Do you follow a sales process?

Congratulations if you answer “yes” and actually commit to a sales process. Evidently, you are responsive to the power of practicing a proven results oriented sales process. If you answer no, please examine the following benefits of an exceptional sales process and adapt them as your daily discipline.

Nearly all sales professionals deem themselves in control of the sales process. Conversely, it is the prospect that possesses full control. The sales person falsely assumes he/she controls the sales process. However, buyers have created a buyers process of their own which they abide by repeatedly.

Consider the facts. It is the prospects who ask questions, qualify sales people and as a result, dismiss them. These are the components of the buyer’s process. Revisit your last job as a sales professional. How would you rate your sales process? Did you ask the essential questions to qualify a prospect? Did you dismiss them because they were not qualified? Were you able to handle the sales process in such a manner to sustain a lasting relationship with said prospect?

These are valid questions and your answers should categorically advance your sales process. Turn your sales process around and put yourself in control. Build a strong relationship by simply allowing the prospect to sense control. A successful sales process emphasizes the ability to listen emphatically and to be genuinely interested.

All human interaction depends on rapport and trust to establish effective communication. Trust is one of the most important aspects of any sales process. Without trust, there is no communication.

As soon as trust is established, the parties progress to the next step in the sales process. They must set mutually agreeable parameters in order to move forward collectively and eliminate any unpleasant surprises.

Valuable sales process parameters are: allocating time for meetings; formulating objectives; documenting view points primarily of the customer followed by those of the sales professional; and attaining permission to ask questions and take notes. Maximize your sales process by forthright communication involving clear “yes” or “no” answers and eliminate TIO (think it over) responses. Demonstrate you do not want to waste the prospect‘s valuable time.

When you have earned the prospect’s trust and have established clear and precise parameters, the ensuing sales process is straightforward.

Follow a proven results oriented sales process and reap the benefits. You will benefit from control of the sales process and build lasting relationships which lead to referrals. You will formulate a secondary sales force, shorten your sales cycle times, increase margins and profits, and finally, contribute to the bottom line. A successful sale begins and ends with an altruistic sales process.

Visit www.BobU.com to download your complimentary White Paper “The New Economy of Buyers, Why Traditional and Consultative Selling Methods No Longer Work”

Sales Velocity. Your Bottom Line. Our Passion

Sales motivation and sales training is more important than ever before, but not during pay time – when sales are being made.

Nonetheless, what do most organizations do when revenues heads south? They cut costs, typically in the wrong areas such as training, sales conferences, coaching and sale personnel.

Sales motivation does not exist. They create an environment of uncertainty.

Somewhere along the way the corporate world must understand that the economic world revolves around sales. There won’t be any transactions without sales and consequently, there is no revenue without transactions.

Without revenue, organizations cannot survive, and no one would have a job. Sales are the heart of most jobs in an organization.

Sales are by far the most important profession in every organization, in every industry, and in every country in the world. The world revolves around sales. Without sales, the economy dwindles and we head directly into a recession. We cannot stay afloat without sales motivation and sales training.

During no pay time periods when sales are slow, or low, is not the time to cut back in sales personnel, sales training, or sales motivation. This is the time to step up, motivate and train the present sales force.

Why? First sales motivation and sales training is a no pay time behaviour. That means that these activities need to be done during slow times, low sales periods, or during off seasons. The last thing you want to do is conduct sales motivation or sales training during pay time periods. That will cost you in lost revenues and commissions, and nobody wants to lose out in these areas.

There is a definite need to target efforts in a direction that will give you measurable results within a short period of time – R.O.T.I. – Return On Time Invested. Marketing and prospecting activities need to plan out to give you the best ROTI.

It is most important to engage, create and maintain a vibrant and sales motivating environment. One in which the sales people and the support team take ownership.

How do you do that?

Your can improve your current environment. Get your team together and engage them in finding the solution. Make it the team’s idea and allow them to take ownership and ultimately, make it happen. Now is the time for Management to be the facilitator and/or coach. Help your sales team get where they want to go.

As an expert in motivation, I know you cannot make someone else motivated. Only you can motivate you. Management can simply create an environment in which people motivate themselves.

