Strengthening your business requires strategies to retain and broaden your customer base, market your business, keep staff morale high, maintain strong financial management systems and improve business practices.

It's easy to panic when business is struggling. Panic, which is emotionally driven, has tremendous power. The alternative to panic is change. Change is an opportunity for advances.

10++ change strategies to strengthen your business

10+. Network. Networking will allow you to discover new opportunities, customers, suppliers and business partners. Consider forming alliances and collaborate with other business.

10++. Get help. Speak to a financial adviser, business consultants or training provider. If what you are doing is not working, then seek expert advice the may provide the solution you need.

Develop a plan and set a time frame to get done what needs to be actioned. Don’t wait for something to change. Take on the responsibility to make today a good day.

There are few sales professionals who will honestly say they enjoy making cold calls. But the best sales professionals know that with every call comes added financial rewards. The biggest hurdle is the first call.

1. Prepare yourself mentally

a. Don’t take it personally. No matter how the contact ends, realise the minute you hang up, they will forget you.

b. Know that cold calling is a numbers game. Without the No’s you will not get the YES! Every No brings you closer to the Yes.

2. Target your customer – Make sure you have qualified your caller before you call. Ensure they are your market by industry, geography, demographics etc…

3. Schedule your day to cold call - Set yourself enough time in the day to make the call. 2 hours in the morning is recommended but if that time doesn’t suit just make sure you still make the calls

4. Set yourself a target – Set yourself a target of 10 calls per day (50 per week) for new prospects.

5. Plan your objective – Identify what your objective is?

a. Is it to sell?

b. Is it to make an appointment?

c. Is it to gather intelligence and identify the decision maker?

6. Plan your engaging message

a. Use a script that allows for engagement with your audience. Use questions, humour and enthusiasm to create conversation

b. Plan your script to suit your objective. Your script should lead to the objective of the call.

7. Tonality and babble – Make sure your tone and speed of words are controlled. Lower your voice and speak slowly, politely and with controlled enthusiasm. Smile when you speak to bring warmth to your tone

8. Create the relationship – Build rapport by using the person’s name at least twice.

9. Use words that paint a picture – This is when the power of words have the biggest impact. Use descriptive words and consider the way in which you say them.

10. Restrain from over talking – Once you have achieved your objective get out before you blow the sale

10+. It only hurts the first time. What are you waiting for? Get started!

The top 20 percent of salespeople earn 80 percent of the money.

Your goal is to become one of the highest-paid people in your profession and accelerate your sales career using the vital keys to success in sales. Fortunately, this is easier than you might think. It just takes time, effort and the will to continue to learn. The most successful realist will tell you the more they know the more questions they have. Therefore on a continuous journey of discovery to hone their skills and prepare them for success.

KEY TO SUCCESS #1: TOP SALESPEOPLE DO WHAT THEY LOVE TO DO

All truly successful, highly paid salespeople, love their sales career.

You must learn to love your work and then commit yourself to becoming excellent in your field.

Invest whatever amount of time is necessary to improve your sales career; pay any price; go and distance, make any sacrifice to become the very best at what you do. Join the top 10 percent.

KEY TO SUCCESS #2: THEY DECIDE EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT

Don’t be wishy-washy. Decide exactly what it is you want in life. Set it as a goal for your sales career and then determine what price you are going to have to pay to get it.

According to the research, only about 3 percent of adults have written goals. And these are the most successful and highest-paid people in every field. They are the mover and shakers, the creators and innovators, the top salespeople and entrepreneurs.

KEY TO SUCCESS #3: THEY BACK THEIR SALES CAREER GOALS WITH PERSEVERANCE

A key to success in sales is to back your goal with perseverance and indomitable willpower. Decide to throw your whole heart and soul into your success and into achieving your sales career goal. Make a complete commitment to improve your sales career and become one of the most highly-paid salespeople. Resolve that nothing will stop you or discourage you.

KEY TO SUCCESS #4: THEY COMMIT TO LIFELONG LEARNING

Your mind is your most precious asset, and the quality of your thinking determines the quality of your sales career.

Commit yourself to lifelong learning.

