New Year Resolution for Salespeople
The New Year is approaching, and most of the people are retrospecting and reevaluating their life choices. New Year’s resolutions are the opportunities for those people who have failed to bring the changes that they said they would bring in next week, next month, or next summer. If you are a salesperson, then it becomes essential for you to analyze what went wrong in the previous year; what better you can do in the New Year by setting New Year resolution.
Setting the New Year resolution for salespeople is not rocket science. Let us see what can be the New Year resolution for salespeople:
Don’t Overthink
You know, that little voice in your head saying, “I will never make this sale,” “My prospect’s not interested,” “I don’t know what I’m doing.” These are all deal-killers controlled by one and only one thing: your brain.
Don’t let your head trash get in the way of following your sales plan. Your quota or KPIs will still be there waiting for you at the end of the day, even if you spent the day worrying about whether you could meet your goals.
Our technique for dealing with head trash is to let it in, acknowledge it, and let it go. Your little voice is never going away, but you can overcome it and take action anyway. Just follow your plan, and you’ll do fine.
Do not let Your Buyer Set the Agenda
The typical buyer’s agenda is not salesperson-friendly. Most buyers don’t like being sold (who does?), so a buyer’s agenda is set up to keep the power in the buyer’s corner and help them avoid “sales traps.”
The thing is, if you’re in a meeting with a well-vetted lead, you’re selling them something they actually want – or need. So the buyer’s agenda is actually counterproductive for both sides: the buyer loses an opportunity to learn about a product or service that would benefit them, and the salesperson loses the sale.
Instead, frame your sales meetings for mutual benefit. Talk about the next steps upfront: “Providing you want to move forward after our conversation today, what would be the next steps?” Then have a conversation about their needs and fears. This will inform your presentation, which takes place – counter-intuitively – at the end of the call.
Don’t accept an answer like “I will think over it.”
If your prospect is saying so means it is his/her way of avoiding your offer. Most people hesitate to say no – they don’t want to let us down, or hurt our feelings, or make us feel like they have wasted our time. The problem is, “I will think over it” wastes our time, energy and emotions even more than “no” would. With “no,” we can clear out that deal and move on.
So in 2020, don’t let “I will think about it” string you along. Ask for concrete next steps, a referral, or an acknowledgment of “not a fit.” This will free you up to follow the most promising leads toward the best and biggest wins.
Go Negative
Most salespeople like to talk about how great their product or service is – all its benefits, accolades, and value. The problem with this approach is it’s all about you when a really successful sales pitch is focused on what the customer cares about.
In our experience, people are more motivated to move away from pain than toward pleasure. In other words, it’s all well and good to paint a beautiful picture of the world your prospect could live in if only they chose your service – but what’s motivating them to get there?
If you emphasize the negative as it relates to your prospect’s problems, you will touch off pain triggers that will motivate your prospect to act. Don’t forget: the problems are negative. For example: “We help companies that are not growing fast enough activate their sales organizations to drive revenue.” The phrase “not growing fast enough” reflects pain the salesperson heard from the prospect, and immediately resonates.
Setting the New Year resolution for salespeople is not rocket science. Let us see what can be the New Year resolution for salespeople:
Don’t Overthink
You know, that little voice in your head saying, “I will never make this sale,” “My prospect’s not interested,” “I don’t know what I’m doing.” These are all deal-killers controlled by one and only one thing: your brain.
Don’t let your head trash get in the way of following your sales plan. Your quota or KPIs will still be there waiting for you at the end of the day, even if you spent the day worrying about whether you could meet your goals.
Our technique for dealing with head trash is to let it in, acknowledge it, and let it go. Your little voice is never going away, but you can overcome it and take action anyway. Just follow your plan, and you’ll do fine.
Do not let Your Buyer Set the Agenda
The typical buyer’s agenda is not salesperson-friendly. Most buyers don’t like being sold (who does?), so a buyer’s agenda is set up to keep the power in the buyer’s corner and help them avoid “sales traps.”
The thing is, if you’re in a meeting with a well-vetted lead, you’re selling them something they actually want – or need. So the buyer’s agenda is actually counterproductive for both sides: the buyer loses an opportunity to learn about a product or service that would benefit them, and the salesperson loses the sale.
Instead, frame your sales meetings for mutual benefit. Talk about the next steps upfront: “Providing you want to move forward after our conversation today, what would be the next steps?” Then have a conversation about their needs and fears. This will inform your presentation, which takes place – counter-intuitively – at the end of the call.
Don’t accept an answer like “I will think over it.”
If your prospect is saying so means it is his/her way of avoiding your offer. Most people hesitate to say no – they don’t want to let us down, or hurt our feelings, or make us feel like they have wasted our time. The problem is, “I will think over it” wastes our time, energy and emotions even more than “no” would. With “no,” we can clear out that deal and move on.
So in 2020, don’t let “I will think about it” string you along. Ask for concrete next steps, a referral, or an acknowledgment of “not a fit.” This will free you up to follow the most promising leads toward the best and biggest wins.
Go Negative
Most salespeople like to talk about how great their product or service is – all its benefits, accolades, and value. The problem with this approach is it’s all about you when a really successful sales pitch is focused on what the customer cares about.
In our experience, people are more motivated to move away from pain than toward pleasure. In other words, it’s all well and good to paint a beautiful picture of the world your prospect could live in if only they chose your service – but what’s motivating them to get there?
If you emphasize the negative as it relates to your prospect’s problems, you will touch off pain triggers that will motivate your prospect to act. Don’t forget: the problems are negative. For example: “We help companies that are not growing fast enough activate their sales organizations to drive revenue.” The phrase “not growing fast enough” reflects pain the salesperson heard from the prospect, and immediately resonates.
