With spring just passing and summer now here, the cold winter months are now a distant memory for some and there is new energy. Of course, possibly this could be due to the economy where small business owners, sales professionals and executives are now hunting for new sales. Here are 10 tips to help keep your momentum growing forward as you work to achieve the goal to increase sales.
Tip #1: “Find a Sherwood Forest large enough for you to hunt in and small enough to defend.” These words came from Michael Sleppin a good friend and colleague. In today’s sales speak, this is called niche marketing. No sales person can be everything to her or his clients. The more you can narrow your focus, the greater likelihood of success.
Tip #2: Revisit your current clients. Take some time to check-in on your existing as well as past clients. Be interested in what is happening within their businesses. Ask how can you help without thinking about making a sale. Remember it costs 6 to 10 times more to find a new client than to keep an existing one.
Tip #3: Be authentic. When people meet you whether face to face or over the phone, always be present by demonstrating positive core values.
Tip #4: Follow-up on all sales leads. Sales research suggests that 48% of all leads are not followed up. When recently speaking at the Hammond Innovation Center, I asked those present to raise their hands indicating how many had followed up with all of their sales leads? No one raised a hand. There are a lot of sales left on the table waiting for someone else.
Tip #5: Educate yourself about your potential customers, your industry, your community and not to mention your own products and services. Become the expert.
Tip #6: Know where the flow is going. When you are the expert regarding local to global business conditions, you will have a sense as to where the flow is going. This will allow you to grow and innovate. Look to existing customers. See how your existing products and services can be updated to meet current needs.
Tip #7: Identify the top 5 potential customers based upon your research you want to have as customers. Let everyone know you want to meet these folks. As soon as you secure one of these organizations as a new customer, add another one so you will be always working 5 potential customers.
Tip #8: Track your activities. You may be busy, but are you meeting the right people thus securing you the right results? In other words, know your numbers.
Tip #9: Increase your activities from calling to meeting people. When you know your numbers, you can focus your actions.
Tip #10: Execute your sales process flawlessly. Review your sales process and determine if the process is effective and are you executing it correctly?
Finally, thank those who express interest in your services whether the interest is a personal greeting or an email. Sales is all about relationships and how well you manage those connections. The Red Jackets in the sea of gray suits understand how to leverage every contact and connection and therefore find it much easier to increase sales.
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