I cannot emphasize this too often. Read, listen to audio programs, attend seminars, and never forget that the most valuable asset you will ever have is your mind. As you continue to learn, you will eventually become the one of the most valuable salespeople in your company.

The more knowledge you acquire that can be applied to practical purposes, the greater will be your rewards and the more you will be paid.

KEY TO SUCCESS #5: TOP SALESPEOPLE USE THEIR TIME WELL

Your time is all you have to sell. It is your primary asset. How you use your time determines your standard of living.

Resolve therefore to use your time well. Begin every day with a list. The best time to make up your work list is the night before, prior to wrapping up for the day. Write down everything that you have to do the next day, starting with your fixed appointments and then moving on to everything you can think of.

KEY TO SUCCESS #6: THEY FOLLOW THE LEADERS

Do what successful people do. Follow the leaders, not the followers. Do what the top salespeople in your company do. Imitate the ones who are going somewhere with their lives. Identify the very best salespeople in your field and pattern yourself after them.

If you want to become one of the best salespeople in your company, go to the top earners and ask them for advice. Ask them what you should do to improve your sales career. Inquire about their attitudes, philosophies, and approaches to their work and their customers.

KEY TO SUCCESS #7: THEY KNOW THAT CHARACTER IS EVERYTHING

Guard your integrity as a sacred thing. Nothing is more important to the quality of your life in our society. In business and sales success, you must have credibility.

You can only be successful if people trust you and believe in you.

In study after study, the element of trust has been identified as the most important distinguishing factor between one salesperson and another, and one company and another.

KEY TO SUCCESS #8: THEY USE THEIR INBORN CREATIVITY

Think of yourself as a highly intelligent person, even a genius. Recognize that you have the great reserves of creativity that you have never used.

Say aloud, over and over, “I’m a genius! I’m a genius! I’m a genius!”

This may sound like an exaggeration, but it isn’t. The fact is that every person has the ability to perform at genius levels in one of more areas. You have within you, right now, the ability to do more and be more than you ever have before.

KEY TO SUCCESS #9: THEY PRACTICE THE GOLDEN RULE

Practice the Golden Rule in all your interactions with others.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Think about yourself as a customer. How would you like to be treated?

Obviously you would want salespeople to be straightforward with you. You would want her to take the time to thoroughly understand your problem or need and then show you, step by step, how her solution could help you improve your life or work in a cost-effective way.

If this is what you would want from a salesperson selling to you, then be sure to give this to every customer you talk to.

KEY TO SUCCESS #10: THEY PAY THE PRICE OF SUCCESS

Finally, and perhaps more important than anything else, resolve to work hard. This is a great key to success in life.

The key to success in selling is for you to start a little earlier, work a little harder, and stay a little later. Do the little thing that average people always try to avoid doing. When you begin your workday, resolve to “work all the time you work.”

Don’t waste time.

Get going.

Move fast.

I hope you enjoyed this article on how to improve your sales career to become one of the highest-earning salespeople in your company.

Author: Brian Tracy

How many extra sales do you need to close in order to cost justify investing in some solid sales training? I know that answer depends on what you are selling and your commission structure but all too often the answer is less than one extra sale. For that reason, I can’t think of anything that provides a better ROI than sales training. Plus, your new sales skills stay with you for life. Yes, sales training will generate the best return on your career investment.

In addition to increasing sales skills, I would like to draw your attention to seven additional advantages of advanced sales training.

1) Shorter Sales Cycle

We all know that time is valuable and you can only work on a limited number of opportunities in your sales funnel. However, if you could work more efficiently and close sales at a faster rate, you would gain extra time to work on additional opportunities. You’ll get that extra time when you discover powerful sales closing skills in a solid sales training program.

2) Increased Sales Activity Levels

There is nothing exciting about doing the same things over and over… each and every day. But guess what happens when you add new sales strategies and techniques to your arsenal? You get motivated to put them to good use. So, another advantage of sales training is that it generates an increase in sales activity levels.

3) Centered On Selling

Too many salespeople spend very little time actually trying to sell something to somebody. Think about all those conference calls, sales reports, meetings and a ton of other activities that have nothing to do with selling something. The only way to earn commissions is to close sales. Sales training serves as a reminder of the only thing that puts money in the bank.

