Two sales productivity maxims I have lived by and sold to is more relevant and true now than ever before.

The maxim states…

1. “Sales is the highest paying hard work and the lowest paying easy work”

2. “The most productive and successful salespeople do all non-sales related activities between 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM – 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM is invested in meeting with a legitimate prospect who has a need, desire, financial capacity and authority to purchase your product or service.”

So what is the definition of “non-sales related activities”?

Non-sales related activities include non-critical emails, social media updates, client research, proposal development, and completion etc – anything that is not in support of “getting belly-to-belly with a prospect or current client. The prospects or clients you are striving to meet with should have net new revenue opportunities that will culminate in a sale in the next 30 to 90 days.

Related Article: Survive & Thrive With A Positive Mental Attitude

The 6:00 AM start of the sales day mindset is a choice and will manifest into quota killing reality if practiced diligently daily. The best sales professionals are not always the ones with the most talent and highest IQ’s, they are the ones with the can-do attitude. I’ll take can do over IQ any day. These sales people are willing to make choices that others are not willing to make. 6:00 AM then becomes a choice to do the hard things over the easy things.

Your sales journey of success starts with the right mindset and choices you make on a daily basis because how we live our sales days determines how we live our sales lives!

 

Time is money and if you spend your time wisely, you can enjoy your career and your life. Living with a high standard of sales productivity maxims helps hold you accountable for your success and your failures. But remember, no-one every succeeded without failing first.

 

• Related Article: What To Do When You Fail
• Related Article: Sales Rules To Live By

 

Good luck & good selling!

The Sales Coaching Institute

Sometimes it seems like you just can’t catch a break. No matter how hard you work or how well you pitch your product, you simply can’t generate a sale. Don’t allow this to frighten or discourage you. Take a look at Thomas Edison’s life and look at his creative process. By doing this you will learn whole new ways you can hone your creative skills and use them to help you generate more income through relationships and sales.

Edison was a really good listener. Part of this was because he was genuinely interested in people and enjoyed hearing their stories. Another reason he was such an astute listener was because he learned that by listening to others, by absorbing the stories they told, it would often trigger an idea.

By listening to the stories prospective clients tell you, pick up on something that will help you quickly create a pitch that works for you.

Edison had fantastic people skills. It didn’t matter if he was with someone one on one, or if he was hanging out with a group of talented individuals, he knew how to connect with all men and women that he met in nearly any setting.

You can start doing the same thing. The next time you’re in a group of people take a few moments to observe them. At this point, you should assume the role of leader, simply because you do have some knowledge to offer them that they otherwise would not know. Make it a point to draw each person into the group and identify the talents there influence ads. You’re going to find this trait makes you stand out from your associates and allows you to assume a leadership role, putting you into a position to take on bigger accounts. You should be humble and proud of this, do not take this for granted and do not be scared to try this.

In addition to acknowledging the talents of your other sales associates, you need to be willing to take a step back and let them shine individually in order to truly listen to what they are saying. Also, you don’t alway need to be the leader, if you have an account you can’t seem to connect to, see if someone else might be better suited for the task. After all you’re supposed to be working as a team.

The next time you meet someone force yourself to keep an open mind, assume nothing. This was a skill Edison used to his advantage. By not making assumptions, your body language won’t be an accidental tell for a potential customer. The Sales Coaching Institute offers training and tips on how to avoid these types of situations.

You might not know it, but since you decided to take on a career as a sales person, it’s likely you have a touch of arrogance. Some people might like many attributes you have! However, many will find it some of your methodologies and ideas offputting. You need to be humble the next time you go out on a sales call, be honest with yourself and take it for what it is. You can not and will not sell everyone so just make sure you respect everyone and you will make it much farther and always continue to sell more creatively.

Happy Selling!

Sales Coaching & Sales Training

Top 5 Winston Churchill Quotes for Sales Professionals – Powerful Prose for Persistent Pros

How Do Successful Salespeople grow?

