Colleen’s Blog

Are you finding it difficult to hit your sales targets? I have to touch on a pet-peeve of mine today. It bothers me to see salespeople struggling! It genuinely annoys me even more when salespeople blame external factors for their failures. They blame the market, their colleagues, their competition, and their lack of resources for their shortcomings, but rarely ever look in the mirror. It’s frustrating! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again...you are in control of your own sales results! Period. It’s easy to blame the economy or the market for your lack of sales. It’s easy to blame your colleagues or your competition. It’s easy to blame everything and everyone else. However, successful salespeople rarely take the easy way out.

Are common mistakes negatively impacting your numbers? Many salespeople like to get into the "nitty-gritty" of why they are not succeeding. They search high and low for advanced sales techniques and try to find answers as to why they’re unable to hit their sales targets. Does this sound familiar? You may just need to simplify things. The answers you’re seeking could be right under your nose! There are five mistakes that many salespeople make but don’t even address when trying to improve their sales. Studying and implementing these simple but crucial strategies will help you maintain a competitive advantage.

Could your sales team be suffering from a dangerous virus? Like it or not, we’re now hearing more coughing and sneezing than normal, and commercials are filled with daytime and nighttime medication advertisements to protect you and your family from the flu. But, the virus I want to address this week has nothing to do with the flu. This virus can't be cured with a few sick days. It lasts longer than the flu and it has the potential to erode your entire sales team (and your sales) if you let it linger.

Is it possible to sell without uttering a single word? It might be easier than you think. In sales, you must be in tune with appropriate nonverbal communication. Salespeople often lose sales based on their inability to master their nonverbal communication. And, if first impressions are everything, you may even be able to increase your chances of closing a deal just by putting extra effort into your appearance and keeping common courtesy in mind. Here are five simple ways to improve your sales etiquette and build trust...all without needing to say a single word. 1) Dress Appropriately Always dress at least one notch above how your client will be dressed. If you are unsure about their corporate culture for attire, it's never a bad thing to wear a suit. If you find out during your first meeting that a suit is frowned upon, or unnecessary, you can dress differently for the next meeting. Nonetheless, wearing a suit does show that you respect the prospect enough to clean up and dress up. 

Are you doing enough to build your current relationships? When you close a sale with a new client, you create a new relationship that needs to be nurtured. All too often, salespeople make a sale and then move to the next prospect. When a salesperson continues this trend long term, their client retention is going to fail...it’s inevitable! I hope you’re considering ways to increase your sales in 2015. But, as you know, client retention is just as important as client acquisition. Here are a few tips to help you maintain and build your current relationships in the New Year: