Sales, what do you think of when someone mentions sales? Is it the used car salesman, door to door sales or the flashy get your money at any cost salesman? Or is sales something your love to do? Some people love doing sales and some well let’s just say it is the last thing they want to do. In every business it is sales that keep the doors open, the lights on and paychecks rolling out every week.
If business
is not as good as you would like often it is because there aren’t enough customers buying what you are offering. Sure as business owners and entrepreneurs we can blame the economy, the government, competition, location, employees and a lot of other things but the bottom line is if we aren’t selling the business will fold. When that happens, your employees lose their jobs, you lose your business, maybe your home, and your family suffers and so on. With that in mind we have to focus on sales and moving more products or services to our clients.
Tip #1: Decision
Make the decision to sell more, everything begins with a decision. You decide that selling is important and you put time and effort there, remember the time will pass anyway so you might as well use it. As my mentor Blair Singer said “A sale is made on every call, either you sell to your customer or you sell yourself on why you can’t sell”. Practice and expect the best from yourself and your team.
Tip #2: Action
Now that you have made the decision it is time to take action. Identify what you are doing well in your sales and what you can improve. Are you great at getting leads? Great! Do you follow up with your leads? Most people think if I just had more leads I would have more sales, while there is some truth to this it is often your follow up with the leads that is lacking. Most sales are made in the 5-10th contact with the lead. So your action should be go into your database and start to follow up with both leads and clients. You should follow up with clients on a regular basis, have you added a new product or service? Do all your customers know about the new product or service? Do you think it would be a good idea to tell them? Keep your business in front of your clients on a regular basis.
Tip #3: Mindset
We all know that top sales person, the person that can sell sand on a Caribbean beach? Why are they able to sell like that? It is their mindset and their self image. How you think about sales plays a massive part in your success or failure when selling. If you go into a sales meeting with all the problems you are having foremost in your mind what do you think the client will feel? They may not know what is bothering you but they can sense that something is wrong. If you are not confident in your product/service or you doubt yourself for your ability, the answer from the client will likely be NO. 
So how do you think before a sales call? Is it positive, YES this will be a great meeting or do you think “I hate sales” “Why ME” “They will never buy”.
Where you focus your thoughts determine a lot of the success or failure you will have in sales. Before you start your day take a few minutes and sit quietly and comfortably, relax and focus your thoughts on the outcome you want for the day. This is also a great habit to use before any sales call or presentation. My mentor Bob Proctor has a habit of sitting in a quiet place and focusing on the outcome he desires for any presentation he is going to give. He is very successful and has been doing this for 50 years.
Tip #4: Goals
Do you have sales goals set? Do you track sales, monthly, quarterly, annually? Are you an entrepreneur or solopreneur? Do you have networking goals? Goals are your way of tracking what you are doing with sales in your business. You set an annual sales goal or target, and then break that goal down by quarter. Then break the quarterly goal down by month. Break the monthly goal down into weeks and the weeks into days. Do the same process with your lead generation and lead follow up. Now you have a daily goal for sales/leads/follow up that you can track and analyze. If you are not tracking what you are doing with sales and marketing you have no idea where your sales come from and if your marketing and salesmen/saleswomen are doing what you are paying them for.
Tip #5: Relationships
People tend to buy from people they know, like and trust. What kind of relationship do you have with customers? Do they know like and trust you? Or are you just convenient? In sales 85% of every sale is the relationship you have with your customer. Have you ever tried to return an item you purchased and were treated so poorly that you gave up or never went there again? Or did you return an item and were treated so fabulously that you told everyone you know. Eddie Bauer has fabulous customer service, their motto is “Every product we sell is designed to be the best and built to last. If anything you buy falls short of those standards, you’re invited to return it at any time.”
Customer Service is not just a department it is the relationship you have with your customers from the front-line to the warehouse and everywhere in between. Every member of your team is involved in sales for your business; sales, reception, shipping/receiving, accounting, janitors and customer service. How you treat your employees has a direct impact on your sales. Your employees tell your customers, their family and friends and the public about your business every day. Think, have you ever bought a product or service because someone you know recommended it? I am sure most of us have or you go to a business because a family member works there. Build good strong relationships with your employees and they will do the same with your customers.
