Most occupations have repetitive aspects that over time can lead to complacency and even boredom. Sales positions are no exception. The sales funnel is built on the idea of executing consistent daily activity. While the prospects themselves may be different, the process undertaken to meet and qualify them is the same. Success in selling is the result of having a well-designed and well-rehearsed process that you follow over and over.
Without even being aware of it, you can begin to lose your edge and your performance slides. Prospective customers seem less eager to move forward with your offer. You begin to hear “I’ll get back to you” and “let us think about it” more often. You start to sense something is missing but you can’t put your finger on it. These are potential signs that you have become stale.
So how do you keep it fresh despite the redundancy of what you do? Here are a few suggestions that might breathe some “freshness” into your daily activity.
Competition energizes the spirit. Many companies have contests to fuel the competitive drive. Are you engaging with those programs? Where do you rank among your peers? Is there an opportunity to compete? Competition turns the job into an adventure. Competition produces winners and everyone likes doing business with a winner.
Personal records are another form of competition. Are you competing with yourself? What is your best day, best week, and best month? As the saying goes, you are either growing or you are dying. Chasing personal records creates excitement that transfers to the way you communicate with prospects.
What are you consuming? What are you reading, listening to, and watching that will positively influence you? If you are not intentional about the information and ideas that you consume, you can unintentionally fall victim to consuming the wrong content. It’s never been easier to access good content. Podcasts, YouTube videos, books, articles, and seminars are readily available and inexpensive. Perhaps your company has a learning management system with industry-specific content that you can take advantage of. Get in the habit of investing time and money in personal growth. Investing in yourself is the smartest and best investment you can make.
Find a mentor or coach that can meet with you regularly to talk through your goals and plans. Often, the value they bring will be in helping hold you accountable for follow-through. There is a reason the top athletes hire coaches. An investment in a good coach can pay for itself many times over.
Finally, one of the best ways to keep it fresh is to train someone else. Is there a new person that has joined your organization that you could volunteer to help? Having someone shadow you will heighten your awareness of doing things well. Remember, the teacher always learns more than the student.
Sales is a profession that requires the transfer of energy and emotion. It’s critical that you find effective strategies to always keep your excitement and enthusiasm at a high level. The repetitive nature of the sales process will challenge you to prevent complacency and boredom from creeping in.
If you are interested in having a conversation about how a sales coach can benefit you, reach out to me.