I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a salesperson ask me, “What’s the secret to success in sales?” The question implies there’s one big thing you can do to succeed - but that’s just not the case. The small habits of successful salespeople add up to big success.
Superstar salespeople do little things over and over each day in order to close more sales than the average salesperson. It’s the structure of the daily habits that matters far more than any one secret strategy.
That’s why 50% of salespeople from high-performing sales organizations report they have a structured process, compared to just 28% of individuals from underperforming sales organizations.
Here are 7 Sales Habits You can Start Using Today:
1. Prepare well – Set aside time in your calendar to prepare. “Proper planning prevents poor performance” as the saying goes.
It’s not the skill of talking spontaneously that results in success, but the preparation.
Being prepared helps you to meet challenges and objections. You can inspire customers to think differently or consider an alternative option. By being prepared, you also anticipate customer questions and be better able to meet their expectations.
2. Qualify – Be picky about which opportunities to spend time on.
Good salespeople are brutal about which sales opportunities they spend their time on. Wasting time on prospects who never reach a decision is worse than losing to the competition.
Top sales people are great at qualifying and prioritizing which opportunities deserve attention. This is done by constantly checking your sales pipeline and closely evaluating each opportunity.
3. Never forget to register your conversations to ensure prompt follow-up.
If you forget to follow-up on a conversation or a meeting with a prospect or customer, it gives them the feeling they are not important.
Juggling a thousand things at once means the best of us can forget, but top sales people always register their follow-ups in their CRMs or journals to ensure they remember what to do next.
4. Keep your promises – check before you make a promise
Successful sales people keep their promises. Many deals have been broken because sales people say what the customer wants to hear, rather than check the answer before promising something.
Sales is a profession based upon referrals. It doesn’t help the relationship if you have to take time to sort out situations that could have been avoided in the first place.
5. Expand your network – always ask for a new contact
Salespeople can never have enough leads.
Successful salespeople focus on driving new business by never closing a conversation without also asking for a referral or introduction to someone new. This is networking 101, but a lot of sales people are still afraid to ask for an introduction.
6. Listen, listen, listen
A good sales person knows they, "Have two ears and only one mouth,” as the saying goes.
A sales person needs to know the product they are selling, but a great sales person also knows when to stop talking and listen.
7. Enthusiasm sells
After having listened to the customer, it is important for salespeople to demonstrate their understanding and present how they can meet the customers’ needs. mIf this is done without enthusiasm, then it’s unlikely the customer will be persuaded to invest, no matter how well the solution matched their requirements.
So what helps keep enthusiasm up? Enough sleep. If you are tired, you are more likely to be grumpy and see problems, rather than opportunities. If you have slept well, you are more likely to take a positive attitude.
There you have it – 7 habits of highly effective sales people. Adopting one or all of these may not automatically turn you into a sales hero, but perhaps they can motivate you to do something new that works for you.
