What’s the difference between good, average and excellent salespeople? While you may think it’s the numbers they post month after month, it’s not. Work habits are what separate the great salespeople from the average. Practicing good habits day in and out create efficient, effective second nature actions.
What You Can Do
Even great salespeople know there’s always something more they can do to improve their performance. In general, that often involves adopting a new habit or two that will help them become more effective in sales.
Whether you’re a great, good or average performer, here are some habits that can make you a more effective salesperson:
- Know What You’re Selling: Today, consumers have access to more information than ever before, and they can access that information while they’re standing right in front of you. This makes it imperative that you know what you’re selling inside and out. Knowing the details about your product that are readily available to consumers on the Internet isn’t enough. You must know your product so well that you’re able to answer even the most obscure questions people can come up with.
- Listen Actively: To become more effective in sales, it’s essential that you listen to your prospects actively. Instead of thinking about what you’re going to say, your next appointment or the latest Facebook post, be present in the conversations you have with prospects and react to what they’re saying. By practicing active listening, you’ll establish stronger relationships with your prospects that will likely enable you to convert them into clients who will remain loyal for years to come.
- Personalize Your Message: When you visit a car dealership, you’ll often see an assortment of body styles and car models. Dealerships sell a variety of vehicles because they know not every driver has the same likes, needs and preferences. Similarly, your prospects are going to differ from one another. Get to know each potential customer individually so you can tailor your message and position your product or service as the best alternative available to them.
- Follow Up: Successful salespeople always follow up with the prospects they meet with. If you’re not in the habit of following up with your prospects, it’s vital for you to develop this habit as soon as possible to avoid missing out on sales. Whether you call, send an email or drop a handwritten note in the mail, following up with prospects is a must for salespeople in every industry.
- Prioritize Sleep: With many salespeople working 10 or more hours per day, sleep isn’t a priority for a lot of them. If you don’t get the recommended 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, your performance and well-being can suffer dramatically. A lack of sleep is often associated with poor decision making, a higher number of mistakes and forgetfulness. To become more effective in sales, make getting enough sleep a top priority every day.
- Review Your Call Data: Utilize call tracking and monitor data to improve your close rate. Do you tend to close more phone pitches on Tuesday afternoons? Are Friday mornings most effective for your follow ups? Do more prospects answer your calls Monday mid-morning? Gathering and analyzing this kind of data coupled with listening back to your phone calls for areas of improvement can drastically enhance your effectiveness as a salesperson.
Get a Vanity Toll-Free Phone Number
One of the keys to reaching the next level of success in sales is making it easy for people to reach you. You can do this by getting a vanity toll-free phone number that’s unforgettable. A custom 800 number has a 75 percent average higher recall rate than numeric phone numbers. Make it simple for people to get in touch with you by getting a vanity toll-free number. Contact 800response More Calls. More Sales. More Profits.™ now.