For Sales: Practice Makes Perfect
Posted by
Paul Alves on Wed, Sep 14, 2023 @ 03:41 PM
I’m often surprised at how few sales professionals practice their craft. Did they not listen to their parents when they told them “practice makes perfect”? Or do they think that they don’t need to practice? In my experience 100% of sales people can improve, a full 80% need to improve.
Perhaps they think showing up to work everyday is enough. I would agree if I saw most sales people succeeding, however that is not my experience. (My sales team excluded, of course). Just showing up, and even working really hard is not enough. In fact, I have come across many successful sales people that enjoy great success without working really hard. They work hard, but by working smart they create efficiency. With efficiency comes more results with less effort.
Part of working smart and being efficient is including practice and professional development into the mix. Practice with your manager or co worker, not your prospect! You will learn more and won’t risk losing a potential opportunity.
On the practice side, I suggest having mock sales conversations with colleagues, raising and handling objections as if you were on a live sales call. Practice is engaging in anything that helps you to improve, talking through past and present sales processes and discussing what worked and what did not is a great way to improve. Practice improves efficiency, being more efficient means closing at a higher rate. Those who close at a higher rate do so because they are better, they are better because they put effort into getting better. There is no such thing as a “born salesperson”. You might be born with the basic skills, but those skills have to be developed over time.
Another way to improve is through reading, I am shocked at how little sales people read. There are a ton of great sales books, as well as general business books, that could make a significant impact on performance regardless of experience level. I have never read a book where I did not learn something valuable, just one small tip or technique can make a huge difference.
Those who put the same level of effort into improving their sales skills, as they might into improving their favorite hobby or leisure time activity, more often than not find themselves with more time and money to spend on those very activities. So yes, more time and effort dedicated to work equals more time and money to spend outside of work. A formula for success inside and outside of work.
Give it a try, and let me know.