Mark Hunter's Blog, page 29

Focus

What are you focused on today?

What is the big thing you are working on?

I have a funny little expression, “Smoke a little dope, jump a little rope, lose a decade along the way.” I don’t know where I came up with that expression – and don’t rip me apart for it – but it’s funny and explains how we can lose time pretty quickly.

I’m writing this at about 8:40 AM and I have already been up for about three and a half hours. I have been running like mad to get things done. It’s been fun and it’s been crazy because I am feeling very focused.

I cannot help but think about a time when I sat down with a friend of mine to have breakfast. He was self-employed, I was self-employed, and we were both talking about our businesses. I had made the comment, “Man, I just feel like I have not been able to get anything done this week.”

At the time, we were three or four days into the week, and he looked at me and laughed. He said, “Mark, you’re concerned about not getting something done this week? I have been thinking about that for the last decade!”

That conversation has stuck with me for one simple reason: What are our goals? What are the outcomes we are trying to create?

One time, another friend asked me what my 25-year goals were. I had never even thought about that before! Wow did that change my thinking.

The fact of the matter is, we probably are not focused enough. Now, the reason I am getting so much done today is because I have a list of things I want to rock through, and I am going to get through them.

I am focused with a set of priorities not just to get things off my list but because these priorities are going to help me achieve my goals. That is what I am focused on.

I am going to challenge you: What are you focused on, and are you focused on the things that are going to help you achieve your goals?

With that said, I’m going to close up here – I have more work to do.

Great selling.

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

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The post Focus first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

30 Days to Improving Your Selling Skills

Today, I’m sharing 10 ways to improve your selling skills in just 30 days. These are practical things you can start doing right now. As a side note: I put new blog posts and videos out like this all the time, so leave a comment here or on my channel if this helped you, and go ahead and subscribe to both! Let’s walk through the list.

Video – 30 Days to Improving Your Selling Skills

1. Discipline

You have to be disciplined in how you use your time and what you spend your effort on. You cannot allow yourself to be caught up in the shiny objects. You have to be disciplined to know exactly what you are going to achieve, and then be actively achieving it.

Do not waste your effort; if salespeople would simply be more disciplined in how to use their time, it is amazing how much more successful they would be.

 

2. Consistency

This means consistency with your prospects. You cannot sit there and call some prospects once, then not call them back for six months or even a year. You have to have a consistent sales process that you are using more than anything.

More than anything, I always hear people say, “Well, I don’t have a good plan.”

 Me: “Well, what’s your plan?”

 Them: “I don’t have a plan.”

 Well, that’s your problem! I almost say this:

It does not matter what your plan is, just be consistent with it.

Just be consistent. When you are consistent with your prospecting, it is astonishing how much more disciplined you are – you see how these two things really fit together?

 

3. Learn From Your Existing Customers

I want you to learn from your existing customers. You see, your existing customers are full of a lot of knowledge.

I want you to learn from them and be reaching out to them, even if your sales process is one where – after you sell a customer – you don’t have any more engagement. I want you to reach back out because you are going to learn from them. They are going to help tell you, show you and guide you.

 

4. Less is More

It’s not about having 10,000 prospects.

It’s not about having 1,000 prospects.

It’s really about having fewer prospects that I can spend more time on. Less is more in everything I do. I don’t need 10,000 scripts. I don’t need 10,000 emails sent out. I need four or five because less becomes more. What happens when you adopt this mindset is you become more efficient and more effective in how you use your time.

 

5. Tight Customer List

Here’s the thing: You do not have time to chase every opportunity out there.

If the opportunity, lead or prospect that you see does not line up with what you believe is going to be potentially profitable to you, then do not. Go. After. It.

Stay tight; I see too many salespeople just start flashing lights when they get into trouble, turning to whatever they can to try to get attention or try to fight. No, stay tight. I would much rather you have 20 prospects you are reaching out to though a consistent process with a very tight message than to be sitting there trying to chase 100, 200, 300 prospects you only reach every couple of months.

Nope, that does not work. Keep a tight customer list.

 

6. Be Accountable

Be accountable and show up. You have to be accountable to yourself and I want you to be accountable to somebody else. This means, very simply, you need an accountability partner who is going to help hold you accountable for your goals. This means you are sharing with them what your goals are and vice versa.

You know what’s interesting about this? As you coach them, it’s going to help you.

A rising tide lifts all boats.

I want you to be accountable now, both to yourself and to your customers. When they say something, you have got to follow up with them. You have to remain engaged with them. Again, I see too many times where salespeople have an opportunity and never call. Them. Back. They never re-engage. I see more salespeople losing business because they failed to follow up on a lead fast enough.

 

7. Simplify

Do not make it overly complicated. We can screw up a two-car funeral pretty good.

What I want you to do is simplify your message – simplify what it is that you sell because…

If it isn’t simple in your mind, how is it going to be simple to your prospects? It’s not.

