During the past couple weeks I have been to more coastal resort towns from Massachusetts to New Jersey than most people visit in their lifetimes.

Yesterday I spent the day on the beautiful island of Marthas Vineyard. On Sunday I was in Mystic Connecticut, and last week I was up and down the Jersey shore in towns such as Cape May, Ocean City, Wildwoods, and many more. Today I am heading to Orleans, Chatham, and Falmouth, which are all towns in Cape Cod. Tomorrow I take a ferry out to the quaint island of Nantucket.

I’m not on vacation.

And I don’t want to be.

As the owner of my own company I am the lead and top-performing salesman. I normally sell more product in one day than most of my sales reps sell in one month. I love sales, and I think I’m pretty good at it.

And although I have a fairly good customer base developed for Sand Shack, and I can count on many retail stores to be repeat customers for our products, I love the challenge and excitement of finding a new account. One of the reasons for this is that with repeat customers you almost expect them to place an order from you when you meet with them, and I get really sad if they don’t. But if I go into a new store that I have never been in before and walk out with an order 30 minutes later, it’s unexpected, it’s almost like a bonus.

This has happened to me three times in the last three days – to the tune of $5k. Although this trips primary purpose is to meet with current Sand Shack customers, I always like to take the opportunity to pitch my products to other stores in the area.

How do I get someone to commit to purchase upwards of $3000 in flip-flops, hats, belts and jewelry in less than 30 minutes from a complete stranger walking off the street?

Obviously, you have to know and love your product. You have to hit on the strong points first and get into the details later.

But I’m not going to teach you how to sell right now. Because knowing how to sell means nothing if you can’t find the right person to sell to.

That’s the problem with cold-calling – the decision maker or buyer may or may not be in the store you walk into. If they aren’t, it is almost certain you will not make a sale. If they are, you still have to identify who they are and get enough time in front of them to make a sale.

How I Made a $2000 Sale Yesterday Walking off The Street

Yesterday, I was almost about to leave a town where I do a little business in – and after meeting with my current customer and not getting an order, I was a bit saddened. Instead of giving up on the town altogether I decided to take a quick walk down the main street and pitch it to one other customer.

Me: “Hi there, my name is Brian and I own a company called Sand Shack. It is an environmentally friendly brand of resort merchandise with products such as flip-flops, belts, hats, and jewelry. (more pitching, and reading of facial expressions)”

Clerk: “So are you a salesperson?”

Me: “No, I own this company and I just want to have a chance to introduce it to the owner or buyer”

Clerk: “Let me see if the buyer is in” (makes phone call – and I can hear the buyer say, ‘well we already have all that stuff, but send him back’).

YES! I got in front of the buyer, my chances of making a sale just jumped 1000%.

So I eventually went on to make a sale.

I am a good salesperson. But I am also very lucky. Buyer and decision makers are not always in the store and it is difficult to get in front of them, especially in bigger stores. The buyer at the store yesterday told me that I was lucky that he wasn’t busy, because there is no way I would have had a chance to talk with him if he was. Who knows, if I had come an hour later he may have not had me come back and see him.

Successful cold-call selling is not just about being a good salesperson – it’s about good timing and luck. Setting appointments is great, but not always needed. I have built my company on walking into stores unannounced and convincing them to buy my products through my sheer enthusiasm and passion for what I do.

What are your thoughts on selling? Cold-calling? Luck or skill?,

—–Sorry for my prolonged absence from Brianlinton.com, this is the busiest time of my life right now, and I have to make hay when the sun is shinning—–