The Sun Will Rise in the Morning – Things to Check Your Sales Attitude

No matter what the talking heads have to say, business is still happening every single day. Government debt isn’t the individual sales leader, business owner, or salesperson’s job to solve. Selling in the new normal is what we all need to focus on. So as some segments of the spectrum call for capitalist’s heads and to decry the very foundations of business in America and abroad, our job is to go sell stuff no matter what.

With that in mind, put on your selling shoes and off we go!

In Sales, Attitude is Everything

Once upon a time, nearly every ad for a sales person in the newspaper stated that they wanted a “can do attitude” and a “self-starter”. Both are qualities that still largely ring true when it comes to making sales. In fact, it may be a little truer in recent months than before. It is the internal drive and determination to succeed, solving customers’ problems, and making money that gets and keeps most sales professionals in the business.   

Currently we’re in a world filled with a level of uncertainty that can shake anyone from their best efforts. In fact, now more than ever you need to decide if you want to be successful. If you wake up every morning thinking about the actions you need to take to grow your business and the things that you need to do that will make an impact, advance a sale or make a difference for the better. Now is certainly not the time to check items off a list and congratulate yourself simply for ticking boxes. Every action you take has to impact your business, only then are you going in the right direction.  

Things to Check Your Sales Attitude

1. You want to be successful because you want it.
2. You believe you have the ability to work hard and can control your own outcomes.
3. Professionalism means playing Offense vs. Defense when given the chance.   
4. Take the fight to the market, to the competition,n and focus on creating the value and solutions that your customers are dying for.
5. Break Glass When Needed – Never accept the status quo as a reason you can’t make things happen.

Now that you have done a check on your sales attitude, let’s go take some business. After all, order takers starve but real sales professionals go out and create opportunities and look for ways to meet customers’ needs and take business from their competition.

Even When the Demand is Down, There is Still Billions of Dollars Being Spent – All you Want is Your Fair Share

The world wants you to believe that it was shut down. Simply put, it was not shut down completely for a lot of industries and billions are changing hands daily. Let the pundit ponder the future, it’s your job to get what is there. Sure, everyone likes to sell in an upmarket when demand is growing but the truth is selling hard in a down market can be a lot more rewarding. While others wallow in uncertainty you can be out there driving the market and capturing the dollars that are being spent.

Thoughts on Taking More than Your Fair Share

1. If you industry is predicted to grow slower than before, challenge yourself to take more than your share and let the other guys make less. Call your best customers and theirs.
2. Screw the 80/20 Rule and think of it as 95/5 Rule and you want to be part of the 5%. Let the 95% starve. Half of them will simply by action, poor execution, or lack of a game plan to win business not survive.
3. Ask everyone what they need inside your customers organization and create a sales opportunity that addresses multiple parts of their org’s needs to drive REAL value.

Do you think that the 1980’s Olympic Hockey team didn’t think about the above statements? There is a reason underdog stories are loved by so many; because it takes hard work, the right attitude and anything is possible.

You Have to Be Willing to Compete

You don’t have to steal the other kid’s lunch money but if you think sitting back and waiting for business to come to you will help you achieve your goals, you are dead wrong..…and now give me you ice cream money as well too!

There is a lot of talk about selling in the new normal. Here’s a reality check for your sale’s attitude. Companies and customers are pivoting to survive and perhaps even thrive. Part of that is that you have to be willing to not only work hard but be strategic in how you position your offers and services. You have to have new conversations, sometimes difficult conversations, and broaden the number of people you are having the conversations with.

Be bold and start a dialogue with their VP of sales about the challenges they are facing, how they are adjusting, and what their priorities have become. Then get bold and figure out how to make your solutions an important part of what they do.

Customer Realities We Have been Seeing

Many of the realities we are seeing are based on countless conversations with End User Customers and Analysts. The examples below are what we know customers are doing and in turn suggestions to help you position alternative solutions.

• Sweating Assets Rather Than Refreshing – Add services and support rather than looking to rip and replace.
• Struggling with Process and Tools – Looking for middle ware and a way to combine different pieces of a solution to solve multiple problems, like inventory visibility and financial options.
• Managing a Remote Work Force – Instead of selling them a product manage it for them.

If you have the wrong attitude, we can’t help you. In fact, no one can. If you are ready to take what you’ve read above and apply it to your business, we should be your first call.

Happy Selling,

TK

Tim Kubiak

Ready to Start? Book a Call with me to talk about your business.

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