The sales secrets are three simple rules that can have a massive impact on your results. Many successful sales people, and managers, use them to guide every action they take. Known as the sales secrets because they are the selling guide that top professionals use with unconscious competence, but they are rarely talked about in open forum.
This is how successful sales managers assess the performance of individuals, and forecast where their selling activity should be focused. When looking at the skills training needs of their team they use the sales secrets to plan future training and target coaching so they get the best return on their investments.
In an attempt to market their services training companies are forever bringing out new and more complicated selling techniques. They preach the latest acronyms, that don't work in real practice and are particular pet hate of mine.
There is a growing difference between the sales skills and practices of a seasoned professional, and the selling skills training offered to many new people and managers. The great thing about sales is that the results of all actions are there for all to see. In my experience as a working sales manager and trainer I regularly see successful people that stick to sound basics and learn sales skills through trial and error. In every company I have worked with the top performing people fit the above picture. Their success is based on what many of us call the sales secrets.
With all the fast changing hype and marketing of new techniques and ideas, it's easy to lose site of the basic fundamentals that successful sales operations should use. There is more money to be made from flashy new ideas, and those terrible acronyms, than there is from presenting training based on solid principles that have stood the test of time.
That is how the simple sales truths, that used to be part of the basic skills training for all sales people, became sales secrets.
So what are these ancient pearls of wisdom? Read the following statements and take a moment to consider them. There are only 3 actions you can take that will increase your sales results.
Put yourself in front of more potential buyers.
Convert more of the buyers you see into customers
Sell more to each buyer and increase your average order value.
Take a moment and think if there are any other actions you can take, that don't fit into any of the above statements, that will increase your results.
If you are taking any other actions they are not directly impacting your results.
When you are planning skills training and activity for yourself, or your team, refer to the above statements and assess where the actions should be targeted. Look at how many prospects you get in front of, use your average sales conversion rate, and calculate if you are making enough appointments to achieve your targets or personal goals.
If you are making a high number of appointments then look at your selling and closing skills. How many prospects do you convert to customers? Calculate the percentage increase in closing sales that you need to achieve to hit your sales targets or personal goals. Then look at the actions you could take. Compare your average order value to what others have achieved. If you have a good conversion rate, and you are seeing the right number of prospects, then increased activity, or sales training, to increase order values could be the key to more success.
Start by using the sales secrets to assess the areas of your role that you need to focus on. That's just the beginning. The next step is to look for proven ideas and training on how to turn your assessment into actions.
