Achieving Sales Excellence in 3 Key Steps

Today, I'm going to share with you a couple ideas that can take you to a place where success isn't just an aspiration; it's a guaranteed destination.

Imagine a world where your every interaction with clients becomes a masterpiece of value delivery, where your sales skyrocket, and where customers eagerly seek your expertise.

Got it? Good - 'cos that's where we're off to today. ??

These brilliant, simple ideas have illuminated countless sales careers.

I was lucky enough that a couple of people shared them with me early on in my career - 'cos if they hadn't, I would not have had the career that they kindly set out in front of me

So, let me share the essence of these ground-breaking insights.

Step Number 1: You Have to Deliver Value Back to Your Own Business.

Sales teams exist to uncover opportunities and turn them into profitable transactions.

Yet so many salespeople I meet at the beginning of their career - or who have just started a new job - love to spout off that their manager has told them not to "worry too much about the sales target" or "you can take these first three months to find your feet!"

Listen - the opportunity and profit thing I mentioned above are the ONLY reasons that our roles exist.

Don't give yourself sleepless nights about it - but DO give yourself a consistently nagging sense of urgency that drives your sales efforts.

Just because no one is going to be on your back about hitting the monthly target until the 27th - DOES NOT mean that you just pick up a gear and start to get proper busy on the 24th!!!

Start the month strong, finish the month strong - and then fill the rest of the month with focused activity and drive.

Wake up and start each day with exactly the same passion and energy that you're currently only focusing on times when someone is breathing down your neck.

Delivering value to your own business (as well as your customer's) is a revelation that has the power to reshape your approach to sales, elevating you from mediocrity to unparalleled success.

It may seem like an obvious point to make - but the reason some people are seen as ESSENTIAL - and others are not - is all down to how VALUABLE they have become in the eyes of those who need their help.

Step Number 2: Understand How You Help.

It's time to learn how to move beyond simply selling - to becoming an indispensable asset to your clients and prospects.

For a good few years I just walked in to customers and then sold AT them.

Actually, that’s how everyone I knew sold stuff – and it’s still how MOST people I meet, sell to this day.

Even after a week of solid, expensive, highly focused sales training with a big multi-national company - I had no concept of how I really helped anyone.

We didn’t talk about it, we weren’t trained on it – no one internally saw it as a requirement or cared that it might be a better way of doing things.

It was actually a buyer called Terry who helped me see it at Christmas time, many years ago.

Terry was Head of Purchasing for a wholesaling business - a customer of mine – and wasted no time at all telling me that my generic Christmas promotion was a "complete bag of $**￡".

It was - he told me - "pointless, not fit for purpose" and that (correctly) it "had been thought up by marketeers who sit in the ivory tower of your head office - who had never met a wholesaler's customer in their life".

That year I sold 5 boxes through Terry’s business.

The following Christmas I held up my hands, admitted that my ignorance towards customer buying motives and the arrogant attitude (from myself, my marketing team and company overall) wasn’t going to grow either of our businesses – and that’s when he opened my eyes to the real opportunity.

He showed me why his customers bought products like mine, how they used them, what they needed them for – what flicked their switch, the quantity that they liked to purchase - and the add-on purchases that could be acquired with the right bundle deal.

That year - with his advice, I moved from selling just 5 boxes to - 10,000!

10K!

His insight eventually turned into one of my favourite sales truths - and led me to this phrase:

"People buy drills because they want to create holes.

Bad salespeople can only talk about their drills.

Great salespeople help them by talking about the exact hole they need to create."

Step Number 3: Make Sure You Can Go Back and See People Again.

Once I got to grips with the first two steps - my career and sales were going through the roof – I mean proper flying.

Company-wide memos referencing my big wins were being sent from the CEO’s office. I’m getting personal letters of thanks from the Group Chairman, and I’m regularly asked to host sales meetings to share my insight and techniques with the rest of the business.

I’ve had two promotions in six months and I’m being considered for another – a really BIG one - I was on a success rollercoaster travelling at 120mph - and I was getting a little bit too cocky for my own good.

But - still, I was hitting every target I was being given.

And that was when my Sales Director dropped a bombshell during my end-of-year appraisal.

He said...

“I know what you’re doing Chris – and it’s time to stop.”

Which the cocky me - I don't need any lectures from you - replied....

