The ABCs of Sales - T is for Trust

The old saying goes "people do business with those they know, like and trust".  While some may accuse these words of being an overused corporate cliche, they remains relevant.  Getting to know someone used to be a process, and liking them and trust followed (or didn't) after a series of shared experiences.  However, our online connected world has mistakenly brought everyone to getting to "know" each other through search, likes, links, and follows.  As knowing about others has now become easy, arriving at like and trust have become more difficult.

Every action you take contributes to your personal brand, and if you are viewed as someone with impeccable integrity who can be trusted, then more opportunities will come your way over the long run.  Clients and prospects will want to work with you and will happily refer you to others.

According to David Horsager, the world's leading expert on "trust" and the author of The Trust Edge, people pay more, come back, and tell others when there is trust. The trusted leader is followed and from the trusted salesperson, people buy.  Meanwhile, a lack of trust can be your biggest expense.

Companies spend a lot of time teaching sales professionals how to create elevator pitches, cold-call, handle objections, network, and close - yet there is little time invested in the conversation about how to be trustworthy.  A reputation of trust for the individual and the company can take years to create, but a single wrong action can undermine the foundation.

Tactics to manipulate a prospect or push them to buy a product or service that is not the right fit for them will make you and your company money in the short run, but over the long haul of a career will hurt your success.  To build trust you must always be honest, even if you will not win the sale.  Those who are known to be a trusted advisor will win more business in the long run. Character counts if you want to have a long-term career in sales.

Twenty-five years ago those who were not trustworthy could hide their reputation, but in the day of the internet and peer reviews there are too many ways for people to uncover how you have treated others. Trust is key to your success in sales and there are no shortcuts.  You have to have a win/win attitude and never deviate.

Are you making trust a key part of who you are and how you serve your clients, prospects, and others?  If not, you are leaving money on the table, as when the client trusts your competitor more than they trust you, they will get the contract every time. 

Have A Great Day.

thom singer

*Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking greater success.   http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABCs of Sales - R is for Referrals

Referrals are the life blood of selling. Marketing, social media, PR, advertising, etc... are all great, but in a business world full of noise and self-promotion, few things have as much power as a word-of-mouth referrals.  When someone makes an introduction and endorses the sales person there is a higher level of trust that occurs right from the start.

Approximately 90% of my own clients come from referrals.  I can do countless other marketing activities (and I do), but the majority of my work is because a person who knows me has told others that I am the right choice to speak at their conference.  

The problem with referrals is too few people actively take the steps to promote other people.  They say they will, and have great intentions, but then they get busy with their own lives and never seem to get around to making the introductions. Thus, those who do talk you up should be treated like gold. 

We live in an era where self-promotion is at an all time high.  Combine that with a high level of competition and everyone is frantically trying to get to their own success.  Too few believe they have time to help others, but the most successful sales people often operate in the opposite manner.  Some of the best sales professionals I have ever known are always working to connect others, without regard to if there is anything in it for them. They take great joy in being the catalyst that brings others together to do business.  Over the long run they develop such a strong reputation of being a giver that people line up to refer work their way.

The trick is to make referrals without being worried if others will return the favor.  I often run into people who want to keep score and make sure they only refer to work to those who can quickly return the favor.  The problem is that not everyone can help at the same level, so pre-judging who to help means you wont help many people.  Also there are those who are overly concerned with how to monetize the referrals they give.  They are seeking ways to charge commissions rather than just connecting the best resources. Unless you have a business that matches customers and service providers, do not charge a commission.  Your long term reputation out weighs any monetary gain you can get from a percentage of an individual sale.

The most important thing is to remember to thank the people who send you leads that turn into clients.  A "Thank You" is not only polite, it guarantees they will remember you the next time they can send business to someone in your industry.  I have had those I connected send me gift certificates or other presents (I got a wonderful Garmin Runner's Watch from one friend whom I referred a client), but I never expect such gifts.  I match up people I know will do a good job for the person in need of their offerings.

Never forget that sometimes competitors make the good referral partners, too.  Depending on your industry, developing long term relationships with others in your field and sharing leads when appropriate is a great way to get more business opportunities.  I have created a page on my website of other speakers I know do a great job and I share this link with my past clients, as I know most associations do not want the same speaker year-after-year at their conferences.  By providing them with quality speakers I get to stay in touch over the long run (and thus get re-hired in the future), and the other speakers who get booked are more likely to refer me in the future.

(Check out my "Recommended Professional Speaker" page: http://thomsinger.com/recommended-professional-speakers/)

When people tell me they never get referrals my first question is "how many referrals have you given in the last month that turned into real business?".  If they do not know the answer, that is most likely the problem.  I can't understand how people who never refer anyone expect others to send them business.  While not everyone would (or should) create a link to competitors on their website, you should be promoting your clients, vendors and friends regularly. 

Finally, if you want to get referrals you have to tell people how much your business depends on their help in connecting you with those who use your products or services.  One real estate agent I know has it at the end of voicemail message: "...my business depends on referrals, so if you know anyone looking to buy or sell a home, please tell them about me!"  My own email signature has the following sentence: "As a speaker, I am seeking introductions to companies, law firms, and associations that host conferences and team meetings - Thanks!" If you don't remind people that you seek referrals, they probably will not think about it.

There are a lot of moving parts to a successful career in sales, but cultivating referral business should never be ignored. 

Have A Great Day

thom singer 

The ABCs of Sales - Q is for Questions

Ask more questions.  This is the best piece of advice I can share with you, and it will make you more successful in sales and all other aspects of life that involves interacting with humans.

If you want to establish real relationships and understand what motivates those whom you are engaged with you have to ask questions and listen to what they have to say. 

