Successful Sales start with the Sales Professional

It is almost time.  The 10-30 seconds before you get ready to speak with your customer.  Regardless if this is over the telephone, through internet chat or face-to-face, you will be speaking with a customer with the ultimate goal of having them purchase your product. 


There are a few reasons you get out of bed and go to work every day.  But as the day goes on, we forget why we come to work.  

This is your chance. Make sure you are not going through your work day from one customer to the next without self-purpose.  When we lose our purpose as sales professionals, we lose focus.  This focus is needed in a profession where customers, peers, co-workers, managers and many others are pulling for your time and attention – taking your focus away.   


Now is the time to remind yourself and focus on why you got out of bed and went to work.  To think about, what you want and how you will get it. You need to be hungry as a sales professional.  That competitive edge is important to make sure you stand out from the rest as one of the best.  You need to remind yourself why you give it your all at work.  What that paycheck and bonus means to you and your family and the personal satisfaction of helping improve your customer’s lives. Now is the time to visualize success.  Close your eyes and watch the short film about your upcoming successful sales interaction with your customer.  See yourself reaching your goal – finishing your customer interaction with the contract and going back to your manager and peers with your win. 


Some may see this as self-centered.  As bragging.  And it is!   


The question is how you do this.  Is it quietly, as you see yourself reaching your goal?  When you reach your goal, call your manager, that is ok too.  Get yourself a “Good Job!” and then go get the next one. Now, if you start calling everyone you know, posting it on social media, taking the rest of the day off.  This is bragging!  To be the best in sales, we all need to be hungry.  We all need to visualize and prepare ourselves for success.  We all need that pat on the back for a job well done. 


Now go get the next one! 


One last comment for those of you who think this is a self-centered approach to sales:  In the first line I wrote that this is “The 10-30 seconds before you get ready to speak with your customer.”  What comes next is the transition from focusing on “You” to focusing on the customer.  Right before you interact with your customer, take a deep breath, focus your emotions, move to that happy place and start to focus on what the customer wants and needs for the rest of the interaction. 


by Chris Houghtaling