There are plenty of good sales books and pieces of advice that I have come across over the years, and all of them, in their own ways, have value. My approach is that no one methodology or sales technique is the one that will work. Rather, it’s a combination of a few techniques that tends to work best. That said, there are a few pivotal pieces of advice I have been given over the years that I think can make a real difference in maximizing your career as a sales person. Here are my 5 best sales tips.
1. NEVER COMPROMISE YOUR INTEGRITY IN THE SALES PROCESS OR LIFE
This is one my father gave me years ago and I live by each day. In sales and in business, competition or outside forces can force you to start from scratch but if you have your integrity intact, you will always be able to rebuild or get back to the closing stage. Once you compromise yourself, no matter what you do in your prospects eyes it will be too little too late.
2. RECORD YOURSELF ON CALLS OR PRESENTATIONS
Scary? Yes. Tough to hear or see? For sure. Critical to be self-aware of your pitch and get better? Without a doubt. Don’t wait for your manager to come and ask you to get on tape or record some calls. Go do this yourself. From seeing your own position and demeanor to hearing your tone and inflection, you will find more ways to improve in one hour than any sales seminar I have been to.
3. SET TIME ASIDE EACH WEEK TO STAY IN TUNE WITH YOUR INDUSTRY
This is another item that people often push off but makes all the difference, especially in today’s world. More often than not, our customers are very informed on our product and industry with all the technology and tools they have at their disposal. This means you have to be constantly evolving your pitch and position in the market, and that takes true knowledge and study. Be a student of your chosen profession. Elite athletes still practice before and between each game—so shouldn’t you too?
4. DON’T BE AFRAID OF GETTING A “NO”
Sometimes we dance around the “no” from a prospect, as we want to keep a large and active funnel. Don’t do that. Don’t be afraid of a “no,” as that is when you really can start to sell and make sure to use your time wisely. Of course, this is easier if you have been working all stages of your sales process and have a robust funnel, but that’s a topic for another day.
5. WALK A MILE IN YOUR CUSTOMERS’ SHOES
As salespeople, we all talk about being customer-centric but sometimes are not customers ourselves at any point with our product. If you have one good customer already under your belt or your company’s belt, see if you can spend time with them interacting with your product or service. See how it really impacts the lives of the people using it day in and day out, and you will uncover what’s really important.
Again, there are a ton of great resources and sales tips and tricks out there that I have found to be informative and guided me in my career but, but these five have worked well for me and generations of sales people before me. Sales is the most honorable way I think you can make a living (that is another point from my father), so be proud of what you do day in and day out to make a living![/fusion_text][/fullwidth]
