There is an old adage that states “in order to become an effective sales person you need to market the sizzle not the steak”, but for a sales person who after years of sales feel as though they have lost their sizzle, how do they continue to persist in a career that is so lucrative yet plagued with so many rejections?
Let me ask you a few questions:
- Is there a consistent decline in your sales performance?
- Have you lost your innovation with your sales conversation?
- Do you feel as though the customers are becoming more difficult and are harder to please?
- You blame the marketplace, you blame the economy and you blame the company?
- Are your competitors products now beginning to look more lucrative than yours, when in the past that did not matter to you?
After all is said and done, one final question persist…
Were you ever a top sales performer and are there others who are excelling in sales in your company?
If the answer is yes, then you need to stop looking outside and start looking in…
The good news is – If you were a top salesperson in the past chances are you will be the same again. Here are a few strategies I would like to suggest to get back to peak performance…
Practice the art of reflection
- Ask yourself the following questions:
- What did I do differently when I was a top salesperson? What was I saying to myself; what was I feeling; and kept me motivated?
- What’s changed since then? Have I lost my drive? Am I bored? Am I now spending my energies comparing myself to others, instead of focussing on my strengths or areas I need to strengthen?
Practice the art of planning
Take some time out to:
- Re-set some sales targets.
- Re-set some life targets. (at the end of the day what’s going to truly motivate you must have a significant impact not just in business, but also in your personal well-being.)
- Rekindle your passion for sales. Ask yourself, “If I were to get back to the top of my profession what are some of the benefits I would enjoy? And with whom would I share those benefits?”
Keeping our selves motivated should be our constant focus. Here is one last tip… as you drive to your next sales appointment listen to some motivational or training CDs. In that way you can incorporate training as part of your lifestyle instead of having to rearrange your schedule for your self-development!
Remember:
Selling is the highest paid hard work and the easiest paid easy work that a person can find. (T. Hopkins) and a significant amount of self made millionaires are involved in the profession of sales!