Any attempt to motivate someone else is considered external motivation. External motivation is temporary and usually doesn’t last. However, personal or internal motivation is the true and deepest form of motivation. Internal motivation is everlasting.

We must engage teams to challenge themselves and find the solutions. I reiterate the need to create an ideal environment in which motivation comes from within the individual. In turn, that forward moving environment will stem from Management’s support and trust in the sales team.

There is an additional challenge. People have a natural tendency to be negative especially during slow or uncertain times. I strongly suggest you turn that negativity into a challenge. Firstly, re-secure your team’s trust before moving forward. If the organization has already contributed to cost cutting by eliminating part of the team and/or the sales training and conferences; then, involve the remaining team to work on the solutions.

They must believe in themselves and the future of the organization. Management can turn a negative into a positive with the right perspective and discipline. Move sales motivation and sales training to the front of the class and don’t ignore the possibilities of positive reinforcement.

Do you have a system to increase the velocity of your sales and put you in control of your profession? If not you are out of control!

Consider the “Buyer Focused” Velocity Selling System to be put you in control and to Up your Bottom line in weeks, not months. A sales process that is as simple as ABC, with a shot of double D.

A. You cannot build anything without a solid foundation and the same applies to the sales process. The A in the Velocity Selling System is for Attitude – the foundation of all successful sales people. Without a positive attitude and belief in you, there is no foundation upon which to build a successful organization, or winning products and services or benefit from market growth.

Sales professionals need a sales process to reflect, confirm and take hold of their attitude. A sales process is realizing you have the ability to turn your proletarian attitude into a millionaire’s attitude. A sales process assists in overcoming fear and dealing with rejection. As part of the essential sales process, a millionaire’s attitude will help increase productivity and save time and money.

Sales professionals need a sales process that will reflect an owner’s mentality and will uphold the organization’s mission statement, endorse the products and services and provide clear direction for team members.

Sale professionals need a sales process to reflect, confirm and take hold of their attitude toward the market. A well thought out sales process will reveal how they are perceived while profiling the ideal prospect. A sales process allows a complete understanding of the competition and a compassionate attitude.

B. Sales professionals should have a sales process based upon an optimistic, positive attitude; however, such an attitude is not enough to guarantee long term sales success. You need goals and an action plan to get you where you want to go. The B in the Velocity Selling System is for Behavior – the daily actions required to accomplish goals.

A sales process which includes personal and organizational goals also requires attuned behaviours. A sales process involves market targeting. There is no motivation, no ownership mentality and no drive to go the extra mile if a sales process disregards goals and behaviours.

Sales professionals need a sales process to study the relationship between consistent, positive behaviours and success. The first step is learning this on a personal level. Sales professionals call for a sales process to identify and develop personal goals. They need a sales process to develop an action plan based on the reason they come to work everyday.

Sales professionals also require a sales process to track equivalent procedures, to increase goals, to expand action plans and to acquire behaviors for organizational objectives. A progressive sales process will consistently improve upon time management skills.

Sales professionals could do with a sales process to be familiar with “how to” target their sales efforts through the 80/20 rule. A sales process will implement the ABC target model while obtaining pertinent industry, organizational and client information.

You now have the right attitude towards yourself, your organization and your buyer. You have person goaIs and are self-motivated, knowing why you are going to work. You have work goals, an owner’s mentality and manage your paytime and no paytime activities.

You have created a personal marketing plan and you know how to get the best return on time invested in your prospecting and have your gain, retain and regain strategies in place.

Now you are ready to go face your prospects

C. Traditional sales training has placed all its efforts on sales techniques. In this “Buyer Focused” sales approach the C in the Velocity Selling System is for Competency – the capability of following a sales results process utilizing appropriate sales competencies to build and maintain long term relationships.

There are no meaningful sales results and valuable time is wasted without the implementation of a sales results process and without sales competencies.

The Velocity Selling System is simple. In order to build a long term relationship, one must first establish a strong rapport. Sales professionals need to learn about the relationship selling model, the components of the rapport pie and how to build rapport in the first 30 seconds of meeting.

Following the Velocity Selling System you will know that once rapport has been established, relevant questions can then be asked. Sales professionals must discover why questions are so important, the type of questions that should be asked and how to respond to questions from the prospect or client without giving free consulting.

