Having to sell more and maximise our margins in today’s marketplace might be tough but it’s far from impossible.
Let’s stop paying lip service to customer satisfaction and actually deliver on what we promise. Get it completely right more of the time and prospects buy from us, rather than we have to keep selling to them. Make sure you constantly over deliver on the customers expectations and do it with a positive attitude. Starting today why not commit yourself to quality. For quality will lead to repeat business and referrals and most successful sales people know that both of those are preferential to going out and constantly having to search for new business. Short change your customers and you will most likely be cutting off your own future source of income.
Why not become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know? Enthusiasm is infectious, indeed I’m on record as saying the only thing that’s more infectious than enthusiasm is the lack of it. Being positive is often described as one of the most important traits in the really successful. Do you have a positive, outgoing and enthusiastic attitude? Do you think if only everything went right for me then I would find it easy to be positive, easy to be enthusiastic about life and everything in it. Could you have it the wrong way round? Happy, positive, enthusiastic people usually suffer the same issues and challenges as everyone else. The difference is that they have just learnt to look on the bright side.
Be forgiving of yourself and others. You can’t change the past – that deal you lost last month is history. You can however learn from experiences and part of that is to remind yourself of what went well and determine what you’ll do differently next time around. Equally cut those around you a little slack for aren’t you grateful when others choose to forgive and forget your past indiscretions.
Please don’t misunderstand my next point, I’m not advocating trying to nag a customer into doing business with you. However there are plenty of times in sales we really should be more persistent. This of course has to be one of the most simple pointers a salesperson is ever given and I suspect one of the pieces of advise they find most easy to ignore. Don’t be obstinate, however you can and should practice a little tenacity or “pester power.” After all talk to any parent and they’ll probably confirm that their children use this tactic with great success.
Next shouldn’t we try and treat everyone we meet in the way that we would want to be treated. Anyone in sales would do well to be reminded that the secretaries and receptionists that they are determined to get past are just doing their jobs. The engineers, installers and programmers in your Company are simply trying to earn a living, and your Manager is trying to help you make more sales. I’ve found that what goes around comes around, treat others with a little respect and consideration and you’re likely to find that’s how others treat you.
Big tip this and I’m afraid a little controversial. Be honest. Don’t they say that honest people sleep better! Well let me give you a second argument for being honest and you might never have thought of it like this before. If you lie, you have to remember what you said and whom you’ve told what story, if you always tell the truth then it’s much easier. Personally I’ll always do things that make my life easier.
Actually if my last tip was a big one, then this has to be gigantic. Be a self starter. Activity is where it all begins and the work ethic should come from within. Don’t wait for your Manager to tell you what you should be doing, do it anyway. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life. Accountability and joint accountability are the recipe for a highly successful outfit, constantly trying to pass the buck is a recipe for abject failure.
Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you will regret the things you did not do more than the ones you did. Please consider this – have you ever met a salesperson who regretted the cold calling and prospecting they did some time back? I doubt so, rather you can find plenty of sales people who’ll happily tell you of a major account they now earn from that started out as a cold call. Hard work might be an old fashioned concept, but I’m tempted to point out that very few people ever get to the top without going through that particular loop. The good news is that it’s within all of our capabilities, it’s our choice, we can get on with it if we want to.