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You can't get discouraged in sales.

Just ask Greg Courtot, the sales manager for Action Automatic Door and Gate in Fort Myers. The company sells doors and gates from Bradenton to Marco Island to the public and homebuilders.

But getting on a builder's bid list can be tough. Courtot says it could take as long as a year of calling once or twice a week. “Sales is a numbers game,” he explains. “You need to have a thick skin.”

Courtot is an alumnus of some of the best technology sales forces in the country, including selling IBM and Xerox software to customers throughout the east coast of the U.S. from his base in St. Petersburg. He joined Action Automatic Door because it involved less travel and moved to Fort Myers in 2002.

Courtot says it's important to get to know customers well so that they will return your phone calls. He grew up fishing, but took up golf later in life so he could entertain clients on the golf course.

“Sales is not an 8-to-5 position,” Courtot says. Taking clients fishing or golfing on the weekends is an opportunity to learn more about them.

Building-industry charity golf outings provide opportunities to meet prospective customers in a relaxed atmosphere. Courtot says you can learn a lot about people that way, such as birthdays and other meaningful details that help build relationships. “You find out their true personality,” he says.

Courtot never turns off his phone, even on weekends and at night. “The time you turn it off is when your competitor turns it on,” he says. Courtot learned the importance of a mobile phone early in his career: He carried a bag phone, an early version of the cell phone that you had to transport in a case because it was so big.

Once you've secured an opportunity to visit with a prospect, it's critical to know the product and act with self-confidence. That takes practice: Courtot recommends rehearsing in front of the mirror and with friends and family.

To motivate his sales staff, Courtot pays them on a draw system that forces them to pay back a portion of their weekly salary if they don't meet their monthly sales goals. The benefit is there's no cap on commissions. “Your most successful sales people prefer to work on a draw like that,” Courtot says. “It keeps them hungry.”

Sales tips
LEARN TO PLAY GOLF.
Some of the best networking takes place on the golf course and at charity golf outings. It's another great way to know your customer.

KEEP YOUR PHONE ON.
Be ready to take phone calls at any time of day or night.

PRACTICE YOUR PITCH. Stand in front of your mirror at home and practice your sales pitch. Once you've perfected it, try it on friends and family.

ASK FOR REFERRALS.
If you've done a good job selling to a customer, don't be afraid to ask for referrals.

Follow Jean Gruss on Twitter @JeanGruss