Sales professionals who follow the Velocity Selling System know the right questions to ask and the importance of listening carefully to the answers, and how to question those answers to help the prospect discover their real emotional needs.

The sales process incorporates learning how to qualify opportunities by setting parameters, uncovering buying motivators, financial capabilities, decision making processes and summarizing prior to making a proposal or presentation. This step in the sales process is referred to here as a prescription.

Sales professionals utilize the Velocity Selling System to prescribe solutions specific to the customer’s requirements. This sales process engages and empowers the buyer to buy while allowing you to retain the buyer, to keep competitors out and to build up the account to its maximum potential.

Once the prospect has purchased the solution, the sales professionals who abide by the Velocity Selling System will know how to maintain the relationship, develop the account for more business and obtain new prospect introductions and referrals.

We have discussed the Disciplines of Attracting, Engaging and Empowering Buyers with the “Buyer Focused” Sales Velocity System, but to Up Your Bottom Line in Weeks, not Months, you need the final component – the Double D. – Your Daily Disciplines.

DD. It is taking those long range goals, dreams and desires and breaking them down to years, years to quarters, quarters to months, months to weeks and weeks to simple little daily disciplines and then doing what you have to do even when you don‘t want to do it. .

Daily Discipline is the key. It is respecting a commitment to the most important person in the world – Doing what you have to do, even when you do not want to do it. Then it is to recognize and reward that discipline, so that it gets repeated, as any behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated. However in this case the behaviors, your daily disciplines, are timely, effective, appropriate, productive, proactive, focused and action oriented towards your bottom line.

Take action today and Learn How to Execute the Disciplines of Attracting, Engaging and Empowering the “Buyer Focused” Sales Velocity System, to Up Your Bottom Line in Weeks, not Months.

To download your complimentary White Paper “The New Economy of Buyers, Why Traditional and Consultative Selling Methods No Longer Work”, visit www.BobU.com

Sales Velocity. Your Bottom Line. Our Passion

The economy brought on a shift from selling during the boom times to attracting, engaging and empowering the new economy of buyers to buy.

Traditional and consultative sales methods no longer work. The sales cycle is longer than need be and the margins are dropping.

Buyers have been educated by sales people regarding all imaginable sales techniques. Unfortunately, salespeople don’t even realize they have lost control.

Sales people also need to change the way they are selling. The traditional dog-and-pony show, or feature and benefit dump will no longer work.

Clients, in today’s new economy, are looking for salespeople who bring them value. They want sales people who take the time to truly understand a client’s business and needs.

Clients appreciate salespeople who ask pertinent questions and listen intently, at the same time as demonstrating genuine concern for the client instead of themselves. Clients respect salespeople who are in it for the long term relationship and not simply for the money.

To succeed in the new economy of buyers, you need to do the opposite of selling. You need to attract, engage and empower buyers to buy.

“Keep doing what you have always done and you will get what you have always gotten.”

Most strategic planning emphasizes a target to increase sales and to up the bottom line. Sales and Sales Management skill sets must keep pace with the new economy of buyers in this high-tech, global society.

This is probably one reason why Sales Training is so prevalent on the Internet, at public seminars, and including in-house customized programs.

Another reason is sales training offers Management and individual sales professionals a high return on investment. For example, where else could you invest $1 with a realistic expectation of a $10 or more return in revenue?

If you, as a Corporate Executive, entrepreneur or professional salesperson are considering sales training, ensure it is a “buyer focused” sales training system supporting today‘s new economy of buyers.

Once you understand how buyers buy and how they control the sales process, you will want to change how you conduct your sales. Buyers follow a system, and salespeople must do the same. You must integrate a selling system that attracts, engages, and empowers the buyer to buy, not one that sells to the buyer.

A buyer focused selling system will maximize time and provide measurable results. You will enable buyer attraction, engagement, and qualification. Once the prospect is qualified, you will have the control to empower the buyer to buy, increase the velocity of your selling cycle, increase your margins and revenues, and ultimately, up your bottom line.

It is crucial to your overall success to begin with a strong foundation that will adequately support the productive behaviours within the Selling System.

A brand new positive and proactive attitude will certainly attract more buyers.
Changing your ineffective behaviours or habits into defined daily disciplines and efficient habits will provide you with more focused targeting. The result will be a better return on time invested (R.O.T.I.).