Too many salespeople get desperate and want to go out and sell every tool in the toolbox. You can’t. I am going to lead with one specific tool, and I am going to zero in on it.

When you simplify, it’s surprising how much faster you’re able to move. Speed comes into play here. Now, of the 10 things I’m discussing with you today, your speed is not one of them. But what I have found is when you make it a point to do the 10 things I am walking through, you will find yourself operating much more efficiently. 

 

8. Grow Your Mind

You can never allow yourself to stop growing. This means you have to be saying, “How and what am I learning about my industry?”

“How and what am I learning about my customers?”

What are you doing? You have to be continuously growing. You have to take 15 minutes a day – it might be digging into a book or maybe an article pertaining to your industry. No matter what, you have to be continuously and intentionally growing your mind.

What happens? Not only do you gain more knowledge, but you also gain a tremendous amount more confidence. And, when you’re more confident, it’s amazing how much better you listen.

9. Attitude

Nothing fuels your energy more than your attitude.

If you have a bad attitude, you won’t have the energy. If you have a bad attitude, it’s noticeable how it comes across in your phone calls, your emails, on and on. When you have a bad attitude, you don’t listen as much. Your attitude drives a lot more than you would think.

 

10. Don’t Stop

Do not stop. I see too many salespeople get a little bit into the process and think, “Well, we’re not getting the traction,” and they step away.

Everyone has heard the stories of salespeople giving up too early, and that is exactly what happens. If you want to be successful, don’t stop.

If you go through and do the previous nine things that I have been talking and lastly, do not stop, I guarantee you will be more successful with your selling in 30 days or less.

 

Hey, I also want you to pick up the book, A Mind for Sales.

I’ve written several other books, High Profit Prospecting and High Profit Selling. I want you to learn from them because I want you to be as successful as possible. Make sure you hit subscribe for my blog and do the same for my YouTube channel. I put a new video out at least twice a week.

Great selling.

As one of my loyal blog readers, I have an opportunity today for you to invest in your skills. Together, we can take today’s challenges and turn them into once in a lifetime opportunities. Consider this quote that I wrote in my new book, A Mind For Sales and say often:

When challenges arise we don’t rise to the occasion, we sink to the level of our training.

Are you ready? Watch the video above, and come be a part of the continued conversation as we all become masters in our fields and passions. My new program, The Sales Hunter University, is where you’ll find it all – unlimited personal growth, hands-on learning, quick tips, abundant resources, and an amazing community.

For more information and to join, click here!

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

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The post 30 Days to Improving Your Selling Skills first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

Obstacles

I have been home for months. Over the past ten months, I have made four or five trips, but not anything like the ones I used to make.

What is amazing is how my business has adapted and changed in the midst of a pandemic. It is amazing what we are able to do, and – before COVID – we would have never thought of doing business like this. Odds are, you are probably in the same boat, too.

Stop and think about this for a moment: We have always learned to adapt. I could not help but think of when I was 19 years old managing the second highest-volume McDonald’s in the world. You’re probably wondering where? Fairbanks, Alaska. This was when the pipeline was being built, making Fairbank’s McDonald’s number two in the world.

If you look at a map, you’ll see Fairbanks is in the middle of nowhere, several hundred miles from Anchorage and a boat trip away from Seattle. There were times when equipment would break and we did not have the ability to get it fixed right away, considering we were located in the middle of Alaska.

One time, we had a grill that gave us fits and I was jerry rigging it to keep it working. There was another time our cash register system failed, and I literally put cups out on the floor underneath where every cash register was; this is where we were taking money and making change from. There was nobody in Fairbanks that could fix our cash registers, so we just had to make it happen.

At 19, I was figuring out ways to jerry rig systems and make it work. It worked; we kept the business open and kept it going. That is precisely what we are doing today. Do not allow any obstacle to stand in your way.

I think back to my cash registers solution – I didn’t even think twice. I just did it. Do not think twice about an obstacle. Do not allow an obstacle to stand in your way, but rather go through or around the obstacle. Whatever you do, do not let it stop you.

Thanks for tuning into this week’s Mornings with Mark. Let me know in the comments what obstacles you have overcome during this pandemic.

If you want these sent to your inbox every Friday morning, subscribe to this blog or subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch more of my life lessons.

Great selling.

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

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The post Obstacles first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

How to Have an Effective Demo Call

This week, I’m talking about how to have an effective demo call. I put out a new blog post and video like this every week, so I want you to hit subscribe. That way, you never miss a sales tip. I’m here to help you be successful.

That said, let’s talk in detail about how to have an effective demo call. I’ve broken it down into ten things you can do to get better results.

Video – How to Have an Effective Demo Call

1. Clear Outcomes

Make sure the customer is clear as to what the outcomes are at the end of the demo call. That means you have to be clear.

If you need to have a second demo call, then have a second demo call.

I commonly find salespeople going, “Well I’m just going to see where this goes.” No. I want you to have clear expectations because it’s going to help you stay focused.

