Beast Mode Monday Special Edition: Anybody Can Deliver Good News
Listen up, Beasts.
If we haven't met, I'm Richard, a coach and trainer here at SalesBEAST. Long Island taught me how to talk, Florida taught me how to slow down, and a lot of early mornings on the water taught me that the weather doesn't care about your plans. Beast Mode Monday usually waits for Monday. Some days won't. So consider this a special edition, on a Thursday.
Jayne and I share this space, and she has a gift I've watched work in some very tense rooms. When everybody else is spinning, she asks one quiet question: "What can you do right now?" Hold onto that. We're going to use it today.
When the news turns ugly overnight
Some weeks the headlines flip on you. One day everybody's celebrating, and the next day the whole country wakes up rattled. The people you serve are reading the same headlines you are, and they're scared. They're wondering what it means for them, their families, and the plans they made.
And here's what a lot of salespeople do on a day like that. They hide. They find busywork. They reorganize the desk, refresh the news one more time, and tell themselves they'll call when things calm down.
Don't you dare.
Anybody can deliver good news
Anybody can pick up the phone when the news is great. That call is easy. That call makes you look like a hero. But your clients don't need you most on those days.
The pros are the ones who call when the news is bad. They call first, before the client has to chase them. They tell the truth, they stay steady, and they lay out what happens next. That's the call people remember for years. Not the one where you shared good news. The one where you showed up when they were scared and you didn't flinch.
Trust isn't built in the sunshine, my friend. It's built in the storm.
The other guy is frozen
Here's the part nobody says out loud. Right now, a whole lot of your competitors are sitting there like a deer in the headlights. Their phones are face down. Their clients are wondering where the hell they went.
Those people deserve a call too. Not a pitch. A steady voice. Somebody who says, "I know it's a rough day. I'm calling to check on you and see what's on your mind." You'd be amazed how many people answer, "You know what? My guy hasn't called me once."
That's not an opportunity you create. It's one you show up for.
Your people come first
Before you prospect a single new name, take care of the people who already trust you. Every one of them. That's not optional. If you're out chasing new business while your own clients are sitting in silence, you've got it backwards, and they will know it.
Your people first. Then everybody else's.
Here's how we work it, step by step
Make a list of your own clients and start at the top today. Don't wait for them to call you.
Lead with honesty. Acknowledge the day, say it plainly, and skip the sugarcoating. People can hear spin a mile away.
Then listen. Two ears, one mouth. Let them tell you what's keeping them up tonight before you say another word.
Give them one clear next step and have them write it down. A scared mind settles when it has something to hold.
Once your own people are taken care of, start calling prospects. Check in, don't pitch. Ask how they're doing and whether anyone has reached out to them.
Tonight, write down every call you made that the nervous version of you wanted to skip.
Do that today, and do it again tomorrow. By the end of the week you'll have something most people in your business won't: a list of people who watched you show up when it mattered.
Be the steady one
When the weather turns on the water, the captain who gets on the radio and talks to his people keeps them for life. The one who goes silent loses them, even if he gets everybody home safe. Silence feels like abandonment. A calm voice feels like leadership.
So be the voice. Get off your ass, pick up the phone, and be the calmest person on the call. You don't have to have every answer. You just have to show up.
Ask yourself Jayne's question one more time. What can you do right now? The answer is sitting on your desk, and it has ten digits.
Fuel for a long day of calls
Long call days are won on real food, not vending machine crackers. Jayne's Gladiator Soup is my go to after a tough stretch. Every time she makes it, I ask how long the lentils need so I can try it at home, and she just smiles and hands me the recipe. Make a pot tonight and you're covered through tomorrow.
Before you go
Tap the heart if you're making the hard calls today.
Share this with a teammate who's been staring at the phone all morning. Sometimes one push is all it takes.
Follow SalesBEAST so you never miss a message from me, from Jayne, or the both of us.
And tell me in the comments: how many calls are you making before the day is done? Put a number on it. Own it.
That's Beast Mode.
Richard
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