4 Things Halloween Can Teach Us About Sales Success
Posted by HeneckeBill on Oct. 31, 2023 / Subscribe 0
by Bob Hamer
As I sat down to write today’s blog, on Halloween, I couldn’t help but think about the holiday. I remembered back to all those years of dressing up in costume, the trick-or-treating, and the celebration of ghosts, ghouls, and haunted houses. We always had so much fun, and I still do now, even as an adult.
The more I thought about Halloween, the more I began to realize that there are some things we can learn about the holiday (at least the traditions) that are also applicable to succeeding in sales. What could they possibly be? Stick with me, let me show you.
1. Creativity and commitment wins – Whether it was the costume contest, the pumpkin carving contest, or who had the scariest house, there were always competitions. In my experience, those who won were the most creative, they worked the hardest on their costume, and they were the most committed to the competition. No different in sales, you have to be creative within the sales process, and you have to be committed to the “competition” that is selling. You compete with your peers and often times with your clients, and those who get creative and who are committed to the craft of selling usually win on the sales board.
2. Overcome your fears – I’ll be honest, Halloween scared me. I still don’t really enjoy scary movies. The idea of being scared isn’t my favorite and on Halloween, it’s all about that. I remember as a kid there were some houses I didn’t want to approach when trick-or-treating. But thanks to my parents’ encouragement, I overcame that fear and approached the house. I realized after doing so that it wasn’t all that scary and I was rewarded with a “treat”. What I’ve also found in selling is that it can be scary, but if you’re able to overcome that fear and go for it, you’re often rewarded with a “sales treat” and you’ll find that in the end it’s not that scary and can actually be fun!
3. Don’t make assumptions – We all know, not all candy is created equally! When trick-or-treating, some houses gave out candy bars, peanut butter cups, or sometimes multiples of each! While others maybe gave good and plenty’s, smarties, or black licorice. You never knew though, until you got to the front door. Some houses were great, and some not as much. But the key, you can’t assume. Approach every door like you’re about to get a snickers bar. Same with our sales leads, you may just see a name on a list, don’t assume. Or if someone doesn’t look like a premium prospect on an appointment, don’t assume. Still go for it, pitch big, ask for the business and you might get that sales “Snickers bar”.
4. Referrals are king – When trick-or-treating, it’s important to get to all the houses, volume is important. BUT, you’re also looking for the best quality candy too, and it’s a race against time. We’d always run into our friends out in the streets and share stories about the “best houses” which were those who had the best candy. We’d refer those to our friends and they would to us, and we’d be sure to make an extra pass by that house later in the night, or be sure we made it that way. Just like in sales, we’re limited in the time we have for outreach, so when time gets tight, invest your energy in the leads (houses) that yield the best returns and always ask for referrals!
Hopefully this is a new (and fun) way to look at our world of sales through a different lens. Best of luck to you selling in your markets, and to those of you trick-or-treating with your kids, or passing out candy with your families, have a Happy Halloween!
Originally posted on LinkedIn
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