Talking is easy, but listening is the key to all success.  When you are the one speaking, you cannot be learning. When the other person is telling you about their situation they are leaving clues that will help you solve their problems.  People buy from you to fill a void or fix an issue, and if you are not clear on their motivation, they will buy from the sales person who shows them they understand.

Customers buy your product or service on their terms, not yours.  We spend a lot of time memorizing elevator pitches and product positioning statements, but if we simply memorized more open-ended questions, we could create better connections and win more business.

I will admit that I have struggled with this all my life. I am a story-teller by nature and having grown up in a big Irish family I learned early to spin a tale. I like to entertain others, and a good story is a natural way to make a connection.  But in sales it can also hurt if you lead with too many words. I continue to learn this lesson, but when I begin with an inquisitive intention and actively hear what the prospect has to say, I close more sales. 

A good way to remember to ask more questions before presenting your solutions is to prepare a list of things to ask everyone.  This list will vary based on your industry and the individual with whom you are talking, but you should start with two or three open-ended questions that allows them to share the details they are facing.  After they spell out the big picture you need to move into clarifying questions to make sure that you are clear on their unique situation.  Everyone faces different situations and when you make assumptions about why they are looking to buy, it can be far too easy to slide into a canned pitch.

It is okay to keep a list of written questions with you so that you can refer to them.  Most people will appreciate the attention to detail you are paying to their unique circumstances.  Over time these questions will become easier to remember and you will train yourself not to lead with too much talking.

You can practice this anywhere, even in non-sales settings.  Each time you meet someone new try to ask them three questions in a causal but genuinely curious manner. They should not be canned like "what's your name?" or "Where do you work?", although in a polite situation those might be necessary questions, too.  Try to get to what motivates them or how they got where they are.  I tried this experiment in line at a Starbucks recently and had a very interesting conversation with a World War II veteran and his grandson. While it was not a business conversation, it was fascinating and made my whole day better.

Being curious about people in all aspects of your life can be a secret weapon. 

Have A Great Day

thom singer

*Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking greater success.   http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABCs of Sales - P is for Prospecting

Sales professionals should always seeking new leads.  Before a sale can be made and a commission check collected, the sales person must first discover the right individuals to call on.  There are many people with great sales skills who fail to reach their potential because they do not have a commitment to consistently prospecting. Without enough prospects, you will have fewer leads, and thus not enough eventual customers

There are several ways to prospect, and no one way is right for every sales person in every industry.  The key is to remember that prospecting is a process and to be successful you have to always be working a variety of efforts. 

My own business as a professional speaker relies mainly on referrals. The most effective way for me to discover new opportunities is through word-of-mouth.  However, if you sit around and wait for referrals to show up, you will most likely not have enough business.  You need to keep your referral sources and others constantly informed about what you are doing, what is new with your business, and remind them how much you appreciate their support.  

Networking is another key way to prospect.  Being visible in your business community will bring you in contact with potential clients and referral sources.  (I talked more about "networking" in The ABCs of Sales - N is for Networking).

One of the best ways to prospect is to speak at industry events and / or to host educational events.  When you are the speaker you are automatically positioned as the expert in your field. The same is true for writing articles for business oriented magazines and blogs.  Invest time in teaching others and they will think of you when the time comes to buy your products or services.

Finally, while cold-calling may sound "old-school", it can still be an great way to reach out to people.  It is hard to reach people, as most have voicemail and do not return calls, but if you have an interesting product and can clearly and concisely communicate your message, there are some who will return you call.  The key is to have a thick skin and realize than many people will say "no".  That is okay, as a few might say "yes".  Fear of rejection keeps many sales people from cold calling, but those who pick up the phone regularly are often the most successful.

Sales is hard, which is why it can pay so well.  But to reach the top of the financial pay scale you have to become a master at prospecting. There are no short cuts.  If this was easy, everyone would do it.  

Have A Great Day

thom singer

 Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking greater success.   http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABCs of Sales - O is for Opportunity

Few jobs will offer as much opportunity as a career in sales. If you can succeed in selling you will always be in demand. Great sales people are important to the success of every company, and they are compensated at the highest levels. The best companies value the skills it takes to thrive in a business development role.

Many mistakenly discredit sales, thinking it is not a key role in the business. Some are jealous of the freedom from being in the office that sales people enjoy, and fail to see the real work that happens. But selling is one of the hardest ways to earn a living. To consistently succeed a sales professional must work long hours and always be seeking new ways to discover prospective clients. Those who do the best do not take rejection personally and are willing to work long hours.

Income from sales jobs is heavily (or totally) commission based. While this turns off those who prefer to have a set salary, it excites those who want unlimited upside in their earning. If a salesperson is aggressive and driven to make a lot of money, sales will give them opportunities that others will not find in their job.

I spent my early career selling a variety of products and services. The more I succeeded, the more money I earned, but also the more career opportunities came along. Smart sales managers are always looking for top talent, and they are willing to hire sales people from other industries. It is easier to teach someone about a new product than it is to teach them how to prospect, cultivate leads, present, and close.

The top tier of sales professionals are not focused on single transactions, but instead are focused on long-term relationships. But most important is they are results driven. Their resumes show where and how they have impacted the top line of the companies where they have worked. Talk and theory only go so far in a career of selling. You are always able to quantify a sales professional's effectiveness based on their success at bringing in new business. This can be scary for some, but is why the best sales people love to share the details of their history.

To have a career with unlimited opportunity a sales person needs to be confident. Belief in "self" and bold actions position you with clients, prospects, competitors, and others as the one to watch in your industry. If you study those who are offered the best jobs in sales you will find people who are never complacent or rest on their past success. They know their potential and couple that with the necessary actions to keep learning and growing.

