For those of you who know me, you know that one of my hobbies/passions is fishing. There’s nothing quite like standing in a cool stream, water flowing around your legs (washing away your stress) with a nice smallmouth bass on the end of the line. My happy place!
As I was standing in the Harpeth River recently – yes, that’s why I named our firm as I did – it dawned on me that sales is a lot like fishing. Let me explain…
#1) Fish with the fish are.
Whether you’re wading around a stream or puttering around a lake in a canoe, you’re always looking for the ‘honey hole!’ That place where a bunch of fish are gathered in one place making the fishing that much easier and productive.
It’s the same with sales. You need to find your potential clients where they spend their time. What LinkedIn groups do they belong to? What conferences do they attend? What publications do they read?
And where you find them gathered is where you want to spend your time, effort and resources.
#2) Sometimes, the fish just aren’t biting.
Some days, no matter what you try, the fish just don’t seem to be biting – could be the time of day, the temperature of the water, whether it’s sunny or cloudy or raining, or any number of other reasons. But keep at it… eventually, the environment will change and you’ll start to have some success.
It’s similar in sales. Rule of thumb: at any given time, only about 5% of the market is in the buying mode for what you’re selling. And if you’re reaching out to the other 95%, you’re not going to have much luck. But keep at it… eventually, the environment will change and you’ll start to connect with the 5%. And that’s when you’ll start to have some success.
#3) Change your lures… some work better than others.
When I’m fishing, if I’m not having much luck, I’ll change lures every 20 to 30 casts. From a spinner to a surface plug to a soft tail and so on. And sometimes it’s just a tweak… same lure, but a different color. I’ll keep trying until I find one that works.
In selling, this sort of ‘testing’ is also relevant. If something is not working – or not working all that well – change it. Test subject lines in sales emails, headlines and imagery in LinkedIn ads, the words in your elevator pitch and so on. Try different approaches, pay attention to the results and, over time, you’ll find yourself continually getting better.
#4) Fishing is a numbers game.
Have you ever watched a professional fishing tournament? It’s nothing like recreational fishing, which is relaxed, easy and enjoyable. These pros are in hyper mode – flying all over a lake in hi-speed boats trying different spots (looking for that honey hole). And when they stop, they are casting and retrieving their lures at break next speed. Change lures? No time! They have 10 different rods, each with a different lure already tied on so they can just switch rods and keep fishing. It’s dizzying!
With sales, it’s also a numbers game. More is better. Faster is better. The more sales emails you send, the more people you’re connected with on LinkedIn, the more people you network with at a conference, the higher the likelihood of success.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a serious fisherman (a full-time sales rep) or a recreational angler (a seller-doer), the key is to get out there and just do it. Target the fish where they live, try different lures to see which ones get bites, cast your lure frequently, and be patient. Follow these guidelines and you’ll consistently fill up your net!
Good luck and good fishing!
P.S. Yes, the photo at the top is me on a fishing trip last summer.