Let’s face it: the fast few years haven't gone like any of us planned.
But if you’re a salesperson, things have probably been especially rough. (This is why we've gathered some of our favorite sales memes for you.)
Those goals you set for the year, like crushing your quotas every month or quarter, have likely gone out the window.
You've come to the right place if you’re looking for some comic relief from the misery selling today. Here are 21 sales memes only salespeople will understand, along with some ideas on how to break the cycle of bad months and start selling again:
1. The Cheap Competitor
In a global crisis, it’s normal for your customers to want the absolute lowest price. So they run off behind your back, never to be seen again. All for an extra 25 cents.
Actually, when you’re negotiating a price and a competitor underbids you, there are some specific strategies you can use to save the deal. First, try to get your prospect to set the price aside for a moment and focus on value. Do they like the other product better than yours, or are they just attracted to a lower price tag on a product that isn’t even worth that much?
Next, align yourself to their goals and needs. If they really need something cheaper, don’t be lured into a price war with a competitor. Help your prospect get what they need, even if that’s not your product, and they may realize that you’re the kind of partner their business needs.
Btw, if you're looking for something more sustainable than the quick relief a sales meme provides, check out our free sales resources.
2. I’ll Wait
Right now, it might not be the right time for your prospects to buy. The best way to treat prospects who are hurting because of the crisis is to wait a bit for the dust to settle and then follow up.
In fact, we’ve developed a follow-up formula that has been proven to work. With patience and persistence, that deal can still head towards a win, even if that win happens down the road.
3. Too Good to Be True?
Honestly, with so much bad news surrounding us, anything that seems easy or simple is automatically thrown under suspicion.
You know that hot new lead that was just assigned to you? How much are you willing to bet that they don’t qualify?
Here’s the point: Doubts will get you absolutely nowhere. Now is the time for action. If you’ve been handed a hot new lead, go for it!
To ensure you’re not wasting your time, develop your sales prospecting skills. When you successfully prospect, qualify, and prioritize your leads, you’ll avoid being paralyzed by doubt. Instead, you’ll move forward with a clear action plan.
4. Unhappy 2024 Checks
If you can relate to this sales meme, you have my sympathies.
But if you’re frustrated by lower commissions, let’s go back to the source: your pipeline. It’s probably not looking as full and happy as it did a few months ago.
That said, don’t blame your pipeline or your leads for a bad quarter. Despite the crisis, many businesses are still selling their products, and you can, too.
Now is the time to get creative and find ways to fill that dry sales pipeline with undiscovered opportunities.
5. Per My Last Email...
Are you finding it harder to get a response to your emails? You’re not alone.
But don’t give up! By sending the right follow-up emails with the right messaging inside, you will get a response. Here are some ideas on sending follow up emails for different situations.
6. After the Morning Zoom Meeting
While your morning sales huddle might seem like a huge motivational boost, you might find it hard to keep that momentum going throughout the workday.
Honestly, dealing with the current crisis isn’t easy for anyone. But there are specific things you can do to keep your emotions in check and keep working, such as:
- Managing your time and your habits
- Expecting disruptions
- Finding ways to combat stress successfully
- Practicing mindfulness
Here are some more ideas on winning the emotional war in sales.
If you’re a sales manager leading those morning sales huddles with your team, how can you make sure your motivation carries throughout the day for your team?
Look at this article for 19 sales motivation techniques you can use to boost your team’s productivity and energy.
7. Taking it to the Next Level
Probably not. But it’s fun to get excited about new LinkedIn connections.
Actually, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for sales outreach. In fact, 7 in 10 B2B businesses say that they’ve acquired a new customer from LinkedIn. The key is to learn how to use the platform well.
In other words, don’t be a LinkedIn stalker.
If you look at the prospect’s profile, you’ll probably come across some sort of common ground or a connection that you can use as an introduction. Then, take the relationship to the next level by keeping your message short and sweet and asking a question they care about.
Who knows? Maybe you will end up being best friends.
8. When You Try to Eat Lunch
This sales meme may be a bit of an exaggeration (we hope).
But if you’ve ever had your phone buzzing like crazy while you’re trying to eat, then you know what this is like.
Resist the urge to answer the phone with your mouth full. I’m begging you.
If you’re using the right CRM, this tool can help you with productivity and keep you on top of all the calls you need to return. For example, in Close, each rep has their own personal Inbox.
Here, you’ll see the tasks assigned to you for the day, as well as any missed calls, voicemails, or emails that you need to catch up on.
If you want to unlock the potential of your B2B sales funnel, try incorporating insights from our detailed article on the significance of B2B CRMs.
9. How Long it Takes to Make a Decision
Some prospects seem like they can never nail time a decision timeframe.
If your prospects constantly postpone their purchase, the best way to motivate them to make a purchase decision is to hyper-customize your pitch to their specific needs. If you can convince them of the value, you can convince them to purchase.
10. Still Worthy
Yes, you are still worthy!
Although the pandemic has knocked us down, all successful salespeople know you can only win if you get back up and keep selling.
During (and after) a pandemic, you can still close deals. One of the biggest mistakes a rep can make right now is assuming that their prospects don’t want to buy because of the current situation.
Keep working, keep selling, and you will see results.
