Today's blog post is by Gerhard Gschwandtner, founder and publisher of Selling Power magazine and host of the Sales 2.0 Conference. Check out his latest YouTube videos.
We all know that winning the sale is a major rush. Every salesperson I know is motivated by that feeling. And the very best and top performing salespeople experience extra accolades because they’re able to meet or beat quota every month. These are the elite athletes of the sales organization – the President’s Club winners.
Every salesperson deserves a shot at stepping into that inner circle of winners. That’s why I’m excited to announce the launch of the Selling Power President’s Club, powered by Spiro. Our mission is to find out which salesperson has what it takes to be named the best in the country.
The contest runs between January 26, 2016, and May 31, 2016. A $5,000 cash prize will be awarded to the salesperson with the highest bookings. There is also a $3,000 prize for the most won deals and a $1,000 prize for the highest usage of Spiro. All three grand prize winners will:
- receive a complimentary pass to attend the Sales 2.0 Conference in San Francisco on July 18-19, 2016, where the prizes will be awarded, and
- be featured in Selling Power magazine and on the Spiro blog.
To be eligible, just be one of the first 2,000 salespeople to download and use Spiro, your personal sales assistant. (If you’re already using Spiro, you can update it to the most current version and opt into the President’s Club.)
If you want to win Selling Power’s President’s Club, here are five habits I suggest you put into practice today.
ONE: When you encounter a challenge, step up your game.
Top performing salespeople refuse to settle for average. Never stop at other people’s goals. If you want to surpass your past results, set goals that stretch you beyond your current boundaries. (Setting your sights on winning the Selling Power President’s Club is a great start!)
TWO: Practice good time management skills.
Top performers are just as busy as average or low performers. They attend the same meetings, dial into the same conference calls, show up for the same training courses, and spend time updating the same CRM as other salespeople. The difference is, they find ways to prioritize getting face time with customers. It takes coordination and planning to keep all these plates spinning, but it can be done. An automated tool like Spiro, for example, can provide you with vital reminders about what actions you need to take to stay on top of key prospects and accounts.
THREE: Make the customer your king.
All customers you speak to have needs, worries, and goals. To uncover these elements, put yourself in their shoes and try to understand what’s driving them. Then, make it your personal challenge to meet those needs. This will help you achieve your own goals for success.
FOUR: Leverage your resources and sales-enablement tools.
Often, meeting a customer’s need involves soliciting help from other departments or colleagues. Just be sure to follow up after you delegate and make sure the customer is receiving consistent and excellent services. One thing I love about Spiro is that it reminds salespeople to follow up after calls or meetings with customers. This helps salespeople never miss a beat.
FIVE: Focus on building long-term trust and relationships.
Penetrate deep into your accounts early in the sales process so you can start building long-term relationships. You want to be seen as a trusted advisor who can help customers figure out what kind of products they need. Maintain steady contact during purchasing lulls as well as purchasing high points. (This is another great advantage to using Spiro, which can issue reminders to help you stay in touch with prospects who aren’t yet ready to buy.) Soon you’ll be regarded as a reliable problem solver instead of someone who just shows up for the bids.
Remember, as you work toward your goal of winning President’s Club, every path to success is paved with obstacles and roadblocks. You will likely encounter failure and frustration on your way to the top. Keep pushing. The number one trait of winners is that they never, ever give up. If you keep trying, you’ll eventually reach the top.
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