by Bill Blades

Many salespeople boast about how much their organization/products/services have changed in the past few years. But when you take a good look at most companies, you’ll notice that their trade magazine ads look the same as they did five years ago; their trade show booths look just like their competition’s; and the salespeople act and sell like the pack of salespeople out there. Sure, the company may have changed on paper, but in reality, it’s the same old routine.

The fact is that little (make that very little) creativity is found in today’s business environment. Run, run, run and go, go, go does not usually equate with improved sales and margins. Flying across the country and driving from town to town to make an extraordinary number of client visits is OK if your goal is to increase your odometer reading or frequent flyer mileage.

If you really want to change your sales results, you must first change your perception of selling. Too many salespeople believe their job is to simply sell something at a price. While such an approach does result in items sold, the overall results are typically only average. They key to breaking sales records is to first answer two key questions before every sales visit:

1. How is this going to be my best sales visit ever?
2. How is this going to be the best sales presentation the client has ever seen?

If you can’t answer those two basic questions, do not leave the office to waste the client’s time…or your time.

Successful salespeople don’t accept the status quo. They know that even if they become the best in the world, there’s still room for improvement. In fact, no matter how good you believe you are today, you can be 25 percent better in 90 days. Here’s how:

Never make another client visit without 
ample thinking about how you are going 
to bring joy and value to each one of them
Great salespeople think of and for their clients at all times, not just a half hour before their next sales visit. They give more of themselves to their clients than anyone else does. They cut articles out and mail them to clients; they devise ways to provide services that no one else offers; they continually keep in contact with their clients to find out how their needs may be changing. Essentially, they’re No. 1 goal is not to make a sale; rather, it is to bring joy and value to every client a minimum of once monthly.

Take care of the details before your sales visit
Taking care of the little things can pave the way to more closings. Ignoring the little things can blow a deal right out of the water. No later than the night before you see a client, prepare an outline of all the things you want to share and learn. 

Make sure the outline flows logically from one topic to another. That is, one question or comment should lead to the next one. If the outline does not have a good flow, rearrange it until it does. The way you prepare to handle the details will determine the course of events and whether or not you will walk away with a purchase order.

Get an attitude makeover
Successful salespeople must convey a friendly and helpful attitude. While being pleasant to your clients is elementary, it is surprising how many people send out negative signals, telegraphing their dislike for dealing with people.

To maintain a professional and helpful attitude, know in advance how you will handle a disgruntled or demanding client. When you find yourself in a situation with someone who is less than pleasant, you can then simply refer to your alternate plan and handle the situation calmly and diplomatically.

By being friendly, informative, and enthusiastic in every client encounter, you can always exude the best selling personality.

Plan for success
Ninety-eight percent of salespeople operate without a solid plan because as they say, “I don’t have time to plan.” 

Without a plan, though, you’ll never know whether you’re on the right path. Start with a twelve-month plan and work it backward into quarters, to the month, to the week, and then, to the day. As you plan, answer these questions:

1. Who are your next 10 clients going to be?
2. When will they come on board?
3. Which products will they buy?
4. How much will they buy?
5. How will you make it happen? 

If you don’t know the answers to those questions, then you are drifting and cannot offer anything new to your clients. Prepare and stick to a plan today so you can help your clients in the future.

Invest in personal development
First, find a mentor. If you’re not ranked in the top 10 percent of your industry, locate someone who is (even if it’s a competitor) and learn from that person.

If you are already ranked in the top 10 percent, strive to make it into the top 2 percent.

Next, ask yourself, “Who am I currently hanging around and what are they doing to me?” If you routinely associate with people who are negative and unsuccessful, then guess what…you’ll be negative and unsuccessful. You do become just like the majority of people you associate with.

Finally, encourage your company to invest in training and one-on-one education. Most companies invest in equipment and more equipment, but few are progressive enough to invest an adequate amount into training and education.

If your employer is too shortsighted to understand, invest in one-on-one training for yourself. Remember, it’s not a cost; it’s an investment. It will come back to you in big-time dollars.

When you work harder on yourself than on anything else, everyone wins – you, your company and your clients. Invest the time and effort into becoming the best salesperson you can be. That’s the only way to truly “wow” your clients and increase your bottom line.

Bill Blades is a professional speaker, consultant in sales and leadership issues, and the author of Top Gun Selling: Winning Tactics of the Top 2% of Sales People. He can be reached at or emailed at . Visit his Web site at www.williamblades.com.

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