A sales career is hard work and there are ups and downs in all industries, but the people who sell and are willing to do the work will always have a path to income. A lifetime in sales will bring a lot of interesting experiences and a variety of jobs offers. It can also bring great financial reward.

Selling is the path to opportunity.


Have A Great Day

thom singer

The ABCs of Sales - N is for Networking

All opportunities come from people. To reach your full potential you need a group of peers to help you connect the dots, as no individual can ever be aware of everything that is happening in their business community. The most successful sales professionals are often great at creating long-term and mutually beneficial relationships with clients, prospects, referral sources and even competitors.

Networking is not about just getting leads or other personal gains. As mentioned above you have to cultivate long-term and mutually beneficial relationships, which means real networking means helping others reach their highest potential. Average performers justify they are too busy with their own jobs to think about ways to assist others, but the most successful know that a rising tide raises all boats.

You cannot sell most products or services by hiding behind social media. All things being equal, people do business with those they know, like, and trust. It used to be that getting to know someone was long process and along the way came "like" and "trust" (or not). But over the past decade the ease of discovering basic information via the internet has mistakenly made it seem like people all "know" each other. But really they just know "about" them. It is harder to get to like and trust without some personal interactions, and this is where being engaged with other is they key.

Networking should not be seen as an action you take when you need something, but instead it must be a part of your lifestyle. Those who make networking a second-tier priority will have second-tier results. To realize the benefits from networking one has to have a long-term focus. Finding ways to help others achieve their goals will come back many times over a career.

It is important to remember that networking is NOT sales. But sales efforts without the human connection will often come up short. Do not confuse networking activities with sales activities, but remember that a transaction without any long-term meaning is simply a transaction. When we do business with another person it can be a foundation for future opportunities. However if the purpose is simply to get the sale, and there is not investment in the person, we should not be surprised when our client's referrals and future business go to our competition.

Some argue that they do not have time to invest in a relationship with everyone they meet. I believe we must choose people every time. This does not mean everyone becomes your best friend, but if you honor every person many will return the favor. Most people you encounter have very interesting parts to their lives beyond signing your contract. Ask questions and listen to the answers. Be curious. You will not have an ongoing "love connection" with everybody, but if you are open to it, you will create some powerful business friendships along the way.

Every time you are in a sales situation remind yourself that the person on the other side of the transaction is a person... .and all people have a life beyond the product or service being discussed. Make it a point to find out about their life. If you are interested in them they will become interested in you.

Networking is the creation of long-term and mutually-beneficial relationships between two or more people where everyone involved gains more from the connections than they would without the connections. It is that simple.

Have A Great Day

thom singer

The ABCs of Sales - M is for Motivation

Motivation is necessary for success in sales, but different people are motivated by different things.  One of the hardest things for a sales manager to do is to keep everyone on their team fired up and working at their personal best.

Some believe that sales people are only motivated by money, but that is not true. While money is important, and the best sales people will leave a company that is not generously compensating their efforts, there are more things going on in the minds of successful sales people than just cash.

Being a contributor to a successful organization is what gets some people charged up and working hard, while others are pulled along by the recognition of being the best and are motivated by leader boards, incentive trips, and other types of public kudos.  Others like the independence of a sales career, and just want to be left alone to get the job done.  Then there are the sales people who are turned on by opportunity and will do whatever it takes to get the next promotion.

The best sales manager I ever had (his name is Steve) found individual ways to get the most out of his team.  The little perks he provided were not costly and were tailored to each person.  A single mom who met her quota would be encouraged to take the afternoon off, while the newlywed would be given the go ahead to expense a plane ticket for their spouse to join them on a business trip.  For me it was sushi.  I was young and could not afford too eat sushi, so he would give me a challenge goal and if I hit it he would take me to lunch or dinner while he was in visiting in my city.  He had to eat anyway, and he was also a fan of good sushi.  I worked harder and we both won on many levels.

There are those who discredit "motivation" and craft their own anti-motivation arguments as to how one cannot motivate others.  They claim that even if you can get someone excited, the motivation does not last.  Famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar countered this by saying:

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily."

My experience is that motivation is a very personal thing and must be aligned between the individual and the company.  Not every strategy for motivation is right for every person, and the sales professional must take ownership of their own path to stay focused on producing at their highest levels.  Companies need to invest in training and incentives, but each person in sales needs to find their own motivational triggers on a daily basis.

Reading books, blogs and articles as well as listening to motivational audio books and podcasts are often the easiest way to keep enthusiasm for your own peak performance.  Getting up early to read, or tuning into audio while driving is a valuable investment in your personal success. Finding the right experts that speak your language will get your mind focused on the little things you need to do on a regular basis.  

Additionally, exercise, eating right, and getting enough sleep are important to keeping your mind and body operating at their top levels.  If you are tired and feeling sluggish you will never be able to keep up with the constant demands of a sales career.  

And do not forget to take time to think, meditate, and visualize.  Your brain needs a chance to recharge and if you are not building in time to find clarity in your head, you will easily get distracted from your goals.  When unclear what you are trying to accomplish, it is difficult to stay motivated.

Motivation is not hard to find and keep if you make it a priority. If you want to be a top producer in your career then you have to embrace what works to keep you focused and taking positive actions.  This is not hocus-pocus and each person will need their own set of tools to create the right environment for their personality and job situation.  But being motivated is necessary, and to lose sight of this could mean a lot of mediocre days in your future. 

