Go From Good to Great: Five Ways to Boost Your Sales Career
Go From Good to Great: Five Ways to Boost Your Sales Career
Just because you’ve been doing something for years doesn’t mean you can’t or don’t need to improve. Oftentimes, people get satisfied at just being good at what they do. Then they stop doing all the little things that made them great, such as using a pre-call checklist, asking for referrals and testimonials, conducting timely follow-up, and sending thank-you notes. But these little things make the difference between good and great.
In fact, a great chasm exists between good and great performance. Realize, however, that this doesn’t mean you have to work harder. Rather, you need the discipline to execute the little things in an extraordinary way every day. Consider U2 front man Bono’s example of taking something good and making it great. “An early version of out first single Vertigo was massaged, hammered, tweaked, lubed, sailed through two mixes, and got U2’s unanimous stamp of ‘very good.’ Very good is the enemy of great. You think great is right next door. It’s not. It’s in another country,” Bono told USA Today. Instead of releasing the song at “very good,” the band rearranged Vertigo with new melodies and rhythms. They soon discovered untapped reserves of ideas and fortitude, and the song went on to become a number one hit.
Has your sales performance been “good” or “great”? Have you been on cruise control in your job? When was the last time you went back into your “studio” and reevaluated what you do and how you are doing it? If your performance could use improvement, consider the five following strategies.
1. Ask “What Can I Do Better?”
When was the last time you asked a client what you could do to improve his or her experience with you? Years? Months? Never? If you want to continuously improve your sales skills, your clients and prospects will have the most valuable insight into how you can become better. So make it a priority to regularly ask them for their suggestions on how to improve and add more value. Sales managers should ask their sale people, “You have worked with me know for three months/three years. What can I do to be a better sales manager? How can I support your more?”
The same question is just as powerful with your family. When is the last time you asked your kids, “What can I do to be a better mommy or daddy?” How about asking your spouse? I guarantee they will have some feed back for you. It take courage to ask and really listen to the answers. What you often find is that is will be little things they want you to do more often that you did not know where that important.
Although asking “What can I do better?” is an excellent way to continuously improve your performance, asking is really only the first step. The key is to listen when someone offers a suggestion. When a client starts talking, don’t try to defend yourself or justify your actions, just listen to what he or she has to say. Take your client’s suggestions seriously and follow up with the person later to ensure you make progress.
2. Set a Goal for Each Day
What activities drive performance for your business? Is it number of contacts? Referrals? Phone calls? Appointments? Determine this factor and set a measurable goal for doing a certain number of these activities each day. Many sales professionals think in terms of a sales funnel, and they need to keep a specific number of people in that funnel at all times to remain successful. How many new prospects do you need to contact to keep your funnel full?
As you do this, don’t forget about past clients. Many sales professionals become so focused on acquisition that they forget about retention. Past clients are easier to sell because they already know you and love the service you provide. But your competition is constantly trying to take your past clients away, and they may succeed if you lose contact and show indifference. So, how many past clients are you going to call today?
3. Keep Track of Your Progress
A good way to track your progress and ensure continuous improvement is to keep track of what you do. Create a scorecard to record your key performance numbers for each day—number of appointments, sales, referrals, etc. For example, if you want to make ten cold calls each day, then keep a record of the number of calls you make as well as the number of days you achieve your cold calling goal. Repeat this procedure for each goal or activity and post it where you can see it easily. This is the strategy I used when I managed the road teams for Tony Robbins – you can’t mange what you can’t measure. The quickest way to lose momentum is to stop tracking your results.
4. Tell an Effective Story
Everyone has a success story, and you may notice that businesses and products often use their story as a marketing tool. Whatever your story is, it must be unique, solve the customer problem and be compelling Real estate agents, for example, may take pictures of their clients in front of their new homes and then show these photos to their prospects. Even a bottle of wine or a consumer product can tell a story to differentiate it on the shelf. Consider how you can document your success with quotes, testimonials, case studies and pictures, and then creatively use your story to attract new business.
5. Record Yourself
No one likes to admit they aren’t good at what they do. Even if a person fails, he or she won’t likely admit that individual performance was to blame. But people are often mediocre or just plain bad at sales, and they don’t even realize it.
Have you ever recorded yourself while you’re meeting with a client or prospect? Most people haven’t. However, recording yourself is an excellent way to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
How do you record a sales presentation? Explain to your client or prospect that you are consistently trying to improve the way you tell your story and your listening skills. Then ask if you can record the meeting for personal use. Most of the time, the prospect won’t have any objections and they’ll admire your professionalism. If you are speaking to a group, ask to use a video camera. If you are on the phone it is fairly easy. Many modern phone systems now have that capacity.
Once you have the recording, the moment of truth arrives. Yes, it takes guts to review the tape! On your first review, takes notes on all the good things you do and write down all the questions you ask. Then go back, ideally with a more experienced peer, and review what you need to improve. The danger is the more you know, the more you tend to talk. So you’ll often find that you need to ask more questions and talk less!
Continuous Improvement in Your Future
You may think that if you want to take your sales career to the next level of success, you just need to work harder. In reality, you need to work smarter. Start by asking your clients what you can do to improve. Then use their suggestions to set goals for yourself and track your progress. Know your success story and ensure that you communicate it effectively to your clients and prospects by recording yourself in a meeting.
Most sales professionals use these strategies initially, but people tend to fall out of good habits quickly. They become satisfied with providing a mediocre experience to their clients, when they should really be trying to amaze them. Providing a superior experience means constantly improving and refreshing what you do. One of the best ways to gain momentum is to go back to these habits and start doing them again. When you do, you can achieve limitless success.
Chip Eichelberger
A peak performance strategist and motivational dynamo, Chip is positively great at making your next convention unforgettable. Former Tony Robbins international point-man, Chip has a magical ability to generate enthusiasm, contagious energy and results that will last well beyond the presentation. His clients include Ernst & Young, Tommy Hilfiger, ADP, Century 21 and Bank of America. Toll – Free 866-224-1393, Chip@GetSwitchedOn.com – Sign up for his monthly ezine at www.GetSwitchedOn.com
Go From Good to Great Five Ways to Boost Your Sales Career - To learn more about this author, visit Chip Eichelberger's Website.
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Many experienced sales professionals don’t see the need for continuous improvement. They often think, “I’ve been selling for fifteen years, so I must be great.” The number of years experience is not a measure of excellence - any honest golfer knows that. Such thinking can limit sales professionals from achieving a higher level of success.
Just because you’ve been doing something for years doesn’t mean you can’t or don’t need to improve. Oftentimes, people get satisfied at just being good at what they do. Then they stop doing all the little things that made them great, such as using a pre-call checklist, asking for referrals and testimonials, conducting timely follow-up, and sending thank-you notes. But these little things make the difference between good and great.
In fact, a great chasm exists between good and great performance. Realize, however, that this doesn’t mean you have to work harder. Rather, you need the discipline to execute the little things in an extraordinary way every day. Consider U2 front man Bono’s example of taking something good and making it great. “An early version of out first single Vertigo was massaged, hammered, tweaked, lubed, sailed through two mixes, and got U2’s unanimous stamp of ‘very good.’ Very good is the enemy of great. You think great is right next door. It’s not. It’s in another country,” Bono told USA Today. Instead of releasing the song at “very good,” the band rearranged Vertigo with new melodies and rhythms. They soon discovered untapped reserves of ideas and fortitude, and the song went on to become a number one hit.
Has your sales performance been “good” or “great”? Have you been on cruise control in your job? When was the last time you went back into your “studio” and reevaluated what you do and how you are doing it? If your performance could use improvement, consider the five following strategies.
1. Ask “What Can I Do Better?”
When was the last time you asked a client what you could do to improve his or her experience with you? Years? Months? Never? If you want to continuously improve your sales skills, your clients and prospects will have the most valuable insight into how you can become better. So make it a priority to regularly ask them for their suggestions on how to improve and add more value. Sales managers should ask their sale people, “You have worked with me know for three months/three years. What can I do to be a better sales manager? How can I support your more?”
The same question is just as powerful with your family. When is the last time you asked your kids, “What can I do to be a better mommy or daddy?” How about asking your spouse? I guarantee they will have some feed back for you. It take courage to ask and really listen to the answers. What you often find is that is will be little things they want you to do more often that you did not know where that important.
