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Generating sales consistently and effectively is perhaps one of the biggest issues many organisations and individuals face.
So how can you create sales sustainably?
Let’s start by assessing the meaning of the word sustainable, a word so often used in a variety of contexts. Sustainable sales are about creating long term value, considering the three key elements of people, planet and profit. Sustainable sales can often take longer to achieve as they encompass the nurturing of long-term relationship development, providing solutions and adding value. Establishing yourself as a trusted partner takes time, but the long-term lasting effects are essential. Creating a sustainable sales mentality will drive long term growth in your business, a much more reliable pipeline and a more cyclical sales process with an increased level of inbound leads.
Sustainable sales aren’t about quick transactional wins which do not create long term value for either the end user or you the individual / business. They aren’t about large or small orders with a minimal margin just to achieve your month end target or annual KPI. They aren’t about pricing it so tight to beat the competition and leaving yourself no room to negotiate next time. That said pricing to win is a method we have all used if the long-term value is evident – discounting continuously is not a sustainable nor advisable method and one I would warn against at all costs.
Creating sustainable sales comes down to a few key elements for us at the Just Williams Sales Academy.
- Setting Goals and KPIs
- Know Your Customer
- Consistency
- Networks
- Adding Value
These five key elements when brought together form the foundations for successful sales on a sustainable basis. They each create an essential element in their own right, but together they form a solid platform to create a sustainable sales methodology.
Setting Goals and KPIs – This is an obvious one, right? Well, you would be surprised. You may have been set company wide objectives and targets, but have you created your own activities and goals? Broken your annual targets down to monthly activities? What do you need to actually do to achieve these? What are your goals, not just KPIs, goals – we have both personal and professional goals mapped out monthly.
Know your customer – take a strategic approach ALWAYS! Who buys from you and importantly, why? Ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of who your customers are and engage with them regularly. Are they also your future customers? The reason they once bought from you may not be the reason, they remain loyal to you – find out. Creating sustainable sales is having a loyal customer base – RETENTION is everything!
Consistency – Taking a proactive approach in all your customer service and sales based activities with both prospects and customers alike may sound obvious but you’d be surprised how often we fail to complete simple weekly tasks. Schedule and complete the things you least want to do but know will have the biggest impact first. An old manager of mine once called it ‘eating the frog’ and I’ve never forgotten it (Thanks Steve!)
Networks – Your network is the most essential element in your sales toolkit. Think online, offline, forums, associations, membership organisations, contacts, connections, referral networks your networks network. The more you nurture your network, the more you’ll receive and create a ready made sales team of brand ambassadors who talk about you and promote your organisation without even thinking about it.
Adding Value – In all of the above, you should at every interaction with everyone you come across, add value. This doesn’t have to be in the conventional financial sense but add value to that business or individual. Think BBMT, our business’s philosophy (actually it’s Linda’s) – Brilliant Basics, Magic Touches. Go above and beyond – make your connection feel special.
There is a quote I use by one of the greats in all our sales training and if you attended our Sales, Service and Success Conference in early September (if you didn’t – where were you?! No seriously…?!) you will have received a pack of our favourite quotes in our gift bags….
People will forget what you said,
People will forget what you did.
But People will never forget
How you made them feel.
Maya Angelou
Sustainable sales require you the individual to take a long-term view on success, work consistently, add value at every turn and set goals. We have a range of modules, available in bundles, individually or as part of a 12-month training hybrid of inhouse face to face and online to complement and help you achieve sustainable sales growth in your organisation.
