Focus and Action: 6 Steps for Sales Success This Year

As the year moves forward, one thing is certain: worrying about past events and their potential impact won’t change a thing.

What changes our results is how we act. We need to adopt a mindset that success comes from cause, not effect, especially when it comes to selling.

The key is action - specifically, how we think and what we do. At Excel Communications, we work with many successful salespeople, and here’s where their focus will be for making this year better than ever.

1. A Focus on Personal Energy

If you haven’t read our leadership productivity article, it’s well worth a look. We cover several specific strategies for staying healthy and vibrant. As boring as it might sound, success really does start here.

2. Become an Extreme Planner

Great salespeople are sometimes stereotyped as poor planners, but I disagree. In fact, I’d argue the opposite is true. There’s a well-used saying: “If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you get there?” Knowing where to spend your time and prioritising tasks will always distinguish the high performer.

Steven Covey refers to planning as “sharpening the saw”. Planning is the difference between being reactive and proactive. Without a plan, you end up reacting to the day’s events rather than driving your own agenda.

3. Always Be Learning

John Maxwell recently shared that he reads every day to expand his knowledge. It’s a trait I see in many great leaders and salespeople - they’re always looking for ways to improve their skills and knowledge to perform at their peak as often as possible.

4. Respond Fast

It might sound odd, but speed matters. The faster your response, the more likely you are to win the deal. In today’s fast-paced economy, immediate access to information and services is expected. If you’re responsible for generating your own leads, a quick response puts you at the top of the list, giving you a significant advantage in the prospect’s mind.

5. Make It Personal

We’ve written a recent article on pitching for business, which is where many sales conversations end up. Let’s face it: we all want to feel special. A tailored presentation or pitch that meets specific needs goes a long way.

A recent article by an industry-leading marketing and sales blog highlighted the importance of providing tailored content to clients if you want to strengthen your relationship with them. The same principle applies here. To excel in this area, you’ll need to research your client’s business, their niche, and identify potential problems they may be facing.

When you have their attention, ask insightful questions about their needs and be prepared to handle objections. Don’t assume your service will sell itself, even if it’s excellent. Clients won’t see its value unless you tailor it directly to their business. Doing the homework pays off if you do it right.

6. Use the Buyer’s Cycle

The challenge for many salespeople is the desire to convert immediately. The reality is that this doesn’t always work. As humans, we each have our own buying cycle, and that’s the timeline we follow—not the enthusiastic salesperson’s.

Marketing Sherpa suggests that only 3% of customers are ready to buy immediately. The rest need more contact and nurturing.

The good news is that all is not lost. If you’re dealing with a prospect who is clearly reluctant after a couple of calls, it’s more effective to shift gears. Send them a LinkedIn invite to connect or share an interesting blog you’ve written or found. Don’t forget about the lead, but nurture the relationship slowly while focusing your energy on prospects that are ready to close.

Many thanks,

Alex & The Excel Team

P.S. If you would like to discuss any of your other learning & development challenges, book in your discovery call.

About Excel Communications

Excel Communications is a learning and development consultancy based near London in the U.K. For more than 30 years; we have been collaborating with clients across the globe.  

Partnering with Excel empowers you to evolve your people and business by fuelling a love for learning.   

We work with you to create unforgettably, customised learning experiences to achieve your vision of success and growth, with tangible results.   

View our case studies here.