10 Awesome Tips for More Sales in 2010

Ok, 2009 is over, and good riddance say many in the sales industry. That’s the beauty of the New Year. It’s a clean slate. A time for self-analysis. A time for goals. A time for setting a new vision of excellence.

Although there are thousands of tips for sales we could talk about, I’m going to list the top 10 that have helped me in my life and lead to greater happiness and sales prosperity. So without further ado, here goes:

1.       Surround Yourself with Positivity.

My last article covered this important topic in depth but I can’t mention its impact enough. When I say focus on positivity, this means everything we ingest needs to be directed at helping us feel motivation, inspiration, and direction in our lives. This ingestion of the positive is especially pertinent when it comes to the TV we watch, what we read on the internet, the people we spend our time with, and the activities that we partake of each and every day. Remember, if there is something in your life that’s holding you back because of the negative effect it has on you, LET IT GO.

 

2.       Spend at least 20 minutes a day writing

Ok, so you may not have expected to see this one on the list, but I’m here to testify of the magic and power behind writing. Between this blog and the blog I maintain with my other business, I have the opportunity to put my thoughts to pen each and every day. And the effect of such action is phenomenal. Simply put, writing sparks the brain and its creative powers. It leads to thoughts and inspiration that otherwise never would have entered the picture. For example, ever since I started The Sales Lion my personal sales closing rates have gone up over 10%. By no means is this a simple coincidence. You ask, “What the heck am I supposed to write about?” My answer: It doesn’t matter. Just write. Do it. It will change you.

 

3.       Family First

Again, not a topic most persons would expect to find on a sales list, but certainly one of major, major significance and importance. Someone once said that our greatest work will be done within the walls of our own home. I’ve seen many occasions where sales persons were so involved with their ‘work’ that they completely disregarded their personal and family life. And did they end up happy in the long run? Of course not, because eventually the invigoration of ‘making a sale’ is overcome with the disenchantments of an unhappy home life. But the ultimate key is balance. And I unequivocally believe that a sales professional who has a healthy and happy home life will always produce more, at least over the long-haul, than one that doesn’t. May we all keep our houses in order in 2010.

 

4.       Sharpen the Sword

The greatest sales persons are the ones that never rest on their laurels. They never grow tired of learning and gleaning from others. And they certainly never cease from striving for self-improvement. At times, it can be so easy to get wrapped up in the everyday life of selling and running a business that we never take a moment to step back and work on ourselves. And what happens? The sword gets dull, our results falter, and we’re left wondering what happened. Personally, in 2009, I read or listened to over 100 self-improvement books, many of which I had already read multiple times. And what happens with each reading? You guessed it- I lean something new. This is what sharpening the sword is all about.

 

5.       Smile and Laugh a Ridiculous Amount

Yes, I know this could fall under #1, but it needs its own mention. There have been times in my life when I was so focused, so driven, so wrapped up in thought that I ended up coming across as cold and way too militaristic. Did I realize it at the time? Nope, but once you’re told the same thing by multiple people about a character flaw it makes you do some serious self-reflection. Before this realization occurred, in my mind I thought,  “I’m a great guy to be around, people  just need to get to know me.” But let me tell you, it doesn’t matter how great a guy you are if you don’t know how to smile often and show others you’re a joy to be around. People want to be around people that make them happy. And customers want to buy from sales persons that make them happy. So laugh often, smile constantly, and sell like a mad-manJ.

 

6.       Find a Mentor

Study the life of every great man or women and you’ll find a mentor that helped them reach heights they otherwise wouldn’t have known. A great mentor will challenge you. He will inspire you. And he will also upset you because of his honesty and frankness. Such an influence is invaluable to any person looking to reach their greatest potential.

 

7.       Develop a Fitness/Exercise Routine

We’ve heard it over and over again, but the influence of our physical fitness on our mental fitness is astounding. With an everyday fitness routine, you will accomplish more, have more energy, and feel much better inside and out. Every sales professional should not only act the part in terms of their sales skills and professionalism, but look the part as well. Whether people want to admit it or not, you will be judged by your clients, at least in some part, by your physical appearance. May we all radiate fitness in 2010.

 

8.       Embrace the Future of Sales and Marketing

Believe it or not, 2 years ago I was a total dope when it came to computers, blogging, marketing, etc. For my previous 30 years of existence, I had never embraced technology and saw myself as one who “just wasn’t good at that stuff”. But after years of suffering from this self-image, I decided enough was enough. From that day on, I said I would tell myself, as well as others, that I was a computer and technology expert. Instead of cringing at the ‘new age’, I embraced it by reading everything I could on the subject. And what have been my results? Today I teach people marketing and web design…and actually get paid for it. I also maintain the most popular blog in the swimming pool industry. My peers now see me as an expert, and I’m even starting to believe some of the talk myself . But seriously, the paradigm shift has been nothing short of amazing. So instead of complaining about technology, computers, social media, twitter, and the other 1000 trends that start up in the next few hours, may we all embrace these wonderful advances in the human race and take advantage of what each has to offer us.

 

9.       Become an Educator

One of the quickest ways to earn someone’s trust is to give them useful information- and lots of it. This is the reason why my swimming pool company is incredibly successful despite the current economic conditions. Everywhere I look, swimming pool companies are going out of business. And what’s a common similarity with just about all of them? They simply don’t care about teaching. They’ve done nothing in this information age to supply potential clients with useful and awesome information and have therefore paid the price. So for 2010, commit to becoming known as an educator in your field. Start a blog. Speak at your local civic organizations. Contribute articles to magazines in your niche.  Offer a web site that could be compared to an encyclopedia. Give away a free eBook. Info, info, info….you can’t give enough of it. And what will be the result? YOU will become YOUR brand…and you’ll make a lot more money!

 

10.   Share Your Greatness with Others

My dear mentor (although he never met me, he was certainly one of my greatest mentors), the late Jim Rohn, once asked this question:

How does one add water to a cup that’s already full?

The answer, as you already know, is by taking some of the water out and sharing it with others. This principle absolutely applies to sales professionals. The idea of giving our time, talents, and knowledge to others as a means of ‘Giving to Grow’ is as old as the stars themselves. Personally, I know the more I mentor, teach, and serve others, the more I’m able to receive inspiration and joy in my own life. In fact, one of my favorite scriptures states:

 

“Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together”

So there are my top 10 sales tips for 2010. I genuinely hope they are able to inspire and help you in some way so that you have a tremendous year personally and professionally.

 So how about you? What are your sales tips? As always, thanks for reading and if you liked this article please don’t forget to subscribe by email to this blog and leave your comments below.

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