30 Days to Stronger Selling
Today, I’m sharing 10 ways to improve your selling skills in just 30 days. These are practical things you can start doing right now.
1. Discipline
You have to be disciplined in how you use your time and what you spend your effort on. You cannot allow yourself to be caught up in the shiny objects. You have to be disciplined to know exactly what you are going to achieve, and then be actively achieving it.
Do not waste your effort; if salespeople would simply be more disciplined in how to use their time, it is amazing how much more successful they would be.
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2. Consistency
This means consistency with your prospects. You cannot sit there and call some prospects once, and then not call them back for six months or even a year. You have to have a consistent sales process that you are using more than anything.
More than anything, I always hear people say, “Well, I don’t have a good plan.”
?Me: “Well, what’s your plan?”
?Them: “I don’t have a plan.”
?Well, that’s your problem! I almost say this:
It does not matter what your plan is, just be consistent with it.
Just be consistent. When you are consistent with your prospecting, it is astonishing how much more disciplined you are – do you see how these two things fit together?
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3. Learn From Your Existing Customers
I want you to learn from your existing customers. You see, your existing customers are full of a lot of knowledge.
I want you to learn from them and reach out to them, even if your sales process is one where – after you sell a customer – you don’t have any more engagement. I want you to reach back out because you are going to learn from them. They are going to help tell you, show you, and guide you.
The sale is in the follow-up. Since closing the sale on the first contact is highly unlikely, you need a plan that won’t just pique your prospect’s interest, but keep them engaged throughout the process.?
...And more. This course is built with you in mind and is highly interactive to tailor your individualized action plan. Check out my Following Up masterclass here !
4. Less is More
It’s not about having 10,000 prospects. It’s not about having 1,000 prospects.
It’s really about having fewer prospects that I can spend more time on. Less is more in everything I do. I don’t need 10,000 scripts. I don’t need 10,000 emails sent out. I need four or five because less becomes more. What happens when you adopt this mindset is you become more efficient and more effective in how you use your time.
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5. Tight Customer List
Here’s the thing: You do not have time to chase every opportunity out there.
If the opportunity, lead, or prospect that you see does not line up with what you believe is going to be potentially profitable to you, then do not. Go. After. It.
Stay tight; I see too many salespeople just start flashing lights when they get into trouble, turning to whatever they can to try to get attention or try to fight. No, stay tight. I would much rather you have 20 prospects you are reaching out to through a consistent process with a very tight message than to be sitting there trying to chase 100, 200, or 300 prospects you only reach every couple of months.
Nope, that does not work. Keep a tight customer list.
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6. Be Accountable
Be accountable and show up. You have to be accountable to yourself and I want you to be accountable to somebody else. This means, very simply, you need an accountability partner who is going to help hold you accountable for your goals. This means you are sharing with them what your goals are and vice versa.
You know what’s interesting about this? As you coach them, it’s going to help you.
A rising tide lifts all boats.
I want you to be accountable now, both to yourself and to your customers. When they say something, you have to follow up with them. You have to remain engaged with them. Again, I see too many times where salespeople have an opportunity and never call. Them. Back. They never re-engage. I see more salespeople losing business because they failed to follow up on a lead fast enough.
Check out this article by George Brontén on accountability! ??
7. Simplify
Do not make it overly complicated. We can screw up a two-car funeral pretty good.
What I want you to do is simplify your message – simplify what it is that you sell because…
If it isn’t simple in your mind, how is it going to be simple to your prospects? It’s not.
Too many salespeople get desperate and want to go out and sell every tool in the toolbox. You can’t. I am going to lead with one specific tool, and I am going to zero in on it.
When you simplify, it’s surprising how much faster you’re able to move. Speed comes into play here. Now, of the 10 things I’m discussing with you today, your speed is not one of them. But what I have found is when you make it a point to do the 10 things I am walking through, you will find yourself operating much more efficiently.?
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8. Grow Your Mind
You can never allow yourself to stop growing. This means you have to be saying, “How and what am I learning about my industry?”
“How and what am I learning about my customers?”
What are you doing? You have to be continuously growing. You have to take 15 minutes a day – it might be digging into a book or maybe an article pertaining to your industry. No matter what, you have to be continuously and intentionally growing your mind.
What happens? Not only do you gain more knowledge, but you also gain a tremendous amount more confidence. And, when you’re more confident, it’s amazing how much better you listen.
Check out my newest book, The Making of a Mind for Sales: 33 Strategies for Success. Sales is an emotional task. Without the right mindset, you have little likelihood of being successful.
In fact, sales is much more of a mental game than you think. The challenge is in?your?mind. Start your 33-day journey to sales success now! Grab a copy here !
9. Attitude
Nothing fuels your energy more than your attitude.
If you have a bad attitude, you won’t have the energy. If you have a bad attitude, it’s noticeable how it comes across in your phone calls, your emails, on and on. When you have a bad attitude, you don’t listen as much. Your attitude drives a lot more than you would think.
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10. Don’t Stop
Do not stop. I see too many salespeople get a little bit into the process and think, “Well, we’re not getting the traction,” and they step away.
Everyone has heard the stories of salespeople giving up too early, and that is exactly what happens. If you want to be successful, don’t stop.
If you go through and do the previous nine things that I have been talking and lastly, do not stop, I guarantee you will be more successful with your selling in 30 days or less.
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Hey, I also want you to pick up the book, A Mind for Sales.
I’ve written several other books, High Profit Prospecting and High Profit Selling. I want you to learn from them because I want you to be as successful as possible.
We would love to have you for this month’s Sales Logic Expert Exchange with Lauren Bailey! She will share all about Outbound Selling Skills for the Small Business!
We’ll dive into the top outbound sales tips used by Enterprise companies, focusing on tactical skills that boost confidence in making sales calls. For many small business owners, selling their product or service can feel intimidating, but it’s crucial to success.
Most small businesses fail not because of their offering, but because they struggle to sell it. Join us as we build confidence, share ideas, and get excited about making outbound calls!
Register here !
Great selling!
MH
Virtual Assistant//B2B Lead generation & Appointment Setting//Sales//Customer Support//Helping businesses convert prospect into customers.
1 周Thank you for these insightful tips! I'm especially drawn to the importance of accountability and personal growth. I've always been passionate about continuous learning to build confidence in my career, as I believe this is the key to achieving my goals.
Executive Coach + Consultant☆ Award Winning Author + I Help Executives Increase Retention, Impact, and Influence by Developing High Emotional Intelligence. 90% of Top Performers Have High EQ.
2 周Mark Hunter, your advice is the best!
National Sales Manager @ Kendall Hunt/RCL Benziger
2 周Great advice, Mark. Thank you.
Accelerate Your B2B Tech & SaaS Sales to $100M+
2 周Sales discipline isn't just about hitting targets, it's about developing habits that lead to sustained success over time. Mark Hunter
President @ Fripp Virtual Training | Presentation skills expert
2 周Mark Hunter Consistency and <<<You do not have time to chase every opportunity out there.>> are keys. Keep up the good work.