There are many habits that successful salespeople share. Some of the most common ones include:
- Setting clear goals
- Time management
- Planning
- Persistence
- Communication skills
- Empathy
- Adaptability
- Continuous learning
Here are more detailed explanations from our experts at The Center for Sales Strategy.
Best Sales Hacks for 2023
To help your salespeople start the New Year off on the right foot, here are some of the best sales hacks from our team.
1. Set specific and achievable goals: Start by setting clear and specific goals for the New Year. Make sure they are measurable and achievable and set deadlines for when you want to achieve them.
2. Create a sales plan: Develop a plan for approaching sales in the New Year. This might include setting target markets, identifying key prospecting tactics, and creating a schedule for follow-up and follow-through.
You have to be consistently prospecting and building, and adding leads to your account list. Always look at your target account list – follow the Don't Give Up plan. Every month look at target accounts and determine if you are making progress. If not, get rid of them or move them back down to a lead because the timing isn’t right. You must put prospecting on your calendar. Set an appointment every day to reach out, and set the meeting as if a client - do not move it.
- Trey Morris, VP/Senior Consultant
3. Build your network: Networking is an essential part of sales, and building a strong network of contacts can lead to new business opportunities. Attend industry events, join professional organizations, and make an effort to connect with new people in your field.
Be a category killer. Find two or three categories you have experience with or are passionate about, and leverage being a customer. Become an expert, and know so much about categories that you are literally someone who can be a consultant to them – don’t reinvent the wheel.
- Trey Morris, VP/Senior Consultant
4. Stay organized: Keep track of your sales activities, including calls, emails, and meetings. Use a CRM (customer relationship management) system or other tools to help you stay organized and keep track of your progress.
One of the essential habits that all good salespeople have is, hands down, calendar-blocking time for prospecting. There are two different types of calendar blocking for prospecting. There's the, "I need to research to find new accounts" and "I need to spend time writing my valid business reasons and leading with insights." The best salespeople that I work with have time blocked every day consistently all the time. They may only do an hour block each day, or they may do two hours, three days a week. But it's the consistency of having that time blocked not just on Friday afternoons.
- Stephanie Downs, SVP/Senior Consultant
5. Stay up-to-date: Make sure you are staying current on industry trends and best practices. This might involve reading industry publications, attending training and development workshops, or participating in online courses.
6. Focus on customer relationships: Building strong relationships with your customers is key to successful sales. Make an effort to get to know your customers and understand their needs, and find ways to add value to their lives.
Sellers need to embrace the fact that things are going to change and that they are going to have challenges. That their clients are going to have challenges, maybe that they've never had before because the competitive landscape has changed. Sellers need to be able to view those challenges and setbacks as an opportunity to even help their clients more.
- Susan McCullin, Senior Consultant
7. Use data to inform your sales efforts: Collect and analyze data on your sales activities, including what works and what doesn't. This can help you fine-tune your sales approach and identify areas for improvement.
8. Stay positive: Maintaining a positive attitude is important for sales success. Stay motivated and optimistic, even when things don't go as planned.
I'm still way in love with the win-the-day concept. When we have highly talented sellers, especially those with high achiever themes and competition, there are more wins to count than close. Managers must keep sellers motivated to continue to strive and not feel like they're losing. What does a great day look like at the end of the day? Sellers need to consistently think about the things that they did well. It's just so easy for us to focus on things that don't go well, and I see that all the time with salespeople.
- Emily Estey, VP/Senior Consultant
Conclusion
A New Year means a whole new set of opportunities to become a top salesperson. It's another chance to revamp your sales strategy. 2023 is forecasted to be a challenging year, but sellers who come prepared with tips like those listed above will have it significantly easier than others.
