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Increasing Sales and Productivity: Action and Fundamentals

Guest post by: Nancy Bleeke

Article Overview: I recently surveyed dozens of sales managers about tools and solutions they use to help their sales teams be more productive and successful in selling. When I analyzed these expert sales managers’ feedback, the key ingredient or “secret” to high sales productivity is ACTION! Another important aspect of success and sales performance is focusing on the fundamentals.

Increasing Sales and Productivity: Action and Fundamentals

We recently surveyeddozens of sales managersabout tools and solutions they use to helptheir sales teams be more productive and successful in selling. When I analyzed these expert sales managers' feedback,the key ingredient or "secret" to high sales productivity isACTION!

Ernest Hemingway said, "Never mistake motion for action." This is so true in sales!We can be in motion but not going anywhere.Action means productively moving forward.

The activities of planning, preparation, research, reworking value propositions, andputting together effective presentationsare all important.But without action with clients or prospects, those activities are insignificant.

Successful sales professionals take action when others don't and actions that others won't.

The sales professionals we work with to increase selling skills intellectually agree with the tools, steps and behaviors we outline and practice.What makes the difference in results is that the most successful people immediately put these ideas, skills and toolsinto actionin sales calls.And they make sales.The others make excuses why they couldn't use them, get caught up in busy work and then are surprised when sales don't happen.

Another important aspect of success and sales performance is focusing on the fundamentals.

Michael Jordan, undeniably a long-term example for sports performance, said, "You have to monitor your fundamentals constantly because the only thing that changes will be your attention to them. The fundamentals will never change."

The same is true in our professional business careers: if we want to increase our sales productivity, we need to give attention to the fundamentals of great communication, preparation and follow-up. These are timeless, universal fundamentals.

Want to increase your sales results and success? It's really not a secret after all...move beyond activities that are justmotion. Take purposeful and consistent action and focus on the fundamentals!

What selling fundamentals or action can you take today to set yourself up for success this week? Let us know in the Comments section. Now, "Just do it"!

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Article Tags: better sales meetings, sales booster, sales managers training, sales meeting ideas, sales professionals training, sales team training, sales training, sales workshops
Referred by: http://www.michelepw.com/



Related Forum Posts
Re: Watch What you Read - I agree. i believe more video's should be like Jeffery Gitomers video's under his Sales rant. They are typically not more than 3 minutes. His model seems to be; 1. Main Message (or Point) 2. Example 3. Next steps to put it into Action take away the extra "blabber" and you've got viewers that will come back.
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
Re: Blog sells for up to $15 million - Action speaks louder than dream. What are we doing about GT suggestion? We can make this work in 2010
Advertisement that sales - Plan your marketing programme. It should include commitment to capital resources. If you run a small business, you aren't likely to have a generous enough advertising budget that will allow you to run costly branding or campaign ads. Every advertisement you run must convey to your prospect a solid offer and attractive reasons to act quickly, and result in increased sales and an enhanced image of your company. Good advertising always pays its own way through increased sales and profits, improved cost-effectiveness, reduced selling costs and shortened selling cycles. A useful formula that will help you increase the effectiveness of your advertising efforts is A-I-D-A, which stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. When creating an advertisement, always remind yourself that it should: (1) capture your prospects' Attention, (2) arouse their Interest in your offer, (3) create their Desire for your product or service, and (4) provide a powerful spur to Action, that is, turn your prospect into buyers. Remember, bad advertising is an unproductive expense, and good advertising is an investment in future profits!


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