There’s a question that I’ve been asking participants in my training programs and it immediately changes the tone.

The room typically goes fairly silent, eye contact is usually broken and for about 30 seconds or so; it gets a tad awkward.

Before I tell you what the question is, I don’t think for one minute, that the question is brilliant or that I should immediately quit my day job to create “The question of the year” but . . .

This question is going to bitch slap you. And if it doesn’t, then either you’re already on top this or you’re one of those types who loves to flag stuff as “Sales 101” and meanwhile you’re not doing it.

As a precautionary measure, please ask your ego to go wait in the car before answering it.

Here goes . . .

Besides the phone and email, what else do you have in your toolbox to reach out to (and even attract) potential clients?

If you’re like most people . . . you don’t have anything because you rely too much on the phone and email.

Time Out: Let’s clear the air about something. This is the part where you might have an urge to become indignant because you feel I just insulted the cold call. Nope! And you can rest assured that I’m not one of those dudes running around saying “the cold call is dead!”

I just think your calls (cold, warm, luke warm or “George Costanza shrinkage” type of cold) are really lonely and need some companionship from other ways of reaching out and attracting potential clients!

I will also tell you, straight up, that you’re limiting your results because not everyone digs the phone and email the way you do. Also, the news is out that your prospects don’t care what you “get” . . . they show up where THEY want to regardless of whether you get networking events, snail mail, creative things and yes, even calls and email!

There will be some who will respond better to snail mail

There will be some who will respond better via a social network

There will be some who will respond better to creative efforts

I could go on and on but the point is this . . .

You need to develop a well balanced “sales mix”!

Doing so will immediately help you stand out from your competitors who are (wait for it) . . . only using the phone and email.

I believe you will be heard. Why? Because if all you’re doing is calling and immediately following up with an email, you might be boring the hell out of your prospect. Perhaps you’ve become “The Thursday at 10:00 call” for them. Same message, same method of communication . . . different week. Mixing it up keeps it interesting for them and quite selfishly . . . for you too!

I believe you maximize your efforts because each element of your “sales mix” can “smile” at each other.

Examples . . .

You could send a link to a YouTube video where you’re introducing yourself, addressing them by name and giving a little teaser about a call you’ll be placing to them on Friday at 9:30 am. That video just “smiled” at the upcoming call!

You could send a blank card with a handwritten note smiling at an upcoming call or inviting them to expect a Fed Ex from you. Sounds like that blank card just did some “smiling”.

You could look up your prospect on LinkedIn, send an invite and wow the hell out of them with a resource every 4-6 weeks, demonstrate your expertise with a helpful hint in your status updates and then reach out to them and set an appointment the way I outlined in this free report! And you could also splurge and get my 90 page Social Networking Playbook and get a step by step guide on how you can build a more powerful network!

So let’s be clear . . .

Let’s all stop getting pissy about entertaining things in addition to our calling efforts and for heaven’s sake let’s all acknowledge and embrace this idea that calls are not dead but . . .

They’re just really lonely and need the companionship of other sales efforts!

So here’s my challenge for you and it comes in the form of a few questions . . .

1) Ask yourself . . . “Aside from calling and emails, what else do I have in my ‘sales mix’?”

2) Then ask yourself . . . “What could I add to my ‘sales mix’?”

3) Then kick it up a notch by bringing this concept to your sales manager and your sales team. Teach it to them (there’s no better way to learn) and then harness the collective brainpower of your team. Unless you work with idiots and then I’d say just skip this step.

4) This is the hardest step and only for the brave aspiring sales rock stars . . . Get off your ass and do it!

I work with sales reps, sales leaders and business owners who want to sell more.

For more information on my coaching program, click here.

For more information on my onsite training programs click here.

Or just email me and tell me what’s on your mind. paul@yoursalesplaybook.com