Colleen’s Blog

Out of all the sales rules, there is one in particular that should never be broken. Being loyal to this one single rule can mean the difference between sales success and sales disaster. What is the number one sales rule? Drum roll please! The number one sales rule to follow is to never end your day without taking at least one proactive step to put prospective business in the top of your sales funnel. That means making one call, asking for one referral, sending a letter, an email, or going to a networking event. It doesn't matter what the activity is, it's just important that you are acting proactively and putting yourself in front of probable prospects.

How can you ensure that you’re hiring the right people to join your sales team? Many sales leaders have been asking me how to hire new sales reps and build a profitable team. I often suggest taking a step back before conducting interviews and hiring a new team member. There are a few things you need to do before you proceed with interviews in order to ensure that you hire the right person and create the best team possible.

Wow - we’re now in the final week of November. It’s hard to believe that we'll be entering the final month of the year very shortly. Time flies, doesn’t it?! I’m sure you’re already thinking ahead to 2015. But, before you pull out the planning boards and strategy documents, don’t forget to first analyze your successes and drawbacks in 2014. Ask yourself key questions, answer them, and use those answers as building blocks for planning 2015. <-- Click To Tweet I want you to succeed and I want 2015 to be your best year ever. Here are several questions you may want to ask yourself to make that happen:

Alright - before you get the wrong impression, Engage Selling’s blog is, and always will be, committed to driving more sales to your business. Despite the title of this blog post, we haven’t turned into a nutrition blog overnight! Don't worry! But, the title still stands. You and your business may need to go on a very specific diet if you want to give your prospecting efforts any chance of succeeding. I’m talking about going on a technology diet.

In sales, our focus is often set on making the next sale. But, our current client base should never be neglected for the sake of closing another deal  Always nurture and build relationships within your current customer base. You want to keep them happy because not only does it feel good to deliver quality to your clients, but they will also be more likely to refer you to others, which helps drive more sales for your business. As I see it, all customers want the same 13 things from you. Accomplish them all and you will develop a loyal profitable customer who will refer you to everyone they know:

It’s a simple fact...there are some customers that you must fire if you want to remain profitable. To be fair - some of these customers are sold products and services that are not beneficial for them. It can be easy to get carried away with the thrill of making a sale, but to avoid these situations, it’s important to only sell your services to customers who can truly benefit from using them. Other problem customers could have been the right type of clients at the beginning of the relationship, but due to personality changes and/or changes in corporate policies, are no longer as profitable as they used to be. Stop working with these two client types:

Believe it or not, the answer to more sales could be as simple as picking up a pen. That’s right, you may simply need to write a letter to a prospect or a decision maker in order to get a response. What I've been noticing about the top sellers and sales teams is that they are not afraid to approach prospects with old fashioned direct mail...that means actually shipping something via the post office!

Your health and wellness are important factors to consider if you want to increase your sales. As you know, it’s tough to focus and get things done when you’re stressed or working on a lack of sleep! Due to this, it’s so important to focus on you just as much as you focus on your sales and your business. When you’re staying in noisy hotel rooms, working late or pulling all-nighters, you must make an active effort to stay grounded and ensure that you’re not neglecting yourself for the sake of your career. Remember, your career doesn't exist without you!

The best way for you to receive answers is to ask questions! The more knowledge you possess, the better your chances of achieving consistent success with your sales! The following three questions are often asked by salespeople. These answers will provide you with the information you need to take yourself to greater heights. 1. How can I prove to my manager that I am worthy of a promotion?