When you come right down to it, there are only two simple, but critical, tasks in selling and those are to find and then to convert and your habits must support these activities. There is nothing beyond that we really need to focus on. Everything that we do supports these two efforts in one way or another. Simple.
We can separate find (prospecting) into outbound and inbound initiatives. While outbound prospecting has always been the domain of sales, inbound has traditionally been more focused on a marketing effort with those generated leads being passed on to sales for conversion. However, we do need to also recognize that today’s social selling models and tools make inbound prospecting, in many ways, also the responsibility of salespeople (as is customer service). The times they are a changin’ and the lines have definitely blurred.[Tweet “You only have two tasks in selling … find and convert. Great tools and habits = success!”]
Why marketing and customer service? In social selling, being an effective marketer also becomes a key prospecting activity. Perhaps more importantly, if done right, your marketing activities will generate leads that will come directly to you. As for customer service, consider that your single largest untapped revenue base is likely your existing customer base and this is based on their ability to buy more and to refer you to others. Conducting marketing and customer service related duties (as they pertain to your selling efforts) should take no more time than our traditional find and convert activities.
Essential habits …
Habits are something that are cultivated through repetition. In doing so, they become second nature. These are activities that we perform automatically and consistently. Only then do they become effective.
- Every day you must prospect.
- By the end of every day you must update customer records and respond to customer communications. Then you must plan and prep for tomorrow.
- Before every call, you must review your notes and develop your goals and plan for that call. After every call, you must schedule a time for your next contact and update your notes. Top salespeople will schedule follow-up calls before that call ends.
- Every week you must review your results and plan for next week and every month, you must do the same.
- We always seek ways cultivate and grow new and existing relationships and show continuous gratitude for those that you have!