FM Walsh & Associates Inc.

Ever wonder how to differentiate yourself or your company in a world where the starting point is excellence? A world where being great at your job, having all the right tools and products - is the commodity-level minimum?
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Most of the clients I see in my coaching practice want to build their business and their focus is on finding new prospects. Finding new customers is great, but landing a new one takes a lot more time and energy than expanding your business with existing customers.

As business people we are all guilty of overlooking the gold in our existing networks. One of the first things I get clients to do is to look at their existing database to see what opportunities they might have missed out on. It is a simple process. Go through your Outlook, your day timer, your notebooks for the past year or two. Make a list of those people you have not spoken to in a year; see who you want to connect with. Get in touch and remind them of what you are up to – see if there are any opportunities to do business together. Almost every client ends up uncovering some new business.

Sales is a tough game. And to succeed at it, you have to love the game. You have to love the chase. You have to look at customers as challenges. You have to want to make a difference, to provide a solution to an opportunity or a need they have. Great salespeople thrive on the challenge of closing a deal. They know success is determined by attitude – it is what is in your head that determines how your success in sales.

What are the keys to a winning attitude in the sales game?

1. Product knowledge – be an expert on your product or service. You cannot project confidence to customers if you do not know your product inside out.
2. Optimism – do not take setbacks or objections personally. Continue to persist if you truly believe that your product is a good fit for a customer. Think good thoughts – they make you more successful.
3. Self confidence – be passionate about what you sell and believe in your ability to find customers and close deals.
4. Empathy – be able to step into your customer’s shoes and look at your product from their perspective. Concentrate on creating solutions that will truly benefit them.

Sales is a numbers game – make sure you celebrate your hard-earned successes!

A butterfly chaser is a salesperson who will spend time generating leads and then abandon them if they do not make the sale immediately.

This behaviour is costly to your business. Generating a lead and building a relationship with a customer takes time but it does pay off in loyalty and sales.

It can take an average of 4 or more contacts before a sale is made. 46% of people call once and quit. Only 25% contact a prospect twice. Are you quitting on a prospect too soon? Are you letting business go to your competition?

Be quietly persistent and show a clear interest in understanding the customer’s needs and how your product provides a solution to them – you will close the deal more often and your business will grow.