While traveling on one of his final missionary journeys, Paul received an image in a dream that led him to go to Athens. While there, Paul gave a master sermon that was relevant to the people of his day. Paul gave the sermon and the famous Areopagus in Athens, Greece. There, philosophers gathered, and the Scripture noted, did nothing but talk about some new thing all day. In this setting, Paul gave the following sermon.
After Paul delivered his master sermon, Scripture recorded the audience’s reaction. I think it is very easy to look over the profound truth in what is recorded.
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed.
What Does Selling by the Numbers Mean
Many of us have heard from sales managers and trainers that “selling is a numbers game.” But, what do they mean? So often, salespeople feel pressure to close every customer they get on the phone or every customer who walks into their store. Even sales managers pressure salespeople when they notice a salesperson has had a few interactions that did not result in a purchase order. If a salesperson can fully embrace selling by the numbers, it should alleviate this pressure and let her know that she can earn a living in this business and potentially do much more with persistence.
Imagine, as a sales consultant, being dropped off in front of an apartment building. This apartment building has exactly 100 doors. It is your job to knock on every door to try to sell your widget. The good news is that seven out of 10 salespeople will give up before they even knock on 100 doors. If you can be consistent and persistent, you can make a living in this business. The following chart is designed to illustrate the results of knocking on 100 doors consistently;
This is exactly what Scripture is conveying about Paul’s message. This particular sermon is representative of all the sermons he gave. Most who came to listen walked away and mocked them. Three out of 100 believed on the spot, and the other 17 decided they would hear him again on the subject.
Selling by the Numbers Gives Us Hope
Too many salespeople spend their time obsessing about the 80 people who slammed the door in their faces. This is an inevitable part of being a salesperson. Selling is really about being able to manage the 80, not finding the three. At least, that’s what making a career in sales is about. Your mindset depends on that. Once we accept that no matter what we do, 80 people out of 100 are going to slam the door in our faces, it helps us move on quickly. Maybe at some point, one day, those people may be ready for our product, but they are not ready now. Move on.
The next important thing to remember in this selling by the numbers scenario is that consistently, no matter where you are in the world, according to study after study, three people are going to buy today. This number may move up or down slightly depending on the product you sell but, on average, those are the numbers. The thing is, you will never get wealthy if your sales efforts consist of only finding these three people. Don’t get me wrong. These three people are marvelous and are a blessing. They will sustain you and help you survive in this business. You’ve just got to be willing to knock on 100 doors to find them. Most aren’t.
But What About the 17%
The 17% are those who make master salespeople wealthy. One of the understated things in Scripture that I emphasize in my book is that Paul’s entire strategy was set up around serving and marketing to the 17%. He structured his entire leadership organization around reaching out to them and bringing them into the fold.
As a sales consultant, if you can be persistent long enough, you can survive on the 3%; however, if you want to make a real impact and earn the living that you deserve, you will need a solid strategy for following up with, and selling to the 17%.
Conclusion
In chapter 12 of my book, I lay out what I believe is one of the most masterful ways ever created in reaching a hidden market. This method has been around for 100 years, and it has made many salespeople and sales organizations wealthy, and It is designed to reach your 17% by building relationships. If you want to read more about it, pick up a copy of my book, “Sales According to Paul,” on Amazon today.
In short, surviving in this business is a lot like surviving in the mission field with Paul. Most are going to turn their back. Some will become believers on the spot. Being consistent and persistent will help you survive by selling to the 3% who say yes today. However, long-term financial success depends on creating an effective system of consistently following up with the 17% who will hear you again on the subject.
