Today's article from sales expert Colleen Francis reminds us of the difference between "hustling" a customer, and "hustling" to do your best every day. It's great!
Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits - Thomas A. Edison
I saw this quote somewhere – might have been a “friend's” Facebook post a few weeks ago and it resonated with me. First let’s define hustle. in this case I take it to mean:
To move or act energetically and rapidly “We hustled to get dinner ready on time”
NOT
To sell or get by questionable or aggressive means: hustled stolen watches; hustling spare change.
I met a hustler this past week. Mike is selling to the home builders, renovators and consumers. Arguably a down market. His sales are up 200% this year because he is (as he said to me) “powering through this economy and out hustle my competition”. It got me thinking of all the different ways you can hustle in your own business to ensure your sales stay up….no matter what the economy is doing. Check out this list and add to it as you see fit!
1. Reach out to your current client database at least twice per month with a value based, content rich newsletter – paper based or email
2. Attend at least 1 networking event per week
3. Ask for referrals at least once per day
4. Follow up on your leads at least 7 times by email and 7 times by phone before you give up
5. Prospect every day to keep your funnel full. A full funnel is one full of opportunities totaling 300% of your goal.
6. Identify new target markets to sell to
7. Attend trade shows regularly and follow up with the leads within 24 hours
8. Make 5 more calls everyday
9. Implement a reactivation campaign to win back lost customers
10. Revise your goals for the month quarter and year
11. Change your presentation to place the customer’s values first and your corporate marketing messages last. Remember client’s only care about what’s important to them
12. Talk to your five best customers. Ask them to evaluate your situation and make suggestions for new markets
13. Get a coach or a mentor. Invest in a live training program and network with other professionals for a new perspective.
14. Get to work an hour before everyone. Put in more productive time.
15. Stay away from the complainers. Don’t make your sales worse by hanging around the life suckers and underachievers.
16. Each night before you go to bed make a list of 20 things that happened that day that you are excited about or proud of.
17. Spend 15 minutes before you start work reading materials that focus on developing your positive attitude. Search for blogs or online sources, or start a classic book from Napoleon Hill. Skip the newspaper!
18. If you travel, listen to motivational or educational CDs in the car ALL DAY. Make sure your mp3 player is also loaded with motivational CD’s for listening to in airports, train stations and while travelling.
19. Record your live presentations. Review them with a manager a superstar colleague or your coach. Take notes. Implement new ideas immediately.
20. Ride along with the best sales person you know and watch how they are communicating with clients. Implement what they are doing into your sales approach.
21. Take your boss with you on calls for a week. Or ask them to listen in on your sales phone calls. You’ll get more feedback than you can handle, but it will help.
22. Record your calls and listen to them. Would you buy from you?
23. Tweet, blog or update your social media status with a value message or inspirational message daily.
Colleen Francis, President of Engage Selling Solutions, helps sales professionals everywhere make an immediate and lasting impact on their sales. She offers key note speaking, sales training and sales coaching, all delivered with a savvy, no-nonsense approach. Learn more at www.engageselling.com
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