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Sales Coaching

Tips to Make Your 2009 A Happy New (Sales) Year

By Jim Kasper, President & CEO, Interactive Resource Group

Our economic climate has made our jobs as professional salespeople extremely challenging as we seek to retain our existing accounts and generate new ones.

Henry Ford was once quoted as saying, "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right!"

Ford's words ring true in 2009 - perhaps now more than ever. Our economic climate has made our jobs as professional salespeople extremely challenging as we seek to retain our existing accounts and generate new ones. That will require more from us in terms of stronger skills and applying the energies to make our goals reality. The most important lesson we can take from Ford's words is not to allow ourselves to be caught up with the continuing 24-hour cycle of negative news about the recession and the economy. A steady diet of that news will paralyze our efforts to move forward. Remember: those who're left standing at the end of an economic downturn always are the stronger competitors who'll reap the rewards of the improved selling climate.

The end of the old year and the beginning of a new one provides us with an opportunity for personal reflection. The following exercises will stimulate thinking about your past, current, and future circumstances. They enable you to reflect on accomplishments and successes, as well as identify areas for growth. Stop, close the door, shut off the cell phone and the computer, and allow yourself some quality time to answer the following:

1. Think about your most successful sale in 2008. Why was it successful? What did you do to make it happen?

2. Complete the following sentence (pick one):
I used to be more successful than I am today because...
I am more successful today because...

3. List 3 things you no longer do that used to work. Also list why you stopped doing those things.

4. Complete the following sentences:
Here's what I do really well today:
I will be more successful tomorrow if I can be better at:

5. Professional salespeople are hard on themselves over lost sales. As natural-born competitors; we pride ourselves on winning and when we don't, we blame ourselves. The following exercise is designed to look at a lost sale as a learning and growth opportunity instead of dwelling on the negatives.

Think about a sale you've lost during 2008 and why. Then, think about the importance of what you've learned from the experience and how you'll apply that lesson in the future. By doing so, you'll be practicing the time tested rule of…. "That's how we get better and grow."

This exercise may lead you to the realization that you didn't really "lose" the sale. It's quite likely you did everything possible under the circumstances and the sale was simply not yours to lose in the first place. In that circumstance, you can relieve yourself of the burden of blaming yourself and move on. You don't need that baggage to carry around when selling in 2009!

6. Take a glance inside of your "sales toolbox." Are any of your tools rusty? When was the last time you updated or refreshed your sales skills? If it's been over two years, your sales skills may need a "tune-up." Consider attending a training session, update your computer literacy or read up on the latest sales practices in magazines or books. There are a lot of great resources available for you; contact IRG for some source information.

7. Plan to succeed. You will not survive an economic slowdown by simply hoping that you sell more or your current customer base buys more. Remember that your competition will be looking at your accounts for growth, too. Account planning, territory planning, and pre-call planning are the keys to efficient selling in a down economy.

It's time to review account plans or develop them, if you haven't already. Account plans are the "road map" to selling more to your "A" accounts. It may be time to reassess pricing or bundling in order to pick off some of your competitors' offerings.

In addition, you should ask yourself the following questions:

How efficiently are you managing your territory?
How much time do you spend traveling? Are you touching all of the accounts you need to?
How many of your prospect calls are interspersed within current account visits within your territory?
What accounts are at risk and what actions have you taken to reduce that risk?
What value-added activities are you planning for your key accounts?

Jim Kasper is the Founder and President of Interactive Resource Group. Mr. Kasper has over 26 years of practical experience in direct sales, sales management, sales training, and marketing. Contact him at www.salestrainers.com or call 800-891-7355

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