 

2. Repeat the Discovery Call Learning

Repeat all of the learning from the discovery. This point is key for a couple of reasons.

To start, I hear all the time from customers that nothing irritates them more than when salespeople say, “Oh, well, I already shared that with the person during the discovery call and I just need to verify this information.”

If you cannot play back to the customer key insights that they shared with you during the discovery call, you are discounting the entire selling process.

One of the things I say is to start the call by saying, “Hey, during the discovery call, these were a couple of things that you shared with me. I want to come back and build on those.” That makes the customer feel good.

 

3. Control the Agenda

Do not allow the customer to say, “Hey, could you show me this and that?” What’s going to happen is you are going to wind up chasing shiny objects. You might be thinking, “Yeah, but Mark, that’s where the customer wants to go.”

Yes, but you know the product better than they do. If this proves to be an issue, say, “We’ll set up a separate demo call for this.”

For instance, I tell people who sell SAS, “You are focused on what the product does, not the administration process behind the scenes.”

Often times, you are selling it to the user of the software. If you spend all your time talking about administrative items, their eyes are going to glaze over and they’re not going to buy.

Save that for a separate demo call when they are ready to make the buy, and you are dealing with people who are going to be on their installation team. Control the agenda.

 

4. Know the Customer’s Needs

To know this, you must be asking, “What are the needs?”, “What are the outcomes?” and “Why are they talking to you?”

If you cannot be succinct in understanding what their needs are, then why are you talking to them? Why are they talking to you?

That means something failed up to that point in time. The discovery call failed. This is not the time to be finding out the needs of the customer.

You can refine your needs and you can add to the needs, but the framework of their needs must have been discovered before you get to the demo.

5. Know Your Objectives

Knowing your objectives comes back to clear outcomes. This is where you intend to have the customer at the end of the call.

This is what is going to be the next step. This is what you anticipate are going to be the follow-up items. These are going to be the steps that you’re going to be able to do or you’re going to want to do in order to close the sale. Be very clear on that.

 

6. Less is More

Yes, less is more. Do not think for a moment that you need to show every element; that just glazes people’s eyes over. I do not care how much people want to see everything, because when I find people that say, “I want to see every element,” I know that what they are doing is window shopping.

All they are doing is window shopping. They are just looking to find out information that they plan to use someplace else. They are not really interested.

Less is more. In a demo, I want to make the demo a ‘second piece.’ The primary piece is the conversation. The demo is really just the icing on the cake.

7. Stay Focused

Do not allow the customer to take you down side paths with questions like, “So what happens if I do this?” and “What happens now?” You may be very willing to have those conversations, and if that is part of the demo process, that’s fine.

That said, do not stray from the beaten path. If you do, it’s going to get you in trouble as the customer keeps asking questions and you run out of answers. You do not want to find yourself saying, “Oh, I don’t quite know that.”

If they raise several questions, say “Great, let’s set up a future time to talk about this. I’ll get another person involved and we will have a conversation on that.”

 

8. Engaging Questions

You have to be asking engaging questions. “Do you have any questions?” or “So does that make sense?” and even “Do you like it so far?” do not count as engaging questions, yet those tend to be the primary questions that I hear people asking during demos. It drives me nuts.

A few examples of engaging questions you could work into your demo include:

“How would you see this in the daily process of your company?”“How would you see this changing what your people are doing now?”

Engage your customer with intentional questions.

 

9. No Show and Tell

Show and Tell is something you did in elementary school but it is not something you do as an adult. It’s embarrassing I even have to talk about this, but I do.

I see too many sales where the demo is being led by a technical person who has no clue about sales. You can have a technical person on the call but you cannot have them leading the demo. Do not allow them to drive. If you do, you are going to wind up in a Show and Tell situation.

You, the salesperson, must be in charge.

10. Questions

My last point is a repeat of some of the points I have brought up, but I want to reiterate the importance of questions.

You always have to be asking questions which take you to a very clear call to action (CTA). You have to be very clear as to what the CTA is.

When you finish up the demo, do not leave the customer hanging. If you leave them hanging, you’re in trouble. If you leave them hanging, you’re going to wonder why the deal does not close. You need to be very clear and very persistent.

 

I do hope these ten ways I have outlined here help you in your next demo call. Let me know in the comments below what you intend to work on!

Grab A Mind for Sales and subscribe to my blog so you get these Sales Tips delivered straight to your inbox every Wednesday morning and never miss out on a chance to improve.

Check out The Sales Hunter University, too, if you’re interested in unlimited personal growth, hands-on learning, quick tips, abundant resources, and an amazing community.

Great selling!

 

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

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The post How to Have an Effective Demo Call first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

Little Things Done Consistently

I’m not sure why it is, but I seem to do my best thinking when I’m out running.

It is a beautiful day in Nebraska, yet I could not get out until almost 5pm. It may be getting dark, but I could not pass this weather up. This run had me reflecting on the little things – it is so easy for us to be focused on all the big things, but the little things are what consistently make a huge payoff.

