I recently had the honor of moderating a Speaker Series event presented by the Charlotte Business Exchange (CBEX) and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The topic, “Accelerating Sales in Today’s Economy,” featured three seasoned, dynamic and passionate panelists:

• Tamara Bunte, founder and senior facilitator, The Institute for Advanced Results
• Bob Henricks, CEO, Henricks CORP – A Sandler Training Company
• Randy Johnson, sales vice president, Sales Xceleration

Attendees learned that while one size does not fit all, having a solid sales strategy, acting deliberately and maintaining the right mindset can make all the difference.

I’ve been head of business development at Wray Ward for more than 12 years, and I’ve had a lot of time to grow and learn from some of the industry’s best. Nevertheless, I left the event with valuable strategies.

These seven tips for success aren’t just for people in sales positions. They can strengthen professionals in many roles.

1. Ask directly and regularly for referrals. This is one of the most underutilized tools to grow sales.
2. Master voicemail. Prepare to leave a message prior to making the call. Leave just enough information to be helpful, and be sure your message is intriguing enough to garner a callback.
3. Build trust. This can take time, but it’s one of the most important factors in sales success—often ranked ahead of price, finding “pain points” and building good closing skills.
4. Qualify your prospects as quickly as possible. Don’t spend time chasing prospects if you aren’t a good fit for each other.
5. Measure success. Consider all aspects including measuring leads, doors opened and actual sales.
6. Continuously learn from your successes, but also your failures. This might mean talking to a lost prospect to see where you fell short or to a new client to learn what brought success your way.
7. Remember that this is a process. Regardless of the software or tactics you use, a deliberate process is necessary for sales success – and in most cases, making the sale should be viewed as a long-term effort.

What other tips can you share?

Have questions? Feel free to contact me at kpanther@wrayward.com.