A buyer focused selling system requires organizations to be committed to doing what is “right” and demonstrating the appropriate behaviours on an ongoing basis. This includes tracking and analyzing behaviours to increase call-to-close ratios, or if necessary, turning away business. It also means being ethical and acting with integrity even when it’s easy or tempting not to.

Buyer Focused Sales training and Sales Management Training training in today’s new economy will contribute more to your bottom line than any other activity.

All sales professionals, entrepreneurs or Corporate Executives must remember that sales revenue is the life line to up your bottom line. Without buyers, there are no sales. Without sales, there are no revenues. The world revolves around sales, but more importantly, it now needs to revolve around buyers. Buyers are everywhere. What are you doing to help them buy?

Visit www.BobU.com to download your complimentary White Paper “The New Economy of Buyers, Why Traditional and Consultative Selling Methods No Longer Work”
Sales Velocity. Your Bottom Line. Our Passion

Sales’ coaching is the best way to help your sales team (your customer) hit their target. Progressive sales coaching can also guide salespeople to exceed their initial target and consistently maintain sales results. Sales’ coaching gets the sales results that your organization requires in order to stay in business.

Aren’t sales coaching and sales results the primary focus and responsibility of every sales manager?

Why do most sales managers shy away from sales coaching? Is it because they don’t know how to sell? Are they more concerned about their careers and company politics? Do they think they are better than their customers (their sales team) because they are now managers? Is it because their boss never gives them the time of day and now they are mimicking those behaviors?

Wake UP! Do you want your sales team to build and maintain relationships and to service their customers? Then you have to demonstrate appropriate behavior toward your customers and your sales team. Are you building and maintaining relationships with your customers and your sales team with effective sales coaching? If not, do not expect them to.

You cannot give something to the outside world until you have secured it on the inside. Do you have the knowledge, the will and the desire to coach? Remember one thing; you are the leader – “monkey see, monkey do”. Are you demonstrating appropriate behavior that your salespeople can emulate? Sales coaching can teach appropriate behavior, and you can achieve the sales results your organization envisions.

The Bottom Line – If you want sales results, you have to invest time with the people who will get those results. Every salesperson appreciates enthusiastic sales coaching. What is holding you back from being a great sales coach and paving the way for better results?

Visit www.BobU.com and download your complimentary White Paper titled: The New Economy of Buyers: Why Traditional and Consultative Selling Methods No Longer Work.

You paid the price to make your dreams a reality by mastering self-discipline and personal leadership. Now you are in a position to inspire others to be results oriented and self-motivated during these trying times.

As you know, this is not the case with some team leaders. Many team leaders are not in control of their own lives. They are not motivated or inspiring or more importantly, results oriented. They may not be aware of the importance of said qualities in a leader. It is virtually impossible to give to others, if you don’t have it to give.

If you are this type of team leaders, you must to take an inside-out approach toward self improvement. Begin by taking stock of your personal attributes. Find out what inspires you and use it to motivate yourself in a positive direction. Make every effort to achieve the results you desire.

A leader no longer directs people but develops self-motivated individuals. A leader doesn’t micro manage; instead he/she builds a team that can manage on its own and one that has influential work ethics.

A leader wears many hats. He/she can play an administrative role or function as a part-time psychologist. A leader is the “guardian” of the bottom-line, an enthusiast, a team builder, and a good listener. A leader credits others for a job well done; and offers praise and recognition for outstanding effort and solid results.

An effective team consists of many characteristics. A team must have a purpose and that purpose is defined by the mission. The team mission is a summary of the team’s objectives. It is a statement that serves to direct and motivate the team in pursuit of its goals.

The team’s mission is driven by the organization’s vision. The organization’s vision provides a “big picture” perspective that serves to align people, ideas, and attitudes. It must, however, be communicated to team members in such a way that they are inspired to be part of it. To be successful, the team must align its purpose or mission with the organization’s vision.

Each team member must participate in the development of effective team goals. By doing so, team members will know exactly what is expected of them; and can commit to working closely with one another in pursuit of the team’s overall goals.

