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Guest post by: Brittany Snapp Become an Author

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These are the words written by my professor in a business class twenty years ago. In franchise sales or in any industry, sales are the lifeblood of business. Nearly four months of the calendar year is behind us, and there are sales professionals worldwide wondering how they are going to close more business this year than last. Below are a few pointers that any business owner or sales professional should practice to keep pace with annual sales expectations:

1. Prospecting: Years ago I asked a respected and successful sales professional the secret to his success. His quick reply was, “Prospect early in the day, prospect early in the week and prospect early in the month. Then, let the year take care of itself.” We never have enough leads, and filling the pipeline with qualified prospects is paramount to reaching monthly, quarterly or annual sales goals. So, prospect every day.

2. Ask for Referrals: Each and every client is a gold mine of new leads. There is simply no better way to build a pipeline of warm leads than by asking a happy client for a referral. Testimonials and referrals are the natural by-product of a satisfied customer.

3. Set Goals: Setting daily, monthly and annual sales goals and reviewing them regularly is a must for every sales professional. Rarely have I met a successful sales professional that doesn’t have a written list of goals that they refer to each and every day. Here is one of my favorite quotes by Brian Tracy, a noted author and public speaker: “In my conversations with hundreds of top salespeople over the years, I have found that they all have one thing in common. They have taken the time to sit down and create a clear blueprint for themselves and their future lives.”

Every successful businessperson knows that nothing happens unless somebody sells something. And every successful sales professional knows they must do the following to achieve success: 1. Prospect for new customers; 2. Ask for referrals; 3. Set attainable yet challenging goals.

Ron Saffell

Franchise Foundry

Director of Sales and Development

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