5 Ways to Close 73% of Sales
What would a 73% closing average mean to your paycheck? I know a salesperson who will share his secrets, techniques, attitudes, philosophies and psychologies with you. That person is me. I won the Sales Representative of the year award with that 73% closing average. I’ll illustrate how just “attitudes” alone is one of the significant components of top tier selling. If you take 100 additional hours for self-improvement beyond company training and increase your closing average from 45% to 55%, you will find that each of those extra 100 hours would be well worth your time.
Here’s simplified math to explain. Let’s say 45% closing earned you $90,000 in year one. In year two, your improved closing average of 55% earned you $110,000. The extra $20,000 a year for 25 more years is a cool half a million EXTRA dollars.
The $500,000 extra career earnings divided by 100 voluntary self-improvement hours is $5,000 for each of the additional training hours that you committed to. Taking the time to hone your skills pays BIG dividends.
1. Make a commitment to excellence through a personal mission statement.
Sadly, there are some people who will take more time planning a two-week trip itinerary than to map out the type of life they will lead. Just as many businesses post a mission statement like a commitment to outstanding customer service and product integrity, as sales people, we should define who we are and what we wish to accomplish.
I suggest we all create a Career Mission Statement (CMS) where we identify our personal assets and our value to others. Then develop the habit of repeating your CMS regularly because words create thoughts and thoughts lead to action.
2. See yourself as an agent for positive change.
When a product or service is valuable to the consumer, they gain far more from the transaction than the salesperson. We might earn a commission to buy a nice suit or take a weekend vacation. But the customer will have a big problem resolved or a want fulfilled.
Note that, in order to accomplish this, the salesperson must have high ethical standards. This means they accurately portray the benefits of their wares. Professionals are in it for the long haul, and it makes no sense to risk establishing a bad reputation. An online rating of 4.6 will draw a ton more business than one of 3.2, for example.
3. Anticipate becoming admired and valued.
Your Career Mission Statement is your guidepost to exercise powerful personal and professional behavior. I have been married for over fifty years and it was always easier to be professional, enthusiastic, and a good listener with my clients with minimal personal distractions. So, personal success has relevance to professional success.
The more you stay true to your CMS, the easier it is to just be that friendly, positive-minded change agent. It makes it easier for prospects to want to do business with you. And top tier salespeople are admired and respected by many for their dedication to exceptionalism.
4. Make an investment beyond company training—in yourself.
Whether it is said or not, employers value their sales force as much or more than any other department within the organization. If they think you are so important, why don’t you view yourself in the same way? But you will be only as important as you decide you want to be.
Top notch pros have a commonality. They don’t rely solely on company training. They increase their capabilities through self-study. This includes reading books, attending seminars, and gaining insights of other successful people through various communication modalities. The greatest investment salespeople can make is honing their craft. Of course, it may be a slow start, but as you become more familiar with various sources and start to see better results, your enthusiasm for further learning will make learning like finding small treasures with a metal detector.
5. Seek out the wisdom of others through various forms of communication.
The first days of my sales career were a disaster. On my first presentation, the prospects were ready to call an ambulance for me. On my second presentation, the customers said they wanted to buy and had their checkbook in hand. I walked out of the house without the sale!
I started off as a bumbling rookie, only to win the Sales Representative of the Year award for that year. I believed that it would behoove me to pay careful attention to others with a successful track record. Two actions I took was to voluntarily spend additional mentorship with my sales manager. I invested time “picking his brain.” Additionally, I read books on improving sales.
One in particular enabled me to enhance my self-image and self-esteem. My attitude and behavior became more professional. Another concept I learned early was the mechanics and psychology of making multiple closing attempts. Like any profession, dedication and practice will hone your skills so you can earn the income you deserve.
