Rules. What are rules? The dictionary gives the word ‘rules’ several meanings:
• A prescribed guide for conduct or action
• An authoritative statement of what to do or not to do
• An official regulation, code of regulations or set practice
As students of the sales profession for 25+ years, we are always being asked what good salespeople look like, and in fact have written three books highlighting our research on what top sales professionals do. Study these rules and embrace them fully if you want to excel. This is Blog #4, where we highlight rules 7, 8, and 9. As you review them, we encourage you to identify one idea you can put into practice right away.
RULE # 7
BE INTENSELY CURIOUS
Top salespeople are perpetual learners. They hunger and thirst for knowledge because they know that feeding the mind sparks creativity. They know the applications of their products cold. They study their customers and their competitors to gain insight.
Seek out topics in areas outside your discipline as it is in those areas where gems of insight often lie. Tap the wisdom of the world to generate new approaches for you and your customers. As you learn, apply and practice again and again. You will then become an EXPERT who identifies unconsidered needs innovatively and who will be in high demand.
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RULE # 8
FOLLOW A PROVEN SALES PROCESS
A process is a series of repeatable steps that yield a specific outcome. While every sale often has its own unique requirements, following a proven sales process has been deemed to accelerate sales cycles and desired results.
The best salespeople follow a proven sales process that helps them build trust quickly. They document it and continually refine it until the steps and methods are mastered.
Have you documented your sales process?
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RULE # 9
DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO
Keep your commitments, period.
Think about it. If you have influenced the customer to select you, then delivering on the promise you made is paramount. This is the moment of truth. This is how trust unfolds and solidifies.
The best salespeople do not commit more than they know they are capable of, but they deliver impeccably on the promises they do make. Back up your promises through superior execution.
For our previous posts on Rules, click here:
11 Rules of Great Sales Professionals: Rules 1 and 2