5 MORE Easy Sales Hacks for Seller-Doers in 2020

Early last month, I published a blog post about ‘sales hacks’ for seller-doers. The feedback was so positive that I wanted to follow that article up with another one. So, to help you achieve your sales goals in 2020, here are five more easy sales hacks for you to employ next year…

Make one simple change to your LinkedIn profile

Nearly everyone on LinkedIn does this one thing the same as everyone else…  right under their photo and name (at the top of their profile), they list their title and company name. By doing that, you’re missing an opportunity. Instead, use this space to write in a sentence about why buyers might want to buy from you or what unique skill sets you have or how you help clients solve their problems (see mine below). That is, separate yourself from the crowd and give people a reason to want to read further about you. And by the way, your name and title are already on your profile… a little further down in the Experience section.

Visit the ‘dollar store’

Networking for seller-doers at a conference can be a daunting challenge. You meet with all of these people… have quick conversations and swap business cards… then when you get back to the office a few days later, you can barely remember what any of those conversations were about. Stop that from ever happening again! Go to the local ‘dollar store’ or office supplies store and buy a few of those little 3”x5” spiral notepads… you know, the kind your children take to elementary school. Then immediately after every encounter at the event, pull out that notepad and scribble down everything you can remember about the conversation… when it was, where it was, their business challenges you talked about, what you learned about their company, any help/suggestions you gave them, any personal tidbits you may have picked up, agreed-to next steps, etc. Not only will these notes help you to remember all of your conversations, but it will provide you with the information you need to draft very targeted, very specific follow-up emails… not the generic drivel most folks will send out.

Turn the tables during your first conversation  

The following scenario happens to all of us… whether it’s our first phone call with a potential client or our first in-person meeting. The prospect always starts off the conversation with a statement like, “So, Mike, tell me about XYZ Research.” To which Mike (and most every seller-doer) almost always responds by blathering on at the mouth about XYZ and what they do, how awesome they are, their top-notch team, blah, blah, blah. STOP IT! You’re wasting the prospect’s time and yours. These initial conversations are not about YOU…they are about the sales prospect… understanding their business and digging into the sorts of problems they have to see if you can help solve them. So, the next time a prospect asks that of you, slam on the brakes and try this, “Mary, I’d love to tell you all about XYZ, but first, tell me about your company and the challenges you’re facing with [insert problem area here]. Then, as Mary answers that question… keep asking her more – drilling down deeper – so that after 20-25 minutes, you have a pretty good understanding of what’s going on there and if you might be able to help. Then – and only then – should you talk a little about your firm.

Establish a new Friday habit

For all the tools and technology at our fingertips, I deeply believe that we are in the ‘people business’… and in the old adage that “people do business with people they like.” But for potential clients to get to like you, your relationship must get beyond project-based conversations. You need to talk with each other as people… as friends. So put this little yellow sticky up on your wall… it reads, “So, [first name], doing anything fun this weekend?” And from this point forward, ask that simple question during every client/prospect call you make on a Friday. By asking this question and then having genuine conversations around it, you’ll learn what hobbies your contacts have, their favorite sports teams, something about their families and so on. You know, the kinds of things people know about the people they like.

Every morning… do something

Seller-Doers have a hard row to hoe. Not only are they responsible for growing revenue, they are also responsible for taking care of clients and their projects. And that project “doing” work almost always takes precedence over the occasional “selling” work. But to continually make progress in that area, you need to  make sales part of your morning routine. When you get to the office, before you jump into any client project work and while you’re having your first cup of coffee, commit 15 minutes to something – anything – related to revenue growth. You could reach out and connect with prospects on LinkedIn, send a couple “cold emails”, follow-up with a few prospects currently in your pipeline, reach out and try to reconnect with some old clients, etc. It doesn’t really matter what it is… so long as it helps move you a little bit closer to some new business (from both new prospects and existing clients). They key here is to make selling a ‘habit’… and the more habitual/systematic/consistent you are at it, the more success you will find yourself having!

From all of us at Harpeth Marketing, I wish you all of you Seller-Doers great success in growing revenue at your firm in 2020!

Are you a seller-doer… or do you have them at your firm? If so, the Seller-Doer Workshop™, an online sales training event starting January 10th, is for you. Participants graduate from this program with the tools, tips and techniques to help them acquire new clients, keep (and grow) existing ones and create a personalized sales plan. Learn more at www.SellerDoerWorkshop.com.