The 'system' approach in enhancing your sales

There is a saying in the sales industry that 'Amateur sales personnel look at the product; Seasoned sales personnel look at the pay plan; and Leaders look at the system'.

When amateur sales personnel look at the product, they only view the superficial features of a product, and then sell it. When seasoned sales personnel look at the pay plan, they want to know if they would be paid well to sell the product.

However, top sales personnel, whom we refer to as 'leaders', look at a strong system. These leaders lead their teams well. They make the best money. They are not concerned with the instant gratification of short-term money. These leaders want to leverage on a strong system that can stabilize their business.

In this article, let me share with you on how you can enhance your sales with a good, 'SYSTEM'.

S-Structure
Every sales team needs to build a strong structure. A strong structure is a system that has good training and prospecting platform.

A strong system must also have good scalability and duplication to prevent degradation of knowledge. This is the key to ensuring stability.

This is the reason for the popularity of the concept of franchising. Franchise outlets can sprout very fast, and make profits for the franchisee. But they must follow a strict system.

95 percent of franchises are still in business after five years. The likelihood of success with a self-launched business still operating after five years is only 47 percent. Buying a franchise more than doubles your chance to survive as a business owner!

Do you have a good training and prospecting structure in place in your team? A good knowledge management system can help in leveling your new and current team members.

Y-Yes. Just do it!
You may have heard that 'Failing to plan is to plan to fail.' The truth is that many people take too long to plan. They want to come up with a foolproof plan, and procrastination occurs as a result of this lengthy process.

Adopt a 'Yes! Just do it!' mindset. You will be compelled to act even when you have only 70% of the plan formulated.

Then you adapt and adjust your strategies along the way. Adapting on the go is the new norm. This method is similar to a During-Action Review.

Whenever you can afford a pause during an activity, take the time to go through all possibilities of achieving a better result.

S-Speed
Contrary to conventional thinking, being fast is not always conducive for success. You need a strong customer base. And building rapport takes time. Remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare?

Building a strong customer base creates a cementing effect on your business. In a typical business, 80% of your total revenue comes from 20% of your existing customers. Being slow and steady can be very effective.

What are some of the unique methods you have done to maintain a harmonious relationship with your customers? Sending out birthday cards and gifts to them are always a good start.

T-Teamwork
Sales personnel must recognize the need to work as a team. No man is an island.

An Action Mover may be very energetic in sales, and is able to coax her customers well.

An Explorer may be able to source for prospects, but not able to close the sale. So if you can find your best Role-Fit, you would be able to leverage on each other's strengths.

Once the Explorer brings back the leads, the Action Mover can help in closing the sale. Such teamwork often results in extremely high conversion rates. You do what you do best.

Sales personnel who show a good level of 'Coherence' can also work well in a team. Coherent leaders click with other coherent leaders, and the team takes off almost immediately.

Do you know what is your Role in the team? Do you know your Coherence level?

E-Endurance
In this industry, you need the endurance to last the distance. It is not a sprint whereby you try to sell as much as you can within one month. More often than not, such 'sprints' often tire out the sales personnel.

Management may try to motivate the sales personnel by offering reward trips if they reach certain sales targets for the month. However monthly challenges may end up with a burnt out sales force. Do not get too consumed with such challenges. Pace yourself well.

Besides being driven by monetary incentives, you should also take the time to smell the roses. You could maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced diet, doing routine exercises, and eating optimum health supplements. All these can help you reduce stress, and as a result provide you with much endurance.

M-Motivation
Do you know the reason for working so hard? Is it the thought of providing a better life for your loved ones? Has the death of someone close to you compelled you to seize the day? These reasons provide the fuel for you to pick yourself up. You need to press on in the face of challenges.

Motivation is like taking a shower. You need to do it daily. This daily habit will strengthen your mindset and soul. You can choose to focus only on positive news that builds your character. Ignore the gossips from trashy newspapers. Empty out those 'virus' that would poison your mind, and damage your soul.

Focus your skills based on this SYSTEM, and you would be at a better position to empower your sales team and you.
 

Mark Chew is the Founder and Principal Strategist of Giants Learning Technologies Pte. Ltd. He is the author of ‘Discover Your Leadership Style’.

Contact him personally at [email protected] to find out more about RBA Tools, or visit https://www.giants-lt.com for his workshops and leadership tools.