I am running much further into the winter than ever before. We’ve had a mild winter here compared to many other areas around the country, and it has enabled me to keep my running consistent. In fact, my pace is picking up, which is mind-blowing. Usually, when I knock off for the winter and pick back up in the spring, it’s ugly but it’s amazing. It is all in the little things done consistently.

You may say, “It’s not a big deal going for a run in weather like that; there’s no snow!” It is still chilly. You might think I’m crazy but each day, I get a little bit better.

I want you to stop and ask yourself, “What can I be doing each day? What’s the consistent habit I can be doing every day to keep moving myself forward?” That’s a bad pun considering how my habit is running, but it can even be applied to a relationship. It might be the way you are learning. Whatever it might be, do something consistently.

Nobody becomes the expert by suddenly doing one thing and being brilliant at it. They become the expert by doing one thing consistently, day in and day out.

I hope I can keep running, considering we’re expecting snow in about 48 hours. Nevertheless, I will keep running as much as possible throughout this winter.

Thanks for tuning into this week’s Mornings with Mark. Let me know in the comments what habit(s) you are tackling this season. If you want these sent to your inbox every Friday morning, subscribe to this blog or subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch more of my life lessons.

Take care.

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

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The post Little Things Done Consistently first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

How to Do an Effective Discovery Call

Discovery calls are probably the most underrated part of the sales process. Let’s get into how you have an effective discovery call.

Video – How to Do an Effective Discovery Call

1. Do Not Show the Product

Remember: It is not about showing the product. Do not show the product. The discovery call is what takes you to the demo. The discovery call is not the demo.

These must be standalone entities. Reason one being if you race to the demo, you are going to leave critical key information out and critical insights that you are not going to learn. Then, when it comes to closing the deal, you are not going to have the knowledge you need. Reason two is that the customer is going to view it as a product and not as an outcome.

The discovery call exists to help you understand them, and for them to understand you. Therefore, do not show the product.

 

2. Ask Questions

This may seem pretty obvious, but I often hear people say, “Well, I need to work through this worksheet for the call.” I have watched and I have worked with sales teams where the discovery call process is essentially checking boxes and going through a worksheet of ‘clarifying questions.’

Those are not questions. That’s just random information.

I get that it may be ‘critical’ information. However, questions actually get the person talking, which is what the discovery call is about. Do not think of the discovery call as a qualifying call. It is about discovering information, which takes us to number three.

 

3. Uncover Needs and Outcomes

This is the information you are trying to discover in this call – in order for you to have an effective demo, you have to completely understand what the customer’s needs are and what are the outcomes that they have.

If you do not understand what those are, how in the world will you know what to present to them? You are not going to know their needs and outcomes unless you ask questions, either.

 

4. Probe 3x

“Probe 3x” means you have to go three levels deep with your questions and your uncovering of needs. You cannot just go back to the qualifying question and expect it to reveal useful information.

What do they do? Why do they do it? You have to drill three levels deep. You ask the question. You get a piece of information. You ask a follow-up question on that. You get another piece of information and you ask a follow-up question on that.

Go down deeper; it gets you where you need to be.

5. Notes, Notes, Notes

You have to be taking notes. Chances are – if you are in a large sales force – you are the one doing the discovery call, which then hands off to another person who actually does the demo. In other words, it is your job to brief that account manager, account executive or whoever it may be that is going to be doing the demo.

That said, your notes are going to be absolutely critical. Your notes are what is going to determine as to whether or not it is a successful demo.

I cannot stress this point enough: Do not think for a moment that what the customer is saying is not critical information. Write it down. Record it. You need to.

 

6. Clarify Everything

When somebody says something in passing, you have to come back and ask them about it. Ask them follow-up questions on everything.

Customers of value appreciate good discovery calls because it is where they are going to realize whether you’re simply trying to make a sale or really trying to help them.

Think about it: If you race past the discovery and go right to the demo call, customers are going to see you as somebody who is anxious to make a sale. Contrarily, if you take the time to make an in-depth discovery call to clarify everything, they will view you as someone who actually cares and wants to help them.

 

7. Build Contacts

I love this one. The only good sale is one that leads to the next sale.

Typically, a discovery call is with one person unless it’s a complex sale. Nonetheless, they are going to mention other names, and I want them to mention other names because I want to be able to engage with them and build more contacts within that company or organization.

What does this do? It not only strengthens your ability to close the initial sale, but it also begins opening the doors to future sales. You want to build contacts as rapidly as possible so you should be reaching out to those contacts as rapidly as possible.

 

8. Learn Their Process

Learning their process is not something you do in the demo, and this is something that is going to upset some people.

You don’t want to learn the process in the discovery call; you want to already know the process. This is a fundamental change that most sales organizations do not understand and do not appreciate.

