The right activity gets results. It is not just being busy that gets appointments and gets demos and gets deals. One of my favorite slogans in selling is:
Never confuse activity with accomplishment.
Stop telling everyonehow BUSY you are and start having a professional conversation around why you will be successful and accomplish the results you were hired for based on a plan that you have, or will put, in place.
Measure your actions and time spent.
Create a To-do list and work to accomplish the top 3 items on it today.
Make a "bucket" list for all the things you need to get done - by having two separate lists you won't overwhelm yourself.
When it comes to selling, you must have these things in place:
Understanding of exactly who your target market is - where you and your company do their best work
Contacts and connections in that target market
Strategic partners in that industry or geography who can refer multiple people your way
Referrals to those in your target market
Well-crafted messaging: voice mail, e-mail, and for direct conversations.
The act of dialing and emailing enough "more probable" potential prospects each day to give you enough prospects to talk with every day and every week. Unless you get 100% of your business through referral, you need to be prospecting every day.
Qualifying as you talk with potential new buyers - are they a right fit for your company, and vice-versa?
Recording your results and setting next actions - do this in time blocks, or chunks so as to not interrupt your calling and emailing routine.
Important
Now - here's the most important part. Think of what else you have been doing today and how MUCH of your time was spent on any or all of the above, as opposed to time wasting, grazing online, planning personal activities away from the office, thinking about your vacation, and talking to your co-workers. You know what grazing is, right? Mindless web surfing - you pick up some information for prospecting but mostly you are wasting your efforts and looking at stuff that has NOTHING to do with your prospects, your messaging, or you getting a deal closed.
I talk a lot about focus - a most critical element to your success in selling.
Inside Sales Power Tip 122 was about Keeping Your Focus. I encourage re-reading it.
Inside Sales Power Tip 145 was about Execution - while action and execution are similar, I don't think we could talk about it enough since it is so critical for your success. Did you read Tip 145 and take any of the suggestions to heart?
What THREE actions can you take right now that will bring you closer to one of your sales opportunities closing?
Do the first one now. I'll wait.
Successful sellers are in continual motion moving conversations and potential opportunities forward.
It is time to get off your slow moving pace and ramp thing up. You have less time than you think you do, and probably you don't have enough prospects to close the business you need to close to make your numbers.
Lori Richardson is recognized on Forbes as one of the "Top 30 Social Sales Influencers" worldwide. Lori speaks, writes, trains, and consults with inside sales teams in mid-sized companies. Subscribe to the award-winning blog and the "Sales Ideas In A Minute" newsletter for sales strategies, tactics, and tips in selling. Increase Opportunities. Expand Your Pipeline. Close More Deals.
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