A Simple and Profitable Reminder

Sales trainer Colleen Francis will always give it to you straight. She's not afraid to speak her mind, and she gives excellent advice that is practical and applicable to everyday salespeople. That's why I enjoyed her recent blog post so much. Here's what she had to say:

In North America 10% of the people will be the top sales producers. Those who are reach at least 110% of quota every year. Sometimes the top are as high as 200% or maybe 300%.

20% of sales people are either too new to measure, or they are so bad that they are on their way out.

That leaves 70% of people as mediocre. They are good but they are not outstanding. They are fine, but not memorable. They close 1 in 3 deals available to them leaving 2 deals to go to the competition. Mediocre performers. How can you be a top performer? The first step is to:

Get over yourself.

Selling and sales is not about you.

It is not about what you what you want to tell the customer.

It is not about what you want to sell.

It is not what about how you feel.

It's about the prospect.

It's about how they feel.

It's about what they want to know.

Focus on the customer first and the sale second. In doing so, you will close more sales more quickly as you build stronger relationships through likeability and trust.

Colleen Francis, President of Engage Selling Solutions, helps sales professionals everywhere make an immediate and lasting impact on their sales. She offers keynote speaking, sales training and sales coaching, all delivered with a savvy, no-nonsense approach. Learn more at www.engageselling.com