Sequoia System International is a training company out of Naperville, Illinois that offers many terrific sales ideas for both internal and external wholesalers in the financial services industry. I have attended several of their seminars and always walk away with something interesting.

One of my favorite concepts is a simple graph in which they show a table with four columns and four rows.

At the top of each column is a heading: (1). Company; (2). Products; (3).You; and (4). Will they do business with you?

Under each heading across the first three rows are a series of either ‘Smiley Faces’ or ‘Frowny Faces’. (Okay, so I made up the word ‘frowny,’ sue me)! The last column is left blank so that you can decide whether to put in either a ‘Yes’ (They will buy from me) or a ‘Maybe’ (They might) or a ‘No’ (Not a snowball’s chance in Phoenix on the 4th of July), based on which ‘face’ is in the preceding boxes!

Row 1:  Smiley + Smiley + Smiley = Yes. Absolutely. Can’t miss. Done deal. For sure they will do business with you.

Row 2:  Smiley + Frowny + Smiley = Maybe. You ‘might’ overcome the fact that your product is not their number one choice.

Row 3:  Frowny + Smiley + Smiley = Maybe. You ‘might’ overcome the fact that your company is not their number one choice.

Row 4: Smiley + Smiley + Frowny = No. Not a chance in the world. This is one you’re not going to overcome.

What a great way to point out that the most important factor in the entire sales equation for an entrepreneur is YOU.

Plain and simple—do your potential customers like you?

That is both a challenge and opportunity. To me, the most interesting aspect is that three of the four are either a slam dunk (Row 1); or at least a fighting chance (Rows 2 and 3). However, the final one (Row 4) almost certainly eliminates you from the game.

I encourage you to realize that you are a bigger player in your small-business than what you have to sell. Your relationship with potential customers is the biggest factor in whether you will be a failure or success as an entrepreneur.

Bill Sheridan—SHERIDAN WRITES: Bio under Guest Authors

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