11. New Leads vs. Old Prospects
New leads are exciting, but if you spend all of your time on them, you’ll end up neglecting the prospects you have in your pipeline.
There’s no such thing as an old hot lead. While the leads are hot, you need to keep following up with them until you get a purchase decision.
So, balance your time between new leads and prospects you’re already working on. Then, you’ll have a balanced pipeline and a consistent flow of new deals.
12. Do You Qualify?
Have you ever had that twinge in the back of your mind, wondering if this person is a good fit for your offer?
You don’t want to waste time with prospects that don’t qualify, but you also don’t want to abandon a prospect too soon. The key is asking the right qualifying questions to get a clear view of your prospect’s situation.
Check out our list of 31 B2B qualifying questions to help you find out:
- If they fit your ideal customer profile
- What their needs are
- How purchase decisions are made at the company
- What their budget is
- Whether they’re interested in or fed up with the competition
Then, you’ll remove any doubts about whether or not they qualify.
13. Baloo the Gatekeeper
Yes, it can seem like the gatekeeper is a huge obstacle to your ultimate goal of reaching the decision-maker.
But actually, the best way to get past the gatekeeper is to stop thinking of them as a blocker and start thinking of them as a powerful ally.
There are specific strategies you can use to get past the gatekeeper and use their influence and position to your advantage. You need to provide value to them, build trust, and manage their objections.
Then, you can get the gatekeeper on your side.
14. When They Think the Rate is Too High
Sometimes, prospects object to the price because they don’t have a budget. But sometimes, they still don’t understand the value of your product.
And other times, they use a price objection to hide an utterly different objection.
As a salesperson, your job is to determine what this price objection really means. That involves asking the right questions.
If the prospect really is concerned about the price because they lack funds, then help them understand the ROI of your product and how much it would cost them if they didn’t purchase it.
15. Still Waiting...
Many times, sales is a waiting game. And honestly, that’s a stressful game.
Dealing with stress in sales isn’t easy, mainly because of the highly competitive nature of the job. But if you’re waiting for a prospect to decide or stressed about your sales numbers being down, there are specific steps you can take to manage your stress.
First, follow the basic principles of stress management, including:
- Getting enough sleep
- Eating healthy foods
- Exercising regularly
- Knowing when to stop working
Then, focus on the data behind your failures. If you’re down on your numbers, take time to understand why. Is it because you weren’t calling as many prospects during the crisis? Were you trying to reach an unrealistic goal?
Once you understand the root cause of the problem, you can take steps to fix it. A clear plan to move forward is one of the best solutions to stress.
16. Overcoming Objections Like a Pro
During this crisis, you’ve probably come across the same objections over and over again. After all that time practicing, you’ve become a master at overcoming the objection of price or bad timing.
Still, looking to improve your objection game? Here are some examples to help you handle sales objections.
17. The Proposal that Flopped
Either that prospect is crazy, or your proposal just wasn’t cool enough.
Let’s assume it was the latter.
To create a proposal that grabs your prospect’s attention, you must make it pop.
Sure, you’re not a designer. However, building a proposal that is colorful and well-designed isn’t as hard as you might think, and it can have a big impact on how your proposal is viewed by prospects.
Also, being creative by allowing digital payments and signatures can help move deals along, especially during this time.
18. When Your Leads are Beyond Cold
Unlike these sales memes, cold leads are no fun.
Since you don’t want to waste your time on leads that aren’t going to buy, what can you do to work productively with cold leads?
You could start by trying these 15 cold email templates. Their purpose is to take cold leads and turn them into warm prospects who are ready to purchase.
Also, by improving your qualifying skills, you’ll work smarter to prioritize the leads that qualify for your product. That way, you’ll spend less time on cold leads that are a terrible fit.
19. Are You Really Busy?
Does it seem like you’re always calling at the wrong time?
True, this might be an excuse not to talk to you. But if the prospect is busy, you might try a little harder to improve the timing of your sales calls.
The best way to do that is to better understand your prospect. What’s their routine work schedule like? Are they busier at certain times of the week or month? How does their family life play into their work routine if they work remotely now?
The better you understand your audience and their day-to-day lives, the easier to call or email at a time that suits them.
20. When You Have to Put on Your Work Laugh
Sometimes, you need to make sacrifices to get the sale.
Sometimes, that sacrifice is your soul.
Looking for a better way to close the deal? Check out these 14 sales strategies (none involving using your work laugh).
But we also think you should know this: Humor impacts the response rates to your sales emails (but if you're the one making the joke, you can make it good)!
21. That Sales Humor Sucks You in
Wow, that time just flew right by! But if your sales manager hasn’t caught you looking at the best sales memes, that’s not an excuse to keep looking.
Now, it’s time to get motivated and get back to work!
Be Inspired to Keep Selling
As a salesperson, you can relate to the sales memes above. You may even need more LOLs to carry you through the week, featuring CRM humor or cold calling memes because laughing about it is better than crying!
But it would be best to remember that even though times are tough, salespeople are still selling, businesses are still running, and people still need your product.
So, don’t let this year get you down. Instead, now is the time to rise and meet these new challenges head-on.
Do you need some extra motivation before you call the phone again? Check out our repository of 151 sales motivation quotes to boost your motivation and get started.
