Are You REALLY Ready to Do Whatever it Takes? The Top 10 Actions You Must Make!
Over the past few months, I have been in front of hundreds of sales professionals and business owners, teaching them the principles of Selling with Intention and the seven synchronistic shifts of Selling with Synchronicity. As I stand in front of the room and look out at the audience, my first question is, “How many of you would like to double or triple your sales this year?”
Of course, most of the hands in the room go up. And then I ask the next question. “How many of you are willing to do whatever it takes to double your sales this year?” There is always a slight pause as people look around the room and wonder who will raise their hand. A few still raise their hand right away, knowing that they are willing to do whatever it takes. And in that moment, I know that those are my Top 20%–those clients I really want to work with.
In my three books, Selling with Intention, One Great Goal and Selling with Synchronicity, I have shared the mindset and actions that I have taken on to be successful in my business. But the number one thing I have done to be successful is to be willing to do whatever it takes. As I thought more about this, I decided to create a top 10 list of those things I do on a daily and monthly basis that keep me tracking for success. I hope this top 10 list helps you get committed to seriously increasing your sales and having a wildly successful year as well.
The Top 10 Actions You Must Make to Seriously Grow Your Sales:
1. Be willing to do whatever it takes—even when it scares you.
I started with this one because I think it is the most difficult. Your ego wants to keep you safe and at home in your comfort zone. But it is important to step out of your comfort zone because all of the great opportunities that you desire aren’t in it; they are just outside of it. Pay attention to the opportunities and next steps that show up that scare you a little bit, because that is probably the perfect next step for you! (And if you really think about it, scared is just “sacred” spelled wrong!)
2. Get committed to a sales stretch goal that is worthy of you.
Sadly, following the recession, I think that we’ve gotten committed to mediocrity in our country. Don’t get me wrong; the recession beat me up too. But it also motivated me to do new things and survive so that I could ultimately thrive again—which I am. Don’t let past issues, debt or fear keep you down. Be willing to create a new sales stretch goal that doesn’t have anything to do with your current situation, but everything to do with a thriving future. Remember, your stretch goal should be a “stretch, but believable.”
3. Pick yourself up quickly if you “fail.”
I put “fail” in quotations because it’s really a perspective. Whether or not you “fail” is a decision you make. So, did you fail or are you just changing directions? Did you fail, or did you figure out a new way to create something? They say Edison “failed” over 1,000 times before he created the light bulb! In fact, he is quoted as saying, “I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.” The only real way to fail is to give up, to stop trying. Thank goodness Edison didn’t give up! And the same is true for you.-Don’t give up. Ever.
4. Model others, but don’t copy them.
There is greatness in you and ideas that you—and only you—have. Modeling other businesses or people is a nice way to get started because you can see what others are doing. But as your business or sales machine starts to grow, it’s so important to refine your brand. Whether you are a sales professional or a business owner, we have an individual brand and then the company has its own brand. Model others to get ideas flowing, but then dig deep to create powerful ideas of your own.
5. Work with only your top 20% of clients.
Yes, I said it! Work with ONLY your top 20% of clients! Can you imagine what your business would be like if you only worked with your top clients? I think we’ve all had the experience of working with people and businesses that simply aren’t a good fit for our products or services. There is nothing worse than trying to help people and businesses who don’t want your help. Decide now that you don’t have to do that anymore. Then, make a list of the attributes of your top 20% of clients so you can be clear on who they are, and can identify them when they are right in front of you.
6. Create a team that truly supports you.
One of the most important things I have done to successfully grow my business is sought out team members who have great strengths in the areas where I am weak. This has made a tremendous difference not only in the results in my business, but also in my own peace of mind and sanity. Having a strong team, if you are a business owner, allows your business to flourish. If you are a sales professional, you still need to create a strong team around you so that you can seriously expand your business as well.
7. Find a mentor or coach who is where you want to go.
I have hired many coaches over the years, which has been a very important part of my success. First and foremost, which I’m sure you’ve heard before, a coach should be more successful than you are in terms of what they have accomplished so they can “pull you forward.” One of the things that I don’t hear people talking about, though, is the importance of belief in the relationship with your coach. In other words, when your coach believes in your success (maybe more than you do in the beginning), they can hold the belief for you (regarding what you want to create in sales, business, and life) and you can suspend your belief. As you suspend your belief, allow yourself to believe what they see in you. It’s a powerful experience
8. Develop a powerful intentional schedule.
An intentional schedule is tied to your sales stretch goal and holds the space for you to easily reach your goals. It is critical that you calculate how many sales you need every month to reach your stretch goal. Once you know that number, then you can determine the number of appointments you need based on your estimated closing ratio to close enough sales to reach your stretch goal. Yes, you need to know your “numbers” intimately. It’s a major key to your success. Then track your numbers and your appointments in your intentional schedule so you can easily reach your goals.
9. Write your sales scripts and use them.
In my years of teaching sales, I am constantly reminded that no one really likes the words “sales scripts” and yet we all know that we are more successful in the sales conversation when we are prepared. Selling with Intention is focused on creating “intentional” sales scripts designed to ask for the appointment and get it, and to also ask for the sale and get it. When you are intentional in your sales conversation, then you help your client with the next intentional step in the sales process. It becomes that easy and you will close more sales, provided they are an ideal client for you.
10. Follow up effectively—with everyone.
In their book, “Conquer the Chaos” Clate Mask and Scott Martineau share that 81% of sales close after the fifth call, but only 10% of sales professionals and business owners make more than five calls. What? Yes, I found those statistics especially daunting. What does that tell us? It tells us that most of us aren’t willing to keep following up, and yet there are still sales on the table. Challenge yourself to follow up as many times as you need to—or until you get a “no.” My guess? Your sales will go way up just from the impact of following up.
Being willing to do whatever it takes isn’t easy and will probably involve some type of sacrifice. It will require you to get out of your comfort zone and let go of thinking that things have to be a certain way. However, the rewards from staying outside—and living outside—of your comfort zone are immense and will take you toward the goals and dreams you have created for yourself.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Be willing to do that “thing.”
