Celebrate Sales Success

Monday, January 11 2021

At the best of times it can be difficult, even downright scary, to be the entrepreneur or employee responsible for bringing new business in the door.

Most of us understand success in sales as the proceeds of the transaction deposited safely in the bank. But successful salespeople want and need more. We can learn from the consistent themes described by individuals who have maintained success in sales over a long period. Like champion athletes, it’s all about executing a game plan: success lies in doing the little things well.

We all have customers/clients who rely on us to:

  • Understand their needs
  • Anticipate situations where we can meet their needs
  • Communicate regularly in ways that benefit them
  • Consistently deliver value

Ultimate Sales Success

The real pros realize that the definition of success is not just in closing the sale, but in delivering value at every step of the sales process. For them, the ultimate success is achieved when a customer enjoys the process, senses value at each stage, can’t wait to buy something else from them, and willingly tells their friends about how happy they were to spend money on that sale.

The best way to get to that happy state is to focus on the basic steps in the sales process, recognize and celebrate when you have accomplished a critical step, and build on your success at each stage. For instance, after meeting a prospect for the first time, have you left a positive impression? Is the prospect listening to and liking you?  If so, then you have positioned yourself to get a good understanding of your prospect’s needs.  If you ask the right high-gain questions, you will likely uncover a need to which you can present a value-based solution. Celebrate that success and keep going!

Maybe you have twigged the prospect’s interest sufficiently and will get the opportunity to make a presentation. This is often one of the most challenging aspects of the sale and you risk veering off course.  Be concise about the key aspects of what you are offering and focus on how it benefits them. If you can help your prospect see the value in what you’re proposing, the close may be just a formality.

Celebrate Each Step

Each component of the sales process is critical and each achieved objective should be celebrated. As you are doing this, you are building value in your relationship, distinguishing yourself from your competitors and setting this customer up to continue to enjoy the value you deliver to them.

Your customer will be the ultimate beneficiary and don’t be surprised if they remain with you for many years.