6 FACTORS OF SALES SUCCESS

6 FACTORS OF SALES SUCCESS

What is it that makes some salespeople more successful than others?

Reflecting on the hundreds of sales people both weak and strong I have worked with and observed since getting into sales in 1987, I came up with the following six sales success factors.

** What Every Sales Person Needs To Be Successful **

1 - A METHOD

For every deal that you uncover, you need to have a reason to pursue it. Just because "they are going to make a purchase" is not good enough. You need to have rules for when you will pursue a deal, and when you won't.

Likewise, you need rules for "How" to engage your deals.

Following a good system of selling puts you in control of the sale.

Not following a system of selling (or following a weak one) puts the customer in control of you.

2 - DISCIPLINED EFFORT

Without discipline, you really don't have a method. You must follow your rules consistently, and you must put effort into working your system.

When you use a good sales system with disciplined effort, you will be successful.

It's the people who give up too early, or don't completely follow-through with a good system that are not successful.

3 - EXPERIENCE

Trying and failing really is the only way too learn in something as emotional as selling. Role-playing and practice are good too. But ultimately you have to "practice" on live prospects.

Once you do, you ingrain into your DNA what good and bad selling feel in a way that no role-play ever can.

4 - ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY

Don't blame your prospect.

Don't blame your territory.

Don't blame your competition.

Don't blame your company.

Don't blame the economy.

Take responsibility for your failures.

When you lose, it's because you got outsold.

Self-analyze every deal you engage, and look for what you did right and what you did wrong. Celebrate what you did right, and seek out solutions for improving what you did wrong.

5 - WILLINGNESS TO LOSE EARLY

Working hard is good. Selling smart is better.

Part of selling smart is a willingness to "lose" a deal early and walk away when rules of the sale are favouring the competition.

Prospect selection is one of the simplest leverage points for increasing your closing rate.

Sadly too many sales people I've seen are afraid to be selective about who they sell to.

6 - SUSTAINED VISUALIZATION OF SUCCESS

We program the results we get in our lives by the images, thoughts, feelings, and self-talk that we hold inside ourselves.

Successful athletes, business people, speakers, actors, inventors, entrepreneurs and so on all have a vision in their mind of the result they want to achieve before they achieve it.

I remember reading years ago about how the great golfer Jack Nicholas used to visualize in his mind how and where he wanted his shot to go.

What are you visualizing before you visit a prospect, make a presentation or a phone call?

Visualize what you want and you're more likely to get it.

Visualize failure in your mind and you'll what you've programmed yourself for.

There's always room for you to improve and get better.

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