Within the team, members must establish a high degree of communication, trust, support and cohesiveness. The team must be flexible and choose effective problem solving methods that will facilitate sound decision-making. It is no longer effective for a team leader to use authority in the decision making process. It has been proven that a consultative or consensus approach to decision making is much more effective and allows for greater freedom for team members.

However, there must be more than just freedom. There should always be an element of fun as part of the team culture. There are many ways to do this. Give your team a name that will echo the team’s mission. The name may also, reflect the characteristics of the members.

Team members must know how to conduct effective meetings by:

• having an agenda
• setting the ground rules
• stipulating the objectives
• following appropriate procedures
• allocating individual roles and responsibilities

Review and establish effective methods for action planning, monitoring, communication, evaluation and follow up. Each member should also demonstrate appropriate personal, interpersonal and group task behaviors.

Team members must be empowered and trusted so they will perform their job to the best of their ability. They will be more action-oriented and committed to implementing the plan. A leader is there to coach the members, not to direct them. There will be failures; however, with each failure one learns a valuable lesson.

A good leader must demonstrate the appropriate behaviors that stimulate team morale, encourage individual participation, and offer a chance to lead. In the end, you will move forward with confidence along side your strong results oriented and self motivated team.

Learn How to Execute the Disciplines of Attracting, Engaging and Empowering the “Buyer Focused” Velocity Selling System, to Up Your Bottom Line

For you complimentary White Paper “The New Economy of Buyers, Why Traditional and Consultative Selling Methods No Longer Work” visit www.BobU.com

Sales Velocity. Your Bottom Line. Our Passion

Motivation, no matter if it is self motivation or employee motivation, is defined as a motive to act. What motivates you and gets you to act, does not necessarily mean it will work for others, or lead to employee motivation.

No one can motivate you, only you can motivate yourself. You cannot motivate others. As a sales team leader all you can do is demonstrate appropriate behaviours and create an environment where employees motivate themselves.

There are two types of employee, or self, motivation. There are external motivators and internal motivators.

External motivators are the things like awards, bonuses, titles, promotions, money, etc. The problem with external motivators when it comes to employee, or self, motivation is that they are never lasting. As soon as you get one of them, you want a bigger one.

Let’s pretend we are a team and we had a great year. We decide to give everyone a $5,000 bonus. Everyone is happy and employee motivation is at an all time high.

A year goes by and your organization did not have such a great year and may have to lay off some team members. But you meet as a team again, as you always have. What would the employees be expecting in terms of a bonus?

To maintain employee motivation, you would have to consider giving them more, as that is what they are expecting. However, you cannot even match the previous year’s bonus. This will then lead to employee de-motivation. The old donkey and carrot story.

External motivators are never lasting and that is why sales leaders should focus on the alternative, internal employee motivation, as it is ever lasting.

Motivation, like success, comes from the inside out, not from the external to the internal.
To know internal motivators first means getting to know oneself – what you want to be, do or have in life. Combine that clear definition with passion and you will be self motivated.

When you are self-motivated, you can then demonstrate appropriate behaviours. When you go the extra step and recognize or reward your appropriate behaviours, those behaviours will get repeated.

However, we can only give away that what we have inside. If, as a sales leader you are self critical, you will criticize others. If you recognize yourself for the good that you do, you will see it in others and recognize them too.

Recognition is ranked as the number one motivating factor when it comes to employee motivation in the workplace. You may find it hard to believe, but recognition is the most powerful employee motivator of all. Research has shown that there is a stronger need in society today for recognition than there is for sex and money. Now, that says something about employee motivation.

Employee motivation is positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcements is what builds our self-esteem. Our self-esteem is the way we see and feel about ourselves either internally, through our own beliefs, or externally through what we accept as the beliefs of others.

If we feel good about ourselves and we believe others feel good about us, we perform better than we would when we see the opposite side of the coin. Employee motivation starts from within.

People perform in a manner that is consistent with how they see themselves conceptually. So, the key as a sales leader is to help your salespeople build their self-esteem. That is the foundation of employee motivation.

Employee motivation through recognition is positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement of actions gets those actions repeated. Recognition and praise reinforces beliefs about oneself and helps make one think they are better than they thought they were. That is what employee motivation is all about.

