Sales kick off – if you work in sales, you will hear this every January! Starting the year with a good plan is vital, but so is being consistent throughout the year, revising it when needed and scheduling daily tasks to stay organised and achieve your goals. Starting the year with good habits will help towards your consistent success.
Here are 5 activities which will help:
1. Set Targets
Setting achievable targets will not only help kickstart sales with a plan and good mindset but also create determination and motivation towards each task, making it more likely to reach each set goal and succeed. Using SMART goals is a great way to specify, measure and attain, as well as make the goal relevant and timely towards sales targets. Make sure all sales goals are aligned to the company’s overall target, so sales staff know the why behind what they need to achieve. Also, make sure they are broken down into smaller management goals – month. Weekly and even daily. Too big and they won’t work.
2. Making Sure You Are Using Social Media
Social media is now one of the biggest tools for engaging and connecting with existing and potential clients. The content you share can reach thousands of people. It is a great way to represent yourself and what you do, as well as get the word out on what your company is really about. It’s about building your brand and becoming to “go to” expert in your field. Social media is great for researching potential clients, warming up cold outreach and letting them know about you as a potential supplier. It is also a great way to keep existing customers up to date with valuable information.
3. Up-to-Date Training
Making sure each employee has up to date, relevant training is essential for achieving sales targets. Both product knowledge and the latest sales skills will ensure your staff can confidently deal with clients. Just because they went on a sales course 5 years ago doesn’t mean they can remember it, or that things haven’t moved on. Regular training and coaching mean we keep on top of changes and also refresh knowledge and motivation.
4. Reconnecting with Old Clients
If done in the correct way, reconnecting with old clients can generate more sales for your business. The first step is making sure you reconnect properly and think about the reasons why you think they would benefit from doing more business with you or renewing their business with you. Re-build a relationship with the client by asking questions, getting to know their current and future situation. Make sure what you offer adds value to them and solves their problems. This is a great way to re-establish your brand. Also lets not forget referrals – existing clients are a great source of new clients, if they are happy to refer you.
5. Lead Generation Strategy
What does your pipeline plan look like? Do you even have one? What’s your strategy to get new leads? Attracting future customers in the correct way and having a robust pipeline is vital to kickstart your sales success. Without leads, there isn’t any sales! Don’t just rely on one source. There is social lead generation, e marketing, telesales, events etc. Also creating eye catching content on your website, social media etc is a vital source of lead generation. One of the biggest mistakes sales people make is not having a constant lead pipeline. There is a balance needed between existing clients and sourcing new ones.
If you are interested in management training or comprehensive sales training, contact Sales Training International on +44 (0) 1704 889325 or email info@salestrainingint.com for more information.
