Sometimes we hit a ‘roadblock’ with an account. Perhaps you can’t get a prospect to answer your calls, or an existing client has thrown up an impossible negotiation request and is refusing to budge?
Well here’s some good news. This is normal. This is part of life as a sales executive, so don’t beat yourself up.
However, I appreciate that you need a little more than just hearing this so here’s 4 top tips.
1) Every sales professional should have a ‘buddy’ or mentor to bounce ideas off. Not an informal relationship but a formal arrangement that you help each other out professionally.
2) The old ‘wood and trees’ syndrome. Step back and take a break. Sleep on it. Join a sales group on LinkedIn and request advice (we have a great one by the way, Sales Vitamins.
3) Never give up. Well, this was a mantra of Jordan Belfort and it did get him into a spot of bother. However, there is an important message behind this – your self-belief and professionalism. Careful though, you must walk a fine line between determination and professionalism without becoming a pest.
4) Innovation. Think about this word carefully, an innovative sales executive will win the order more times than the one who isn’t. This means thinking outside of the box for something new. A new line of communication. A new approach. It sounds obvious until you take time to reflect on how you normally communicate. Are you guilty of cutting and pasting old emails without reading them anymore? Are you getting stale? I challenge you to creating one new ‘communication touch-point’ each week. A new vehicle such as LinkedIn Messenger or Twitter. New content, perhaps with images or a related cartoon. You can do this!
