Top tips for making 2015 your year for sales

On the one side, you are fighting off the competition that encroach on your territory, while on the other you are confronted by increasingly fickle consumers who are always right. I have therefore decided to compile a list of the top five tips I have learnt from high-performing salespeople. Although some may seem obvious, it is still surprising how often these simple tips are forgotten and how much of a difference it makes when applied...

Know your stuff

There are few things more annoying than meeting a salesperson who does not fully understand their product. Customers are already on guard when they sense a sales pitch is imminent, if they can spot a flaw in your pitch you have not only lost the sale, but all credibility for yourself and the firm you are employed at.

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Be aware of opportunities

Being mindful of your surroundings is not just a Jedi focus technique. In sales, you always need to be aware of even the tiniest opportunity. I know of sales reps who have gained leads to their biggest clients by just talking to the person next to them while waiting for a court hearing and waiting to be operated upon.

Opportunity walks by in many different disguises so always be on the lookout.

Use tech

Technology has infiltrated the sales environment, and it will never be the same again. With the advent of sales management apps such as Honeybee, it is now possible to drastically reduce time wasted on admin, placing orders, planning as well as to always have detailed client histories on hand. Technology can now truly simplify the way you conduct your sales, so make sure you use it to your advantage.

Become even more resilient

It is a well-known fact that to be successful in sales, you need to be resilient. However, some of the best salespeople I know are resilient almost to the point of ridiculousness. I know of salespeople who have worked on customers for years. They were rejected outright dozens of times, but their determination eventually overwhelmed the client. Now I'm not saying this should be done with each client, but good salespeople trust their instincts.

Listen

Last, but certainly not least, listen! When you have been selling for a while, you tend to go into "sales mode", and become oblivious to external inputs. It comes (ironically), from knowing your product extremely well and having a lot of experience. Instead of listening to the customer's needs, you just go ahead with the standard pitch. If you really want to take your sales to the next level, customers need to really be listened to. If you identify each individual's "pain", you can tailor your sales pitch to specifically address it and it will have a much higher chance of converting into a successful sale.

There is no magic formula for driving sales, but if you focus on improving your technique and being mindful of opportunities, you'd be surprised at the amount of chances that slip past your radar on a daily basis. So use this information to become more aware, and to make 2015 your year!