Best Habits for Sales Success

beautiful woman writing a business concept

Business Concept

I read a lot about sales techniques and how to harness the most productive strategies.  As a sales consultant I want to be the best and at the top of my game.  Brian Tracy, and his article “The 7 Sales Training Tips of Sale Success”

http://www.briantracy.com/blog/sales-success/practice-the-7-sales-training-tips-of-sales-success/

provides the most fundamental guidance I can think of:

  1. Get serious – That means studying, certifying, and most importantly, getting out in front of key decision makers with real value propositions and great technology services and offerings.
  1. Figure out what is holding you back – identify that weakest skill and then set your mind to making it better.  For me, as with many salespeople, sometimes I lack the best organizational skills to consistently manage my time the most effective way possible.  As a salesperson you should be focusing on the most important tasks, which usually revolve around customer meetings, follow through, and post sales customer service.  If you’re spending your days updating reports and spreadsheets and emailing other people internal to your company, you might want to focus more on prospecting and touching base with customers that have budgets.
  1. Get around the right people – This is 100% true!  If you are spending time around people that complain, make excuses, and generally want to do things other than be productive you are not flying with the Eagles.
building a great team

Build a Great Team!

  1. Take care of your health – this is a critical one for me that I really need to work on as well.  There should never not be not enough time in the day to focus on the most critical aspect of your life – your body and your health.  Stress, overwork, lack of exercise, poor diet, and bad habits like nicotine and alcohol can turn your life upside down if your body decides enough is enough.  Figure out a time to exercise, eat right, and do things in moderation.  As Mr. Tracy mentions, you will be dealing with constant rejection and discouragement throughout the work week, so find a way to deal with it positively and productively.
  1. Imagine yourself at the top – try to visualize success.  I have the hardest time with this as the mind most naturally will gravitate towards the negative and it becomes an easy habit to harbor negativity when customers consistently say no rather than yes.  Turn it around.  Visualize the win and visualize a year and years of abundance and success!
  1. Practice positive self talk – absolutely.  Do it.  Never get down on yourself as you are the designer and creator of your destiny.  If you can’t be positive about yourself then others won’t gravitate positively toward you either.
  1. Take positive action towards your goals – be action oriented and move quickly.  Get out there in front of customers all the time. The more customers you meet, as Tracy mentions, the more chance to sell.  Make seeing customers, moving quickly, and talking to decision makers a top priority.

Tony Bilby

 

Branding Like The Big Boys

When launching your business, it’s of the utmost importance to advertise. As the little guy is a field of tall grass, you need to shout loudly if you want your customers to see you over their competition. It’s precisely this mistake that costs most their dreams right out of the gate. Assuming that your company can’t use the same marketing strategies as names like Coke and Apple, then you’ve given up before you even started. Below are some quick tips to keep you ahead of your competition and branding like the Big Boys.

Coca-Cola is a name synonymous with branding. In fact, when drawing a comparison between a product and its potential success, when haven’t marketing managers compared their product to the worldwide brand recognition of that red and white label? Each year, Coke spends over $4 billion on marketing and advertising, but why should you need to do the same? Emblematic marketing is key. A symbol that’s both easy to replicate and catch enough to remember, Coke’s key to success has been never altering their logo in any major way. Ingrained into our cultural zeitgeist, I don’t doubt for a second that any major change to Coca-Cola’s logo would illicit a drop in their earnings.

Cultivate a community around your brand. Products like Apple, Sony, and Microsoft have held sway over their loyal tribes for years. Imagine the marketing potential of a group of people willing to fight for your product. The best marketing campaign, complete with lavish commercials and celebrity appearances, can’t come close to the power of personal recommendations. People will shirk their responsibilities, families, and even hygiene to stand outside a store in hopes of being the first to grab that new release. Though your company may not have that killer app just yet, you can still build an experience. Start small with outreach and establish a back-and-forth between your customers. Soon, you’ll have a your very own tribe of supporters.

building the brand

Building The Brand

Don’t neglect the social media arm of your marketing campaign, either. Starbucks, the coffee giant, can be found almost anywhere. However, when was the last time you saw a Starbucks commercial on Television? Throwing almost their entire might into social media, Starbucks has revolutionized the way companies talk to their customers. Whether creating custom infographics for their Tumblr or responding to tweets about their product with uncanny speed, Starbucks has clearly demonstrated that they are paying attention. So, when engaging your clientele over social media, don’t be afraid to connect. A moment of authentic connection could add a new member to your tribe.