owners must consistently reach out for new opportunities through this method, so here are some questions that I ask before I begin.

• Have l (we) earned the right to approach?

• Have l (we) got their permission to speak?

• Have l (we) been generous before asking for something in return?

You'll notice that I've used 'l (we)'.

'I' bring you the company sales soldier who goes out front of the business to seek out and strategically qualify and approach new potential customers. And (we) the industry who has prepared the way with market knowledge, human behaviour insights and the tools, processes and resources to empower effective and efficient results.

The extent and density of l (we) will be determined by the stage and business model you create. But it is made. It is not a wait-and-see process. It is a client seek and discovery journey.

Any business activity that you can share, display, promote, document and transmit to your target audience will assist your cold sales activities to become a warm relationship acquisition journey.

I recall one supplier to one of my businesses constantly inviting me to corporate golf days. I don't care much for golf, and my supplier never asked me if I did. This supplier also raised their prices of the goods every twelve's months. I was never asked about that either. Imagine if I was? They would have had a deeper understanding of what I valued, and perhaps I may have remained loyal? For years they kept asking me, and my answer was the same, 'I don't play golf.'

It's pointless to offer ice to Eskimo's or sand to the bedouin. Our customers, distributors, and suppliers are best to be like us where our values and behaviours are similar, sympathetic or the same.

People like us do business like this.

Thank you, Deano