Here’s the thing: If you wait to understand their process during the discovery call, the customer is going to send a short, tight message to fit to what the person wants to hear.

If you learn their process during the discovery call, it is a much more robust conversation. You learn more about it. Learn their process in the discovery call because it will help you know what and what not to show when you get to the demo.

 

9. Magnify Pain and Outcome

This seems pretty obvious, but it surprises me how many salespeople do not do this. I want you to end the discovery call by saying, “Okay, so I’m seeing this, this and this.” Let them know you really need to get ‘this’ solved quickly because if you do not, their problems are going to lead to ‘this and that.’

Magnify their pain and outcome. That is the selling process you are doing in the discovery call – you are magnifying their pain and magnifying the outcome. In fact, you’re helping them to realize the outcome, which takes us to number ten.

 

10. Leave Them Hungry

If you leave them hungry, they come into the demo with a more eager mindset. If you do not leave them hungry, they come into the demo thinking, “I’ll just check this out and see what it is like.”

You want them to come into the demo hungry and ready to make a decision.

That is why magnifying the pain and outcome is so critical because when you do that, you can begin to set them up.

A successful discovery call leads to a successful demo. That is how you close the sale.

 

Subscribe to my YouTube channel where I put a new video out like this every Monday morning! To develop a sales mindset leading you to sell with confident and integrity, grab my latest book: A Mind for Sales. Check it all out. I’m here for you and your success.

Great selling.

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As one of my loyal blog readers, I have an opportunity today for you to invest in your skills. Together, we can take today’s challenges and turn them into once in a lifetime opportunities. Consider this quote that I wrote in my new book, A Mind For Sales and say often:

When challenges arise we don’t rise to the occasion, we sink to the level of our training.

Are you ready? Watch the video above, and come be a part of the continued conversation as we all become masters in our fields and passions. My new program, The Sales Hunter University, is where you’ll find it all – unlimited personal growth, hands-on learning, quick tips, abundant resources, and an amazing community.

For more information and to join, click here!

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

The post How to Do an Effective Discovery Call first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

Challenges in Life

I can’t help but say I am struck the sun came up this morning.

Over the last few days, I have had some unbelievable, difficult phone calls with people calling me and sharing challenges in their life. This is definitely not a normal period of time that we are in right now. I’ll admit I have had my share of issues, too.

But, the sun came up this morning and it’s a brand new day. It’s absolutely sunny here in Nebraska, and it’s a beautiful morning. In fact, right now, I’m looking forward to my run. All things aside, I cannot help but think: No matter what our challenges are and no matter how difficult situations may be, they only last for a period of time. This, too, shall pass.

I have had various people recapping issues to me that they are dealing with and asking for some advice and ideas. Not to mention, I’m thinking about my own challenges, but I cannot help but think that this, too, shall pass.

This is just a season in time.

I think back, “Man, how many times in my life have I struggled over various issues?” Now, I can look back and say, “Really? I was worried about that?” It’s amazing how things do work out.

Put it in perspective and relax. What I find is when we do that, we become calmer.

For me, I can rely on my faith to calm me down. What is it for you that helps you weather the storm?

These trees behind me in the video have no leaves on them because, of course, they have lost them. But you know what? In another month or two, buds will begin to reappear, and spring will be here. 

You see, just as the sun came up again this morning, the seasons change. Just as we have challenges today and may feel like we’re stuck in a valley, we will be on a mountaintop tomorrow.

This, too, shall pass, and great days lie ahead. I’m optimistic and I’m pumped. I’m excited about what the future brings for me and, more importantly, what the future brings for you.

Take care.

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

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How to Succeed in Sales

 I love sales, which is why I wrote the books, A Mind for Sales, High Profit Prospecting and High Profit Selling. I simply love working with salespeople.

What bothers me is the turnover we have in sales. It is amazing the number of people who get into sales thinking they are going to make a lot of money, and then they struggle, they fail and they fall off.

There is around a 15 to 20% turnover in sales every year. This number is disturbing because it tells me that people really don’t understand what sales truly is. Sales is about helping people.

Yeah, you could make a lot of money; there are no ifs, ands or buts about that. But above all else, it’s about helping people. You have to put other people first. I’m going to walk you through the 10 things to do to succeed in sales.

I contend if you do these ten things well – whether you are a new salesperson or a veteran – you will take your sales to the next level.

Video – 10 Ways to Succeed in Sales

1. Focus on the Ideal Customer

I see too many salespeople wind up chasing any lead or any response they get, which is great! But what helps you the most is focusing on your ideal customer.

Zero in and get laser focused. You are going to have to spend some time understanding who your ideal customer is.

You want to create an ideal customer profile and stay focused on it.

This is what is going to help keep you from chasing after the “shiny object” or any other distraction out there. Stay absolutely focused.

 

2. Time Management 

As a new salesperson, it’s easy to think your most valuable asset is what you sell or your customer list or your prospects and so forth.

