Paper Recycling Conference: Get Out There

Nick Wildrick of Total Training Services, Spartanburg, S.C., listed common mistakes salespeople make while also making some positive recommendations at his presentation at the 2010 Paper Recycling Conference.

In his workshop, titled “Sales Strategies for Targeted Growth,” Wildrick opened by calling upon the frequently cited observation that people can “make things happen, watch things happen or wonder what the [heck] happened.”

Wildrick said that in his career he has both engaged in sales activity and managed the sales activity of others and ultimately helped design a systematic approach to sales.

His company’s Total Sales Process involves attending networking functions and other activities that will expose salespeople to new prospects and following up in ways that will help these new prospects “know, like and trust” the salesperson.

Follow-up activities can include providing a sales lead to the new prospect. “Don’t be a go-getter, be a go-giver,” said Wildrick.

Engaging in a process to learn about and get to know the new prospect’s business was another of Wildrick’s recommendations. “What do salespeople do all the time? They talk,” said Wildrick, who then pointed to the old adage that people have two ears and one mouth, indicating they can benefit from doing more listening.

“Not listening to the client” was one of 10 Most Common Mistakes in Sales listed by Wildrick, with others including “insufficient training” and “over-committing to a prospect.”

The 2010 Paper Recycling Conference was held June 13-15 at the Chicago Marriott Magnificent Mile in that city’s downtown.