1. Think In Ink
Whatever plans you have to be the best sales person you can be, make sure you write them down! Not just some sketchy overview but detailed plans of what you want to achieve at each customer/target. There’s probably a number of people in each customer that you have to influence, so make sure your plans include how you plan to develop relationships with all of your contacts.
2. Head & Heart
You’ve done your research on your customers and now have the facts. What does your HEART tell you? You need PASSION to sell and to show commitment to both your product/service and delivery of satisfaction to your customers. Facts are important but don’t ignore your INTUITION.
3. Walk a Mile in My Shoes
The only way to sell to people is to understand what makes them tick both professionally and personally. If YOU were THEM would you buy from you and your Company? Put yourself in their place and see what you need to do in order to make a sale. Role play with a colleague where you play the customer. It’s a real eye opener.
4. Farmers don’t use watering cans!
If farmers tried to irrigate a field of crops with a watering can they would spend a lot of time watering and many of the plants would die for lack of care and attention. See yourself as that farmer. You cannot possible attend to every potential target so be selective and focus on the ones that will really value your offering and can have an impact of your business.
5. And the time is….
Set yourself outrageous targets if you feel bold BUT they must have a TIME element. “Deliver $1 million in new sales” sounds challenging but if your timeline is to make these new sales by 2020, it sounds less interesting.
“Deliver $1 million in new sales before year end 2014” sounds, well, JUICY!
For all aspects of sales training and support, competitor benchmarking and hands-on delivery please contact us at Gradient and we’ll help by listening and then working with you at all stages of the development.