Ryan Dorhn, CEO of Brain Swell Media, tackles positive sales habits in his weekly Shweiki webinar. Dorhn believes that sales, much like exercising or achieving eight hours of sleep, is a habit; and the focused continuation of the sales habit is bound to blossom into success.
Sales is a Numbers Game
“Sales is a numbers game,” is a phrase that has been thrown out many times by sales professionals. But what does it really mean? Obviously, the more calls a sales rep makes, the more chances he/she has to land clients. But figuring sales numbers is more than total prospects reached out to. It is gathering a data-base of what numbers the sales rep is doing now, and then developing those numbers into a strategy that allows for the most efficient use of time.
Conversion Rates
The first step in building proper sales habits is figuring a constant conversion rate. A conversion rate is simply knowing how many “no’s” it takes before a rep can land a “yes.” Whenever one knows this number, they can track their progress by improving on their conversion ratio, and they will always know how many calls it will take to reach sales goals. Whether cold calling, emailing, or operating B2B (or door to door) working with a conversion rate takes the guess-work out of the sales process. Sales transforms from a relationship practice into a mathematical formula.
Never Ending Energy
Dohrn claims that every sales superstar he has encountered has had a quarry of never-ending energy, forged through their passion for the product. The bottom line is that if a rep doesn’t have an overwhelming desire for the product, the customer is going to recognize that and either be slow to trust, or slow to buy. Dohrn recommends pumping yourself up as a salesman before any call or meeting. “Just get excited now and again! Walk around with a smile on your face, listen to great music. If your a morning person, make all your calls in the morning (or vice versa). Get excited, be excited, and have tons of energy!”
Call Sheet Discipline
Sales, at its most condensed, is a practice of detail and discipline. Because of the entrepreneurial aspects of the service, a superstar sales rep has to be accountable for their own records and accounts. A CRM (customer relationship management) service is a tool designed to help reps stay organized through their call sheets. Dohrn asserts that the most detailed sales-person “wins.” And although a notebook is the most practical form of note-taking, a CRM tool is a must have in today’s society. When one properly recruits a CRM service, they are getting an active appliance in helping them keep track of their sales details. All emails, meetings, and calls a sales rep appoints, naturally shows itself to them whenever time appropriate and kills all chances of the rep not remembering.
Transforming from an average salesman to a sales superstar is a transition that begins and ends with daily habits. Any habit that enhances sales efficiency eventually grows total sales. Sales superstars trade established inefficient strategies for the incorporation of these positive habits. They are establishing tactics that improve on their game everyday, and transitioning the clock from an enemy to an ally.