Although asking “What can I do better?” is an excellent way to continuously improve your performance, asking is really only the first step. The key is to listen when someone offers a suggestion. When a client starts talking, don’t try to defend yourself or justify your actions, just listen to what he or she has to say. Take your client’s suggestions seriously and follow up with the person later to ensure you make progress.
2. Set a Goal for Each Day
What activities drive performance for your business? Is it number of contacts? Referrals? Phone calls? Appointments? Determine this factor and set a measurable goal for doing a certain number of these activities each day. Many sales professionals think in terms of a sales funnel, and they need to keep a specific number of people in that funnel at all times to remain successful. How many new prospects do you need to contact to keep your funnel full?
As you do this, don’t forget about past clients. Many sales professionals become so focused on acquisition that they forget about retention. Past clients are easier to sell because they already know you and love the service you provide. But your competition is constantly trying to take your past clients away, and they may succeed if you lose contact and show indifference. So, how many past clients are you going to call today?
3. Keep Track of Your Progress
A good way to track your progress and ensure continuous improvement is to keep track of what you do. Create a scorecard to record your key performance numbers for each day—number of appointments, sales, referrals, etc. For example, if you want to make ten cold calls each day, then keep a record of the number of calls you make as well as the number of days you achieve your cold calling goal. Repeat this procedure for each goal or activity and post it where you can see it easily. This is the strategy I used when I managed the road teams for Tony Robbins – you can’t mange what you can’t measure. The quickest way to lose momentum is to stop tracking your results.
4. Tell an Effective Story
Everyone has a success story, and you may notice that businesses and products often use their story as a marketing tool. Whatever your story is, it must be unique, solve the customer problem and be compelling Real estate agents, for example, may take pictures of their clients in front of their new homes and then show these photos to their prospects. Even a bottle of wine or a consumer product can tell a story to differentiate it on the shelf. Consider how you can document your success with quotes, testimonials, case studies and pictures, and then creatively use your story to attract new business.
5. Record Yourself
No one likes to admit they aren’t good at what they do. Even if a person fails, he or she won’t likely admit that individual performance was to blame. But people are often mediocre or just plain bad at sales, and they don’t even realize it.
Have you ever recorded yourself while you’re meeting with a client or prospect? Most people haven’t. However, recording yourself is an excellent way to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
How do you record a sales presentation? Explain to your client or prospect that you are consistently trying to improve the way you tell your story and your listening skills. Then ask if you can record the meeting for personal use. Most of the time, the prospect won’t have any objections and they’ll admire your professionalism. If you are speaking to a group, ask to use a video camera. If you are on the phone it is fairly easy. Many modern phone systems now have that capacity.
Once you have the recording, the moment of truth arrives. Yes, it takes guts to review the tape! On your first review, takes notes on all the good things you do and write down all the questions you ask. Then go back, ideally with a more experienced peer, and review what you need to improve. The danger is the more you know, the more you tend to talk. So you’ll often find that you need to ask more questions and talk less!
Continuous Improvement in Your Future
You may think that if you want to take your sales career to the next level of success, you just need to work harder. In reality, you need to work smarter. Start by asking your clients what you can do to improve. Then use their suggestions to set goals for yourself and track your progress. Know your success story and ensure that you communicate it effectively to your clients and prospects by recording yourself in a meeting.
Most sales professionals use these strategies initially, but people tend to fall out of good habits quickly. They become satisfied with providing a mediocre experience to their clients, when they should really be trying to amaze them. Providing a superior experience means constantly improving and refreshing what you do. One of the best ways to gain momentum is to go back to these habits and start doing them again. When you do, you can achieve limitless success.
Chip Eichelberger
A peak performance strategist and motivational dynamo, Chip is positively great at making your next convention unforgettable. Former Tony Robbins international point-man, Chip has a magical ability to generate enthusiasm, contagious energy and results that will last well beyond the presentation. His clients include Ernst & Young, Tommy Hilfiger, ADP, Century 21 and Bank of America. Toll – Free 866-224-1393, Chip@GetSwitchedOn.com – Sign up for his monthly ezine at www.GetSwitchedOn.com
Go From Good to Great Five Ways to Boost Your Sales Career - To learn more about this author, visit Chip Eichelberger's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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