We don’t pay enough attention to our sales process.
It’s only natural for salespeople to be focused on how many sales they close and what their overall numbers are. I contend if we want to change our sales results, need to change our sales process.
One definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing while expecting different results.
Below are four things you can do right now to your sales process that will help you close more sales.
1. Keep a log as to what you do.
It’s hard for anyone to assess what it is they do if they don’t know what it is they’ve been doing. Keep a log for two weeks and record in 10 minute segments what it is you do.
After 2 weeks, add up the time spent on various activities. I will almost guarantee you will find at least several hours a week you’ve been wasting that could be spent on more productive activities.
Call this “time management” if you want, but I’ll contend unless you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing, there’s no way you’ll ever accomplish what you should be accomplishing.
2. Stop spending on time on people who you think are prospects but are nothing more than suspects.
Validate early in the sales call if the person you’re talking to is capable and serious about buying. Ask them time-oriented questions that will start to flush out when they expect to make a decision.
Work on developing a tight list of questions you can use with customers to help ensure you’re spending your time with people who can and will buy from you.
3. Leverage other people and other resources.
Don’t try to do it all yourself. Too many salespeople try to operate as the lone wolf. Don’t.
You’ll have much better success if you tap into the resources of others. This includes being more aggressive in developing leads, and yes this means helping others get leads too.
We all become like those we associate with. If you want to be successful, then spend more of your time with highly successful people. Same goes for resources. Don’t waste your time trying to save a dollar.
Low-performing people spend time to save money. High-performing people spend money to save time.
If this means it’s time for you to find an assistant to assist you, then do it. If it means spending money buying a new computer or software system, then do it. Whatever it is, the sooner you do it, the more successful you will be.
4. Break your total sales process into segments.
Segments might include “x” amount of time each week dealing with existing customers, “x” amount with prospects, “x” amount of time networking, etc. Surprising to most people is there is no magic formula. The magic is in actually doing it, and doing it consistently.
One of the biggest problems salespeople have is they are not consistent in how they do their job each week and each month.
Finally, let me reinforce one more time about the importance of your own attitude.
If you don’t believe you will — then you won’t. I’m not saying you will just because you believe you will. Sorry, it’s not that easy. What I’m saying is there is no way you or anyone can achieve success…and I’m not talking about luck…if you don’t believe in what it is you’re doing and have the personal confidence to actually do it.
It’s really is quite simple. If you want to close more sales, you have to set yourself up to close more sales.
That means having as refined a sales process as possible.
Copyright 2011, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.
