I read an interesting article over the weekend. The article is titled Ten Surprising Success Tips from Amazing Sales Guru Tom Hopkins. Here is a link to the original article.
http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-surprising-success-tips-from-amazing-sales-guru-tom-hopkins.html?cid=sf01001
The reality of business is that we are all in the sales business. However, some of us just embrace the journey more than others. Though this article and its content did not really surprise me, it provided some good reminders on the types of behaviors that lead to success in sales. I will revisit some of the more important items in this blog post.
1. Time Management - The article implores us to covet our time. We need to do this with all aspects of our business and our lives. In our business life, it is extremely important that we schedule our time on a daily and weekly basis. Most business owners move about their business life in a reactive and client service type mode. In essence, they move from client to client providing the service for which they were hired. The problem with this approach is that it does not allow for development of sales, marketing, and business development programs that will lead to the next ideal client. Please try this recommendation out for a period of three months. I want you to spend the first hour of your day cultivating and nurturing new leads for your business. If you place a priority on this item and proceed strategically, you will increase the quantity and quality of your sales leads.
2. Be a Follow up Specialist - The article asks us to deliver on our marketing promises. The world is filled with "slick marketers" that promise the world and under deliver. You should strive to be a business owner that is capable and willing to deliver on your promises. I had an interesting discussion regarding this point on Friday. I was talking to a strategic partner about why I am so confident in my marketing efforts. My confidence lies in the fact that I believe that I can help every business owner grow the value of their business and make better decisions. In essence, I know that I can deliver on the promises that I make to my clients.
3. Don't be a Lemming - The article implores us to stop following the pack. One of the things that I always seem to end up discussing with clients and referral partners is out of the box thinking and how it can propel your business forward. Most business owners call on their education, past experiences, or outside reading to give them the solution to problems or issues that are impacting their business. Though all these things are helpful, they tend to push you toward the herd mentality of making business decisions. I want you to think differently the next time you are confronted with a business issue. As you analyze a problem or issue, I want you to include two or three non-traditional out of the box options for solving the problem. The out of the box options may not be the best for this particular situation. But, the exercise will force you to consider the usual and unusual alternatives that you may have before you make a decision.
4. Keep a Thick Skin about Rejection - The article asks us to positively cope with the inevitable "no" responses that you will receive if you tackle sales and marketing with any level of tenacity. I would take this advice one step further. Use the "no" responses to discover why your solution did not work for this potential prospect so that you can refine your approach the next time around. The goal is to get to the root cause of the prospect's decision, if possible. Once you understand the root cause, you can either accept the fact that is not the right fit for your organization or you can fine tune your approach to the next client that presents similar objections.
I hope that you found this post helpful. Please feel free to add any additional comments. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
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