A New Years Resolution for Sales People

With the end of the year coming up fast, many of your clients and your own business will be taking stock; not just physical stock of raw materials and product, but also actual growth against forecasted performance and the all important question of where the business should go in the coming year.

It’s a time when sales people should also stop and take stock of their own performance against their forecasted performance and ask themselves some hard questions.

Yes, 2009 was a tough year for many, but was it tough just because of economic conditions outside of your control, or could you have been a better sales person?

What could your earnings potential be in a recovering market if you took the time to assess your sales skills, identify what you need to do to personally get yourself from a good to great performer, then took positive action steps to address those shortfalls and realise your full potential.

Three steps could put you on the path for a prosperous 2010 and career advancement in the longer term.

1. Getting a clear snapshot of your current sales strengths, blind-spots and needs for development is your first priority. How can you know which direction to develop your skills if you don’t know where you need the most support?

Knowing where to get a reliable self assessment is the trick. Your sales manager and HR department are a good starting point and likely to be able to give you feedback from your performance appraisals. You may also get useful information from your key clients and sales colleagues, but for a genuine, reliable and objective measure, treat yourself to a sales-focused personality assessment from a reputable provider.

A reputable provider isn’t a freebie downloaded from the internet, or something delivered by someone who became an instant expert when they bought a franchise, but rather a qualified and seasoned practitioner of sales-focused personality assessments who can provide clear and achievable direction in developing your effectiveness in your current sales job as well as your longer term career.

Use our ‘contact us’ link at the top of this article and we will point you at a reputable provider in your region.

2. Once you have an accurate snapshot of your strengths, blind-spots and development needs, then act on them! Uncover whether you need root and branch training or specific support in, for example, relationship sales, closing techniques or sales planning.

Consider investing in training that runs in short blocks of two or three hours over several weeks rather than two or three day courses that give less opportunity for you to absorb and put into practice what you have learned.Again, contact us for reputable providers in your region who deliver staged sales training and outstanding results.

3. Put what you have learned in steps 1 and 2 into action by finding a mentor or business coach who can support you in reaching your goals and make you accountable for the objectives you set yourself.

These steps do require investments from you in dollars, time and effort, but are repaid many times over as you reap dividends in salary, bonuses, career advancement and personal fulfilment, and there is no better time to start than with a new years resolution!