Business Guidance

Sales Resolutions for 2009 - Part 1

By Matt Drought, Managing Director, Natural Training

1. I will properly time-manage my success in 2009

There really isn’t any “art” to time management. Books have been written, courses have been delivered and will continue to be, but the first rule behind planning your success (time management) is simply “doing it”. The “doing” should happen before the next week has started, which is why Friday afternoon is your best bet. (How many times have you planned to do some thing on a weekend but you didn’t get around to it?!) The second rule of time management is of course “sticking to it”. No sense making a plan on Friday afternoon if you then don’t stick to it.

To implement in 2009: Spend 60 minutes on a Friday afternoon planning your next week. Spend 10 minutes each evening reviewing your next day.

2. I will fall in love with questions, and lose my love affair with giving advice

Your job is to sell, and as the classic saying goes, “telling is not selling”. Asking interesting questions is selling. Finding out about your prospect’s pain is selling. But gushing forth with “advice” that a client may not need? That’s not selling. Quality, incisive questions are the key to an outstanding 2009.

To implement in 2009: Make a file of your most interesting questions, add to the file regularly and don’t forget to read it on at least a weekly basis.

3. I will make prospecting a BIG part of my 2009 sales year

There are many reasons we don’t prospect (establish new client contacts) as much as we should. Usually it falls down the bottom of your list, maybe you get someone else to do it, or maybe you are part of the vast majority of sales people who let non sales-related activities creep into your day. In 2009, take control of your prospecting. This usually means picking up the phone and making a call. Right now.

To implement in 2009: Set a designated time zone for prospecting — eg 60 minutes a day - and measure how many sales it brings in for you over just one month.


Sales Resolutions for 2009 Part 2
Sales Resolutions for 2009 Part 3
Sales Resolutions for 2009 Part 4