Know your most valuable assets is actually your time. You have to be using it wisely.

One of the biggest mistakes I see salespeople making is they use valuable selling time during the day to take care of paperwork.

They are taking care of this or that and doing everything but selling. You have to be wired in and be using your time in the most efficient manner because if you don’t, it gets away from you.

Time is the only thing you can’t make more of.

That’s it. The top performing salespeople understand this and do this incredibly well.

 

3. Create Clear Outcomes

What do I mean by this? You have to be very clear about the outcomes you can create. Think back to my first point, the ideal customer profile.

When you have an ideal customer profile, you have clear outcomes.  

You can think to yourself, “These are the outcomes when I work with these types of people, when I work with these businesses” – not what you sell from working with them, but what the outcomes are.

When you are very clear on the outcomes you create, it’s amazing how much more confidence you have when selling. It’s amazing how much better you listen and understand. It’s amazing how much more trust customers will place in you.

 

4. Invest in Others

As a salesperson, you have to be willing to invest in other people. Sales is about putting the customer first.

One of the ways I can measure a great salesperson is asking myself, “How do they treat people away from the selling environment?” Do they treat them like jerks or do they invest in them? I want you to invest in other people, 24/7, regardless of who you are or where you are.

What does investing in others mean? It means respecting them. It means helping them. It means understanding. When you take the time to invest in other people, it is amazing how you will improve your abilities to listen, hear and learn.

 

5. Have a Peer Group

I want you to have a peer group. What is a peer group? Essentially, it’s a mastermind group. I’m in several. These are a group of individuals who challenge each other and hold each other accountable. They are individuals who you are going to go through your sales career with, together.

I cannot stress the importance of peer groups enough, because sales is not a solo activity. Sales is a team sport.

I want you to be very focused on having a peer group because you will find that you can exchange ideas, share solutions, talk about problems and really find yourself all of the time. Your investment into a peer group is going to pay off exponentially, with much higher returns than expected.

 

6. Be Goal Focused

This is, again, another huge difference between average salespeople and great salespeople. Great salespeople are always zeroed in on one of their goals.

Every day, you have to ask yourself, “What are my goals and what am I going to do to move myself closer to achieving those goals?” You have to be laser focused. If what you are doing today does not help you achieve your goals, you need to ask yourself, “Why am I doing it?”

Goal focused people are ones who make things happen versus the ones who are waiting for things to happen. 

7. Be the Optimist

Anybody can be negative, but I want you to be the optimist. I want you to be the optimistic voice out there to your customers and your prospects. They do not want to hear from a pessimist, and neither do other people in your company or other people around you.

However, when you are an optimist, you are the ‘light on the hill’ and it is amazing how people will gravitate towards you. 

8. Be a Rain Maker

Now, there is a rain maker and there is a rain barrel. You do not want to be the rain barrel – these are the people who basically function as customer service. Rain barrels give the customers what they want, and anybody can do that.

The rain maker is the one who goes out and creates incremental opportunities with not only their existing customer – because you are helping them uncover new needs – but they are also finding new customers. That is what it is all about.

The rain maker is the definition of a salesperson, whereas the rain barrel is the definition of customer service.

 

9. Be an Influencer

You want to be seen as an influencer in everything.

As a new salesperson, you are not going to be an influencer. I get that and I understand that. But, as you gather more expertise and more insights, your objective is that you want people to be looking to you for knowledge. You want people to be saying, “He or she has some insight I want to tap into.”

Your goal is to become an influencer because then, customers will gravitate towards you.

 

10. Always be Learning

Never stop learning. I want you to challenge yourself to be spending 15 to 30 minutes a day reading, learning and studying about your industry.

If you spend 30 minutes a day for just three months learning, reading and studying about your industry, you quickly be seen as an expert.

Now, that does not mean you are going to know everything there is to know. However, a two-watt light bulb looks pretty good in a dark room. You will have more knowledge than the vast majority of people out there.

Don’t think for a moment that as a new salesperson, you are going to be able to learn everything about your industry all at once. Instead, break it into small pieces. Become a master at all the small pieces and eventually, they will begin to add up.

Don’t try to eat the elephant all at once. You eat the elephant one bit at a time.

 

Those are the 10 things how to succeed in sales. I’m going to add just one more for you as a bonus: Buy the book A Mind for Sales.

I want you to buy it, read it and apply the lessons. Why? Because I want you to be absolutely, incredibly successful in sales. Because sales is – without a doubt – not a profession and not a job sales lifestyle, but about helping people. The definition of sales is helping others see and achieve what they did not think was possible.

As one of my loyal blog readers, I have an opportunity today for you to invest in your skills. Together, we can take today’s challenges and turn them into once in a lifetime opportunities. Consider this quote that I wrote in my new book, A Mind For Sales and say often:

When challenges arise we don’t rise to the occasion, we sink to the level of our training.

