3 Excellent Sales Strategies to Kick-Off Your Career (Entrepreneur.com)
Congratulations! You’ve begun your journey into the wonderful, scary, thrilling, mysterious world of sales.
Here’s the bad news. Ain’t nobody gonna take you by the hand and guide you to sales success!
But, that’s also the good news. You see, being successful looks a bit different for each sales professional. Your unique personal qualities combined with great sales strategies are the “stuff” behind success – for you. That means it’s best for YOU to figure that out on YOUR OWN.
So, if you’re still trying to figure out your sales “persona”, I’d like to give you three excellent strategies to help you maximize your early sales results.
1. Develop Great Prospecting Habits
A habit is something you do automatically and frequently. One of the best sales habits you can develop early on is being a great prospector.
In the world of sales, there are hunters and there are gatherers. We call these two types of sales people prospectors and converters. Make no mistake; you need to know how to convert a lead. But the most successful sales entrepreneurs are remarkable prospectors.
Start by setting a specific and non-negotiable daily outreach target. These are the activities you perform every day that will set you up for success – without fail.
HINT: Don’t let sales “veterans” tell you that people don’t want phone calls. The best form of communication will always be face-to-face. And the second best is voice-to-voice. Let everyone else send emails to their prospect’s spam folder. You develop a great prospecting habit by talking to that very same prospect on the phone.
A great resource to consider on prospecting is a book by Mark Hunter called, High Profit Prospecting. Pick it up and give it a good read… You’ll thank me later.
2. Develop an Insane Curiosity
The poet e.e. cummings once wrote, “Always the beautiful answer who asks a more beautiful question.” I’m pretty sure the writer wasn’t talking about sales when he wrote this, but the application for sales people is astounding.
Successful sales people are experts at asking beautiful questions. The question to a sales person is like the paintbrush to an artist. Learn to use it with great skill.
A “beautiful” start in developing this skill is the simple inquiry, “Tell me more about that.”
And curiosity doesn’t stop with asking ordinary questions. It goes on to ask bold questions. Develop a deep curiosity about your customer and ask questions that other sales people simply won’t ask (because they’re too scared).
As an added resource, you might want to consider my book, Be Bold and Win the Sale. It will help you overcome any misgivings about asking questions.
3. Feed Your Brain
Sales is a creative job. It requires a healthy, creative brain. And that creative brain needs nourishment.
Establish the habit early in your career of being an avid reader. Mark Twain once wrote, “Those who will not read are no better off than those who cannot read.”
John Maxwell puts it this way: “Ten years from now we are no better off than we are today, except for the books that we read and the people we meet.”
Read the blogs. Listen to the podcasts. Feed your brain. You must constantly refuel your own creative energy if you want to grow and sustain a successful career over the long haul.
One sales “culinary hot-spot” is thesalesblog.com by Anthony Iannarino. Start making it a habit visit this site regularly. Pure sales brilliance!
Once again, your individuality as a sales professional will develop over time. But there’s no better time to establish successful sales habits than early in your career – like now!
