But trying to convert prospects takes salespeople into a zone of effort, a space less comfortable than managing acquired customers.
This is where the high-level competitive spirit of sales people becomes essential to activate the determination to initiate new relationships with prospects and take them through to the final positive decision. Some salespeople practice their trade like amateurs on a Sunday. Others do it at a high level and with great ambition.
Competitive spirit, a state of mind
The first step to the right posture is to be proud of the product or service you have to offer. An effective hunter will do this all the more easily if he's convinced of the value of his approach! It's all about overcoming your natural inhibitions to build relationships with strangers who haven't asked for anything and don't need anything!
If he doesn't have this certainty, he'll end up wearing himself out with the inevitable failures he'll have to overcome beforesigning up additional customers. Mentally, a top-level salesperson conditions himself by thinking of all the satisfied customers who are happy to buy his product or service. In other words, he must motivate himself by moving from an "I'm going to be a nuisance" attitude to a deep conviction: "I'm going to give my prospect a benefit, a service".. This positive mental routine is a key to success, simple and so effective!
It's all about changing the way you look at things, to transform a thankless and difficult activity into a positive posture likely to make your company shine. The sales hunter keeps in mind that sales is a joyful game where you always win in the end.
The aim of prospecting is to obtain an appointment (Discover or rediscover our infographic on sales appointments here), an exchange, a first meeting. If they keep a positive mindset, salespeople with a competitive spirit will be prepared to bypass or get over the defence systems, in particular the reception desk and switchboard. He won't lose sight of his goal: to sell the appointment alone, and will bounce from refusal to refusal until he succeeds!
Every competitor relies on a strategy
Secondly, an effective sales person adopts a strategic, well-thought-out approach, in order to gain in efficiency. He begins by defining the profile of his ideal customer. From this, he deduces the relevant criteria for segmenting his target market and extracting from his database the addresses of prospects potentially interested in his product.
From there, much like a top-level athlete who has spent long hours watching his opponents, he identifies the greatest possible number of options for reaching the target determined within the market, in order to give himself the maximum chance of initiating sales conversations and signing a customer. Attentive to his market, the salesperson with a conquering spirit remains alert, on the lookout, and seeks to identify weak signals likely to lead to receptive prospects.
Strategy is also organization. Keeping control of your activity and optimizing your effort and output is the key to long-term success. It starts by blocking off prospecting slots in your diary, time slots during which you don't take incoming e-mails or calls. Shut down all outside distractions that might lead to escape! With this approach, he remains in control, acting according to his own objectives. If he leaves his phone free, he gives others the opportunity to use his time to satisfy their own objectives.
It's advisable to organize yourself around 3-hour slots to guarantee impact and progress without fear of wear and tear. Prospecting for half an hour here and there won't get you off to a good start. By organizing themselves in this way, sales reps will also get used to the idea that prospecting for new customers is not an adjustment variable for the rest of the business, but a must!
Developing the spirit of the high-level competitor involves more than just the technical aspects and the right posture to adopt, it also involves developing the fun aspect. It's a bit like skiing over a field of bumps. For most people, bumps are obstacles, preventing them from skiing in circles. For a specialist, they become landmarks around which to turn!
Finally, having the spirit of a competitor means having fun and loving the Game! Loving the techniques of turning around brakes and obstacles! This change of posture requires training and regular coaching, just like any top-level athlete.
To give managers the skills of good coaches, or to give salespeople the taste and spirit of top-level competitors, we invite you to discover Kestio'scoaching service, dedicated to entrepreneurs and SMEs.
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