When I walked into Acquirent on my first day, I could not have given you any advice on how to succeed in sales. I had just wrapped up my college career and was entering the world of business. Because it was my first job out of college, I had no idea what to expect or how to thrive in this field of work. It is now 8 months later, and I have worked on two very different accounts and have had favorable results in both. Below is a small list of things that I found to be contributing factors to my ability to succeed at Acquirent.
Embrace Grit
Grit is clearly an attribute that everyone needs in sales. What we do is hard and it’s important to persevere. It can be extremely frustrating to continuously hear “no”. But if you let the “no’s” get you down, then you’re really standing in the way of your own progress.
Have a Positive Attitude
A positive attitude goes a step beyond grit. Something that my company has reinforced in our sales training is that even on a day where you heard nothing but no, been hung up on, or even yelled at, it’s vital that for that next call that you have the mindset: “this will be the call where I get a yes”, instead of allowing the negative experience of the previous call drag onto the next. Clients you are calling will pick up on attitude, and if you have a negative one, they are less likely to want to hear you out.
Leave Your Troubles at the Door
From time to time (or maybe for some it is all the time), we all have personal drama. But, it is critical to understand that once you walk into the door to work, it is business time. Allowing distractions from your personal life to get in the way of your job will invariably set you up for failure. This is much easier said than done but I have found if I put all my energy into my work, I end up feeling better and having a great day.
Keep Your Call Level High
At work, it’s hard to not get distracted. We all have our work friends, the internet, and our phones to divert our attention. These distractions can get in the way of productivity. Something that I have always stressed to my peers is that the more you calls you make, the more likely you are to get that coveted “yes”. Even if your goal is just 50 calls a day, nothing is stopping you from making more! Don’t just settle for your goal–the 51st call might just be the perfect client for you.
Accept Bad Days
No one can be perfect all the time. That is the beauty of being human. In sales, you WILL have bad days. I have had plenty of days with zero deals. When I first started working at Acquirent, those days would devastate me and drag over into the next day. Remember that tomorrow is a new day, and it will be what you make of it.
Take Note of What Works
At Acquirent, I have been on two different teams and have had vastly different approaches than my team members. At first, this made me nervous and concerned that my approach could be wrong. As it turned out, I had major success with my approach. Ultimately, everyone has a different approach when it comes to sales. You must keep in mind your territory, who you are reaching out to, and what makes sense to you. Don’t feel pressured to change if you have an approach that works!
Work with Your Team
Team members are your support, and it is important to be a someone that your team can rely on. After all, you all understand the roles and responsibilities of the position. Don’t be afraid to ask them for advice if something is not working for you. If someone on your team is having success, ask for tips on how they are finding it. Be happy for them when they are successful and let their success be your motivation to do better.
Ask for Feedback
One of the best things you can do as a sales representative is to ask for feedback, from your peers, your manager, a mentor, or someone else. Feedback helps you improve as a professional and shows the people around you that you care. Asking for feedback can also bring new ideas to the table.Many times I have asked either a manager, peer, or mentor for feedback and have received ideas that would never have thought of on my own. When receiving feedback, don’t take it personally if the feedback is a correction! Use it to help strengthen yourself as a business professional.
Create Goals
At Acquirent, we have daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Nevertheless, there are also plenty of goals we can create for ourselves. As I stated before, we can be expected to call 50 leads a day, but what is stopping you from creating a higher goal? One of my personal goals this year is to become a more active community member at Acquirent. While this is technically not necessary to my position, it will be a professional growth experience for me because it will take me out of my comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!
Take Advantage of Mentorship Programs
At Acquirent we are proud of our mentorship program. Having a mentor helps newer employees learn from more experienced workers with advanced skill sets. My mentor has helped me tremendously. Whenever I need advice, tips, help, or feedback; my mentor is always ready to provide support. If you have a mentor available to you, use them as much as you can! Mentors are your personal cheerleaders and want the best for you. If your workplace does not have a mentorship program, find someone that you believe to be a superb employee and ask them to mentor you! What I have found to be true at Acquirent is that our employees want everyone to succeed. Therefore, it would be not only a compliment but an honor to be asked to be a mentor.
Hopefully, the tips above will be useful to you in your efforts to become a successful lead representative. While there is much that goes into success in sales, these tips are the ones I believe have broadened my experience in the business world and allowed me to attain my goals in my position at Acquirent. Remember that you are in control of your success. I wish you luck in your personal life and remember: Let’s make it a great day!