Are You Nervous About Your Sales?

Given the current state of the economy and all of the variables that are contributing to it, are you at all uncomfortable with your ability to generate sales and income over the coming months? What about the upcoming holidays and their impact on your sales and income? Do you believe that your current sales plan is up to the task at hand? Are you nervous about sales?

The following are five simple yet powerful steps that can help you re-energize your sales efforts and help to calm your anxieties.

1. Refine your sales plan and approach.
This is a good time to review our sales plans, determining if the track we are on is valid and working. Sales plans require constant and consistent refinement. Adjustments are necessary. Take time to make certain you are actually still on your chosen track.

2. Clearly understand who your prospects and competitors are.
The following video features an insurance salesman, played by the legendary Bob Hope. He is busy making a presentation but the evidence shows he failed to properly qualify his prospects before investing his time and energy in his sales pitch. I don't like the term "sales pitch," yet here it seems appropriate. Our success is dependent upon valid prospecting and our understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of our competitors. Be certain you have a firm foundation in both areas.

3. Re-Tool.
Take time to re-organize your selling tools. Determine which have been the most productive and design new sales approaches utilizing them. Dispose of tools which have failed to help you produce results. Assess your market approach, determining where you have been successful. Target additional prospects within these same markets. Identify any additional markets that may be fruitful and select target prospects. Stop spinning your wheels with low-yielding efforts at questionable accounts.

4. Use holiday downtime to re-train.
Ongoing product training and personal development are critical to our long-term success. Read books to help you refine your abilities and to gather information that has been helpful to others in your field. Make time to work on you. This is always your best investment. Start a new exercise program now to help energize you later. Holiday downtime is a great time to re-train and strengthen yourself.

5. Set appointments for the first week of the New Year now.
Get a jump on activity for the upcoming New Year. Schedule training, follow-up or presentation calls now for that critical first week, establishing the pace for the remainder of the month and year. It is so important to hit the ground running.

The economy is variable and market conditions are fluid, yet you still need to earn a living. Learn to be flexible. Find new opportunities. Do not expect old ways and methods to provide the success you have experienced in the past. You must innovate by employing these five steps into your life. Drop the nervousness, it's not for you. Your desperation can be easily transmitted to prospects in presentations.

Get busy and be optimistic. Your market position and sales performance are your winning ways. These five steps can assist you in finding the sales and personal success you want. 

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...........................
Daniel Sitter
Author

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Comments

[Sharon]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Sharon

http://www.autoloans101.info

[Derek]

I love your point in #4. One of the best ways to become a successful salesman is by working when other people aren't.

The ore time you put in, the more successful you will be.

A great quote that illustrates this point is, "The elevator to success is out of order. You need to take the stairs one step at a time."

[Deborah]

Timely post. Point 4 is perfect. If your industry slows during the last month of the year you might consider reading up on a topic you've wanted to learn more about. I just spent a day of research at the local library and that investment of time has jumped started efforts to launch a new part of my business. Dan - you are modest - you've written a book on this subject "Learning for Profit" which I've read and continue to use the principals on a regular basis. Great stuff!

Deborah

[Troy Bingham - Sales Force Dialer]

I have spoken with several sales and marketing departments recently and they really haven't taken any actions towards re-tooling. It is a shame because those companies that continue business as usual are not going to win in the economy.