Sales is both an art and science. Top sales professionals are always looking for ways to get better at both the art and the science components of selling. This can be done through by employing a variety of different sales training tactics, but continuing to grow and develop on a professional level is critical to becoming and remaining successful in sales.

Here are some sales tips on how successful salespeople grow and develop new techniques and sales methods.

• Professional training – top salespeople are always looking for new ideas to develop skills, incorporate technology and develop a wider range of sales strategies. This type of professional training should come from training programs with a proven record of success by graduates and those attending courses and workshops. These courses can relate to communication, technology, sales, product learning, and much more.

• Improve communication skills – a large portion of selling is about proper communication. Simply being an expert about a product or service isn’t going to improve your sales numbers unless you have the skills to communicate that information. Becoming a student of the art of communication and conversation will help any sales professional reach potential buyers. A successful salesperson utilizes their sales linguistics and persuasive language to come to their effective sales decision. Read books, articles and take classes on how to communicate and negotiate. An absolutely critical part of communication is not the actually talking, but the listening and taking action based on what you hear.

Related Article on Communication in Sales: One Piece of to Be Successful in Selling

• Learn technology – sales strategies are always evolving to match technology. Learning how to use the latest technology is one of the biggest challenges in sales today. This technology includes social media channels, professional social networking, CRMs, and even how to produce useful emails to reach customers. This is a key ongoing part in how successful salespeople grow.

• Look for growth opportunities – most businesses offer a coaching or mentoring program for their sales staff. The opportunity to act as a mentor or to be mentored is an amazing chance to learn more about sales for everyone involved.

• Business coaching – private, personalized business coaching including successful sales coaching professional and sales training coach is a great way to continue to grow. This can be a highly personalized, one-on-one sales coaching opportunity where the sales professional and the coach work together on specific goals for improvement. This can also be a sales training workshop or keynote where a group works together and learns together.

Finally, take reviews and performance evaluations seriously. Use them as a learning tool to discover areas where personal and professional growth are needed to boost your performance and increase your sales potential into the future. By learning your strengths and weaknesses you can plan your goals and strategies as to how you can grow into a more successful salesperson.

Related Article: Challenge Yourself to Change Yourself

Professional growth can be a challenge for sales professionals. Through training courses, coaching and consulting by The Sales Coaching Institute it can be an ongoing part of your professional development. To find out more visit the website.

Related Article: How Successful Salespeople Win

Happy Selling!

Doug Dvorak, CEO

The Sales Coaching Institute

Winning in sales is an issue that each individual must define on their own. Does winning meaning to bring in a sale at any cost, or does it mean to build a rapport that will allow you to build multiple sales over time?

Defining winning on a personal level as well as within the scope of the company is going to be essential as a first step. Without a clear understanding of what success means it is impossible to accurately self-assess or to make changes to increase proficiency, sales and professional growth and development.

There are several different ways that sales professionals will become successful and win the sales game. Here are several options to consider for personal development and growth:

• Focus on relationships – while sales are always the bottom line, the research is clear that personal relationships and focusing on customer service drive sales. No matter how great a sales pitch or a product may be if the sales professional can’t connect with the buyer, it is going to be a difficult sale.
• Have a plan – every sale starts with a planned, customized approach to the customer. This is particularly critical for the all-important first meeting. Taking the time to learn about the potential buyer, the business and the industry will always boost sales rates.
• Know the benefits or niche for the product – in knowing about the purchase you should also look for gaps or areas in the business that are challenging given the current environment. Then, by developing a list of benefits of the product or service you are selling, it is easy to address these challenges at the meeting in a prepared, logical approach. Selling the advantages of the products to your customer should be offered in a way that will improve the situation of the potential buyer

Sales require persistence to win. Successful sales professionals are always prepared to put in the calls, emails, and connections necessary to create long-term customer rather than a one-time sale.

At The Sale Coaching Institute, we focus on developing strategies and skills for winning at selling. To see more, visit us online at salescoach.us.

Related Article: Sales Rules To Live By

Related Article: Top 5 Winston Churchill Quotes for Sales Professionals