What are Your Sales Capped At?
How you are limiting your sales and raising your ceiling
Sales will only go as far as you enable them to go. That may seem pretty obvious, but often times the obvious is not spoken and we need to just say it out loud. So one more time, sales will only go as far as you enable them to go.
In your business small or otherwise you will be the limitation to sales, after all you are the leader. When you are the chief everything officer (CEO) leading and making the sales calls it is very obvious that sales will only go as far as you enable them. After all if you do not pick up the phone and call that next customer no one is going to set up the meeting. Also most times customers are not calling you asking for the meeting. That is why it is important that you find ways every day to enable sales. That could be picking up the phone to call, posting regularly on social media, or attending that conference. This are great ways to get in front of your customers and enable a conversation that can lead to sales. There are plenty of other opportunities out there too. Take some time today to think about what you could do to enable at least 1 sale this week.
Once you have the meeting it is great to ensure you share all the features of your product or service. Do not forget to ask for the sale before you leave though. Often times those newer to sales think that just because you did a great pitch and told the customer about all the great features they know you want to sell them something. It should be pretty obvious because after all you are a sales person sitting in front of them telling them about the product or service. Remember though, the obvious is not so obvious and needs to be stated. So ask for the sale, after all you’ve done the hardest part to get the meeting and present the information. Now you need to ask the customer when they are ready to order? How long until you need to follow-up? Do not walk out of there office without asking.
Some of you reading are not the lone sales person in your company and you are thinking there can be no way I am the limit to the sales, “that’s why I have a sales team”. Hopefully that is true. However, you set the direction for those sales people. You enable them to create solutions for the customer. If every new deal has to be approved by you, or every time something goes wrong you have to be in front of the customer you are still the cap. Now do not misunderstand, you need to be engaged with your customers, even after you hire the first sales professional. Being engaged does not mean being the only decision maker though. Empower your sales professionals. Engage with them on their own and with their customers. Make sure they are supported with the tools and processes that they need. Provide them with the vision of what success looks like for the company and them as a sales team. Do they want to win every sale? Should they have relationships established with customers you are not working with today? Can they handle their own disputes and credits? Empowering your sales people with a great vision will lift the cap off the business and let them fly to success. Remember if you are tired of communicating the vision you are about half way there. I believe that is a Michael Hyatt quote.
So Remember:
You are the cap on your companies growth, directly in the beginning and indirectly in the end.
You have to ask for the sale before you leave the customer meeting.
Communicate the vision, communicate the vision, communicate the vision, and communicate the vision some more.
Thanks for your time reading this post. I hope you found at least one nugget helpful information. If you did please share it with a friend and help to get the word out.