How To Take Your Sales To The Next Level

You want to build a solid book of business that will perform for you year after year? You won’t get there by waiting for the phone to ring or by relying on your website to funnel leads into your lap.

So, how do you make it happen?

We are going to break down steps you can use to build a winning book of business. These steps have been perfected over two decades of building and coaching sales professionals to millions of dollars worth of sales. If you follow these 10 steps for growing your business, we guarantee that you will start seeing:

• Deeper relationships with your customers
• A better-performing portfolio
• A fuller sales funnel year-round

Providing Solutions

Always be thinking of angles for your clients. Provide value by always keeping their needs top of mind. Look at opportunities through a lens of what is best for them and their goals. Search out ideas that will benefit them.

• Read blogs and magazine, and listen to podcasts that will make you an expert across fields.
• Think beyond an initial ask to cross-sell opportunities like a complementary product, custom packaging, or an additional service that will take an idea further.

The Thirst For Learning

Curiosity gets the sale. Develop your sense of curiosity. Devote time to learning new things inside and outside of work.

• Attend workshops sponsored by your regional association or at industry events like PPAI Expo.
• Go to a conference outside the promo industry. Hint: Try one where your clients hang out.
• Brainstorm ways to bring outside passions into your work. Love music? Try to land some band business. Into MMA? Go after your local gyms

Put The Active In Proactive

Be proactive. Routinely email and call clients with ideas that will help grow their business. Pitch them product ideas as well as big, strategic ideas.

• Find a piece of knowledge that you can share with your clients at least once per month.
• Book in-person meetings 3-4 times per year: lunch, coffee, or conferences.
• Send great-looking product ideas at least once a month. Get pictures in front of your clients: 93% of the most engaging posts on Facebook are photos.

Your Inner Entrepreneur

Drive your destiny. Close business and maximize revenue. Don’t wait for a customer to come to you or for an order to fall into your lap: go get it.

• Manage your portfolio as though it were your own company. Set SMART goals (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time Based)and take measured steps to achieve them
• Ask for the business
• Ask for referrals

Build Your Network

Actively grow your network, in the industry and outside of it. Evangelize what you do outside of work and learn what other people do. Build connections and relationships everywhere you go.

• Share more with people than you take: Do one kind thing for someone in your network each week.
• Help people who are asking questions on social networks.
• Develop your elevator pitch so you can easily explain to new contacts who you are and how you can help them.
• Connect the people in your network to each other.
• Once a week send personalized notes to stay in touch.

Deepen The Well

Become an expert. Develop a deep knowledge of the products you sell and how they fit into solving your client's’ challenges.

• Attend sessions to learn about products - in person or online.
• Work to drive value at trade shows. Know what you want to get out of shows, don’t rely on other people, like suppliers, to do it for you.
• Develop your own "product line" of go-to products.

Slay Your Distractions

Remain focused on the task at hand without getting distracted. You manage your inbox, your inbox doesn’t manage you. Don't procrastinate…get the job done.

• Know the top 3 things you will accomplish each day
• Budget for distractions
• Set aside at least 50% of your day for focused sales
• Focus on your best clients and opportunities first
• Obsess over the sales dashboard

The Cents In Urgency

Keep calm and don’t watch the clock. Do your work quickly and efficiently. In a fast paced business, client requests need to be acknowledged quickly, even if it's outside of traditional office hours. Set clients expectations on response times and stick to them.

• Acknowledge client calls or emails within 60 minutes.
• Prioritize your opportunities and action items.
• Use tools that are always-on so you can work from anywhere.

Love What You Do

Life is too short and sales is an always-on job…at the office, at home, and sometimes even on vacation. If you don’t love your job, your clients, or who you work with, maybe you should re-examine your relationships.

• Complete a Personal SWOT Analysis
• Focus on the parts of your job that you love the most
• Finish your least favorite task early in the day so you feel accomplished and don’t waste energy dreading it all day

Analyze Yourself/Your Sales Team

Directions:

1. Use this scorecard to assess your sales team (or yourself) on the traits of a top sales producer
2. The rep names and scores below represent a guide for how you would complete the form for your own team
3. An ideal score is 4+. Scores less than 4 will allow you to identify areas for improvement. 5 = flawless; 3 = the trait exists, but it needs to be coaxed out of them; 1 = not part of their DNA

Traits: Solution Provider: always thinking of angles for your clients Thirst for Learning: dedicated to bettering yourself through education Proactive: routinely contact clients with unique ideas that will help grow their businessEntrepreneurial: driven to close business Caring: you care about your clients and their goals Outgoing: you’re not afraid to network and put yourself out there Product Expert: you have a deep knowledge of the products you sell Focused & Productive: you remain focused on the task at hand without getting distractedSense of Urgency: you complete tasks quickly and efficientlyPassion for job: you love what you do

Now that you have the knowledge and tools to become a successful promotional products salesperson you can take your sales to the next level.

Looking for more resources?

• Read our guide on How to Make your Promotional Products Business Stand Out
• Subscribe to our blog for business resources, sales and marketing tips and episodes of our podcast