Have A Great Day

thom singer

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Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking greater success.   http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABCs of Sales - L is for Learning

What worked yesterday many not work today, and all bets are off for tomorrow. Sales people have to constantly be seeking new knowledge about their products, services, clients, industries, etc...  But that is not all they must learn.  Studying the art and science of selling is also key to sustaining a long term career. 

Sales professionals must be life-long learners if they want to win more business.   

Years ago it was the sales person who controlled the conversation about their product or service.  In a sales call they were their to introduce the buyer to what they had to sell, and guide them to making the purchase.  I began selling in a day where I would bring a folder to a meeting and paper sheet by paper sheet I would expose the prospective client to the features and benefits of what I was selling. They did not have many options to learn about me, my company or my product until I came in the door.

Today, before a sales person ever sets foot in the meeting the information is available online and the understanding of the products and services people buy are much higher.  Buyers are more sophisticated and a sales person who is behaving as if the buyer is not up to speed will find themselves wasting their time. Conversations have to begin at a much higher level and being a successful sales person means honing your skills all the time.

There are many ways to learn and the most successful are always trying to get better at their craft.  Reading books and articles, listening to podcasts, and attending training classes are common activities for those who work in sales.  Most who sell turn their cars into mobile classrooms and listen to books on tape instead of music while driving to appointments.  They want to maximize their skills and do not like to waste time.

The School of Hard Knocks is also a powerful way to learn.  Those who are aware and honest of their own failings are usually able to discover the areas where they have come up short and improve for the next time. After every sales, win or lose, doing a debrief about how you handled the situation will help you get stronger for the next opportunity. If you lose a sale, don't blame or pout, use it as a learning experience.

Knowledge is power in a busy and noisy world. The sales person who wants to win more deals dedicates time to learning. They are sponges who are actively soaking up nuggets of information and new ideas that will help them be more effective.  They talk to their peers about what works, and are open to fresh ideas.  There is no place for stubborn in a fast changing and competitive environment. 

Learning never ends for those in sales, and if you have not worked on advancing your product knowledge, understanding of your market, and fine tuning sales skills in the last week, you may be falling behind your competition. 

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Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking greater success.   http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABCs of Sales - K is for Kind

Many who write about sales lament being "nice" as a bad thing. Some sales leaders espouse that if you are too nice you cannot close sales.  There is a whole movement to train those who sell that buyers only want efficient sales people who get right to value, as they do not have time for relationships. Is there really a demise of nice sales people or is this just a contrarian way for consultants to get more business?

While I agree that sales professionals must provide clear value and respect the time of their clients and prospects, I disagree that nice is ever a negative.  We live in a world with a lot of narcissistic jerks, and many of them certainly find success in sales. The inconsiderate still win much of the time, but I have never met anyone who prefers to do business with those who are nasty and unpleasant.

Even in our busy world, people still want to do business with those they know, like, and trust.  The problem is that with our leaning toward efficiency over everything else we now assume we "know" people because we can Google them and find their profiles on social media. Getting to know someone used to be a process and along the way came "like" and "trust" (or it didn't).  Today we jump to a superficial level of knowing each other, and rarely do people get to a deeper relationship.  But is this by choice?

Sales professionals must work hard and show value quickly. But a survey by HubSpot Research shows the top words associated with sales people are pushy, biased, and aggressive. Is this how we want to be known?  Most sales managers would cringe at their team being seen in this way, but we are supporting these behaviors and teaching actions that lead us away from "kind".

Most professionals would prefer to be known as “trustworthy” and “helpful" in their selling role. I do not believe you can have this as your reputation if you are not first "kind".  A trustworthy jerk or a helpful sleazeball are not possible and certainly not the way to a sustainable career.

Over a lifetime in sales you will have more success if you are compassionate, thoughtful and gracious.  Do not fall prey to those who think the human connection no longer matters.  The prediction of the death of nice sales people is greatly exaggerated.

Kindness never goes out of style.

Have A Great Day

thom singer


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Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking greater success.   http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

ABCs of Sales - I is for Intensity

I is for Intensity

Peak performers in all careers have a deep seeded intensity when it comes to achieving success. You see it in sports, business, politics, etc... If you are going to reach the top you have to always be able to excel regardless of the obstacles that appear in your path, and selling is definitely not for the faint at heart.

When we think of an intense color we imagine one that is strong and bold. When weather has intense temperatures we know there is extreme hot or extreme cold. In physics if something is intense it has a magnitude of energy or force per unit of area, volume or time. Similarly with people and their emotional intensity we know they have high levels of emotional excitement and depth of feeling.

For sales people, their intensity is paramount to their continued success. They must have a drive for continuous improvement and a never quit attitude. This is part of their daily focus.Regardless of your goals, success does not happen by accident. You need to intensely focus on the little things everyday to reach continue to discover new prospects and cultivate the relationship through what can often be a long sales process.

The ones who continue to exceed expectations in a sales career know in their hearts that they will be one of the great ones in their company and industry. They possess an intensity about success that is never indecisive. Sales professionals have a fierceness about getting the jobs done and they show it. Wading in the shallow end is not their style. They dive right in and make things happen.

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Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking success.  http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABCs of Sales - H is for Hungry

H is for Hungry

When you are hungry for more business you will find ways to innovate.  Genuinely needing more business makes a sales person work harder, try new things, and never stop hunting. Being a "hungry" is a good thing if you have a career in sales.  Those who remain top performers month over month never lose that desire inside their souls to find more deals.  

The most successful do not sit back and wait for the phone to ring.  Top producers are not solely prospecting via social media and hoping or wishing the right customer will see their tweet.  The best are always pushing to find a new customer, and they are never passive about in their efforts.  Before going home for the day they make one or two more calls, because they know that selling is a numbers game.

