
Ever seen a “Doughnut Drop” salesperson? Have you maybe even taken that approach yourself a few times? You know the kind of behavior I mean – show up at a customer’s office with a box of doughnuts or bagels and make your way around asking people how their weekend went, do they need any samples or literature, anything you need to quote, how was their kid’s ballgame, etc. Or perhaps you get stuck in a rut of just running a route through your territory, seeing the same customers on the same days week in and week out, replenishing literature, checking on quotes, and keep updated on any myriad of social activities.
It's easy and fairly common to find salespeople falling into that milk run rut as they work their sales territories. I would like to suggest another strategy. Every time you call on a customer, whether they’ve been a customer for a week, a year, or 10 years…bring them something new. A new product, a new service capability, new information on your location, or an article you might have seen that would be relevant to their business are just a few examples. New products may be the easiest one and I’ll tell you why. How many of you have more SKUs in your branch or yard than you know what to do with? You have more products at your disposal to sell than you can shake a stick at. Pick one you don’t know much about or haven’t presented much and learn it. Make it your product of the month and present it during sales call that month. After that, pick another one.
Allow me to share a personal story that demonstrates the selling advantages of avoiding a milk run route. I was traveling with a salesperson making calls for a day. We entered a location he was attempting to sell to and made our way back to a project manager’s office. The salesperson had given them a quote the week before and was checking to see how things look. He asked the project manager if they’d had a chance to check it out. The response was “Not yet,” and we were advised to check back later. While walking out of the office, we passed the company owner’s office, and he waved us in. The salesperson introduced me to the owner as a sales trainer working with his company to help the effectiveness of the sales team. The owner looked at me and said, “Would you like to know why we buy most of our products from Joe at XYZ Distribution?” After I responded “Yes” he went on to share, “Every time Joe comes in here, he brings us something new. A new product, new service, information about changes at his company, and what that tells me is that Joe is looking out for my business. We don’t buy everything Joe shows us, but I know he's trying to help me grow my business.” We thanked him for the information and made our way back outside to the vehicle. During that walk, the salesperson I was with said, “I think I’m doing it wrong.” I had a feeling where he was going with the statement, but I responded, “What do you mean?” He said, “I’m trying to bid and quote, and the other guy is trying to help them grow their business.” I responded that I thought he was on to something and should explore that further.
He didn’t last much longer with the company he was at. I was never sure if he quit or was invited to find happiness elsewhere, but regardless, if he continued to explore his newfound thinking and made changes to his sales approach, I feel confident he’s finding success. There is a lesson in there for all of us. Happy Selling!!