1.- REMAIN VERY CLIENT FOCUSED! Not Company focused. Your clients are what is to be watched, monitored and known inside and out. Ask them questions about your service quality and listen by responding to their answers. They will continue to be your loyal client when they know you hear them and care.
2- IT'S ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE! Love your work and show your passion for what you do! Take the lead of Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar and many others. Excitement sells! If you aren't thrilled with your product/service offering, why would anyone else be? Share your excitement!
3- GOAL SETTING KNOW-HOW IS KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS! Revenue targets should be identified regularly with daily/weekly action plans put in place to ensure goals are met. If you don't have your own goals, you will most assuredly become a part of someone else's. Wouldn't you rather be working on your own goals than someone else's?
4- QUALIFY PROSPECTS, IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD, IT PROBABLY IS! Ask questions to ensure there is a genuine need for what you are offering and that the prospect is not simply shopping and/or wasting your time.
5- KEEP YOUR EYE ON YOUR SALES PIPELINE (FOLLOW UP WITH PROSPECTS IS ESSENTIAL!) According to Bob Leduc, Sales and Marketing Expert, you can increase your sales by 50% or more if you regularly follow up with prospects. If you give up after the first contact, you will lose significant potential sales! Patience is the key here. Do not be so naive to think that your prospects will be able to decide to move forward with you upon your first meeting. The average "touches" needed in order to close a sale is 7. Therefore, come up with a consistently regular follow up plan that communicates with your prospects (and existing clients) regularly. This will build your place in their mind as the top for whatever you are offering, be it product or service. When they decide to buy the category you offer, the one who is top of mind will win. Position yourself to be the top of mind winner.
6- THINK "SO WHAT"! Don't focus on selling, rather spend time stimulating the customers' natural urge to buy. Many entrepreneurs and salespeople love their products and services so much, they don't take time to step back and think about the many reasons someone would want to do business with them. When you come up with your list of reasons, ask yourself, "so what?" And then answer the question with how that will benefit the client. Then ask yourself that questions again and once again answer it with how that will benefit them. The more benefits you can demonstrate or speak to with your prospects, the higher your chances of closing the sale.
7- FOLLOW UP EVERY SALE WITH A FOLLOW UP OFFER! One that is related to their original purchase. Many salespeople are so happy for one sale, they would cringe at the thought of following up with yet another offer and I admit, there is a finesse to doing this correctly. Here is the premise:
8- LOOK AT YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH YOUR CLIENTS' EYES AND NURTURE EXISTING CLIENTS! Align your business with your customers' goals. Remember it is key to WOW your existing and past clients regularly. This will take some creativity, but it is absolutely imperative to your success in sales. I had a client who outdid herself: She sat down and documented her top 25 clients and thought long and hard about each person in an attempt to capture something personal that she had learned about each (i.e. kids, favorite hobbies, sports, etc.) and she then went out and put together care packages for each of those top clients. I am sure you can figure out what happened... You guessed it! Many came back and either made another purchase and/OR sent referrals her way. You see, success in sales is not brain surgery. It actually falls into one main category: Relationships and making people feel important. Showing people that they matter!
9- SELECT YOUR CLIENTS CAREFULLY! Build long standing relationships with your clients who can help you as much as you help them. This may sound rather odd, but think about it. You know that as a sales professional or entrepreneur, it is up to you to continually broaden your sphere of influence, right? Well then, it follows that it would be most effective to form close bonds with those clients who will gladly refer additional business to you..... and to do business with those clients who will share a testimonial for your website or brochures....and to partner with in terms of events and the like which will be mutually beneficial. Instead of going after anyone, take the time to think about who you want to do business with. How old? What vocation? What special interests? Won't sales be much easier if you are seeking out and spending time with people you want to be around? Of course.
10- ENTER INTO A JOINT VENTURE WITH SOMEONE WHO SHARES YOUR IDEAL CLIENT! Share cost of a mailing and combine your lists-- to both win! Whether your sales is global or local, keep the idea of entering into joint ventures alive for you. The old saying, "two heads are better than one" has been around for thousands of years for good reason: The synergy of two can get much more done in a optimal way than one person could ever do. So, look around your next chamber meeting or networking event. Who serves a similar client to you? Then go and ask him/her how you can help him/her. It all starts with a smile and a good intentioned heart. You can do it! I know you can!