Hit those revenue targets, transform leads into loyal, paying customers, crush your individual sales goals, and grow market share – Here are 3 musts for a successful year in sales: 

 

Adopt Warm Calling

We all know cold calling – that dreaded unsolicited phone call salespeople make to prospects who have not expressed any prior interest or engagement with their organization, products, or solutions – brrrr! Cold calling is difficult and can negatively impact you, your organization, and your potential success.

Heat it up a bit and adopt warm calling. Warm calling is the practice of contacting potential customers or leads who have already expressed some form of interest or engagement with your organization, products, or solutions. They may have visited your website, filled out a form, subscribed to a newsletter, attended a webinar, or engaged with you on social media.

Warm Calling:

• Allows for a more personalized approach
• Yields higher conversion rates
• Minimizes resistance or rejection
• Helps to facilitate the sales process

To enhance your warm calling efforts, leverage your marketing team. Collaborate and develop lead qualification criteria, fully understand your target market, use marketing collateral during warm calls, and establish a feedback loop.

 

Take the Time to Understand Your Customer and Their Reality

There are 3 barriers when it comes to understanding your customer’s reality:

Poor Listening. We can understand a conversation at a rate of more than 600 words per minute. Most people talk at a rate of 150 to 175 words per minute. This makes active listening much more complex! Because of this, we tend to jump to conclusions about what the other party is saying due to our impatience with the pace of listening. Stay focused on the conversation, keep your mind from wandering, and listen to what your customers tell you.

Familiarity. One colossal cause of “reality disconnect” is familiarity. The better you know the other party in a conversation, the greater the likelihood you will assume you know EXACTLY what they are talking about. Have you ever found yourself finishing the sentences of your significant other? Sometimes you may correctly think you know what they are saying, but you may be completely wrong about what they MEAN. Dictionaries define words, but the people using them give them meaning. The only way to ensure your familiarity is not causing you to miss what your customer means is to ask!

Your Personal Communication Filters. Everyone hears and experiences what happens to them through their own set of filters. We begin shaping those filters when we are very young based on fears, biases, needs, values, past experiences, and numerous other factors. We tend to experience our conversations and what is being said through our own set of “operating reality filters” and often completely miss our customer’s point in a conversation as a direct result. The best way to avoid this problem is to remember that it exists and then make sure to ask a question or two to clarify what is being said from the “operating reality” of your customer.

 

Prioritize a Work-life Balance

A balance between your work life and home life is essential. Take care of yourself, sleep, eat well, exercise, get outdoors, and keep your brain engaged. Reassess your goals, prioritize yourself, your family, and things you genuinely enjoy, take those vacation days – bask in the sun. A healthier, happier you is a more productive, motivated you.

Here are some resources that can help you in your pursuit of a healthier work-life balance:

Read

• “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferriss
• “Off Balance: Getting Beyond the Work-Life Balance Myth to Personal and Professional Satisfaction” by Matthew Kelly
• “Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder” by Arianna Huffington

Explore

• worklifebalance.com – This site offers articles, tools, and resources to help you improve your work-life balance
• zenhabits.net – This site provides advice on simplifying life, reducing stress, and finding balance

Listen

• “The Work-Life Balance Project,” a podcast by Brian Galvin
• “The Happiness Lab,” a podcast by Dr. Laurie Santos

Utilize

• Calm (App)
• Headspace (App)
• RescueTime (Software)
• Install a screen time widget on your smartphone – this tracks screen time, how many times you pick up your phone, notifications, and what apps you are spending the most time on
• A life coach or mentor who specializes in work-life balance – they can provide personalized guidance and help you develop strategies to achieve a healthier balance

Follow

• Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post and founder of Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington is a prominent advocate for well-being and work-life balance. She shares valuable articles and perspectives on finding harmony between work and personal life.
• Tony Schwartz is the CEO of The Energy Project, which helps individuals and organizations improve performance and well-being. He shares valuable insights on managing energy, productivity, and achieving a healthy work-life balance.
• Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist, professor, and author known for his work on motivation, productivity, and success. He provides valuable insights on work-life balance, productivity, and finding meaning in work.
• Laura Vanderkam is a time management expert and author of several books, including “168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think.” She shares practical tips and strategies for managing time effectively and achieving work-life balance.

 

Incorporating these three musts into your sales approach – warm calling, understanding your customer and their reality, and prioritizing a work-life balance can significantly enhance your chances of success. I challenge you to use these practical strategies and insights to navigate the competitive sales landscape and nurture your own well-being.