Are you ready? Watch the video above, and come be a part of the continued conversation as we all become masters in our fields and passions. My new program, The Sales Hunter University, is where you’ll find it all – unlimited personal growth, hands-on learning, quick tips, abundant resources, and an amazing community.

For more information and to join, click here!

Hey, have you read my new book, A Mind For Sales? Many have told me it’s a must-read for salespeople during this pandemic. Unlike my previous 2 books, this isn’t just about sales and prospecting, it’s all about your mind and your mind being one of your greatest assets to being successful. Go grab a copy on Amazon! I would love for you to post a review to help share the message of A Mind For Sales with others. Reviews are the best way to spread the word!

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

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The post How to Succeed in Sales first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

Integrity

Right now, I’m going to talk a little bit about integrity. 

I just finished up some sessions that got me thinking more about integrity and how I live it out. Honestly, it’s a shame that I even have to talk about this topic. I am continually amazed by the number of people who say one thing but turn around and do something drastically different; sometimes even the complete opposite.

They proclaim one thing, yet their actions are totally over on the other side.

 In the last couple of days, I have seen this on multiple occasions with both businesses and salespeople. Please don’t think for a moment that I am putting myself on a pedestal. Trust me, I am just as flawed and weak as everybody else.

It just drives me crazy when I hear and see people who profess and proclaim to be such great business leaders and business experts, but then you go out and see other things about them on the Internet that does not line up.

It’s kind of like a Yelp review for the restaurant that builds themselves up to be so great. Then, you go read the reviews and they are absolutely terrible.

I urge you to stop and think about this for a second: Your reputation rises before you do, and your reputation is comprised of what people say about you when you are not around.

We all know it’s very easy for people to talk about you one way when you are around. It’s when you’re not around that sticks.

What are people saying about you? Are there misunderstandings or bad statements out there? Twice recently, I’ve seen people with things posted on their profiles that are far from the truth; I mean, not even close.

I ask myself: Why integrity? You see, integrity is not in the big things that we do. It’s in the little things unseen. Let me repeat that so you have time to really think on it.

Integrity is not in the big things; it’s in the little things unseen.

This has me thinking and challenging these questions: What does living a life of integrity feel like for me, and what possible bunny trails are out there that may need to be corrected? What about my relationships, the conversations I have had and the comments I have made? I need to take the time to go back and correct them. What things are out on the Internet about me that I need to go pay more attention to?

Conversely, going forward, what actions do I need to change? What actions do you see from yourself that need work?

The fact that we even have to talk about integrity is kind of scary, because we should not have to talk about it. It should instead be demonstrated and seen in everything that you do. There should not be an issue.

That said, I have a question for you:

If someone was asked to define integrity, would they use your name as part of their definition, in a positive manner?

Stop and think about that for a moment. Would they use you as part of their integrity definition if they were asked to list out 25 integrity-filled people? Do you think your name would be on that list?

The point here is that it’s not about what you think integrity is; it’s about what other people think.

I thoroughly enjoy sharing “Mornings with Mark” with you every Friday. These are just my thoughts, so shoot me back yours in the comments below and let me know what you think.

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

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The post Integrity first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

2021 Sales Predictions: What’s Changing and What’s Not

 

It’s time for the 2021 sales predictions! You know, every year I always get asked, “What are your sales predictions?” And you know what? I like giving them and here is why: It gets us all thinking about what is going to happen in the year to come.

Now, we cannot predict the year ahead–who would have thought we’d have the year we did in 2020?

But hey, let’s dive into what I believe will be the 10 predictions on what is changing and what isn’t for this year. Are you ready? 

Video – Sales Predictions, What’s Changing and What’s Not

1. Video

More video. Yes, using video has been a big part of 2020 selling. Need I remind you of how many virtual team meetings, Zoom, WebEx and more we experienced this year? Video is going to become part of every email, every message, every platform… video, more video. Get used to it!

2. Your reputation matters most

This is going to become more and more critical because we are going to be staying in this virtual world here for probably several more months and really – in some element – forever.

What does this mean? People have the ability to check you out, and your reputation matters. And when people “check you out,” they’re going to check you out online. So ask yourself: What does Google have to say about you?

Your reputation matters most.

It’s interesting that really has not changed. It’s always been important, but it’s just going to become even more so.

 

3. Others will sell you

Now, what does that mean? There’s something significantly changing in the marketplace.

First of all, you as a salesperson have to be responsible for your sales. No ifs, ands or buts about that. I am responsible for my own sales. But it’s vert interesting to note that customers are looking to others to confirm reasons as to why they should do business with you.

Customers are looking to others to get reviews on you. You see, others will sell you just like a restaurant relies on Yelp reviews, just like a hotel or a theme park relies on TripAdvisor and different bulletin boards, so forth.

Every salesperson is going to be relying more and more on others to be selling you. That said, you better make sure you have advocates out there talking positively and sharing comments about you.

People are going to be asking before they’re willing to do a transaction with you. Actually, they’re not going to be asking – they’re going to go find it.

