Go For The Gold

It seems appropriate to use an Olympic theme for our sales tip. In your business, are "Going for the Gold?", or are you content to just "be in the game?" In other words, do you desire your enterprise to be successful, or are you satisfied with just barely making ends meet? The answer should be obvious. Does this mean that you have to be rich and famous, or start an empire? No; however, there are good reasons to cultivate an attitude of excellence in what you do, including your sales efforts.

An Olympic athlete simply cannot afford to settle for mediocrity and you shouldn't either. How do these contestants become so good at what they do?

Practice! According to the dictionary definition, to practice is to "do something repeatedly in order to improve performance in a sport, art or hobby." For example when you watch figure skaters perform, you can easily image the many hours of discipline to go over and over their routine until they have it perfected. When they stumble (which they invariably do, and so will you in your sales presentations) they pick themselves up right away and keep going. The application to your sales efforts is easy. How much effort do you put into practicing the statements made, arguments used and assurances given when you are trying to sell your product or service? Is your 'elevator speech' well crafted and ready to use when the occasion arises?

Successful competitors make themselves aware of what foods will give them optimum energy and strength, and they carefully adhere to what they know will give them the best results. To improve your sales performance, what are you 'feeding your mind?' What books on business and sales do you read?

Winning contestants recognize that they can't do so by themselves so they seek talented coaches and mentors. You likely know other successful business people within your industry or circle of friends who could act as a mentor. To what extent are you taking advantage of these provisions?

There are many other factors but let's conclude with the need to have a concentrated effort or attention on what you are trying to achieve. Obviously, Olympic athletes need to be clearly focused, concentrating on their goal of a gold medal. If they take their eyes and attention off the prize, it will be less attainable. In your business and sales efforts, that's why S.M.A.R.T. goals are so important. When you identify your sales goals and remain focused on reaching them, they become more achievable.

In summary, learn from the discipline and training that the Olympians display. Apply it to your sales efforts and your business will attain a high degree of success.

Sales is a "Win-Win"

"I have found no greater satisfaction than achieving success through honest dealing and strict adherence to the view that, for you to gain, those you deal with should gain as well." - Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve. It's about discovering how what you do matches with what the client desires or how you can "delight" the person. In other words, it should be a "win-win". Your client "wins" in that they receive solutions, real benefit and excellent value. You "win" in that you generate revenue for your business and for your family.

This should be a relief to those not experienced in sales; a reminder to those who already understand the consultative sales process; and perhaps a refreshing new perspective to those who have used the old aggressive methods, but are willing to consider a more progressive view. I've found that the more I treat clients with dignity, the better my success rate. What works best is exploring together with clients ways that your product or service might solve their problems. For example, the common format for sales presentations often goes something like this:

1. Warm up - about 10% of the call time
2. Presentation - about 40%
3. Closing - about 50%

Let's make clear that this is the undesirable old pushy format. A better approach would be to spend much more time doing a "needs analysis". I often compare this to what a medical doctor does in diagnosing your condition before prescribing a suitable remedy. Your sales presentation should be structured more like this:

1. Warm up (build rapport, establish your credibility, etc.) - about 10%
2. Diagnosis through open ended questions - about 50%
3. Presentation of your solution based on uncovered needs (the "treatment" plan) - about 25%
4. Closing - about 15%.

When you actually care about your clients your emphasis shifts from "trying to sell something" to "how can I help you?" Your sales efforts will then be more productive. Spend time learning as much as you can about the person's unique situation, so that you will be able to offer an appealing, customized solution. During the discussion, your showing genuine personal interest is likely to create a strong desire for your product or service. Then the "close" will more often be something life "It sounds like our solution is what you are looking for, so when would you like to get started?" or "So, where do we go from here?" Look for the "win-win" in every business situation and you will be far more successful in the long run.

Create Sales Opportunities

Would you like to have more opportunities to increase your revenue? Almost every business owner would! Here are some common areas where many of you could produce additional income.

It is essential to recognize that YOU must CREATE these opportunities. It is also therefore important to be willing to try out new ideas, to be creative, to get outside your comfort zone. Trying out new ideas gives you experience and allows you to determine what actually works for you and your business. As you try out various techniques, your confidence in your ability to recognize what does work will increase. Increase the number of "at bat" sales opportunities you have so that you can afford to lose a few and still meet your financial commitments. Organize your weekly schedule to prioritize sales activities. Always 'have your radar up', be alert and willing to speak about your business constantly. With practice, you can learn to do this without being 'pushy'. Done effectively (you have a reasonably good list, a good 'infomercial', good questions, a variety of simple offers, a little discipline and focus), it should yield results when you stick to it.

Here's how to do it:
Put together a list of at least 200 prospects that fit your ideal customer profile. Then create and know your 'infomercial' so you'll be confident of what to say when the opportunity arises. Formulate your offers. Determine various aspects of the prospect's situation that your product or service addresses. Decide ahead of time what kind of questions you can ask to show sincere interest in the individual, and will elicit information that will help you know what specific problems you can solve.

Set aside time every day for sales activities. Set reasonable goals for the number of prospects you will call or visit. Stick with it. Let nothing interfere with this essential activity. Then, make visits to prospective clients! Go and talk with them! In almost every case, you will need to make yourself do this to have a viable business. They will not come to you. Keep track of what works and what doesn't.

Follow up with prospects regularly. Rotate offers. Offer something that will save the prospect time, money or hassle. Be brief, so they will look forward to hearing from you, rather than viewing you as another annoying sales person.

When you follow the steps above, you will get more sales, period! In summary, remember it's up to you to WORK YOUR PLAN!