Imagine this scenario: You’re shopping around for a service and meet a few sales reps. The prices are all reasonable, and the products are similar—but after you try getting back in touch with them, you get wildly different results.
One of them doesn’t return your voicemail, one person sounded too busy to deal with you, and another salesperson didn’t even seem to exist when you tried to look up their contact info!
The fourth salesperson, however, seemed like she was always on. No wonder she seemed to have a good reputation—she answered the phone every time you called and followed up with information when she said she would.
Obviously, she’s the one who gets your business. She stood head and shoulders above the competition. With these tips, you can too!
Stand above the rest!
If you’re a salesperson, you always want to stand above the rest. These five simple things will help make sure you’re not getting lost in the crowd—and they’re the sign of a true sales professional:
- You’re easy to find.
- You’ve got a solid professional reputation.
- You can answer the question, “What do you do?”
- You do what you say you’re going to do.
- You’re always on!
Let’s take a closer look!
1. You’re easy to find
I’m a sales coach, so when I’m prospecting, I’m contacting salespeople and sales managers. It always blows my mind to see how many sales professionals are hard to find!
Your online presence is important. Can clients find you on your company’s website? If someone Googles your name, will they see links to your business profiles? Is your LinkedIn profile up to date, and does it have a link to your business email address? (If your email on LinkedIn is a personal account, your clients will hesitate to use it—and you’ll be less likely to pay attention to your LinkedIn notifications!)
Here’s another way to make sure you’re easy to find: A complete email signature on every email you send. It’s usually the fastest way for someone to find your number, so don’t leave it out!
2. You’ve got a solid professional reputation.
As they say, a good reputation is better than gold. If you want to build your professional reputation, you have to start building a network of people who will happily share your name with potential clients. That means building relationships, attending networking events, and doing what it takes to stay at the top of people’s minds.
If you’re at the top of their mind—and you’re easy to find—they’ll have no problem passing your info along. If you’re always on and do what you say you’re going to do, they’ll have no problem vouching for you.
A solid professional reputation isn’t just about word-of-mouth. When a prospect looks at your LinkedIn profile or hears your voicemail greeting, they should be able to tell that you’re a serious professional who’s worth doing business with. If you’re an active member of industry organizations, professional associations, or other networking groups, be sure to include those on your profile.
3. You can answer the question, “What do you do?”
Simply put, you need a WOW statement!
If you don’t know how to succinctly answer the question, “What do you do,” you need to start working on it—now!
If your answer is just, “I’m an account manager,” that’s not helpful. You need a short statement, in simple language, that creates interest in you and your company. Can you explain what you do in a way that a normal human being can understand and in a way that makes them interested to hear more?
It takes some work, but it’s worth it. After you craft your WOW statement, you’ll end up using it everywhere—from networking events to your LinkedIn profile. You’ll never again stumble over yourself trying to answer someone who asks, “So, what do you do?”
4. You do what you say you’re going to do.
We do so many things as sales professionals, and we need to have a solid way of managing it all. If we fall behind, we chip away at our client’s trust—or risk losing a deal completely.
If we say we’ll do something, we have to do it—within the timeframe we set. If your voicemail greeting says you return messages within 24 hours, you have to follow up! If you tell your client you’ll get the documents ready to sign by Friday, then you have to make that happen!
That’s why managing our time is so important. When you tell your client you’ll have documents to them on Friday, you can’t let your marketing and legal teams know about it Thursday evening! Over-promising lets everyone down.
You’ll need to reverse-engineer timelines for your commitments, so you can deliver on promises without putting pressure on yourself—or your team. Set yourself up to succeed, and you’ll be able to keep your word!
5. You’re always on.
No, “always on” does NOT mean you’re available 24/7, or that you never stop working.
Always on means that when you are working, you’re 100% committed to bringing your “A” game. Your head’s in the game. Your attitude’s in the right place. You’re resilient in the face of rejection. You’re handling everything in the way it needs to be handled.
Always on is an attitude—and embracing this attitude takes practice!
In fact, “I am always on” became one of my daily affirmations. Incorporating this attitude took practice, repeating “I am always on,” reminding myself that when I sit down at my desk at 8 am, I am 100% devoted and ready to prospect, ready to coach, and ready to bring my “A” game.
And yes, in the rare occasion that a work call comes when I’m not prepared for it, at night or on the weekend, I switch back to always on mode—and give 100% to that call. I don’t ignore it because I’m not ready! If you’re prepared, practiced, and ready to be “on,” you’re able to devote your full attention to what needs to get done. If you’re giving 100%, your clients will notice!
Don’t get lost in the crowd
The things that set the best salespeople apart from the crowd are often things everybody should be doing. The pros just actually do them!
When you’re easy to find, always on, and reliable, you’ll build strong relationships with clients that close business. With a solid reputation and a clear answer to the question, “What do you do,” you’ll get more prospects into your sales funnel.
Go work on these five qualities and stand above the rest! If you’d like to get more free tips on how to stay motivated, manage your time, and master your sales technique, sign up for my mailing list.
Until next time—go sell some stuff!
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