Sales 101

 Many of these same principles and tools will be used in your sales process as well. For example, your selling will be most effective to your top customers or top customer targets. Based on the latest research and information, it is 5 times easier to sell to one of your current customers than to try to find a new one. And, this factor is an average so it gets even easier to sell to your top customers.

There is one key difference, though, between marketing and sales. The sales process requires mental stamina and an ability to “stick with it”. Research and estimates show that about 80% of your sales success is directly tied to your mental stamina. The other 20% will be due to your ability to develop and deliver sales systems and processes. For example, lead generation systems, conversion of leads into bona fide prospects, and fulfillment on the back end are all part of the sales process you need for your business. These execution details and delivery elements, though, are a smaller part of what contributes to your success.

To support and build your mental stamina there are several key activities you must engage in consistently over time. For example, we now know from neuroscience studies that the brain operates in complex ways that have a great deal to do with our mental state. You can “feed” your brain and build up more capacity to stay focused over time. And, it is critically important that you use “positive” food to develop your mental stamina. A couple of examples you can use are things like audio programs or attending seminars that emphasize the positive aspects of your business and sales approaches. Consistent use of positive food and tools over time will increase your mental stamina. Over the years there have been many resources developed and written to help you with providing positive inputs. One of the early classics is “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale, written in 1952. There is also a summary of some of the earlier authorities on this subject in “The Positive Thinkers”, published by Pantheon Books in 1965. Needless to say, if you type in the phrase “positive thinking” on any internet search engine, you will have lots of resources to turn to.

Another very important aspect of developing your mental stamina is to reach out to your support group and professional network. We pointed out earlier that you need to have your own support group that will help you stay focused on your business success. In fact, even mentors and business coaches have their own mentors and support groups. Many of the most successful business people have explained that they have mentors and associates that help guide them. Your support group and mentors can help you keep that positive edge and stay sharp. Ideally, your group and contacts will not only support you and help when you need it, but will also challenge you. One of the key challenges you face will be to consistently apply positive thinking and build your mental stamina over time.

Also, your support group and mentors will reinforce the “power or association” for you not only in your business but in your personal life as well. The power of association basically states that you begin to take on the character and outcomes of the people you “associate” with. Most of us have had a real life example as we grew up going through school. The power of peer pressure to make individuals conform to the image of the group is usually very strong. If you don’t conform – or look like others in your group of friends, say the same things, adopt the same attitudes, etc. – then you won’t be part of that group for long. The same applies to our business life. If we associate with successful people and mentors, we can use their insights and advice to become better business people.

Another way to help develop your mental stamina is through taking care of your physical body. Eating the right foods (and everyone is different, some can eat types of foods or more food than others), daily exercise (doctors now recommend at least 30 minutes of light exercise like walking every day), and meditation are also key to your success. According to a recent study by Science Daily, “Exercise Helps Sustain Mental Activity…”, especially as we age. There is a direct correlation between our levels of physical activity and our mental stamina. By increasing your activity levels through exercise and meditation, you are changing your lifestyle. The science of how the connection works is fairly detailed and complicated but it boils down to the impact of exercise on blood flow and physical stamina. As these two grow, they “feed” into your mental state and ability to stay focused longer. One of the additional benefits of taking care of your physical self through diet, exercise, and meditation will be an increase in your energy levels.

It’s not oversimplifying to say that increases in energy equate to increases in money for you and your business. As you have more energy, you are able to do more within the same amount of time. When you stay focused on your business success and generating sales, but can get more of that work done in less time, the natural result will be more sales, more revenue, and more profits. This principle can be wrapped up in the “Law of Compensation”, an original essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Basically, if you consistently apply these attitudes and approaches to increasing the sales of your business, that is the “compensation” you will get.