Friday, October 10, 2014

Salespeople Control Their Own Destiny

The typical salesperson's income is very much tied to their productivity... usually by way of commission.The company they work for will have expectations about how much business a salesperson should generate and this will typically be reflected by the quota assigned to the salesperson.Expectations will be based upon tenure, experience, sales territory and other factors.At the end of the day a salesperson needs to meet and exceed their quota in order to reach their expected income.This is a "good news", "bad news" scenario, dependent upon your comfort level with a commissioned income:a. Bad news for many people who view a commissioned income as risky, undesirable and stressful.b. Good news for the "true salespeople" because it represents opportunity, the ability to earn "even more" by exceeding their quota, and it is all in their own hands.Which type of salesperson are you?The "glass half full" stressed out, "I don't know if I can do this" kind of salesperson; orThe "I am going to blow the doors off" kind of salesperson.Whichever type of salesperson you are, the way to meet and exceed your quota is:1. Have a plan.2. Execute on that plan.3. Revise your plan regularly.4. Work hard AND work smart.Your plan at its most basic level should identify:




What client accounts will generate enough business to meet your target?

Who, within those accounts you need to meet in order to get the business.

You will need enough meetings, such that you get enough opportunities, in order that based on your "close ratio" you will get enough closes to meet your "stretch goal".

As the days and weeks go by you should be adding to your prospect lists so that when certain prospects disappoint, you will have others in the pipeline to take their place.

You will need to adjust on the fly.

You will need to generate, and maintain, enough "momentum" within your target accounts to meet your goals.

You will need to be pragmatic about your choices. Are you talking to buyers? Can you get the opportunities? Can you be successful? Can it happen quickly enough?

Some accounts will prove to be good future accounts and they will need some of your attention, but your primary focus needs to be on accounts that will help you now.
Sales is a fantastic profession that gives you total control of your own destiny. Your actions will decide how much money you earn, how much success you enjoy and what the future will hold for you.

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