What Happens When Salespeople Start Their Day Off Like a Pop Tart?

Salespeople can take lessons to start their day off right from Kellogg's Pop Tarts pastries, created November 19, 1965. Pop Tarts are the simplest food item, so why wouldn’t a salesperson want to make their days that easy?

1. Pop Tarts have a sugary filling sealed inside two layers of rectangular, thin pastry crust.

Selling is a process, not necessarily an in and out call. For certain, there is the opening call and the decision asking call, those two layers in the process in between which everything else happens. Asking questions, listening to find your prospects needs and wants, a possible presentation, then very likely handling concerns, and even follow-up if the prospect postpones their decision time. The filling, those parts of the sales process inside the two layers of the opening and the decision points, make certain that the prospects needs will be met.

2. Most varieties have frosting, but some do not.

As a long-time believer in selling being about relationship building, the frosting on a Pop Tart is like the follow-up in selling. Find reasons, valid, relevant, business reasons to get back in touch with your prospect. Even better is to do a similar follow up with your customers.

3. They can be eaten without being heated, but are often warmed inside a toaster.

Toasting is the best way to enjoy a Pop Tart even though directions include a microwave in 3 seconds version. As someone who sells, particularly if you tend toward being an introvert, take a few minutes to warm yourself up before you either call on a new prospect or follow-up with one. Like toasting, spend a few minutes to get into a warm and receptive mindset.

4. They are sold in pairs inside foil packages.

Wouldn’t it be fun to market in pairs? Maybe if you’re more of an extrovert. There would be someone to bounce ideas around with, talk through strategy aloud with and even debrief a sales call. Consider hiring a coach to help improve your sales performance. At the very least, find someone who you respect who is successful in sales and ask for some mentor time with them.

5. Pop Tarts come in a variety of flavors.

Both salespeople and prospects come in different selling and buying styles. If you learn to listen for key factors and you talk with you prospect, you will learn how quickly they buy, if they have to talk with people to help make a decision, whether they can make the decision on their own or need a spouse or business partner. Then the work of the seller is to offer the right selling flavor – match the selling with the buying.

The goal of getting the Pop Tart ready is to eat it. Regardless of whether you are more introverted or more extroverted, the goal of self-inspiration and acting on marketing activities that get results is to get a new customer. And just like with a Pop Tart, selling readiness happens on a daily basis for the best sales results.