Need to Drum Up Business? Take a Cue from Musicians
As a teenager, I developed a real affinity for hard rock and metal. I wasn’t angry or anything. There was just something about the intensity that I loved. It got me up for races and ballgames, and still occasionally does for sales calls.
Through college and into my twenties, I really got into bands like Sevendust, Godsmack, and Avenged Sevenfold (my guilty pleasure) largely because of their terrific drummers. Morgan Rose, Shannon Larkin, and the late Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, have this terrifying blend of chops, finesse, and attack. They’re more than timekeepers for their bands, they're integral to the entire picture.
As a retired drummer myself, I’ve had some fun recently comparing some of my colleagues at OutBound to famous rock and roll drummers. I think there are some real lessons salespeople can learn from this blend of chops, finesse, and attack.
Fun side note: “drummer” is actually a slang term for traveling salesman. I’d heard of the phrase “drumming up business” but for some reason just never connected the two concepts.
You’ve Got to Have Chops
You have to master the basic skills to perform at the highest levels. Even the most complicated fills and solos are just combinations of basic rudiments. The fundamentals never get overlooked.
Beyond all the flashy fills and stick work, you have a job to do. The drummer in a band keeps the time, and the rest of the band is following your lead.
As a drummer in a sales organization, you have to keep the steady beat of prospecting and advancing clients through the sales process. The rest of the company relies on the revenue you create.
Develop Some Finesse
“Did you just see that!?!”
There’s a big difference between watching a musician play and just listening. Sometimes it sounds way harder than they make it look, and other times it’s pure showmanship. Stick twirling is a lot of fun to watch on stage, but you rarely see it in the studio.
Still, the little touches along the way show your prospects (or the fans in the audience) that you’re dealing with a seasoned professional. Maybe it’s not a drum kit upside down on a roller coaster, but that pre-written thank you note that arrives in the mail just as you’re leaving the office? It makes an impression. It also makes you want a little more.
These little flourishes take time to develop. The longer I sell, the more fun I have selling. The nuance that you pick up throughout your career with experience is irreplaceable, and most people miss it because they’re not looking for it.
There are few things more fun than talking shop with other sales pros, and it’s one of the best uses of your next team meeting. Have every member of your team break down the best (or even most recent) deal they’ve ever won. Ask about how and why they won it. The seasoned pros will smile and recall similar deals. The rookies on your team, if they know what’s good for them, will be wide-eyed and taking notes.
Lean In and Attack
Perhaps this is a factor of the music I like, but you can’t replace some of these guys’ willingness to be a force of nature and hit their instruments really hard. This is certainly the aspect of selling that is missing most right now.
Sellers are still stifled by the right way to go out and approach their prospects in light of COVID. They’re missing their swagger because they’re afraid to do it wrong, and that’s not all they’re missing. They’re missing the point that it’s their job to do the best they can to help the people who have the problems they solve.
There are two types of salespeople out there. The first is someone who is afraid to reach out to a prospect more often than every couple of weeks because they don’t want to be considered a pest. The second knows they can call on their clients every day if they needed to, knowing that every interaction would be welcomed because of the value they provide.
The only difference between these two sellers is their level of belief in their company, their solutions, and themselves.
COVID was never a time to back away from the work that you do as a seller. It was a time to lean in. If you feel like you’re doing your prospects a disservice by calling on them, then you don’t know what it means to sell. Every time we feel like we’ve crested a hill, it seems like we’re reminded how far we have to go. Merely moving forward isn’t enough, you need to start gaining momentum.
As a drummer, you’re an integral part of the band. Do you have the chops? Are you developing the finesse to grow into a formidable professional? Are you leaning in to attack your day and your territory to make a difference? If not, what's holding you back?
Join the conversation in the Rethink The Way You Sell community. I posted some of my favorite examples from these drummers in the comments under the post.
Jeff Bajorek
Real. Authentic. Experience.
There’s a big difference between knowing how to sell and being able to. Jeff Bajorek spent over a decade in the field as a top performer. He’s been in your shoes. He knows what it will take. He can help you succeed.
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