If your life, or the life of your family, depended on you finding the next prospect you would do whatever it took to discover new business. Being hungry a key to ongoing sales success.  Yet humans can get comfortable and not even realize it. It is  common that once people reach a certain level of of personal income that they begin to behave differently.  They rest on their past successes and fail to keep up the same level of intensity they did when they were new and hungry.

Early in my career I worked for a sales manager who was great at praising success, but once he did that he pointed out that contract was now officially the past.  He would then want to hear what his team had in the pipeline.  What was next.  Some people did not like how quickly he dismissed a victory, but I always understood that was his way of keeping us from resting on our laurels. 

Throughout a lifetime you will have times when you are more hungry than others.  You will see the results in your bottom line.  Those who chase ever lead as if their life depended on it will have more clients over the long run.  If you are in one of those times when you are not feeling as hungry, you need to assess what is keeping you from being as aggressive as you could be.  Feeling content, or "full" is never the right mindset for anyone who is sales focused.  You have to have a little worry about what tomorrow may hold so that you will not let up in your pursuits of business development. 

Sales professionals, small business owners, solopreneurs and who are directly linked to their new business numbers should stay hungry everyday.  This is not about being paranoid, but instead being realistic that past performance will not mean you are meeting your numbers tomorrow.  A healthy concern about the future the way to keep that hunger stirring.

How hungry are you to succeed at selling?  

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Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking success.  http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABCs of Sales - G is for Goals

G is for Goals

Setting goals is important for everyone, but more so for those who make their living selling.  Often time sales managers will set monthly, quarterly and annual quotas, and tracking the progress toward achieving these benchmarks is easy.  But you need more than a sales quota.  You need goals of what you want to achieve in all aspects of your life.

If you do not know where you are going, you have no way of knowing when you arrive.  There must be a strategic plan that helps advance.  You are well served when you set clearly defined and realistic business and personal goals that help you stay focused on what you want to accomplish.

Without a known purpose and a way to measure success you can invest a lot of time and see few results.  Chasing a sales number by itself will not lead to getting the new business and enjoying the journey of your career.  If you know what you are trying to do, and whom you desire as clients, then your choices on how to invest your time becomes easier to understand.

Some people roll their eyes at the idea of goal setting, mistakenly thinking that the concept is "motivational fluff".  They question if the act of writing down a goal has any meaningful value.  But it is not setting the goal that has the power, it is how the goal will keep you focused on the desired outcome. The target must be something that the individual wants to achieve and it must be realistic.  Goal setting is not about random wishes, but instead it is about creating an atmosphere that makes people perform to a higher level.

When you have accepted a set of goals there is no wiggle-room skipping out on the efforts.  Goals make you accountable for your actions.  Sales people who miss quota and are not doing the work to create a pipeline of opportunities are quickly exposed. An experienced sales manager will know when someone is not focused on reaching their goal, and those people will be managed closely and or given the opportunity to explore new employment options. 

Having clearly defined goals it makes it easy to make decisions.  This allows you to ask if a particular action moves you closer to your goals, or leads you in the wrong direction.  The answer makes choices easier in how you spend time everyday.  A goal transforms your participation in marketing, networking, prospecting, client relations, and community involvement activities into something tangible.  When a sales person understand the driving purpose of what they want, they will work smarter. 

Goals take time to accomplish.  Those who dream of a quick fix to raising their profile and making more sales, without doing the work, will be disappointed.  It takes time to become successful at selling, but there will be little progress without a goal.  It is too easy to get distracted and this can limit your success.

Sales professionals who create plans and work toward their achievement of goals are more likely to succeed in building a sustainable business year over year.  You cannot leave your future to luck.  

To successfully create a list of goals that are attainable, realistic and measurable you must dedicate time to creating your plan.  Everyone must have input and buy into the vision.  There are no shortcuts to formulating a list of attainable targeted goals.  Working with co-workers, your sales manager, or an outside consultant / coach is often a great way to get this done. Others sometimes have a knack for identifying strengths and weaknesses that are important for you to understand.

Having a combination of short-term and long-term goals is also a good idea.  Achieving some early wins will get you excited and helps you understand how having goals will lead you to more success. 

Seven Tips for Goal Setting:


1. Set aside some time.  Allow yourself 1-2 hours to contemplate your past and identify what you want in the future. Make it a priority to know where you want to go in life and all that you want to achieve.

2. Set two or three attainable goals in three areas: professional, personal and spiritual. You do not want to just be focused on business, as you have more to your life than meeting a quota. Do not set too many or to few goals, as this should not be too easy, nor should it be a burden. 

3. Write your goals on paper, using a pen. Later, transfer them to you computer. Print three copies. One copy for you home, one for your desk at work, and shrink a third down so it fits in your wallet or purse.

4. Review you goals often. Daily is best, but at least once a week. Keeping them in front of you and actively thinking about them will make it easier to make the tough choices as you go through life.

5. Take action. Goals are not magic. This is not "the law of attraction" or "The Secret". To be a winner in life takes effort and action. You have to make smart choices on how to focus your time and resources so that you are moving toward your goals and not away from them. Sitting still does not work either, as stagnant never wins.

6. Celebrate victories. Anything that moves you closer to achieving a goal is worthy of treating yourself to something. A round of golf, a massage, etc... are great choices (avoid ice cream or other sweets as treats, as I did this once and gained a lot of weight when I was wildly successful on meeting my goals. This created a new goal of needing to lose the pounds).

7. Share you goals with others. When you tell people you are working toward something, you are more likely to follow through on the efforts necessary to reach your goals. When I was writing my first book, I told as many people as I could. Thus it was not as easy to abandon the project.

