Three Proven Sales Techniques to Smash Target
Two of the most important months of the year in Sales happen to be October and November.
However too many Salespeople and Sales Managers are either unaware of this or simply choose not to do anything during these critical months of activity. Many Salespeople fall into the trap of “easing off” at the bottom end of the year.
But this is the time you need to be stepping it up!
So many Salespeople don’t change their pace during October and November and then roll into Christmas and January and wonder why they miss their target. Worse still, they start Q1 of the new calendar year playing catch up.
Crucial Sales Techniques need to be put in place now to maintain pipeline strength at the start of the new year.
Why are October and November so important to Sales?
Whenever we ask a B2B client how your December and January were, the reply from many is “not that good”. There are more organisations open for business and back to work in January than ever before. And no more so than now.
After nigh on two years of on-again-off-again lockdowns, businesses are over shutting their doors. Many might in fact slow down but nowadays fewer companies shut down.
Your Sales Pipeline
How prepared are you for October and November? Is your team implementing the key Sales Pipeline principle of Managing the Lead Time between Sales Activity and Sales Results? Your Salespeople should be filling their 2022 Pipeline now. Why?
Because it takes an average of 2 to 3 months to convert a new opportunity or win a new client. Therefore – 2 to 3 months prior to January is October and November.
So are your Salespeople active right now or are they sitting back saying “January has always been quiet for us”? A slow start to the new calendar year is hard to claw back from, both in target numbers and morale. With that in mind, here are Three Proven Sales Techniques to Smash Targets.
1. Start Implementing Weekly or Fortnightly Power Hours
In a tailored Strategic Sales Training workshop a few years back in November, we generated a massive ROI for a client with a solid Power Hour session. We gathered all their 36 Salespeople, Sales Support and Sales Managers into a room. Prior to the session, each participant had to arrive with a target list of 50 contacts – existing, lapsed, and prospects. We then ran 2 hours of Power Hour Training. Then, everyone had to put the training immediately into practice.
Outcome: the group BOOKED 546 FACE TO FACE MEETINGS IN ONE HOUR. That is more than 15 appointments per person! Their conversion ratio at that time was 34% of meetings to orders, and they had a HUGE January and start to the New Year.
2. Do Your Research
If you search “CEO of KONA Group” you are guaranteed you’ll come up with an image and blurb of Garret Norris. Search “John Wright KONA Group” and you will see information about the Group’s Melbourne Sales Coach. Research your prospects! That is how you will connect with them.
Next, using the information you have researched about your prospect, you then:
A) figure out the best way to address their pain point, then
B) how you will get past the gatekeeper.
By the time you get to the decision-maker, you must know enough to give them insights into their own business. 77% of buyers say they won’t engage with a Salesperson if they don’t do the homework first*. So get Googling. (*LinkedIn State of Sales Report, 2017).
‘
3.Work Out Your Why!
Your Salespeople should all be good communicators. But – there’s always an opportunity to train and upskill their pitching and selling processes. That is, there are always opportunities to sharpen the axe and move your Salespeople from good communicators to skilled effective communicators. That means, they should be able to identify and articulate ways they can add value to potential customers. But to do this, your Salespeople need to work out their Why. Do your Salespeople know how to work out their Why Statement and company value proposition?
Knowing your Why will help you to move targets through the Sales pipeline and advance to the more critical stages. That is the part in the pipeline where you secure the Sale. Make sure you have a strong Why Statement ready and that you are confident communicating your organisation’s value proposition.
To Book Your Team’s Tailored Sales Pipeline Workshop
Call us at KONA on 1300 611 288 for a conversation, or email info@kona.com.au anytime.
