Have you made any new year’s resolutions? Why not start the new year off with some sales resolutions of what you’re not going to do? You just might have a better chance of keeping them if you do. Here are a few ideas to consider.
I am not going to present a solution without a quantified problem.
Do you want to avoid losing a sale? Now is the time to think about what you can do to prevent deals from falling apart. What’s the biggest mistake that many salespeople make? They present their product or service too soon. The customer doesn’t understand there’s a compelling reason to make the change and buy from the salesperson. Why? The customer thinks that the effort to change isn’t worth it and simply decides to stay with his current supplier and what he already has.
You can avoid making this mistake when you decide this year not to present your solution to your prospect or customer unless you know how much the problem, need or want is costing. When you quantify the amount it means that your customer also knows the amount, too. A large dollar amount indicates a significant problem. It’s almost impossible to do nothing when the problem is quantified. You have now avoided hearing a prospect say, “I’ll think about it.” You also realize that if the problem doesn’t cost much, you’re probably not going to get the sale anyway.
I am not going to wear myself out.
You schedule your sales appointments, so why not schedule time this year for you to take care of yourself? What do you enjoy? What brings you joy? Is it reading or watching movies or simply doing nothing? Whatever brings you joy is something that needs to be part of your life this year. Joy is what you need to prevent wearing yourself out. Schedule the time this year to include the activities you enjoy.
I am not saying that you won’t work hard this year. I’m sure you will. The most successful salespeople I know are hard workers. They also don’t wear themselves out.
Another benefit of not wearing yourself out is that you get to nurture the people who care about you. It’s the worn out salespeople who alienate their families and friends with complaints. You need the support of people who care about you. Your family and friends will be much more supportive when you’re less grouchy. Happier, positive people make better salespeople, too.
Now would be a good time to plan how you are going to take care of yourself if you haven’t thought about it yet.
Welcome to the new year and what you’re not going to do this year. Why not see if you can do less this year and get more sales instead?
Best wishes for a successful new year!
