Original Date Posted: Aug 01, 2012
By Blair Ball
- Make sure sales representatives have adequate training. They should have a thorough understanding of how your products or services can help potential customers.
- Develop an annual sales plan. It should include sales and gross-profit goals and plans for increasing sales to current customers and developing new ones. See that sales reps implement the plan and modify it as necessary.
- Make everyone in your company understand that they are part of the selling team. Courteous treatment of customers, quick responses to telephone calls and e-mails, and pleasant demeanors go a long way toward supporting the sales staff.
- Offer meaningful incentives. One company told salespeople they could go home at 2 p.m. the rest of the month once they hit their monthly goals; the first sales rep to sell more than $50,000 would get the last two days of the month off. Result: broken sales records.
- Encourage salespeople to put a lost sale in perspective. Getting angry yourself only adds to their frustration. Help them concentrate on making the next sale.