Everyone wants to win. Not everyone knows how to win, and among those who do, there is an important question: Are we willing to consistently do what it takes to win?
Winning isn’t about one sale. The real winners win across time and that takes specifics.
What does it take to set up and begin a process that gains you access to more consistent sales?
Let’s give it a go.
Obsessive attention to the basics will do more for you than most other things. We make things too complicated. That’s why you see often see a lot of success when “new leadership” takes processes back to the basics.
Sellers who prospect, especially a mix of seeing the usual suspects and consistent cold calling, win more consistently. And they are seeing prospects in person.
Detach yourself emotionally from outcomes and focus on consistent sales activity and reaching those goals. Too much focus on the outcome brings you directly into the path of harder ups and downs. You cannot control outcomes, but you can control your input. Do this consistently and the only direction is up.
Treat ‘no’ as a gift. It isn’t personal. That result allows you to adjust your approach and try new ideas.
Be more nimble. Having a rapid ability to change when conditions change will allow you to seize more opportunities and avoid continuing down roads that bring less results.
Center-piece creativity. Placing creativity, storytelling and sharing with prospects things they have not seen and not heard before will make you the focus of the local money economy. Be willing to get outside your comfort zone and wow people more often.
Consistency is the key to winning in sales. We talk about “Time Spent Selling” a lot. This is as important for sales managers as it is for individual sellers. The job of sales managers should largely focused on helping sellers develop rich consistency with “Time Spent Selling.” Time Spent Selling = Prospecting (in person), CNAs (Customer Needs Analysis), fully executed proposals (in person). Oh, are you thinking prospects don’t want to see sellers? That’s right. They want to see solutions. See preparation below.
Preparation is the key to confidence and mastering your craft. Most of the people you run into will not prepare enough. If you make certain you are always prepared, you’ll be ahead of everyone else. Want to sell more? You have to be ahead of everyone else.
Prioritize revenue-driving activity. See Time Spent Selling = Prospecting, CNAs and Fully Executed Proposals. Eliminate the noise and distractions that are not helping you win sales. Yes, there is a reason this appears twice in this article.
Commit to being the standard. If you identify and develop a high standard for yourself (and others), you will have purpose and energize your activities and others around you. Your impact will spread in every direction.
Don’t accept what you hear. Prove it to yourself. Go see more people. See them more often. Not less. Make relationship-building and always bringing value with you for them (not just for yourself) your standard.
Never forget. Most people will not do these things. So what? You’re not most people. You do them and you will find more success in sales.
