Best performing salesperson do not reply on their destiny, they rely on their habits that help them stay strong under high pressure. That’s what sets them apart too.
If you are someone looking forward to level up your sales game or lead your team to the top, the five disciplines highlighted below will help you gain long-term success.
Always be prospecting
No matter the season, the rule says – keep prospecting. It is not a to-do-lis-item. It is a non-negotiable discipline to be followed regularly. You may develop a prospecting habit by following the below-mentioned pointers:
- Set a focused time of at least 30 minutes to keep your pipeline healthy.
- Tap into multiple prospecting sources such as LinkedIn, past clients gone quiet, referrals, webinars etc.
- Make every message meaningful to the buyer as per their needs. Talk about them first, and then your solution.
Prepare before you go
Modern buyers do not explain their world to you. They expect you to know it beforehand.
- Know about the company (industry, customers, products and services, recent news, competitors) before going on a call.
- Understand the individual by looking at the content they engage with on LinkedIn, their written articles, or posts.
- Align your solutions and questions as per the buyer’s business goals. Do proper research to delve deeper into their current challenges.
Recommended read: Improving Sales Team Performance Through Effective Training
Follow up like a pro
Majority of the deals in sales are lost not because of lack of interest but due to poor follow-up. Buyers are swamped with emails, however, what makes all the difference is a well-defined smart follow-up message.
- Follow up within 24 hours of your meeting as timeliness reflects professionalism.
- Avoid using phrases such as circling back or checking in and instead provide something valuable such as a product info or a product demo.
- Use smart CRM and AI tools to automate reminders and templates. However, it’s essential to ensure that customisation is the key.
- Learn to read between the lines. No response or late response from buyer doesn’t always mean lack of interest. Sometimes, there may be internal delays or priority conflicts.
If you’re interested in going deeper into sales psychology, customer relationships, and leadership in sales, you may also like this insightful conversation by Pritha Dubey with sales expert Sara Storm:
Deliver what you promise
In sales, trust is not built through big promises but by keeping them. Following through depicts your buyer that you are trust-worthy, organized and value their time.
- Your word is your brand in sales. Don’t make fake promises and focus on honesty instead of over-commitment.
- Make a habit of documenting everything. After every meeting, ensure to send action items for both you and your prospect.
- Finally, learn to acknowledge your mistakes upfront instead of hiding them as this drives accountability and transparency.
Invest in yourself
Successful sales professionals do not just focus on selling their product to consumer, instead, they focus on personal development. In today’s fast changing sales landscape, investing in yourself means prioritising growth both personally and professionally.
- Make learning a continuous habit by reading at least one sales book every month or subscribing to newsletters from The Rain Group, Sales Hacker etc.
- Break your personal development goals into mini goals and track your progress.
- Sales requires resilience and is more of a mental game. Thus, it’s essential to take care of your mind and body by doing morning workouts, meditation or keeping yourself hydrated.
- Work smarter with the right tools such as Chat GPT to refine your messaging and analytics tools to improve forecasting.
At last, sales is a daily discipline shaped by everyday choices: take ownership, show up, and plan. Regardless of where you stand in your sales journey, the above-mentioned habits will help you rise and shine in the most demanding markets.