Colleen’s Blog

I know - you may dislike doing math. You can handle the numbers in your business but the thought of doing any additional arithmetic scares you. It’s okay! The math I’m going to discuss in today’s blog post isn’t advanced calculus or trigonometry. It’s basic, it can be done very quickly with a calculator, and it’s going to help ensure that your sales quota does not sabotage you. Feel better? Well, let’s get to it!

Is this the start to 2015 you wanted? We’re quickly approaching the last week of January. By now, you can probably gauge your start to 2015. Have you accomplished your goals for January? Are you hitting weekly sales targets at a better pace than in 2014? If you aren’t off to the start that you hoped, there’s good news. There’s still time to regroup and have a fantastic first quarter! Unfortunately, too many people enter a new year without a plan. There’s absolutely a new sense of hope and desire to have a better year, but most people are not willing to change any of their habits. They believe that simply letting their calendar refresh will somehow change their results. Then, after about a month into a new year, they look around and see nothing has changed and give up on their goals completely. Don’t let this happen to you.

Be honest...how prepared are you for every sales call, presentation and meeting? Do you have a “general idea” of the topics you would like to cover, or do you have a detailed strategy, on paper, that outlines exactly what needs to be discussed?Have you run through everything that could go right and wrong and developed primary and secondary materials? Some people call it guarding against "Murphy's Law" but I call it preparing for profitability. Being prepared for every sales call means there is a smaller likelihood that you will be caught off guard. You want to do everything in your power to avoid looking unprepared or flustered in front of a client. The best way to make this happen is...by being prepared! Crazy, isn’t it?! Here are six questions to ask yourself prior to a sales meeting:

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.

“This year is going to be MY year.” Almost without fail, each year we all hear phrases like this leading into January. It’s a good thing. It shows that most people have a genuine interest in being successful. Unfortunately, interest alone is not enough to follow through with creating real success. You must develop an unwavering commitment to your success and follow through by taking serious action. Over the years, I have worked with and observed many successful salespeople. By successful, I mean they are pulling in at least $500k or more in personal income each year. Find one of these successful salespeople - better yet, find five of them. Take note of the things that they all have in common with each other. Yes, there will be some differences in their style, methods and philosophies. After all, they’re different people! But, if you can pinpoint their similarities, you can absorb those traits and emulate their daily activities to bring you success as well. Keep in mind that the people you model should be people whose results you admire in business, and outside of business. As we all know, a healthy income means very little if you’re always stressed and unable to enjoy personal time. <-- Click To Tweet To help out your cause, here are a few similarities that I have found exist in the successful salespeople that I have observed:

This is one season that can cause a lot of confusion for many salespeople. No - not confusion with their sales, but with the idea of giving gifts to their clients. “What should I buy my clients?” “Can I give them gifts?” “Should I even acknowledge them during the Christmas season?” Do any of these questions sound familiar? You've probably asked them at some point...either out loud or to yourself!

As salespeople, we spend many hours investing in our own knowledge. Workshops, conferences, coaching, books...the list goes on! The best sellers are always looking for new ways to increase their knowledge and expose themselves to new information. This is such an essential key for massive success in sales, but it won’t do you any good if you lack perhaps the most important ingredient in business, which is honesty. To be fair - the majority of salespeople aren’t “dishonest” people. But, it’s safe to say that many salespeople extend or bend the truth to either belittle the competition or make up for weaknesses in their own product or service. Don’t be one of the many!