The most successful salespeople do things differently than average sales professionals. Many of the top-performing salespeople earn more than their company’s CEO. How do they do it? According to Marc Wayshak, author of multiple best-selling books on sales and leadership, it comes down to solid habits.
In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we discuss Wayshak’s habits of exceptionally successful salespeople.
Habit No. 1: Create a better mouse trap. Nothing makes sales more fun—or more lucrative—than having a constant flow of strong leads pouring in the door every day. That’s why one of the most common habits of successful salespeople is being strategic about how to get those leads in the door, says Wayshak. Top-performing salespeople know that everything starts at the top of the sales funnel. A better mousetrap will catch more mice. A better lead generation strategy will bring more strong leads in the door. When salespeople have a strategy that makes them more attractive than the competition, the rest of selling is pure fun. To implement this powerful habit, salespeople need to take the time to think about how to build that better mousetrap.
Habit No. 2: Focus on the bigger opportunities. According to Wayshak, two types of salespeople exist: Those who are trying to sell to anyone with a pulse, and those who only focus on bigger opportunities. What’s amazing is that both approaches require about the same amount of effort. But by focusing only on the big opportunities, salespeople make far more money. One of the most important habits of successful salespeople is going after those big opportunities. The best salespeople are willing to just pass those smaller opportunities along to someone else, because they know they’re ultimately a time suck. Instead, Wayshak says these superstars focus exclusively on the big fish that are going to really put money in their bank accounts.
Habit No. 3: Disqualify tire-kickers. Many salespeople are deathly afraid of getting a “no” from a prospect. Truly exceptional salespeople actually embrace the word “no.” Wayshak notes that out of all the habits of successful salespeople, this might be the one that requires the biggest mindset change on the part of the salesperson looking to improve. But once salespeople start to disqualify tire-kickers, their sales will begin to soar. Anyone who isn’t qualified should be disqualified.
Habit No. 4: Know the progress metrics. Wayshak asserts that most salespeople have no idea whether they’re actually going to hit their sales goals or not. This is because all they track are sales numbers. But tracking sales numbers will never tell you whether you’re actually on track to hit your goals. How do you know if you’re on track? Progress metrics. Knowing progress metrics is one of the most powerful habits of successful salespeople everywhere. Exceptional salespeople know exactly what they must be doing on a daily or weekly basis in order to hit their goals.
Habit No. 5: Constantly learn new ideas. Successful people are constantly investing in themselves by learning as much as they possibly can about their craft, says Wayshak. Losers stop learning once they complete their formal education. Winners never stop learning. Be the type of person who’s always learning as much as you can about selling.
If you want to rise to the top—and help your team do the same—look for ways to adopt the habits above.
Source: Marc Wayshak is the CEO of Marc Wayshak Sales Research & Insights and author of multiple best-selling books on sales and leadership.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
