The Keys to Successful Longevity in Sales
7 habits of Successful Sales People
The Eleiko Successful Sales-habits
There are very few jobs where you see the results of your work more clearly or directly than in sales. Because of that, it is also easier to see differences between successful and less successful sales representatives.
As with professional athletes, some people are blessed with more physical and mental talents, but most people can develop to become outstanding sales representatives by setting the right habits.
We have identified seven habits common to our most successful sales reps across the Eleiko team. The reps include these habits in their professional life and constantly work to master them and improve themselves.
In line with our core values of learning and performance, we are sharing these habits and insights across the sales team so we all continue to develop and grow. In the end, these are habits every individual needs to work hard to master and then keep training and improving over the rest of their career.
1. Proactive search
A successful sales rep is always curious about their market, customers, and competitors.
• They have built up a network of relations with the
right people that helps them stay connected.
• They read and listen to Podcasts, newsletters,
and websites to always learn.
• They are the first to know when something is
happening in their market.
2. Sales is a numbers game
A successful sales rep knows that sales are a numbers game. It is the number of contacts you nurture x the quality of the relationships x your skills as a sales rep = your sales.
• They visit potential customers to generate new business.
• They call potential customers to generate new business.
• They visit their current customers to generate business.
• They call current customers to generate business.
• They reach out to inbound leads within 24 hours to generate business.
3. Important first
A successful sales rep knows that every minute counts and that you need to spend your time wisely.
• They always start their day by planning and prioritizing the most important tasks.
• They have clear goals for all their tasks.
• They execute their most important tasks first.
• They dare to say no to things that are not relevant for their, or the company’s, goals.
4. Listen first
A successful sales rep always listens to their customers and ask questions before they offer suggestions for products and solutions.
• They always ask questions with a purpose.
• They try to get the customers to understand their real needs.
• They try to bring real value to the customer.
• They never “Just send a quote.”
5. Win-Win
A successful sales rep knows that to create long term customers the business needs to be balanced and create a win-win situation for both parties. For them, there are only two options, win-win or no deal.
• They are always honest about the conditions they can give to the customer.
• They know and feel the value of the products and services they offer.
• They are thinking in terms of margins, not discounts.
• They know that a customer that doesn’t value their offer probably isn’t an
Eleiko customer.
• They dare to say no to a bad deal.
6. Stay Connected
A successful sales rep creates strong long-term relations with their customer. They reach out proactively regularly.
• They value their relations with their customers most of all.
• They are truly interested in their customers' lives and businesses.
• They have a system for when and how they communicate.
• They know that creating strong relations with their customers is the easiest way to get business.
7. Sharpen the saw
A successful sales rep is like a competitive athlete. They know they need to train consistently to be able to compete at the highest level.
• They always evaluate their performance and try to find ways to get better.
• They know that to be able to perform at the highest level they need to eat well, sleep well, and train well.
• They have a plan for how to improve their physical and mental health