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Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking success.  http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABCs of Sales - F is for Freedom

F is for Freedom

Successful sales professionals are granted amazing flexibility and freedom in regards to time and money. When a salesperson is a top performer they have a lot of leeway in how they occupy their work hours. Since many who sell work remotely they are not being observed by bosses and co-workers in an office setting. If they meet or exceed quota and choose to take an afternoon to attend a kids soccer game, nobody would ever question their actions.  

Those who are the best at selling are often well compensated.  Sales professionals who are great at their jobs are among some of the highest paid people in any company, and the best never have to worry about finding a new job.  If you can sell, then there is a company out there who will hire you quickly. It is not uncommon for sales people to be hired away by bigger companies with larger compensation packages, because finding those who can and will do the work to sell are hard to find.  Smart companies cherish and honor their sales teams and financially reward them.

Thus sales people have unprecedented control of their own lives. Like an entrepreneur who has their own business, those in sales call the shots if they are successful. They are not expected to do their work in the office as people in other careers, and so nobody sees what they do minute to minute. If they work from home they don't even need to get dressed unless they have face to face appointments.  

But this freedom can backfire on those who are not disciplined. New sales professionals are often not prepared for the flexibility in their schedule and can easily to slip into bad habits that are not conducive for sales success.

Without supervision some can abuse these freedoms and fall into patterns where they are not prospecting and thus not getting enough leads in their pipeline.  How a salesperson deals with their freedom, and lack of direct oversight from managers, is usually a key indicator to how they will succeed over their career.  

Personal responsibility and getting the job done is what brings the real freedom. To let the flexibility of ones schedule take the lead will end up in mediocre or failure. There is a lot of responsibility to being a successful sales person.

The peak performers are disciplined in how they attack their daily schedule.  They do not let their personal freedoms undermine the routine of prospecting and selling activities, and thus they are the ones who end up with the most flexibility in their lives over time.  

The key is to not embrace the freedoms as a perk, but to let them become your badge of honor after you have reached the top. Freedom for sales people does not mean free time.  

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Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking success.  http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABCs of Sales - E is for Ethics

E is for Ethics

Salespeople are often lampooned as being sleezy, schmoozy, pushy, and not always ethical in getting people to buy their products or services.  While the cliche image of a used car sales person brings with it many negative connotations, actually most car sales professionals that I have met do not fit this stereotype. The reality is that the majority of people who sell for a living are driven to bring value to their customers.

If you work in sales, or are responsible for new business development to keep your company operating, then there can be a lot of pressure on your to make a sale. While it may sometimes seem tempting to stretch the truth in getting a prospect to buy, the best sales people operate from a strong code of ethics.  They know that a single sale is not as important as their reputation or that of their company. 

While some might argue that this topic goes without saying, it is always a good reminder. In a competitive environment there are always desires to win at all cost. The reality is that the best victories in business are win / win / win, which means the buyer wins, the seller wins, and the ongoing relationships wins.  If you ever cross an ethical line, then nobody really wins at all.

If your industry or company has a written code of ethics then the policy is spelled out clearly. However, most people are not working under a published code of conduct.  Thus, we each need to set our own rules for where we draw the line.  

A company I know was once asked to pay a secret commission to someone in order to win a big deal, and they would not do it.  Later their competition was exposed for inappropriate conduct and sanctioned.  By not doing things they knew to be wrong, they saved themselves a lot of headaches down the line.

The best rule of thumb is that if your actions were to be published in the New York Times, would you be proud of the article.  If you get into grey areas and you would not want your friends and relatives to know what you did, then do not do it.

Always treat clients, prospects, competitors, vendors, and others with  respect.  In too many industries people change jobs and have a way of circling back into your life.  If you have not behaved appropriately along the way then it will come back to bite you. 

Never misrepresent your product or service and do not lead the buyer to believe things that are not true about any part of the transaction. Be true to your own set of morals and remember that being in sales should never feel dirty.  If you think what you are saying or doing is somehow wrong, it probably is not right.

Success is a long journey. Never let short term gains let you damage your future position with your company or in your community.  Always remember to behave in an ethical manner as a sales person and you can make a lot of money and sleep soundly at night. 

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Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking success.  http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABCs of Sales - D is for Daily

D is for Daily

If you want to be successful in selling your product or service, you must be actively cultivating relationships and prospecting every single day.  Each day you should be adding people to your list of contacts and having conversations with people to clarify if they are a good prospect.

The problems that sales professionals face is that in today's online and mobile crazy world, it is very easy to get distracted.  Too many have fallen into the belief that posting on social media is active prospecting.  The reality is that social media is a "best effort communication tool", so just because you posted it, you have no way of knowing if the right people saw your message.  A tweet has a lifespan of less than 30 minutes, so if your prospects are not on the app at the exact right time, they will never see your message.  Facebook and LinkedIn are no better.

There have always been distractions, and long before there was social media there were things that popped up that kept sales people from prospecting.  Paperwork, internal meetings, servicing existing clients, research, networking events, etc... all have a way of moving your attention away from the important task of reaching out to those who can buy from you.  

In the long run, if you are not filling your pipeline on a regular basis you will find that there will be little new business in the future.

The best way to stay on top of your prospecting for new clients is to do it every single day. Looking for clients is not a part-time job, it is the main thing you must do if you are in sales. I found the best way to do this is to dedicate a certain amount of time each morning to the process of making calls and sending out direct email.  The phone and email are better ways to communicate than social media, as you are fairly certain they get seen.  These used to be more effective, as not many people screen their calls and send unknown emails to spam folders, but they are still the best way to reach people.

