Ready, Set, Sell: Turn Simple Habits into Top Organizational Performance

Your sales team is one of the greatest assets your company has. But how do they maintain your company’s strong standing and keep the company moving forward? They utilize sales strategies. The organizational practices of your sales team can make or break your business. Without them, your business isn’t  going to produce the results you want to see.

A late businessman, William Clement Stone, once said: “Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman, not the attitude of the prospect.” A great place to start is by looking at your top sales people. What do they do to keep the prospect’s attention? How are they closing so many successful sales? How do they keep their head high when a sale falls through? Try analyzing the habits of your best sales people and see what you can come up with. Your sales team will succeed directly based on the attitudes and high standards they set for themselves.

Here are some practices to help maximize your team’s performance:

  1. Analyze your success

Don’t wait for the metrics and stats given to you by your manager to track your progress. Analyze each sale and failure to see how you can improve for the next time. Not only will this help you for future sales, but will also show your manager how on top of your work you are. It’s a win-win for everyone.

  1. Set rules in place, but don’t nag

Sales teams thrive when they have strict components to follow. However, that doesn’t mean that you need a sales manager to be breathing down your back each minute to make sure that you’re doing what you’re supposed to do. One of the keys to a successful sales team is to let each member get in their own schedule that works around the teams’ schedule. Sales people shouldn’t have to stop and check-in every 30 minutes. Let them find their own routine so they can work at the best of their abilities.

  1. Encourage your prospects to engage before the end of a meeting

Most sales people wait until the end of a meeting to allot time for questions and comments. Why wait until the end? Tell your prospect at the beginning of the meeting to ask questions or explain their concerns when one arises. This could make your prospect more satisfied because every question they have will already have been answered. This small change can increase your closing ratios significantly.

  1. Never skip a follow-up opportunity

Most sales don’t close on the first contact, maybe not even on the second. It can take multiple touches to get your potential clients to trust you and your product. Do not hesitate to follow up. These opportunities just may be your actual sale.

  1. Know what you want

Have a purpose before starting your sales. What goal do you want to achieve? Habits like this make your salespeople find a direction they want to take and stick to it throughout the process. The best sales people know what they want before starting so they know what they are aiming for and every action they make gets them closer to success.

  1. Utilize KPI’s

Meaningful metrics tie performance levels to behavioral changes that make good salespeople even better. KPIs are a good way to increase profitability for your business. Salespeople use KPIs to measure long-term success. While it isn’t an exact measurement, it is better than making an educated guess to forecast your sales growth. It can be useful to measure month-to-month growth, year-to-year, etc. Even using KPIs to measure the amount of time your salespeople are on the phone can be useful. Utilizing this technique can keep you ahead and focused on your firm’s goals.

  1. Celebrate

Celebrate after each sale! This is a habit that can be done with the sales manager. Hang up a bell that your sales people can ring each time they make a sale. Or find something else that your sales people can do to let others know they’ve helped the company get one step closer to your goal. Celebrating is a great way to boost morale.

Sales teams are key players in your business. Focus on collaboration. Each effective habit will lead the team to remember the bigger picture. Each sale is a celebration of your team, not just the individual. What other habits does your sales team use to maximize performance?

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