Author: Pamela Swift

Article contributed by Sharpenz

What does it take to be successful in sales? There’s no easy answer because the list is long. It’s one of the great debates in the sales community – WHAT does it take to be successful in sales?

One indication of the debate is the response to a recent question posted on LinkedIn. The question asked:

What is more important in sales, great selling skills or expertise on the product?

The more than 250 respondents – sales managers and sales professionals – were split with their answers. Many couldn’t choose one over the other.

Why? Because both are equally important. However, to truly be successful more is needed! With our work with thousands of sales professionals over the last 12 years, we have found that the top performing sales professionals we know all have 5 Success Factors in common. They are:

1. Goal Transparency – Goals are written, specific and measurable. They are easily seen and detected by self and others.

2. Focused Energy – Personal energy that is exhibited each day. The energy is focused toward proactive and productive activities and is not diffused or scattered.

3. Human Connection – The understanding of, and ability to connect with, others in communication, actions and ideas – in the way that person prefers or needs.

4. Emotional Intelligence – The awareness of, and ability to manage, one’s emotions in a healthy and productive manner. Being able to roll with the ups and downs of sales.

5. Expertise – Skill and knowledge of industry, product, customer and sales process. This is more than just having the information; it’s knowing the value of what the offer does for your customers and the ability to tie WHAT (the features) into the WiifT (What’s in it for Them – the benefits to that person.)

If you think about the most successful sales professionals, you’ll realize these Factors are part of who they are.

The great debate on WHAT it takes to be successful in sales does not have ONE answer. Five Success Factors do form the foundation of long-term sales success. And the great news is that you don’t have to be born a natural salesperson – these Success Factors can be developed over time.

So, don’t just read the list. Print it out, gauge your strength in each factor then identify how you can strengthen each one. Being successful takes more than just selling skills and ‘who you know’. YOU matter.

About the Author
Sharpenz is dedicated to providing sales managers the resources and tools they need to energize, engage and equip their sales team to sell each week. Our 30-minute power sales booster meetings help companies increase sales by providing the right tools and training – fast. Designed with the busy manager in mind, Sharpenz ready-to-go sales training kits will give your sales team the opportunity to grow and earn more – all in a half hour of power. To learn more, visit www.sharpenz.com and sign up for your free ready-to-go sales training kit today!

Article Contributed by Annemarie Cross

You’ve spent countless hours creating your program/service offering; your promotional material has been circulated; your sales webpage promoting your new program is live (and looking extremely impressive); and you’ve spoken to a number of your connections who you know could benefit from participating in the program. However despite all the effort you’ve
put into this entire process – no-one has made a purchase. Is this something you can relate to? If you’ve answered yes – you’re certainly not alone.

Sadly, even though you may have the best program in the world that can support your clients in achieving amazing results, there is no guarantee that you’ll have people flocking to your door with their credit card poised ready to invest in your services.

Before you develop another program or service offering ensure you have the following five steps in place to support you in transforming your prospects into raving clients.

Step 1: Identify the level of demand for your program/service offering

Despite the fact that YOU know your program/service offering would be of great benefit to your clients, have you researched:

(a) whether your target market recognizes they are facing issues and genuinely want to overcome their struggles
(b) the size of your prospective market
(c) whether your target market has a history of investing in the type of solutions you offer.

Before you even begin to develop your program it’s imperative to identify whether there is a large enough market and whether your prospect is willing to part with their hard-earned dollars to invest in you.

Further investigation may confirm that despite their desperate need for your support, an ingrained ‘culture’ will see them continue their struggle rather than choosing to invest in your program and overcome their issues.

Targeting a market that requires repeated convincing that they need your service will only lead to a decline in your energy, your sanity and your hip pocket, so it’s important to identify a market that has a high level of demand AND a willingness to invest in your services.

Step 2: Pinpoint your target market’s needs

If I were to ask you to describe your target market could you identify their demographics, their needs, what keeps them up at night and where they hang out, etc?

It’s imperative to have an intimate knowledge of your target market, including:

– The problems/issues they are experiencing
– The words and phrases they use to describe their issues
– The type of support/solutions they are typically looking for
– The pricing point they are willing to/can invest
– The language/triggers that will catch their attention and prompt them to want to learn more about your services

Answer the above questions to create a thorough profile of your ideal customer so that you can accurately pinpoint your target market’s needs. This information will support you in creating your marketing plan, your webpage sales/marketing copy as well as helping you locate the best place to connect with and get your message in front of them.

Step 3: Get clear on your brand

With the increasing number of competitors in the marketplace it’s important to have a clearly-defined brand that showcases your expertise and the benefits your clients can expect from working with you, in order to stand out from the crowd.

Do you know what your strengths are and what makes you unique? Do you continue to present this information in an influential and powerful way? It’s important to create a strong brand that is memorable and magnetic and enables you to be recognized as an expert and leader in your field to continue attracting your ideal client.

Remember an inconsistent brand message can cause prospects to become confused and a confused prospect will often say no. Don’t set yourself up to receive a ‘no’ to your offer because you are sending a weak and incoherent brand message.

Step 4: Grow Your List

Thriving businesses state that one of the most important elements that has enabled them to secure their wealth and success is building their list. In fact, one of my mentors often states ‘the money is in your list’.

Are you actively building your list? Do you have a process in place that prompts clients to hand over their email address and other contact details to you? Consider offering prospects a free report or a video and/or audio series that provides
valuable content. In order to access these resources your prospect is required to provide you with their email, thus adding their details to your list. [Step 5 explains how you can continue to leverage your list.

Step 5: Build Your Relationships

Do you have a regular newsletter that enables you to remain in contact with your list of existing customers and prospects? Are you consistently taking the time to not only strengthen the relationship but also continue to portray your knowledge and expertise by providing informative practical tips?

Remember, people do business with people they know, like and trust and consistent communication with your list is a fantastic way to build a solid relationship. It often takes several communications before a prospect is ready to make a purchasing decision so sending a regular newsletter that provides useful information is a great way to strengthen your relationships while continuing to showcase your knowledge and expertise.

Are you adopting all five steps in your business to support you in transforming your prospects into clients – especially Step 1 and 2 before you even begin developing your new programs/service offerings? If you’ve answered yes, congratulations! If not, which step will you start to work on within your business today?

About the Author:
Annemarie Cross is a Brand Communication Specialist helping ambitious business owners to get noticed, hired and paid what they’re worth! Want to learn simple yet powerful ways that you can build your brand, your credibility and your income? Visit http://www.AnnemarieCross.com to access our free audio mini-series ‘7 Easy Steps to Build Your Brand, Your Biz, and Your Income.’