Sales Tips

The Possibilities With One

One is a tiny number. However, it can have a tremendous impact on your revenues. Here are some ideas to consider:

• Make one more cold call every day. One extra call per work day equals 260 calls in a year. Consider your current conversion ratio and think of the impact on your business.
• Suggest one additional item to every customer. This is particularly important if you sell lower-priced items or work in retail. Too many salespeople are focused only on getting the initial sale. However, almost everyone has additional items, products or services that could be beneficial to their customers.
• Invest one day per month developing your skills. Many successful people invest in themselves. They attend workshops and conferences, and participate in Web seminars and tele-seminars on a regular basis. Considering that the majority of people do not invest in developing their skills, you can quickly outpace your competition.
• Get to the office one hour early. Remember the expression "The early bird gets the worm." That one extra hour first thing in the morning can be the most productive time of the day. You have a better chance to reach decision makers, there are fewer distractions and you can often achieve more in that 60 minutes than in several hours.
• Suggest one more idea to help a customer improve his or her business. Offer solutions that do not include your products or services and your customers will begin to see you more as a partner than a supplier.
• Send one more thank you card or note. You can stand out in the crowd by sending handwritten notes to thank customers for their most recent order, meeting with you or sending an on-time payment.