Develop an Unshakable Work Ethic
- Remove the word busy from your vocabulary – Your version of busy likely differs from what others consider busy.
- Be determined, unwavering and purposeful in your work.
- Overcome challenges. Obstacles are going to arise. This is inevitable. It’s how you respond to them that makes all the difference.
- No excuses. Enough said.
Laser Focus
- Recognize that busy does not necessarily translate to achieving sales goals - Hustling results in success. Work smart!
- Work on one task at a time. Conquer it and move on.
- Multi tasking does NOT make you efficient. In fact, working on more than one task at a time will result in careless errors. Out of respect to your clients, don’t be distracted.
*Pro Tip: Set aside certain times of the day to check emails. Be honest with your customers about why you have certain times of the day to catch up on emails. If your customers are used to immediate responses from you, explain that you want to devote your undivided attention to your work to make sure you are providing the best consultative approach possible. This process will be beneficial over time and in turn retrain your client’s expectation and give you the time to produce the best possible work.
Set the Bar
- Making the cut vs. setting the bar: People who simply want to ‘make the cut’ value response times over being laser focused. People who choose to ‘set the bar’ are listening to understand their customers - not to simply respond to them. Understand where your customer is coming from before you assume you are already the expert. You, in fact, may learn a thing or two by listening.
Welcome and Encourage Feedback
- Give clients permission to give feedback. Ask for it, welcome it. Hug it. EMBRACE IT!
- Ask your peers for feedback. Regularly, make a habit of accepting feedback. Your peers are more likely to tell you what your clients might not want to say.
- Don’t take feedback personally – it’s not an attack, it’s a learning process (your ego will thank you later).
Think Critically
- Listen and adapt your thought process to each individual situation.
- Think critically about your sales process – always be open to change and adapting new practices (hint: you can start right here, right now!).
- Don’t make a sale unless you are sure both parties will benefit. If you’re unsure about the quality of the product or solution your client is interested in purchasing, consider that before pushing a sale through.
Be Passionately Curious
- Ingenuity is transparent. There is no need to be super aggressive . Help enough people get what they want and you will be rewarded in return. Just always be genuine in the process.
- Think of yourself as the “Promo Doctor:” Ask questions, Do your research , Diagnose the problem by offering several solutions. Replace enthusiasm with effective listening. - Over-caffeinated enthusiasm is transparent and fake.
Be Charismatic
- THINK: Use Steve Jobs as an example. He didn’t strike most people as a salesman; but because he was passionate and relatable, he sold an exponential amount of iPhones…to you, your mom, and just about everyone else you know. That in itself makes him a genius salesman, but disguised as your “average joe computer guy.”
- You want your customers to think “I wish I had 5 more minutes with you.” Just be you. DO YOU. And people will like you. Gosh darn it, people will like you.
Communicate with Clarity
- Clients don’t want perfect, they want honesty and transparency. The perfect model to follow when explaining a process to your customers:
1. Clearly
2. Concisely
3. Candidly
Exude Confidence
- Subset of charism: Belief in yourself, your company AND your solutions. If you don’t believe in them, how is anyone else supposed to believe in what your providing?
- Become familiar with the difference between confidence and arrogance. Arrogance is synonymous with way too many negative adjectives to name. Confidence is key.
- Marketing messages solve clients’ problems. The products are just a vehicle to transport the solution.
Display the Heart of a Servant
- HELP PEOPLE. Everyone. Anyone. You never know where your next big client is coming from.
- AUTHENTICITY. Be real. Be yourself. Be kind. Be genuine. (If we say it enough times, you might start grasping that we mean business on this one!)
- RELATIONSHIPS. Care about people. All of them. Even the difficult ones – they are the ones who need you the most. Take care of your relationships and they in turn will take care of you.
Key Take away:
Little things matter.
Be human.
Embrace feedback.
Be curious in order to think critically.
Single task – it’s a form of respect to your clients.