Sales Motivation
Aorta Sales director’s have been meeting and beating sales targets for twenty-one years, selling in the U.K. and throughout the world, into very diverse countries, cultures and environments.
We have grown companies from start-up and have been brought in to turn companies around. Aorta Sales apply coaching, leading and managing techniques to lead all sizes of business to greater success.
We are often questioned about our consistent track record of success and what is the deciding factor in achieving sales success.
One such request was from the Reading Chronicle and the following article appeared in April 2003.
"Aorta Sales director’s have been meeting and beating sales targets for twenty-one years, selling in the U.K. and throughout the world, into very diverse countries, cultures and environments. We have grown companies from start-up and have been brought in to turn companies around. Aorta Sales apply coaching, leading and managing techniques to lead all sizes of business to greater success."
The most consistently enthusiastic sales executive is the one who hits the sales targets every time. They thrive on the continuous challenge of selling. Motivation is the key.
The most highly motivated business people are the ones who bring home the results; land the business; achieve success. The same holds true for life, whether working or playing, business, academia or sport -- from school work, to teaching; shop keeping to taxi driving; from football or golf to cricket (O.K cricket, remains unproven!). It is though, especially true for selling.
What keeps salespeople knocking at doors? What is the inner force that makes them want to sell? Why do they feel compelled to close the sale, every time?
A key element fundamental to success in sales is the ability to stay focused on clearly established goals and be motivated to perform those tasks that must be accomplished every day. Those include simple things like getting up and getting going in the morning, but also include being able to pick yourself up and keep going in the face of adversity and to accept the inevitable “No”, when you fail to close a sale or get an appointment.
Motivation comes in many forms. It can come from truly visualizing what you hope to achieve, from some drive deep inside that demands excellence, and in many cases, from outside influencers such as family, peers, your bank manager or your boss.
The bottom line is that no one can motivate you except yourself.
Others can help you to realise what is important to you, but only you can truly impact your own performance.
Personally I am always amazed at the fear, dread and loathing that so many individuals I meet have towards sales and particularly cold calling, be it in person, or ‘horror of horrors’ by telephone.
“We are all sales people” I respond, “from an early age, we are programmed to sell ourselves, sell our views, persuade, influence, effectively, get what we want, selling is no different”.
“Oh no”, they respond, “I can’t sell, I haven’t got the nerve”.
It’s incredible to me that these same people usually have absolutely no issue with taking unwanted goods back to a shop for a refund. An act which I am very uncomfortable in doing. The motivation here is the end result, the objective. To a sales person the goal is to sell. To the serial shopper the objective is to be satisfied with one’s purchases. The secret (if there is one) is to establish that objective, define it clearly and then set out step by step to achieve the desired result.
This is the fundamental secret of sales success, so often missed in businesses we talk to.
What is your desired outcome? The objective? Where is the sales or business plan? As the old proverb says “If you don’t know to which port you are aiming, then every wind is an ill wind”.
We know that higher expectations lead to higher results. That’s a basic given in the world today, be it in the field of athletics, endurance, scientific achievement or human performance.
After Roger Bannister broke the previously thought impossible four minute mile barrier, it was the broken again forty-three times in the next twelve months! Why? Well because suddenly it became ‘possible’! The quickest and easiest way to achieve these higher results is to have higher expectations of oneself, set the goal! Set it high!
I am reminded of an anecdote I heard long ago. I am in fact reminded of scores of anecdotes, all relevant to sales success and all worthy of telling. Space, variety and originality dictate that I should limit myself though, to just one. We know that higher expectations improve employees performance, if you think you’re the best you become the best!
Three secondary school teachers were asked to report to the Head Teacher's office. “You have been chosen”, the Head explained, “as the best teachers in the school and I am offering you the chance to transfer to a brand new school, to be assigned to classes filled with that schools brightest pupils. I have no doubt that the combination of your skills and the students intelligence, will achieve outstanding results”.
At the end of the first term their pupils achieved between 20% and 30% higher grades than previously and the Head Teacher reviewed this with the teachers, congratulating them on their success.
“Actually, it was the students”, said one teacher, “they were so brighter to begin with.”
“No”, said the Head teacher, they were randomly chosen!”
Shocked, the teachers recoiled, but then showed pride. “Oh well!, perhaps then we really are the best teachers!”
“Not really”, said the Head you were chosen at random too!”
As we like to say in Aorta, “Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t…. You’re right”.
■ Sales and sales performance can never be taken in isolation from the rest of the business. Customer service, fulfilment, credit control, all areas, have a part to play in the customer experience. For a free no obligation review of your sales and business operation contact Aorta Sales.