Learn How to Execute the Disciplines of Attracting, Engaging and Empowering the “Buyer Focused” Velocity Selling System, to Up Your Bottom Line

For you complimentary White Paper “The New Economy of Buyers, Why Traditional and Consultative Selling Methods No Longer Work” visit www.BobU.com

Sales Velocity. Your Bottom Line. Our Passion

The competencies of sales professionals are numerous but boil down to human interaction, communication, and relationship building. As a sales professional, you must establish rapport and build trust, communicate effectively, and develop and maintain lasting relationships if you are to succeed in the sales profession.

In order to build a long-term relationship, it is imperative to first establish rapport with your client. You need to know how to build rapport quickly so that you can gain the trust that is needed to ask questions and get answers. You need two basic communications skills – asking the questions and listening to the responses. What is the point of asking questions if you are too busy thinking of other questions to ask and not really listening to the answers?

At one time sales professionals were taught to follow the golden rule “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.” That was a great rule to follow. Under the golden rule it is acceptable to believe you are the most important person in the world and to acknowledge that how you treat yourself is also how you should treat others.

However, over the years the golden rule has been replaced with the Platinum rule – “Do onto others as they would have done onto themselves.” The platinum rule takes on a different approach. Simply stated, when you are with another person treat them the way they would like to be treated, and not necessarily the way you would want to be treated. For that reason, we have to change our sales approach.

Who becomes the most important person in the world when a salesperson convenes with a prospect or a client? I hope you set aside the golden rule and choose the prospect or client. You would be right. We all know that without a prospect or a client, you have absolutely no chance of selling anything. Do you agree? Good.

If the prospect or client is the most important person in the world as it pertains to sales, then we must follow the platinum rule. It certainly is in our best interest to treat them the way they want to be treated. The universal needs of buyers take priority.

There are basically four universal needs that sales professionals must address in order to satisfy buyers. The first one is buyers have a need to be understood. This simply means we must listen to them and question them to better understand them. The problem many salespeople have is the lack of listening skills.

They don’t listen intently and they don’t question the answers they receive in order to generate even more information. I am eager to share more facts about questioning skills in another article. Please watch for it.

The second universal need is buyers need to feel welcomed. How do you welcome people that come and visit you at home? Do you welcome prospects and clients the same way on their own premises?

Buyers need to feel important. How important do you make them feel in your presence? I urge you to show you are interested by asking questions and taking notes.

Buyers also have the need to feel comfortable. How can you make them feel more comfortable? The Velocity Selling Cycle has these answers and more. I encourage you to get onboard today. It’s an “eye opening” ride to the top. One you won’t want to miss.

Visit www.BobU.com and download your complimentary White Paper: The New Economy of Buyers. Why Traditional and Consultative Selling Methods no Longer Work.

Nonetheless, what do most organizations do when the economy heads south? They cut costs, typically in the wrong areas such as training, sales conferences, coaching and sale personnel. Sales motivation does not exist. They create an environment of uncertainty as well as contributing to and supporting the downfall of the economy.

Somewhere along the way the corporate world must understand that the economic world revolves around sales. There won’t be any transactions without sales and consequently, there is no revenue without transactions. Without revenue, organizations cannot survive, and no one would have a job. Sales is the heart of most jobs in an organization.

Sales is by far the most important profession in every organization, in every industry, and in every country in the world. The world revolves around sales. Without sales, the economy dwindles and we head directly into a recession. We cannot stay afloat without sales motivation.

Now is not the time to cut back in sales personnel, sales training, or sales motivation. Now is the time to step up and to increase your sales force or at least, maintain and motivate the present sales force.

Why? It is not considered selling simply by taking orders during a booming economy. It is necessary that organizations have a strong, sales motivational structure during these uncertain times. The sales group must seek out sales transactions even when their prospects are few and far between.

There is a definite need to target efforts in a direction that will give you measurable results within a short period of time – R.O.T.I. – Return On Time Invested.

Marketing and prospecting activities need to step up because one must do more to sell and do more to maintain any sales during this uncertain economy.

In order to accomplish all these things and many more that are unlisted, you need a sales motivating environment. You also need a sales motivated Management team to support a motivated sales team.

It is most important to engage, create and maintain a vibrant and sales motivating environment. One in which the sales people and the support team take ownership.

How do you do that?

