7 Effective Alternatives to Your Old Sales Habits
“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got.” - Henry Ford
A scientific research has proved that for an average person developing a new habit requires at least 21 days of repetition before it becomes almost “automatic”. But when it comes to traditional business habits or procedures, it takes much longer since it involves much more than just one person and months or years of practice behind. Although changing the processes that have been worked out long ago may look and feel unsettling, it is quite necessary on the way to further growth.
The traditional sales pipeline starting from lead and ending in a closed deal has changed along with the technology. Today, customers often choose to look for the ultimate solution themselves thanks to great information availability. You’ve got to react correctly, feel the tide and start moving in the right direction before everyone does. We’ve put together the list of sales habits that pronounced experts in the sphere think necessary to develop or replace the old ones with in order to succeed.
1. Emphasize teamwork
A hackneyed cliche says that selling is the job of the Sales, but it doesn’t work this way anymore. From finding a prospect to qualifying the lead to closing the deal and providing post-sales service - the whole cycle is successful on condition of joined efforts of the whole team. Marketing, sales, and technical support need to cooperate and be focused on keeping customers satisfied to achieve outstanding results.
2. Use Prospecting 2.0
Sales representatives traditionally use cold calls or emails to generate new leads. However, this practice is ineffective in terms of time spent and sales opportunities found. In the Prospecting 2.0 is the new approach offered by Geoffrey Moore, the author of the famous book “Crossing the Chasm”. Basically, it is about reaching out to the prospects who might be interested in what you have to offer and at the right time. Prospecting 2.0 also presupposes setting different priority levels to prospects and plan the outreach according to them.
3. Research your leads
Instead of spending lots of time in vain trying to reach out to prospects who turn out not quite fit for the offer or totally uninterested at the moment, take the time to find out more about your leads. This will save your efforts and let focus on the qualified leads with good chances of becoming clients.
4. Know your customer before interacting
It is one of the most useful sales habits to learn as much as you can about the lead before making an offer. It will help focus on showing them the value your product can bring in solving their issues or reaching the business objectives. It also saves you from the common mistake of turning a communication into a monologue about your product and its awesome benefits.
5. Listen to your customers before acting
Whether it is your first outreach to a customer, or a technical issue you’re handling, make sure you listen attentively to what they have to say. This is an ultimate way to deliver value by finding out what they really need. Other than that, customer feedback and insights are a precious source of ideas that are worth putting into practice.
6. Focus on helping customers succeed
Instead of trying to sell, shift the stress to trying to help your customers with your solution. Be there when they need help, and keep in mind that your happy clients are your best advocates. This is a win-win scenario, which will lead you to more successfully closed deals than you can imagine.
7. Use advanced technology
Speed matters greatly in business today, so failing to react promptly can mean a lost deal or worse - presenting it to your competitor. Technology tends to be a decisive factor in such matters, so make sure you are ahead of time with the software and get rid of the tools that hold you back. For instance, the CRM that lets you easily record all interactions with a client will help you follow up at the right time and win more deals.
Definitely, the sales habits mentioned in the list are just a few of the changes you can make to see the sales numbers drastically improve. Nevertheless, they give you an idea of where you may start your way to success. Do share your insights in the comments below, we’ll be happy to learn your opinion.