Increase Sales By Working Smarter, Not Just Speaking With More People

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Michael Trow, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

There are some terms that refer to sales people that make me smile. Rainmaker, Champion, Hunter, Farmer, Rockstar, Guru and more.

These terms exist for a reason and yes, I agree that high performers should be rewarded with a tag. It’s the nature of sales to want to be recognized for your achievements and have ‘the bell rung’. I also feel that sales is similar to music. Some people have a natural talent and ability, others can achieve the same results through hard work and dedication. How can you increase your sales and earn one of these coveted tags?

There is no one answer. When I train or speak with sales professionals I emphasize there is no quick answer to improving results but there are a number of steps that can be taken. I want to draw your attention to a common quick fix that is often taught which is not the answer for everyone in every situation. What do most trainers and managers often say that is the one thing you can do to increase your sales?

“Speak to more people”

Sales is a numbers game, however you are striving to achieve good conversion rates and increased revenue per sale. Simply speaking to more people is synonymous with “throw enough s@#t and some will stick”. If you are smarter in your approach you will have more leads to prospect, enable marketing to support you more easily and increase both conversion rates and average spend.

Here are some do’s and don’ts:

Do:

Stick to the basics
Research your target market
Build rapport
Set-out clear qualifying criteria
Evaluate if the prospect is showing buying signals (click the link for an interesting article on buying signals)
Review your pitch
Review your after call process(es)
Improve your organization in following up
Identify additional contacts in the buying center
Facilitate the buyers needs
Continually work on objection handling techniques and answers
Take breaks and clear your head
Dont

Flog a dead horse. If the prospect is not interested, move on to someone else
Assume
Speak more than you listen
Generalize your approach and pitch. (What works for one prospect may not work for another)
Be pressured.
Think that everything is all right if you hit target one quarter, month or year. Things can change quickly if you are not prepared and organized.
Ignore the competition
Focus on price
The list goes on, these tips will stand you in good stead though. I will gladly share with you additional proven techniques to help you increase your sales.

Your boss, they generally only care about numbers and the bottom line. It is understandable to appease them first and foremost. You are seeking to better your sales technique for personal gratification, reward and respect among peers.

Ask yourself the question; would you prefer to be the person who has a 20% conversion rate but has to work twice as hard to get the results by speaking to twice as many people or would you like to have numbers like these:

Cold Calls to meeting conversion – 70%

Meetings to Opportunity conversion – 85%

Opportunity to Sales converion – 45%

Question

What would you prefer? To work harder or smarter?

What do you review and work on to improve your sales?

Additional Information

If you would like to know more about sales techniques or inquire about courses and training. Please visit www.michaeltrow.com. Alternatively,I would be delighted to answer your questions by email

Thanks for stopping by.