Sales has never been a preferable profession by the majority, primarily because of a stigma attached to it and because most of your earnings are tied to how many deals you close. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of sales and related occupation is expected to grow only 3 percent from now until 2026, even though salespeople will continue to remain in demand for services and wholesale sectors. This could be because the profession is getting tougher.
In his book, ‘The future of the Sales business,” Graham Hawkins states that the sales world is becoming more difficult because the buyer’s world is changing. He says that the cost of running a sales team has increased and the outlook for salespeople is quite uncertain. This is because buyers have access to more information and no longer need salespeople to guide them.
However, despite the hurdles, some salespeople manage to ace the profession. According to a study conducted on top 1% of salespeople found out that they earn more than the average CEO and seldom work as long. This top 1% really understand the rules of the game. Here are 6 ways you can join the top 1%.
1. Define Your Goals
The first step to achieving your sales goals is defining them clearly. Your goals should be SMART, i.e., specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.
If your goal is just to achieve the sales quota by the end of the month, you will probably run short on it; break them into weekly goals as smaller wins will boost your confidence and make sure that you are on track. If you need to get business worth $4000 this month and you have a percentage of how many leads convert to deals, then you can do a backward working to see how many people you need to call. The key to accomplishing your goals is to write them as research shows that you’re 42% more likely to achieve a goal if you write it.
2. Do Not Pitch
Most salespeople do not understand the fundamentals of the sales process. The objective of the sales process should not be to close a deal instead you should help your customer find a solution.
The sales process is “understanding clients’ needs and showing them why you genuinely believe that what you’re offering can solve a problem they’re facing.”
If you are just selling for the sake of getting a paycheck at the end of the month, then you are getting it all wrong; you need to be passionate about what you are selling. According to a survey, 81% of the top- selling organizations believe that the goal of their organization is to drive maximum value for their customers.
3. Be Genuine
The general idea is that salespeople need to persuade and convince prospects into buying and hence they use manipulative techniques. Buyers resent these tactics and immediately build walls, which decreases the closing rate. Hence, you need to be genuine and listen what customers want.
In his book, “The hardest easy job in the world,” Bob Franco says that most salespeople immediately start vomiting the product's features and benefits without understanding what their customer's needs are. He recommends that you need to be quiet and listen to the customer first and you might not even have to use the standard sales pitch.
Often salespeople fail to determine the buying intentions of potential customers, their buying power and who makes the final decisions. Hence, they end up wasting their time on prospects that won’t buy the product. But it still pays to stay in touch with prospects via email marketing and phone call or mailer follow ups if applicable.
4. Manage Your Time
We all have heard the cliché “time is money.” Well, it holds true for salespeople. Preferring one prospect over another is all the difference that could help you achieve your sales target. Hence, salespeople need to set their priorities.
It is often difficult for salespeople to manage their time since a lot of tasks compete for their attention. Therefore, salespeople need to maximize their selling time. To do that, you need to eliminate all the repetitive administrative tasks so you can direct your efforts towards onerous tasks such as giving demos and follow-ups.
Many organizations use a sales CRM that salespeople can utilize. To leverage it in the real sense, salespeople should know what a sales pipeline is and how can they efficiently move from one stage to the other.
The most efficient way to manage time is to plan your day according to the buyer. Figure out the best time to connect, which is probably early in the morning or in the evening. Put yourself in the customer's shoes and think about what times of day they are busy with breakfast, work, online betting, television, sleep and other tasks that could potentially get in the way of your sale.
5. Gain Knowledge
The key to convincing your customers is to have mastery over your product, industry, and competitors. There is no substitute for knowledge and knowledge directly translates into sales. Knowledge increases your confidence and puts you in a position where you can handle any query.
You may end up losing customers if you tell them that you will get back to them every time they have a query. The clients need to know that the product is the answer to their problems. Also, you need to know what digital marketing strategies and other advertisements your organization is following so that you can align your sales pitch accordingly.
6. Be Proactive
Successful salespeople never get complacent; they are always proactive in taking initiatives. Being proactive means anticipating what the client may want and responding to it accordingly. This gives them an edge over their competitors and increases the chances of closing a deal.
Bob Franco says, “Great salespeople don’t wait, they don’t procrastinate. They take the offensive and they are always moving forward. See a problem, attack it! See an opportunity, take advantage of it!” Also, good salespeople are decisive. They feel empowered and are not afraid of taking calculated risks. Whether it's taking a gamble in online pokies Australia / online casino Malaysia or at that big sales meeting, a selling professional needs to be proactive and fearless when confronted with opportunity.
Step Up Your Sales Strategy
Success in the sales profession depends on you only. Customers always remember the experience with a sales rep. It is important that you don’t treat a customer merely as lead; try to build a relationship that you can leverage in the future as well.
I hope you enjoyed this article about 6 ways to consistently crush your lead generation + sales goals and exceed your quarterly quotas.
Interested in more articles about growing your lead gen and sales?
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