Drive-by Sales

In our territory, we do what we call a “drive-by,” while we are out making sales calls. A drive-by is an unscheduled visit, either to a prospect or client, or to a company that you do not know anything about.

These visits help keep you fresh in the minds of clients, plus they help you discover new prospects in the area that you may not have otherwise have been aware of. Whatever you call a drive-by in your territory, it is something that all successful sales reps do. However, when I have been on the road for a while, and all I can think about is my next appointment or getting back to the office, motivating myself to make an extra stop can be quite a challenge.To keep myself going I recall the advice my father would share with me on our road trips. These words of wisdom would come right after a big bug splattered across the windshield: “Any old bug can hit the windshield. But, it takes one with guts to stick to it.”

Always keep going. Your next big sale could be from that one extra drive-by.

JoAnn Rash, Thomas Register of American Manufacturers, Beaverton, OR