The sales industry is filled with people who never reach their true potential. Doug Dvorak discusses how sales professionals can take their sales game to the next level.
Successful sales professionals sometimes lose sight of the fact that there is always room for improvement. Those sales professionals who take the extra step and push themselves to the limit are known as the top 1 percent – they have found smart ways to succeed in sales by creatively thinking outside of the box and working hard.
Top performers in the sales industry aren’t just the ones bringing in the most revenue for their businesses; they are the ones setting the standards for everybody else. These top sales professionals are always hungry for more opportunities to succeed.
To reach the top of the ladder, sales professionals must embrace the idea of becoming trendsetters. Success is a lifestyle, not a destination, and if you follow the footsteps of others, you can reach a certain level of success; however, in this competitive business world it takes more than that to reach the highest level and following the safe path will not always take you to the top of the game.
Trends in business are always changing and the ones who are willing to innovate and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of business will separate themselves from the pack.
To find out how your business can set trends instead of following them, here are some smart ways to succeed in today’s complex and competitive world.
Make Time for Creativity
It’s hard to be creative when you don’t make enough time for yourself to let the good ideas flow. Be patient with the process and learn to play around with new ways of doing things. Don’t judge yourself too hard when you are brainstorming new ideas; trendsetters in business are willing to think outside of the box and patient enough to let new ideas grow.
The right work ethic and the willingness to explore new ways to tackle a problem will set you apart from the rest.
Study the Current Trends
You need to know the rules in order to break them. Learn what trends dominate the market and think of new ideas to change the way things are done – read about the latest jewelry industry news, styles and trends; learn as much as possible from the success and failures of competitors; attend webinars and conventions.
Trendsetters are always two steps ahead of the competition because they stay informed and can anticipate critical moves they need to make to stay in the game. Success in today’s demanding sales environment requires a thorough understanding of buying trends. There are countless resources to help businesses gather valuable insights regarding consumer behavior, buying psychology, and current technological trends that can assist sales professionals to develop winning, creative selling strategies.
Learn How Customers Think
Listen to your customer base and understand what works and what doesn’t. Knowing this will help you generate new ideas. Figure out what they need and capitalize on it. Understand what customers are saying and have an honest dialogue with what they have to say about your store. According to SalesForce.com,
[quote align=”center” color=”#999999″]It benefit’s sales coaching professionals and sales professionals to learn how their customers think, learn & buy. Learning from customers will help you to innovate and think clearly about what really needs to get done to improve their business and your own business.[/quote]
Learning from customers will help you to innovate and think clearly about what really needs to get done to improve their business and your own business.
Establish Your Brand
Separate yourself from competitors by learning how to brand your jewelry store effectively and often. Incorporate your brand into every facet of your business so that customers learn to recognize you. Learn your strengths and emphasize them. Establish a good reputation with your customers by developing valuable content. Quality content will communicate your organization’s unique characteristics that will help your brand stand out. Valuable content is not an advertisement; valuable content helps to solve a problem, answer a question or address an issue for the reader.
Build a Great Team
Strive to build a strong foundation by hiring innovative people who will go to bat when needed. Treat your team with respect and motivate them to keep up with new ideas. Inspire your team by holding brainstorming sessions where they can bounce ideas off each other and benefit from open lines of communication. You’re only as strong as your weakest link so it’s important that everyone is on the same page and running like clockwork. Learn to do more with your sales team.
Succeeding in sales today requires that you think outside the box, work like hell and call on a large pool of ideas for inspiration. Salespeople need to be creative, suit up and show up on time every day.
The top 1 percent of professionals forge their own path by exploring new ways to innovate and expand. Learn to stay motivated and hungry by executing goals in a timely and professional manner.