“What do you mean ‘what I’m doing’? I’ll tell you what I’m doing – I’m knocking every sales target out of the park, I’m securing previously thought 'unwinnable' contracts on a regular basis, and I’m getting listings that no one has got anywhere near achieving in the last twenty years – that’s what I’m doing!”

I swear, the memory of his stare fills me with a chill of shame to this day – I shut up immediately, knowing I'd overstepped the mark - but it still leaves me feeling stupid twenty years after the event.

He put his pen down onto the appraisal document and slowly and precisely explained to me why my current glory march was about to trip up and fall flat on its face.

Yes - I had a knack for helping people, delivering the solution they needed and writing proposals that people actually wanted to read and buy from – and yes that had led to business going through the roof.

But that was the last time a customer ever heard from me.

I was too busy chasing the company-wide recognition - the next big win.

And my industry at the time – just like every other – was too small to treat existing customers so badly.

My thinking was at least six months short of short-term thinking.

Contracts and tenders would come round again in a matter of months, new product launches would require presentations to the same groups of people, even if I moved to another business - appointments would be few and far between because I’d lost their trust – and testimonials and referrals were just about to dry up and never return.

He also pointed out, that - further down the line when I had my own sales team to manage - their reputation would be tainted by mine and no one would want to see them either, so that would eventually end in failure also.

I nodded in embarrassment and recognition that something had to change.

His expression stretched into a smile – he told me that my future was bright - I just needed to pull my neck in a bit.

He then showed me how to get back on track without compromising my current success - something I'm forever grateful for.

In essence, these 3 steps underscore the critical importance of delivering value, understanding your role, and nurturing long-term connections.

If you embrace these principles, good things will follow.

You'll gradually become the go-to expert in your field, securing lucrative deals, and basking in the glory of your achievements.

Your reputation will shine like a beacon, attracting success from all directions.

However, failure to heed these principles can lead to lost opportunities, damaged relationships, and a stagnant career. But the choice is yours.

If you want to make these ideas work for you, start by consistently delivering exceptional value, understanding your clients' needs, and investing in long-term partnerships.

In a couple of years time, do you want to look back and see missed opportunities and stagnation?

Or do you envision a thriving career, with employers and clients who trust and see value in keeping you around?

Let me leave you with these thoughts:

In five year's time - if everything goes the way you really want it to - what is it that you aspire to be doing? Armed with the knowledge that a few transformative principles will have reshaped your destination - where do you WANT to be and what do you NEED to change to achieve it?

To your success,

Chris

PS: If - as we move ever closer to the end of the year , you have a burning desire to smash your goals, but feel like you need to load up your sales tool box with the latest strategies, structures, tips, and templates - you're in for a treat.

I'm thrilled to unveil the dates for our upcoming sessions that will help you do just that!

There's my Business Development Masterclasses and my one day Masterclass for Sales Leaders

Every single one of them is run as a small group - for salespeople and their managers - and they're happening across the UK very, very soon!

The Business Development Masterclass

My 2 Day Business Development Masterclasses are THE complete B2B sales course.

I'll work with you on day one to help create a steady pipeline of business for you using 21st century prospecting techniques and then - on day two - you'll get a deep dive into all things sales - questions, overcoming objections, closing - everything.

You'll walk away with a business development plan that will work for you in your industry and in reality - not just theory - take a look at the testimonials we've received by following this link for proof of what we achieve .

London / Manchester

Sales Leadership Masterclass

And last but not least, my 1 Day Leadership Masterclasses are designed to help anyone who manage a sales team to do so brilliantly, effectively, successfully - and make it look effortless.

I share how you can make sure your team have the best possible chance of hitting your target - how to keep them incredibly motivated, super focused and banging out those results for you

We also touch on how you can navigate the tricky business of effective (and legal) disciplinary procedures - and I share a number of templates - including one that will simplify your coaching sessions with your team and enable you to boost their productivity to levels that you previously didn't think were possible.

Rob Oxer joined me in August and sent in this LinkedIn testimonial;

"Love the overall approach and how Chris breaks things down to simply and not over complicate. The storytelling is also memorable and makes you stop and think. Highly recommend to all sales managers out there !"

This link includes feedback from more sales managers and sales directors who have joined me recently - and gives you an even better idea of the types of things we cover .

London / Manchester