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Sales 2012: What Will You Choose?

Article Overview: It’s that time of the year when people set New Year’s resolutions and goals. Setting goals really boils down to making new and better choices. It’s as much about what you are going to start doing as it is about what you are going to stop doing. This tradition has been going on for years and most of the time it is just rhetoric and hope which eventually leads back to old comfortable behaviors and attitudes. Here’s three things to consider choosing if you are serious about making 2012 your best year in sales.

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Sales 2012: What Will You Choose?

It's that time of the year when people set New Year's resolutions and goals. Setting goals really boils down to making new and better choices. It's as much about what you are going to start doing as it is about what you are going to stop doing.

This tradition has been going on for years and most of the time it is just rhetoric and hope which eventually leads back to old comfortable behaviors and attitudes. Here's three things to consider choosing if you are serious about making 2012 your best year in sales.

#1: Choose your "why." Many people get caught up in setting goals that are based on other people's expectations, not their own. The conversation around the new goal is one of excitement and motivation, however, often lacks the real reason for changing or improving. Business owners say they want to grow their businesses. Why? Salespeople claim they want to make more money. Why?

Here's a quick reality check. If your why isn't big enough, you will not do the work necessary to change and improve. You will talk a good game and talk will be the only concrete action taken. Take some time to reflect and figure out your why. Once you figure out your why, ask the second most important question: What are you willing to do to achieve it?

The most successful people in the world aren't the smartest or most talented. They are people who are clear on their why and willing to do the work necessary to achieve their goals. "I want to grow my business" sounds like the right battle cry for a business owner. Are you willing to take the risk, put in the hours, hire the team, grow the team and invest in new resources? Making more money is the politically correct answer for any salesperson. Are you willing do the work, invest in yourself to get smarter and experience the discomfort that happens anytime you change in order to take your skills to a new level? (Or would you rather watch another episode of reality TV.) Get clear on your why. It is the first step in executing what needs to happen.

#2: Choose to slow down. Most salespeople are card carrying members of the busy club. They are busy networking, busy prospecting, busy selling ...they are busy. Sounds good except too many busy salespeople are not hitting quota. The problem is most salespeople are so busy that they don't take the time to analyze their business - current and future.

At the end of each year, take time to track and figure out the source of your best leads. Is social media working for your industry? Or are you spending hours on Facebook to avoid picking up the phone? Have you updated your LinkedIn profile 20 times without making contact with a human being? How about that association lunch you attend each month? Has that event yielded any sales results? Evaluate your referral partners. Are they referring quality prospects or are they just nice people that should be reallocated to the friendship category? Look at your clients. Which clients are your raving fans and refer you to their colleagues. Are you giving them "frequent flyer" treatment or are they being serviced just like your "C" accounts? If you lost business to a competitor, what is the reason? If it's price, work on the selling skill of quantifying the pain or problem. If it's talking to a non-decision maker, work on assertiveness skills, pre-call planning and managing expectations.

Steven Prentice, president of Bristall Morgan, Inc., has a great presentation titled, "Cool Down: Getting Further by Going Slower." His research shows that organizations are more productive when they slow down. It allows creative thinking which can only happen when the brain is given a chance to catch its breath. Creative thinking leads to innovation which keeps you ahead of the competition.

#3: Choose generosity. If you want to earn more in 2012, establish a give goal. It's the old saying, "if you want to get more, you need to give more." Dr. Robert Cialdini, author of, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, shows research supporting this concept. One of the principles discussed in his book is the principle of reciprocity. When you help others, they want to return the favor, they want to reciprocate.

This principle is the foundation of strong strategic alliance partnerships. Good partners are consistently looking for ways to help grow their partners business. Generosity starts at home base. Be generous with your fellow team members. Take time to help the newbie salesperson with advice or mentoring. Give a hand up to a veteran salesperson that is in a slump by taking him to lunch. Give to charities. Dover Management runs a mutual fund that invests in companies known for charitable giving. Dover's research shows that companies with a good relationship between philanthropy and operating earnings have outperformed the broader index by 3.5 percentage point a year over a five-year period. That's reason enough to write a check.

It's a new year for you to grow as a sales professional. What will you choose? Examine your why, slow down and be generous.

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About the Author: Colleen Stanley
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Colleen Stanley is president of SalesLeadership, Inc., a business development firm specializing in sales and sales management training. Colleen is a monthly columnist for Business Journals across the country, author of 'Growing Great Sales Teams' and co-author of 'Motivational Selling.' Her new book, ‘Emotional Intelligence and Sales Success' will be released in fall of 2012. You can reach her at 303-708-1128.

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