Sales Truths: Success Breeds Success

BY DAVID RICHARDSON

Published in the June 2012 issue.

WHY IT IS TRUE: When a group of successful salespeople get together at a meeting or perhaps a convention or just for happy hour after work, they have a tendency to brag about some of their sales successes. Proud of what they do, they don’t hesitate to boldly share it with others whom they respect.

PLAN OF ACTION: Schedule 15 minutes every other day just before the store opens and ask one person to share a great sales success he had with one customer. This can be a success with a recent customer or perhaps a highly successful sale in the past. Participants in the meeting are charged with the responsibility of asking questions such as: What objections were presented, and how did you overcome them? What buying signals did the customer use that indicated their interest? What did you do to upsell or add-on? Contrast the mood of the customer at beginning of the sale with his mood at the end of the sale. Your sales staff will leave this meeting energized and ready to sell. The best sales ideas are not necessarily learned from a sales trainer, but from those with whom you work every day. — DAVE RICHARDSON