Your outreach should be a combination of cold and warm calls.  Cold calls send chills up the spine of many outbound sales people and they proclaim they do not work.  But those who prospect regularly know that sometimes you connect with the right person at the exact right moment, and that brings in real business.  Warm touches are to people who already know you or to whom you have a referral or other connection.  These also will pay off when you find common ground.

And do not give up.  A single call or email might be ignored, but over time many people will respond if you are persistent.  By making a commitment to make a certain number of calls or to work the phones and email for a specified time frame, you will eventually see the results.  

To be successful you need daily habits and you must be committed to taking the necessary actions.  If you do not do it at the assigned time, it will not get done.  Without focus on doing your prospecting everyday it becomes too easy to push it off again and again until suddenly you are way behind on your sales target.

The good news is that daily routines are the easiest thing you can change in your sales career.  If you are not seeing the results you need, upping your consistency to prospecting will almost always help you turn the corner.  Daily activity is paramount to your success.

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Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking success.  http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABCs of Sales - C is for Closing

C is for Closing

Closing a sales is often regarded as the most important step in the sales process. While it is my belief that getting the conversation started with legitimate prospects is the most important, clearly closing a sale matters. We must move the process along to the signed contract signed if we want to make money.

The saying often tossed around when discussing the closing of sales is "A-B-C",  This means "Always Be Closing" and was made famous in the 1992 movie Glengarry Glen Ross.  Alec Baldwin's character, Blake, spells it out for the salespeople on his team that only one things matters: Getting them to sign on the dotted line.  (the character Blake is also famous for telling one of his salesmen to put the coffee down, as "Coffee is for closers").  The scene in the movie is a classic, but Baldwin's portrayal of Blake is very gruff, and gives sales professionals a bad name.  

While closing is not the only skill a sales person must have, it is important.  Too many people simply market their services and never ask for the business.  They think that the prospect understands the sales process and will move to buying their products when they are ready.  Too many live in fear of being seen as pushy, so the never ask for the sale.  

Asking for business is not pushy. If you have built rapport with your prospective client and you have earned the right to ask them to buy from you, then it is your responsibility to wrap up the sales process.  Closing the sale and getting the signed deal, or hearing "no" and putting closure to the conversation is the natural ending to the journey that the sales professional goes on with the prospect. 

To understand when to close a sale you must have been preparing for winning the business from before you first conversation. Every customer is different, which means you have to be paying attention to their interest levels and any signals they are displaying which will lead you to knowing they are serious about doing business with you.  A good sales person is always observing everything from what is said to the prospects body language. 


Every meeting should close with an ending that includes the "ask" as to what are the next steps.  You should never leave a business conversation without a closing question.  Early in the process that might be permission to send more information, or an agreed upon next step.  But eventually you need to say the words that ask them to become your client.  This should not be scary, but instead exciting.

Top sales people are naturally excited by getting people to buy their product. They communicate how their solution to a clearly defined need is a good fit for the client. This is all part of a process and when the client signs the contract everyone in the room should be happy. Enthusiasm and a smile are extremely valuable when asking for business, as you want to make sure the other person feels good about their decision. 

While there is more to winning sales than having a closing technique, all sales people should be conscious of the importance of the close.  

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Thom Singer is a keynote speaker and professional master of ceremonies.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences in competitive industries that are sales focused and whose people are seeking success.  http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABCs of Sales - B is for Bold

B is for Bold

A career in sales is not for the faint of heart. To achieve success as a sales professional a person must take action everyday. Every salesperson will hear "no" far more often than they will hear "yes" from prospective clients, and that is okay.  Accepting defeat and disappointment and then charging forward to the next opportunity is a normal day for those who sell. Top producers hate to be rejected as much as anyone, but that does not stop them from making calls. Top producers are bold.

Confident and courageous are common personality traits of people who spend a lifetime selling products and services.  Those who achieve success in sales believe in their products and in their own abilities.  They are not scared of losing because they know they belong in the lead.

Countless people who try their hand at sales either struggle or wash out of their selling jobs. Having a quota means you can never hide from your own performance. Anyone who has been in a sales career knows that the numbers matter and are always on display for everyone in your company to see.  Comparing success in other roles may be subjective, but for sales people their monthly numbers are black and white. 

When you rely on sales for your paycheck, your future is always at risk. For those who work for companies, they will not carry under performing salespeople for very long.  If you work for yourself you have to have new business opportunities or you will not remain in business. 

If we put a typeface in bold letters we do so for the word to stand out on a page.  Sales professionals who are bold also stand out from their competition.  There is a lot of noise out there and most customers have a plethora of choices on which vendors to utilize for any product  or service.  The ones who stand out get the call backs and eventually win the business.  

In your selling efforts I suggest you embrace the idea of being bold. Look at your actions and examine your internal dialogues to make sure you are not being timid.  Do not hide from making contact with prospects, customers and referral sources.  Show them your dedication to succeeding in providing them with the best service and continue to find ways to get the attention of buyers.  

Bold is a state of mind that will lead you to winning more business.

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Thom Singer is a professional master of ceremonies and keynote speaker.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences that are sales focused and in competitive industries.  http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com

The ABC's of Sales - A is for Aspirations

A is for Aspirations

Every successful sales professional has an eager desire to achieve more in their life.  They are seeking something greater or aim to produce high value in their career and life.  To get up everyday and achieve results they have to aspire to success, as selling is a difficult and often disappointing way to earn a living.   