And if they don’t find it, they’re not going to do business with you.

 

4. Offline conversations

See, this is a little bit of a mix between old world and new world. What exactly does “offline conversations” mean? It means the ability to pick up the phone and have a real conversation with that person.

Yes, we may live in a Zoom and internet-based world. The difference is that online connection you make through social media isn’t the end goal. The end goal is to turn that into an offline conversation. 

The offline conversation is the one that now brings more value. There’s just something magical about it.

So what’s changed and what hasn’t changed? The telephone is actually playing a bigger role in higher value deals than ever before.

Note that when I say higher value,  that doesn’t necessarily mean higher price. That just means you’re going to be creating more value at whatever price point you happen to sell at when you embrace having offline conversations.

5. Value comparison

This one is huge. The customer knows that they are in control and that they can compare. What does this mean for you? 

This means they’re going to be comparing more than ever, and this requires more work on our part than ever before for one reason: The customer doesn’t know what they do not know, and they will wind up comparing things that do not apply.

We have to be careful with the customer’s value comparison because they’re thinking they’re making the wise decision. We have to be prepared to jump in and help them through. This concept really is new, and is only going to become an exponentially huge factor in the year to come.

 

6. Noise barriers

The Internet has never been noisier. If you look at the amount of video being streamed, the amount of commentary, the amount of podcasting about everything – it is incredibly noisy out there.

Now, there are two things you have to understand to get noise barriers to work for you. One, you have to nail down what is your noise? What is the noise you’re creating, and is it meaningful? It cannot just be noise; it has to be quality noise. I am going to challenge you to up your quality of noise through the posts you make, the comments you share and everything in between. You have to be there for your customers, but make it meaningful and engaging.

At the same token, noise barriers mean your customers are hearing more and more and more. This means it is going to be even more challenging for you to be able to break through, which means you have to be using a multichannel strategy to be able to connect.

Without it, you have no chance because we are truly all competing in a global marketplace. 

7. Personal relationships matter

I’ll continue by saying they matter more than ever right now. In the old world – pre-COVID – we could go out and create personal relationships one-on-one with people.

But today, things are moving much faster. This means we have to foster more relationships with more people, because chances are, (Go back to some of the things that we’re talking about here) people are going to be talking to other people and say, “Hey, what’s this Mark Hunter guy like?” or “What’s this guy like?”

Personal relationships matter because it’s a way we break through the noise. It is the way we can really convey our reputation. It’s the way we really accomplish everything we’ve been discussing up to this point. 

8. Authenticity

More than ever, authenticity is key. I always talk about how important authenticity is, because people have to see the real you. The world is so noisy, which means it’s easy for things to get distorted quickly. We have to be careful and intentionally authentic in all our messages. 

We have to be real human beings. People want to do business with people who are genuine, not fakes.

9. Simplicity

Simply keep things simple.

It’s easy for us to screw up a two-car funeral. It’s easy for us to make things incredibly complex. We have to simplify things, especially because people are exhausted after such a grueling year. The easier we can make it for our customers to make a decision and determine what is best for them, the higher they will view us.

10. Face-to-face meetings

Face-to-face is coming back.

Face-to-face is going to be coming at us in a number of different ways. Have you ever noticed how the Zoom meeting you had when we first went into the pandemic was kind of all over the place? You may have been doing a Zoom call with a customer.

Now, you have Zoom meetings all the time – maybe even multiple times a day – and it feels a whole lot more engaging, doesn’t it? In a short time, we have really vaulted.

Aside from that, I believe face-to-face meetings are coming back in various levels. What does this mean for you? We have to be prepared.

We will get back to business travel. The degree with which we get back? That of course is going to be suspect for a long time to come. I don’t know. We don’t know. Nobody knows. But you better be prepared for it.

Those are what I see as my 2021 sales predictions. I’d love to hear what yours are. Great selling! 

As one of my loyal blog readers, I have an opportunity today for you to invest in your skills. Together, we can take today’s challenges and turn them into once in a lifetime opportunities. Consider this quote that I wrote in my new book, A Mind For Sales and say often:

When challenges arise we don’t rise to the occasion, we sink to the level of our training.

Are you ready? Watch the video above, and come be a part of the continued conversation as we all become masters in our fields and passions. My new program, The Sales Hunter University, is where you’ll find it all – unlimited personal growth, hands-on learning, quick tips, abundant resources, and an amazing community.

For more information and to join, click here!

Hey, have you read my new book, A Mind For Sales? Many have told me it’s a must-read for salespeople during this pandemic. Unlike my previous 2 books, this isn’t just about sales and prospecting, it’s all about your mind and your mind being one of your greatest assets to being successful. Go grab a copy on Amazon! I would love for you to post a review to help share the message of A Mind For Sales with others. Reviews are the best way to spread the word!

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

The post 2021 Sales Predictions: What’s Changing and What’s Not first appeared on The Sales Hunter.