It’s hard to believe we're already a couple of weeks into 2016.
We hope you’ve been staying true to your sales resolutions…
But even if you’ve fallen off the wagon a bit, there's plenty of time to kick things into high gear, and make this a year to remember.
To help, here are some simple tips to help you sell more.
Develop Your Skill Set
What are your weak points?
Be conscious of them and work to improve them.
Your strong points?
Know where you excel and play to your strengths.
Either way, work on improving your overall skill set in 2016. Your skills are the foundation of your sales ability, and can be the difference between making a sale and missing an opportunity.
Wondering what are some good skills to work on? We recently outlined 7 skills you need to be a great salesperson.
Find a Sales Mentor
Sometimes all we need is a good mentor to get things moving in the right direction. If you don't already have one, here's how to find a great sales mentor this year.
A good sales mentor can give you a fresh perspective, help you avoid costly and time-consuming mistakes, put you in touch with the right people, and of course, teach you lessons that have served them well.
It’s the perfect way to accelerate your progress in 2016.
Tell More Stories
Buying decisions are triggered more by emotion than by reason.
Good stories evoke emotion - which is why story telling can be such a powerful sales technique. Stories have the power to change people's perceptions and even opinions.
Think about how you can incorporate a good story into your sales pitch.
Think about common objections your prospects raise, and a story that might help overcome that objection. See how the results compare against your current rebuttal.
Start by keeping your eyes open for stories in everyday life as well as with your business. Then, follow our simple guide to telling stories that sell.
Jumpstart Your Motivation
Sales isn’t easy. Far from it. Like many lines of work sales success can ebb and flow. When it peaks, you can feel unstoppable. When it wanes, it can feel like you're not doing anything right.
That's why it's critical to stay positive, and to have weapons in your arsenal for boosting sales motivation when you need a little push.
Good habits help, and it starts from the moment you wake up. A solid morning routine will improve your mood and give you a boost of motivation. Then, you need to set the right goals, keep your vision in mind, and always have this mantra in the back of your head: “Every ‘no’ brings me closer to a ‘yes’!”
Start Asking for the Sale
In the movie Into The Wild, the main character says something powerful…
“When you want something in life, reach out and grab it.”
The same thing applies for sales. If you expect prospect's to raise their hand and say "I'm in," your sales process will take longer, and likely suffer as a result.
You're responsible for moving your prospects toward a sale, and at some point that means asking for it. In a recent study, Entrepreneur found that 70% of salespeople never even asked for the sale.
This year, commit to asking for it.
Understand the signs of an interested prospect. Know what questions signify buying intent. As you soon as you recognize these signs, ask for the sale.
Otherwise, you give your prospect the freedom to ask more questions, do more research, go back and talk to their team, look at the competition, and slowly pull themselves away.
Not this year.
While we're on the topic of asking, please share this post or leave us a comment. We always appreciate the input!