These goals to reach personal heights are not just limited to those in careers with "sales" in their job description.  The most successful people realize they are on a sales team no matter what their role in their company.  The truth is everyone is in "sales", even if their only product is themselves.  We all must sell ourselves everyday to our bosses, clients, co-workers, friends, family, etc....  Those who are not consciously looking for ways to improve are missing out on countless future opportunities.

"Sales" often is misunderstood and gets a bad rap in our society.  The image of the "used car salesperson" has negative connotations, and many shy away from wanting to be seen as "selling".  They use terms like "business development" or "account manager" to describe themselves, as if sales professionals are lepers.  

However, without sales there is no business.  Every organization (except apparently for governments) must have income that exceeds expenses if they intend to continue operations.  In highly competitive industries, the sales people are celebrated and well compensated because it is understood that they are driving the business. 

Companies that do not understand the importance of sales will often not hire the most aggressive and talented sales people, and when they do get a superstar they fail to keep them engaged in the company and the person moves on to greener pastures.  Having mediocre sales people means nobody in the company can ever reach their potential.  All companies should aspire to have top level sales teams, and treat them well.

Small business owners and solopreneurs often forget they themselves are in sales. Often they see themselves in the role of delivering their product or service, but without sales they have no business.  Getting clear about the importance of sales and doing what it takes to drive new business is the first step toward a sustainable company.

For an individual contributor, selling more means earning more money.  Sales professionals income should never be capped, as those who are the best at selling will continue to chase their personal goals and try to break personal and company records.  While money is not everything, it is an important benchmark for sales professionals.  

If you are reading this and you are in a sales career, what are your goals?  What do you aspire to earn this year? Be clear and think big.  Create a picture of what you want to achieve and then reverse engineer the steps you need to take to reach your goals. Let your aspirations be a guiding beacon that keeps working hard everyday.  Those who know what they want and how to get there are rarely disappointed when they lose a sale.  They know there is another one coming and that their focused actions will move them ahead. 

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Thom Singer is a professional master of ceremonies and keynote speaker.  He talks regularly to corporate audiences that are sales focused and in competitive industries.  http://www.EngagingSalesSpeaker.com 

Selling Professional Services

Selling is hard.  This is why the top companies in the world pay their sales people very well.  Selling is the oldest profession, and to do it well means that there is always a job waiting for you. Smart leaders are always seeking proven sales professionals to add to their company.  The best business leaders cherish those who can sell.

Professional services firms face a problem that their partners (lawyers, accountants, consultants, engineers, etc...) are often doing double duty as the sales people.  If you look at sales oriented companies, the selling team gets the new clients on board, and other people deliver on the work.  But in a services firm the practitioners often has to do both.  This is what it is, and will not change anytime soon (although the largest accounting firms figured it out twenty years ago that having a top tier sales team was the best solution).

To be successful at selling professional services you must accept your role in sales.  Too often lawyers (and others) try to hide behind their work product.  However, being a "good lawyer" is just the ticket into the stadium.  It does not guarantee you will play on the field or win the game.  

Clients expect you to be good at your job.  Heck, they expect you to be great.  So thinking your work is your competitive advantage is a path to mediocre numbers.

The first question I ask those in a service profession is "what differentiates you from your competition?".  Do you know?  Can you clearly articulate the points of differentiation?  Bankers always answer this question by saying "We are a relationships bank".  They are so proud of this statement, but is it really different if all your competition claims the same unique selling position?  Most have no legitimate answer.  

To be able to describe what makes you different and to believe the words in your soul takes time.  This is not an exercise you can complete in an hour long coaching session.  And your answer could, and should, be morphing over time.  This is serious stuff, and yet regularly ignored.

A mistake that is made by those in professional services is that they spend little to no time thinking about sales, business development and their personal brand.  They lament their leading competitors who are winning the game, but they do not examine what those people are doing behind the scenes.  Assumptions are made all the time, but no research or actions are being taken. 

Oh, and social media is NOT selling.  There is a lot of people talking about "social selling", but for the those who are really finding success, social media is an add on to their success, not the basis of it.  Most professional services firms need to get their people focused on old-fashioned prospecting.  This means attending live events and meeting people and then using the phone to get on the calendar to have real conversations.  Even in our social media crazy world, the way people make most decisions still comes down to the human-to-human relationships.  People do business with those they know, like and trust.

CRM systems are great, but they will not bring you more business.  A mistake made in many businesses is they mistakenly think the system is key to sales success.  My friend Jim Pancero has been a sales trainer for over 30 years and has seen all the changes in sales over the decades.  He says that we need to remember the original CRM system was a 3x5 card (and they still can work today).  I remember in my early days of selling that I had a plastic box filled with information on index cards.  Computer programs are more efficient, and allow those inside you company to access this information, but sales still come from people making calls on live prospects.  Emails and tweets will not drive your bottom line.  Gathering information and repeated calls to prospects is how you win new business.

Professional service firms also rarely do sales training or any type of inspiring motivation for the vary people who need to sell their product.  The largest sales oriented companies do a great job of educating, inspiring, and providing motivational materials for their people, but law, accounting, banking, engineering and consulting firms rarely invest in these skills.  These firms do "partner meetings", but rarely bring their whole team together for an annual "kick off" to make sure everyone is aware of the annual goals.  I find professionals cringe at the idea of sales skills training, yet the best sales people look forward to learning new ways to do their job.

Selling professional services is difficult, but not impossible.  The first step is to embrace the need for a culture shift inside a company.  The firms that have real leadership are making changes.  I see law firms that are telling partners to learn to sell or leave.  Wow, that was not said a decade ago.  Other firms are creating training and coaching programs for younger associates and working to get all of their staff engaged in developing new business.  

What have you seen professional services firms do lately that is driving their sales numbers?

Have A Great Day

thom singer