What does it take to be successfulin sales? Certainly effort, hard work and dedication is important. An excellentunderstanding of the sales process is also essential. But its more than that.The most successful people I know have a slightly different outlook than theircoworkers and associates.
I recently worked with a group ofpeople who, collectively, had an extensive amount of sales experience. And, forthe most part, they all boasted a pretty successful career. Even though theyexpressed some frustration that they didnt close as many sales as they wouldlike to, or that prospects didnt always return their calls, they didnt bitch,moan, whine or complain about it. In fact, I didnt hear a single complaintduring the entire session. After more than a decade of conducting salestraining workshops and programs, I can say that this mentality is rare.
It was evident that this group ofpeople possessed a winners attitude. And I believe that this attitude contributedto their success. So, just what is a winners attitude?
A winners attitude is the abilityto focus on your long-term goals even though your short-term results are not ontrack. This is more difficult than it seems. Too many people take their eyesoff their long-term goal when they experience a slow month or two and end upfocusing on their lack of results. As a result, they get sidetracked and theirsales continue to suffer. In the words of Earl Nightingale, You become whatyou think about.
A winners attitude means resistingthe temptation to blame the economy, competition, or current market conditionswhen sales are soft. Winners focus on what they can control unlike the averagesales person who redirects the blame to take the heat off himself.
A winners attitude means exploringdifferent options and approaches to selling. The best sales people constantlyhone their skills. They read books and articles. They listen to CDs orPodcasts. They take advantage of every training program they can includingwebinars and tele-seminars. Winners know that business gets more competitiveevery day and they take action to improve their knowledge and skill. They workat incorporating new techniques into their existing style.
A winners attitude means focusingon showing the value of your product or service. Unlike average sales people,winners dont focus on price. They know that most buyers and customers are moreconcerned with solving their problems and getting a complete solution ratherthan getting the cheapest or lowest price. While average sales people are quickto offer a discount, winners concentrate on showing customers how their productis different than their competitors.
A winners attitude is accepting thefact that you wont close every sale. Winners recognize that a series of nosbrings them that much closer to a yes. Winners may not enjoy losing a sale toa competitor but theyre not going to beat themselves up when it happens,providing, of course, they can say that they did everything in their power tocapture that business.
A winners attitude means learningfrom every sales interaction to improve your future results. Winners take everyopportunity to learn. A sales manager once told me that he evaluated everysingle sale when he first took on a new territory many years earlier. Thisbrief analysis and self-critique helped him improve his performance so hedidnt repeat his mistakes. Plus, in each subsequent sales call, he modifiedhis approach slightly, and in a few short years, sales in his territoryincreased many times over.
A winners attitude is one ofoptimism and enthusiasm. The most successful people I know all have a greatoutlook. They know that every cloud has a silver lining, and when stuffhappens, they recover quickly. They look for ways to prevent stuff fromoccurring because they learn from every situation (see above point). Winnersdont dwell on the pastthey focus on the future because they realize that theycant change what has already happened. However, they do know that they CANinfluence what happens from that point forward.
Sales managers who possess awinners attitude work with their sales reps instead of chastising them for alost sales opportunity. Winning sales managers coach their team, go on salescalls with their reps, and provide on-going training for their sales people.They also go to bat for their team and support help in every way possible.Sales managers with a winners attitude celebrate individual and team resultsand they foster a strong sense of pride within the organization. Ultimately,they lead by example and create a team of winners.
What are you doing to develop awinners attitude?
2008 Kelley Robertson, All rightsreserved.
About the Author:
To read more articles on
To promote your company, product and services via promotional article, followthis link:
Comments