What you need to be successful in sales

What you need to be successful in sales

When doing a sales training consultation with a client, I like to ask two key questions:

1. What do you expect from your salespeople?
2. What do your salespeople need to be successful?

The answers help me understand what’s important to them as a leader and also what they need from us in order to get what they expect, provide what is needed and deliver the correct training and motivation.

But let’s make this about you for a moment.

You’re in sales.  What do you expect from yourself?  What do you need to be successful?  If you’re not seeing the results you want but the effort is there, maybe you’re not getting your needs met.  Maybe your expectations are out.  If the production isn’t there it usually can be traced back to a motivation or skill issue.  So let’s look at what a salesperson needs to be successful.

[Attn managers: make sure your people are getting these needs met]

To be successful in sales you need these six things

• Targets
• Perception
• Study
• Practice
• Debrief / Correction
• Consistency

Targets: 

All dogs need to chase something.  We are all motivated by moving towards the things we want and away from what we don’t.  Salespeople need a target.  Whether that’s getting out of debt or two weeks on a yacht in Greece.  Targets help you put things into perspective and help you push through the resistance and overcome the obstacles along the road to success.

Perception:

You need to be able to look and observe what’s really going on and make conclusions for yourself.  So often we find ourselves in a whirlwind of data, advice, information and it’s daunting at times.  You need to be able to decide for yourself what the right thing to do is.  Holding on to limiting beliefs and outdated practices will never serve you.  You need to be able to see the what, who and how for what it is without any prejudice and then decide what is true for you.

Study:

Name me one profession where the professional doesn’t study their craft.  No need to elaborate on this.  If you’re in sales, you need to study the art and science of sales, closing and communication.  Period.  No exceptions.

Practice:

If you’re a martial artist, you study martial arts.  You read books, you watch video, you see your instructor and other martial artists demonstrate the technique.  YET, if you don’t practice the techniques you’re going to get your @$$ handed to you in a fight.  You will know how to fight but it doesn’t mean that you CAN fight.  Practice sales.  If you’re getting your @$$ handed to you by your customers, you need to practice more.

Debrief / Correction:

Speaking of martial arts…  never mind, quick story.  My father had his aortic valve replaced a few years back.  The surgeon who did the job had done it hundreds of times.  After the surgery, I asked him what he does after the surgery.  He said at the end of the day he meets with his team and they debrief their surgeries.  They look at what worked, what didn’t, what did they learn and how can they get better.  You’d think after doing hundreds of procedures, they’d be good.  Nope.  They are constantly looking to improve.  They debrief their experiences and look for windows of opportunity to improve.  You need this too.  And I get it, you’re not a heart surgeon, the only life on the line here is yours…  [ CLICK HERE for a free debrief worksheet]

Consistency:

If you go to the gym once in a while, what can you expect?  You can expect to get sore with little to no measurable results.  If you go consistently, follow a routine and eat right you will wind up looking better naked.  It’s guaranteed.  Not an if, but a when.  So for you, that means the previous five things must be done with consistency.  In fact, get these done daily.  Here’s a suggested timeline.

• Write down your goals and dreams 2-3 times a day.  Once in the AM.  Once in the PM.  And any time you start to crap out.
• Study your craft in the morning before you leave for work and turn your evening drive home time into learn time.
• On the way to work in the car, practice and drill handling objections and closes.
• Before walking in in, decide what kind of day you’re going have (you’re doing this already, just bring forward into your conscious mind)
• Role-play with your team before getting on the phone or in front of a customer.  Practice some part of the sales process on each other.  DO NOT practice on your customers.
• Commit to debrief at least 2 phone calls per day and at least one client exchange every single day.

YOU:  Successful in sales

Your success and your failure will be based on the decisions you make each and every day.  Will you do what it takes to get your needs met?  Or will you simply wait and see what happens and hope for luck?  You pick!  But if you have goals and dreams, if you have a family you want to see prosper or if you want to make sure all your loved ones are fully taken care of you’re going to need to be successful in sales.  Following these set steps every day will set you up to succeed.  There’s more to this obviously, but follow these and your foundation will be unbreakable.

 

David Bradley is a Sales & Marketing Manager with Cardone Training Technologies. For more information on creating a culture of learning, development of proficiency, handling objections and real time situational training solutions, call 310-777-0352 or fire off an email to [email protected]