Your can improve your current environment. Get your team together and engage them in finding the solution. Make it the team’s idea and allow them to take ownership and ultimately, make it happen. Now is the time for Management to be the facilitator and/or coach. Help your sales team get where they want to go.

As an expert in motivation, I know you cannot make someone else motivated. Only you can motivate you. Management can simply create an environment in which people motivate themselves.

Any attempt to motivate someone else is considered external motivation. External motivation is temporary and usually doesn’t last. However, personal or internal motivation is the true and deepest form of motivation. Internal motivation is everlasting.

We must engage teams to challenge themselves and find the solutions. I reiterate the need to create an ideal environment in which motivation comes from within the individual. In turn, that forward moving environment will stem from Management’s support and trust in the sales team.

There is an additional challenge. People have a natural tendency to be negative especially during slow or uncertain times. I strongly suggest you turn that negativity into a challenge. Firstly, re-secure your team’s trust before moving forward. If the organization has already contributed to cost cutting by eliminating part of the team and/or the sales training and conferences; then, involve the remaining team to work on the solutions.

They must believe in themselves and the future of the organization. Management can turn a negative into a positive with the right perspective and discipline. Move sales motivation to the front of the class and don’t ignore the possibilities of positive reinforcement.

This confusion is due to opposing views and does not benefit anyone – not you, not the sales professional, and not the buyer.

Below is a list of the top ten characteristics. You will note certain characteristics are followed by a number. That number represents the order of importance.

This article was written in flow, not in order of priority.

We need to understand the word “success” in order to be a successful sales professional. Success implies different things to different people.

The real true definition of success is “the progressive realization of a worthy goal.”

The problem is most people have dreams tucked away in their mind and have never taken the time to put their dreams in writing and to crystallize them into goals.

1. Goal Setting (#3)

The first question is: Do you have personal and professional written goals? These should be goals that are documented on paper and S.M.A.R.T.?

If there are no goals to strive for, there is no motivation, no focus, no plan and certainly no measurement of success. Therefore, one of the key characteristics of a successful sales professional is to have S.M.A.R.T., written personal and professional goals supported by a plan of action.

Goals and a plan of action alone are not enough. You must be self-disciplined, focused, and ready to take action!

2. Self-Discipline

“Discipline is a commitment to the most important person in the world. It means doing what you have to do, even when you don’t want to do it.”

In order to be disciplined, you first need to identify and replace your ineffective habits with appropriate and effective daily behaviors. In turn these practices will quickly become new result-oriented habits which support your personal and professional goals.

When these daily behaviors are completed, you must reward yourself for doing what you said you would do. “Any behavior that gets recognized or rewarded gets repeated”. If you don’t do what you said you would do, you must suffer the consequences and deny yourself any reward. Rewards can be as simple as a cup of coffee or a meal.

However, before you can master the behaviors of goal setting and discipline, you must master your attitude. It is of the utmost importance to have a desire to set goals and to be disciplined.

3. Attitude Control (#1)

You can’t build anything without a solid foundation. Attitude is the foundation for all successful people, not just sales professionals.

Attitude is the “advance person” of our true selves. Its roots are inward and based on past experiences, but its fruit is outward. It is our best friend or our worst enemy. It is more honest and more consistent than our words. It is the thing that either draws people to us or repels them. It is never content until it is expressed. It is the librarian of our past, the speaker of our present, and the prophet of our future. Yet who is in control of your attitude?

Everything revolves around you and your attitude towards yourself, your organization, the team and the products or services that you sell. Take hold of your attitude, realize it is yours and develop an attitude of self-respect, self-confidence, and self-worth. Develop an owner’s mentality and be proactive.

Take control of what is within your control and have a win-win attitude in all that you do. You cannot succeed alone – you need buyers!

4. Buyer Focused

Yes, buyers are everywhere but what are you doing to help them buy?
Are you approaching buyers for your own reasons – promoting yourself, your organization or the products and services you sell? If so, that has nothing to do with being buyer focused. It is being “me” or “sales” focused!

Buyer focused is exactly what it says. A sales professional must be focused on the buyer. Firstly, by identifying and profiling your best buyers – the 20% that gives your 80% of your revenue. Secondly, focus on targeting and attracting those high value buyers. Don’t chase after them by positioning yourself as an expert in the market place whereby they look for you by name. You want to get the best Return on Your Time Invested (R.O.T.I.)

