As a CEO president or business owner, you may have hundreds of employees or you may be a solo entrepreneur. You may have a receptionist and a janitorial staff. Or you may be the person who unlocks the door, answers the phone, takes out the trash and does just about everything else in the business.
It makes no difference how big your company is. Whether it’s a startup or a long established small to mid-sized business. It makes no difference how big your sales force is or if you are the lone member of the sales team.
You still need to be a sales superstar.
To be a sales superstar means to have the ability to sell your vision of whatever product or service your company represents to prospects and customers on a continual basis. If you hold the CEO, president or business owner title it also means selling your employees on the company mission.
You need to be able to:
- Sell ideas
- Sell co-workers and others you work with
- Convince others
- Have those you work with be on your side
- Motivate others in a positive way
You need to be a sales superstar every business day by educating others as to:
- What they truly need; not just what they “think” they want
- Why and how it will benefit them by solving a problem or making their life better.
It’s what a sales superstar does every business day.
Ask yourself:
What’s stopping me from being a sales superstar?
Is it…
- Fear of prospecting?
- Fear of rejection?
- Fear of (fill in the blank)?
Over the 25+ years I’ve advised CEOs, presidents and business owners, sales are a very frequent conversation topic. Often salespeople tend to go back to the same prospects time and time again; over and over again rather than seeking out new prospects. Weekly or monthly sales activity reports are not thoroughly checked. Often nobody is really looking at or analyzing the customer relationship manager (CRM) software for vital sales data to see the status of where the prospecting and sales activity is happening (or not happening).
You may think you had an incredible business week by all the people that were visited or spoken with. But of those weekly totals, how many were the same people that just keep getting followed up with but nothing went further than that? How many of those people were new, never contacted or met with before?
If you or members of your sales team just keep going back time and time again to the same prospects, then it’s rejection over and over and over again. What benefit is it to anyone? It’s a waste of precious time when you could be in the sales process with an interested prospect who wants to buy from you.
Ask yourself:
Are I wasting time trying to sell someone who may never buy from my company?
If so… Why?
- Are you contacting targeted prospects that fit the profile of your ideal customer?
- When you talk with someone over the phone, online or in person do you have a great presentation that is tailored to their individual needs?
- Do you pitch prospects or do you educate them about your products and services?
- Does the prospect just hear: Blah, blah, blah? Or do you engage in conversation and share information that grabs their attention to want to do business with you?
To be a sales superstar:
- What are you going to do to reach out and meet prospects and current customers?
- What are you going to do to showcase your company?
- What are you going to do or change in order to be a sales superstar?
Remember: If you are a CEO, president or business owner you need to be a sales superstar as equally as anyone on your sales staff. In fact, even more so.
There are times when you’ve done everything right but the sale just doesn’t come together. Do you take the extra steps to find out why? It’s important information to know so whatever the reason may be can be prevented the next time when similar sales situations happen. You may never know the reason a sale doesn’t close but at least take the time to inquire in order to improve your business.
Don’t let sales just slip through your fingers!
Use a CRM to know who you contacted, when you contacted them and what the results were with each contact.
Again, ask yourself:
Why am I not more of a sales superstar?
What’s holding me back?
The answer can be different for everyone.
You can’t say it’s because there isn’t any business. There are always people and companies out there to do business with. You just have to find them. Don’t just wait for business to come to you. Be out there assertively putting yourself where your potential customer is. When you do, you’ll be one step closer to getting a “yes” from your prospective customer – and on your way to being a sales superstar!
To your success!
Want to increase sales at your company? Ready to improve and grow your business? Talk with Howard! – 888-738-1855 – Howard Lewinter guides – focuses – advises CEOs, presidents and business owners to MORE success – MORE profit – less stress.
Also published as a guest post on Robert Terson’s Selling Fearlessly blog.