Sales Is Like Fishing

Sales Is Like Fishing

Eight years ago, my son convinced me that it would be great idea if we purchased a boat, buy some fishing equipment, get our fishing licence and head out into the great Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Vancouver Island, to try our hand at fishing. Sounded like a great thought at the time, nothing like getting out in the great outdoors to spend some quality time with my son in one of the most majestical supernatural ecosystems in the world. Little did I know the steep learning curve to this dynamic sport that would put us in a lifelong journey of learning and in a position to actually catch some fish.

So, what does sales have in common with fishing? I’ll explain. For the first three years of our fishing odyssey, my son and I caught very few fish. We were using wrong lures, trolling to slow and shallow, and had no idea where the fish were. It was very discouraging to say the least, but we had a mission to enjoy the process and we were bound and determined to catch the big one. After trial and error, we concluded that we were fishing in areas where there were virtually no fish. We eventually pivoted, learned more about the various fish species, and found fishing holes where giant fish actually like to hang out and discovered what they like to eat. Voilà - we hit the jackpot and started landing big fish!

When I sat down with one of my sales teams for some sales training, I explained to them that sales is like fishing. I see too many sales professionals waste valuable time targeting dead zones that will yield them no results. They need to become masterful prospectors and learn the wants and needs of potential clients. Making random untargeted sales calls and not knowing your audience can be very discouraging and will yield poor results. Take time to learn about what you are selling, who you are selling to and create a process that will yield you some great sales results - You need to be creative and go where the fish (potential clients) are biting. If you are selling life insurance products and calling on University students who don’t need your services, it will probably be discouraging and a big waste of your valuable time - a target audience of 30 years and older with young families will most certainly get you better results.

If you are casting your line in the big blue Pacific Ocean you need to have a plan, understand the fish species you are targeting and create a process that will get you bites. The sales process is no different - understand your ideal target market, plan, and create a process that will get you the best sales results you deserve. Fishing and sales are both challenging disciplines, but with patience, persistence and a “go get them attitude” you can hook your next big one by learning to fish where the fish are hanging out.