Finally, focus on the four universal needs of buyers as well as on their body language, tonality, words, communication style, interests, needs and desires, budget, timing, etc.

Remember, it is all about the buyer. Without buyers, you have nothing!

5. Facilitate the Buying Process (#7)

Buyer communication boils down to nothing more than asking questions, listening to the answers and questioning the answers to help buyers dig deeper and discover their own needs and solutions.

Successful sales professionals are good facilitators. They know their product and/or service solutions, and the emotional pains or pleasures they unravel. However, they do not “tell and sell” the buyers. Instead sales professionals engage the buyers through the use of pre-scripted questions, leading the buyer to determine their own needs, discover where they feel their pain or pleasure, and identify the cost of doing nothing. They empower the buyer to make the decision to buy based on their needs and the budget and decision processes previously identified. They qualify buyers, as discussed below.

Fact: Before you can ask questions, you must first build trust.

6. Establish Trust (#5)

Establishing trust is all about building rapport or commonality. Relationships are built on trust and you want to build a lasting relationship with buyers. Without trust, buyers will not answer your questions. Your number one objective in sales is to establish trust with buyers. That is achieved by being sincerely buyer focused, as discussed above.

“The more relationships you have, the bigger your network. The bigger your network, the bigger your net worth”.

Once trust is established, you are guaranteed valuable “word of mouth” referrals. They in turn become your secondary sales force.

7. Set Ground Rules (#6)

Two of the biggest complaints about sales people are: they are full of surprises and they waste the buyer’s time.

Once rapport and trust has been established (the buyer does not stop talking), successful sales professionals set ground rules. They can engage the buyer and ask questions such as: How much time have you set aside for our meeting? What is it you would like to accomplish in that time frame? Is it acceptable if we ask each other questions? Do you mind if I take notes? By the way, I may not be able to help you. If I can’t help you, are you okay if I say no, I cannot help you? If I can, I will say yes. Can we be honest with each other and work on a “yes – no” basis?

Note the engaging strategies empowering the buyer.

8. Qualify Buyers

Successful sales professionals ask questions to uncover buying motivators, financial ability, decision making, and they summarize what they’ve learned. It is at the summary stage that they know whether the buyer is qualified or not. If not, they tell them “No”, as discussed in the ground rules. If “yes”, the sales person reaffirms a yes or no answer from the buyer following the presentation.

However, successful sales professionals do not give “all inclusive” presentations. They give prescriptions!

9. Prescribe Solutions

The solution(s) presented are customized based on identified buying motivators, financial ability, decision making and timing as summarize during the qualifying steps. The prescription is based on the rule “Sell today, educate tomorrow”. By doing this, you stay buyer focused but bring more value to the client when you educate them after the sale about all the other benefits not previously discussed.

10. Maintain Relationships

Stay in touch on a personal level and maintain your secondary sales force – word of mouth, referrals, etc.

Conclusion

Of course, there are many other characteristics of a successful sales professional such as being organized, follow through, persistent, patient, honest, trustworthy, professional at all times, good presenter, dresses well, cares, problem solver, results-oriented, doesn’t take rejection personally, enthusiastic and passionate about their profession, their product or service, and the organization they represent.

Based on all the above, take the time to evaluate yourself along side each of these characteristics and identify areas that need improvement.

The first three characteristics of successful sales professionals – attitude, goal setting and discipline – are the foundation to your success in life and not just in sales. Master these three characteristics and you will be well on your way to success in any profession!

The last seven characteristics are the competencies of a proven “Buyer Focused” sales process that can be learned.

All 10 characteristics are part of the internationally proven “Buyer Focused” Velocity Selling System and are discussed in great detail in the book, “Up Your Bottom Line.”

Bob Urichuck is an internationally renowned Velocity Selling Specialist.

For the last 15-years he has worked with fortune 500 companies and mid size businesses to inspire, empower and add Sales Velocity to their Bottom Line. Bob is the Author of “Up Your Bottom Line” and “Disciplined for Life”

Download your complimentary copy of “The New Economy of Buyers: Why Traditional and Consultative Selling Methods No Longer Work”

Sales Velocity. Your Bottom Line. Our Passion