Need a dose of inspiration to boost sales before the calendar year is over? Working to hit that stretch goal? How about a way to move a stalled sales opportunity to closure? In the many years I’ve been a seller it seems that what has worked well for me is to try something different – to get out of my own way of thinking and find a different approach with a buyer or a market sector. Also what works is to do MORE of the activities that lead to helping buyers. If you are NOT talking to enough buyers you won’t close enough business. Make more time for buyers, customers, and those who can refer you, and less time with busy work that keeps you away from the folks I just mentioned.
MAKE MORE TIME FOR BUYERS
Here are 30 ideas you can review to find one or two that resonate with where you are and what is in your pipeline. Next we’ll talk about ways to set yourself up for success heading into the new year. For now, which one jumps out at you below?
- Meet with a prospecting coach and get unstuck
- Meet with an accountability partner – commit to specific daily prospecting activities and follow up activities
- Determine what you are struggling with in contacting buyers and find a way to do it
- Meet with the most successful seller in your company or on your team – success leaves clues – pick up one idea from them that you can apply immediately
- Improve your time management
- Learn more about your clients’ issues and help them solve them. It’s about them, not you
- Call up three existing clients and see how you can be of value – with no agenda
- Make that call you have been putting off – you know the one…..
- Look up several former clients or customers you’re not working with anymore – sometimes a simple conversation can restart a past business relationship
- Set aside weekly prospecting time in regular time blocks
- Keep track of all sales opportunities with BETTER notes. Record if possible
- Update your sales opportunities daily
- Find a mentor you admire
- Call 50 people or meet 50 people and hone your intro (or value proposition)
- Get feedback on your listening skills
- Make a list of 10 places to get new biz
- Find a new audience for your product or service
- Learn 20 new power phrases
- Analyze what you say that is negative
- Target 10 companies you want to work with
- Create a plan of action for those 10 companies
- Set an activity goal to book 20 virtual meetings
- Think of stories that you can use to better connect with prospects
- Analyze what past customers or clients have bought from you
- Offer a new service which your market wants
- Post on LinkedIn as a long form post about the challenges you solve, in a totally informational, helpful way. Become seen as a thought leader in your industry through content creation – it takes time, but is so worth it.
- Say "yes, and" rather than "no, but" - in the spirit of improv
- Create urgency with an offer
- Ask for referrals
- Obtain endorsements, showing measurable value, from 5 clients
What did we miss?
Post your ideas on Twitter mentioning #30WaysQ4 @scoremoresales
Lori Richardson helps mid-sized companies grow revenues by solving key issues in their sales department - like recruiting, retention, diversity hiring, process, pipeline and leadership. She speaks at CEO groups on topics of sales growth. Clients include companies in the technology, telecom, manufacturing, distribution, and professional services industries. Subscribe to the award-winning blog, follow her on Twitter
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