Salespeople, like all professionals, tend to have their share of bad habits. For some of us, it might be wasting too much time online or at the water cooler; for others, it could be spending too much time on our proposals, and not enough on serving our existing sales accounts.
Each of those is an area we could have to work on. In this article, however, I want to talk about one of the worst sales habits you can have... and one I see in almost every office I walk into. It's what I like to call "selling low."
What is selling low? It's getting stuck at a certain level in a buyer's company. Instead of reaching to the top, trying to sell to C level corporate executives, and multiply their commission check, producers decide to stay where it's been easy and comfortable, making small sales to middle managers and low-level supervisors.
The key to understanding this problem is in those two words: ease and comfort. We all, by our very nature, like to stay where we are safe and secure. Going outside of that zone, working with people who don't seem to be like us, or don't already know us, can be a little bit intimidating. But that's why it's so important - and why it separates the top producers from the middle of the pack.
Here are a handful of tips for breaking a "selling low" habit:
Ask for sales referrals. The easiest way to sell higher in a company is by asking your contacts to refer you to their supervisors. If they all ready know, like, and trust you, they should be willing to help you move up the chain.
Always sell top to bottom. When prospecting or networking, always aim as high as possible. It's very easy for the president of a company to refer you down to a department head -- and easy for you to get the appointment if they do -- but almost impossible for things to go the other way.
Start small. You don't have to abandon your current customer base to sell to a higher level. Simply make a point of prospecting to potential top-level contacts for 15 or 20 minutes a day; over time, you will start to develop relationships in the right circles.
Work on other parts of your sales game. Of course, not everyone has the kind of preparation and insight it takes to land the bigger accounts. Make sure your product knowledge, negotiating skills, and presentation style are top notch, since those will help you open the right doors.
Keep score. As with any part of your sales career, the closer track you are keeping on your progress, the easier it's going to be to stay motivated. Don't expect to double or triple your sales account size overnight; instead, keep working away at it, and you'll see the results come in time.
