Tweet

How to Go From Good Selling that Worked to Good that No Longer Works Back to Good That Works

Written by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Article Overview: Good selling is simply doing what works. However, sometimes what worked in sales or selling yesterday is barely working to or even worse not even working today. This change of events happens in all industries be them service, distribution or manufacturing. Your goal as a sales professional is to get back to good that worked if you really want to increase sales.

How to Go From Good Selling that Worked to Good that No Longer Works Back to Good That Works

Good selling is simply doing what works. However, sometimes what worked in sales or selling yesterday is barely working to or even worse not even working today. This change of events happens in all industries be them service, distribution or manufacturing. Your goal as a sales professional is to get back to good that worked if you really want to increase sales.

So what do you do when what you have done is no longer working?

First, you need to schedule time to have a discussion with yourself, your sales manager and other members of your sales team. The first question to ask is "What has changed in the market place?" Given the current economy in early 2009, much has changed, yet people are still spending their dollars. Maybe not as freely, but spending is still happening.

Next, you need to revisit your strategic, goal driven sales plan as well as the organization's overall strategic business plan. Review the demographics of your target market and then even more importantly examine the psychographics of this market.

Looking at your marketing action plan, ask yourself if you are using a sales based approach or an education based marketing approach? Today the Internet has leveled the playing field and what you need to do is to add value to your products and services. Value comes from educating your customer first without thinking about securing those coveted dollars. Education based marketing helps to showcase your value because you are demonstrating that value in your authentic behaviors and sales skills.

Another task is to review your own sales statistics. Has the change in the market place altered those metrics? If you had a sales to earn (sales to close) ratio of 1 in 5, maybe that now is 1 in 8 or even 1 in 10. To compensate for market place changes means you may have to increase your marketing activities and make an additional 10 daily calls.

Finally, take time to keep abreast of what is going on in the marketplace. Look for new trends as well as new obstacles. For example, when I first started my coaching business, I had a 20 plus hour strategic business planning process (my time) that delivered exceptional results from doubling to tripling business profitability. However, as the marketplace changed, I noticed my clients had less and less time. So I reassessed and streamlined my strategic planning process to being more action focused (goal driven) and less time intensive only 4 hours.

Sales Coaching Tip: When what was working no longer works, do not keep trying to ride the dead horse. Dismount and take the time to understand what caused the horse to die. Learn from that lesson. Change your riding habits (sales skills). Remember, research only one in ten people will change. Can you afford to be one of those nine unchanging sales professionals?

Related Articles
  Rule 19 Watch What DirectResponse Advertisers Are Doing and Plagiarize
  Not everyone is the same in marketing
  Selling As It Should Be
  Sales Training 101
  How To Convince Your Boss Telecommuting Is A Good Idea

Article Tags: business plan, demographics, economy, education, marketing, marketplace, metrics, new trends, psychographics, sales statistics, service distribution, showcase, target market



Related Forum Posts
Re: Networking - Good work, just remember to continue to plug away and dont stop. Good luck, Matt Belock
Re: SEO for your small business: 4 tips - Good post....thanks for sharing. Good to know. Thanks for a great source.
Google Pagerank update inprogress - Hi All, Good news! Google PR update is in progress & my new blog (3months baby) acquired PR2 yesterday but I am seeing a SERP drop. Lets hope for the best. Good luck to all ! -Mr.Ven
Using youtube disadvantages? - Youtube embedded players play instantly. Good. However, if you use a youtube embedded player on your business website and click it twice, it takes you away from your site and on to youtube's where a prospective buyer can wander endlessly and perhaps never return. Good or bad? Does anyone know how to alter the html so that it plays only and doesn't link to youtube?
Re: Book Promo 201 - Preview Trailer - Hi Shri, Good to see you! One of the first things I look at before watching a video is the amount of time it will last. With your video on 1:58, you keep it nicely below two minutes. I can commit to two minutes (sometimes!). It does a good job of convincing us of the need for social networking, and that you must be a good source! Good stuff. David H


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Improve E-mail: Avoid the Quicksand

Time management for DIY PR

Ten Reasons to take Notes during Sales Meetings

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.