How To Become a Sales Professional With the Help of a Strategic Sales Plan
Successful career development as a sales professional depends on strength of client relationships and a professional and personal vision. Over the years as a sales professional, you will have built up numerous valuable business relationships—the number of client relationships you’ve developed is a strong indicator of sales success. We define a “client” as someone who regularly gives you 50% or more of his or her business—essentially, a business source you’re partnered with.
Superstar sales people have a clear sales strategic plan; 80% of their business regularly comes from only a few accounts. They receive referrals regularly because they’ve taken the time to build strong business relationships. A good strategic sales plan is to measure your activities against the standards, and than adjust your methods accordingly – you’ll enjoy a more satisfying and profitable career.
The following are a few tips to a successful strategic sales plan.
Strategic Sales Plan: The Rules of Selling
- Self-Renewal is an important part of selling. Self-renewal describes a sales professional’s ability to constantly discover ways to improve productivity. What are you doing to sharpen your axe?
- Define your personal and professional vision.What do you see for yourself in the future? To become a sales superstar and reach the success level of your dreams, you must first define your future.
- As a sales representative, you are the CEO of your own business. The more income coming from commissions, the more this is true. As a CEO, you must perform leadership activities.
- Limit your prospects.Target a limited number of top-quality account prospects, and devote all call activity to that target list.
- Your goal as a sales rep should be to build a limited clientele of high-producing business sources.
- The bottom line is trust.Remember that selling is the transfer of trust—trust is the reason prospects do business with sales people. Focus on developing a trusting relationship with your clients.
- Adding value.Business relationships in which each partner receives more than expected is a value-added relationship. To achieve this synergy, each partner must think like the other and strive to find ways to assist their partner in success.
- Inside support staff.Frequently the unsung, unrecognized heroes of the day-to-day sales process, inside support staff partnerships must be considered.
- Be your own sales leader.Remember that success is achieved one step at a time, and comes from evaluating past performance. Success is accepting personal responsibility and remembering that, “if it’s meant to be, it’s up to me”. Be your own sales leader, and act on your own advice.
- Finally, maximize your career growth with beliefs.Belief is the guiding factor, passion, faith and principles that provide direction in life.
Jack Daly offers dramatic keynote and general session presentations, interactive workshops, in-depth seminars and lively training sessions that inspire audiences to take action in the areas of sales, sales management, customer loyalty and personal motivation. Learn more about the sales training process and Jack’s strategic sales plans and by visiting us on the web.