4) Powerful Confidence

Salespeople must march with confidence. You need to be confident in your product, your company and… Yourself. Sales training builds that confidence because it takes the guesswork out of selling. Prospects must see confidence in a salesperson that’s attempting to sell them something. You add to a salesperson’s confidence when you provide them superior sales skills through powerful sales training programs.

5) Increased Efficiency

I don’t see any value in a 20% close rate yet that remains the goal of many salespeople. How can you get rich by failing 80% of the time? The problem is that too many salespeople try to sell something to unqualified prospects. You can’t make money by working inefficiently. You need to call on prospects that can and will buy from you. You get that sales skill in a solid sales training program.

6) Success Encourages Even More Success

Unsuccessful salespeople, all too often, go through a “why even try” period. We all know what happens next to those salespeople. Sales training is great way to quickly get going in a healthier direction. Also, once you begin enjoying some sales success, you’ll want even more success. Sales training is a great way to put that bounce back in your step.

7) Develop A Culture Of Learning

Once you’ve learned some successful sales strategies, you’ll want to learn even more sales strategies. Sales training can become a very positive habit. Sales training encourages more sales training because people tend to stick with what’s working. Sales success will always go to the salesperson with the best sales skills. You’ll get those sales skills in a solid sales training program.

As you can see, there are many advantages found in a solid sales training program. Take your profession seriously and harvest the sales skills required to succeed in sales.

Supported by Logicus Training and the S.A.B.O.R Sales Training Program

"Changing Lives Daily by Daring to be Different'

Have you considered sending some of your team members to sales training courses? If you are involved in sales in any way, you need effective training for your staff. Like all forms of communication, the sales dialogue has a unique purpose and therefore has different rules from some other forms of communication. An outgoing and friendly person may not actually be an effective salesperson especially if the person is consistently unable to close the deal. Here are five reasons you should send your sales team to sales training courses:

Increased Sales

Obviously, the first reason your business will benefit from implementing ongoing sales training courses for your sales team is that sales will naturally increase, leading to greater profits. The more understanding your staff members have of the sales process, the easier it is to convert customer enquiries into sales. As your staff learn sales skills, like starting the sales dialogue, discovering the reason for the purchase, and closing the deal, you will definitely increase your sales.

Better Customer Service

Increased customer service can be a surprising by-product of teaching your staff better sales skills. Many managers are surprised at the way customers respond to the increased interpersonal communication skills staff have when they learn better sales skills. When staff learn to pay more attention to the signals the customers send out, the customers receive better customer service and are happier. Happy customers are the best marketers for the business.

Greater Understanding of the Links between Customer Service and Sales

Many business leaders think that customer service and sales are actually different departments and have no relationship - in reality the sales and service should never be seen as separate issues - customer service is about understanding the customer's needs, and sales is about selling products that meet those needs. When you link the two processes in a closer way, you will find the business benefits from happier customers and increased sales as the sales team can be selling products to suit the customers..

Greater Understanding of What Makes a Customer Buy

Without understanding why people buy the product, it is almost impossible for the salesperson to close the deal. A good sales training course which is clearly linked to customer service will encourage your staff to consider the underlying and psychological reasons people will make a purchase. This increased understanding of customer behavior can help create an environment where your customers feel comfortable and confident buying from you.

Up-Selling, Cross-Selling and On-Selling to Other Products

Another benefit of increasing the sales skills of your staff by attending sales training courses is that the staff are far more likely to introd

uce the customer to other products in your portfolio. For example we think of up-selling as the typical "Do you want fries with that?", but it can be much more complex than that. Great sales people will focus on all products and opportunities that benefit the customers and give better customer service.

What are you waiting for? Start sending your sales team to training courses to reap the benefits for the business.

Source: Timothy Millett

Supported by Logicus Training and the S.A.B.O.R Sales Training Program

"Changing lives daily by Daring to be Different"

Sales, life and business success is largely dependant on your mindset. Having the mindset of a champion through knowledge, training and conditioning are the drivers for achieving the outcomes you seek. From the wise words of Nana Mouskouri, "there is no such thing as can't the truth is you choose not to". Here are 10 strategies to overcome the anxiety of selling.