Many companies celebrate something every once in a while, such as the business’s anniversary, a huge sale, etc.  But those celebrations are few and far between.

What would happen if you celebrated something weekly?  What if you found something to be positive about every 7 days that was related to business but wasn’t necessarily something over-the-top? 

If you were to celebrate the small successes (or just something important) on a weekly basis, it would enable you to:

♦ Have something to tell the world about on Twitter or Facebook.  (”We hit 45 comments on our latest blog post this week!  It’s a new record… and we want you to help us do better next week!”)

♦ Boost morale around the office, especially if the weekly “celebration” is something funny or light-hearted.  (”Joan is the winner of this week’s ‘Salesperson to Receive the Nastiest Customer Phone Call’ award.”)

♦ Keep you focused on the positive.  (”Sure, it was a tough week… but the good news is that we got more hits on Facebook than we’ve had in three months and we started a new PR campaign, so things are looking up!”)

So… what will you and your team celebrate this week?

Are you a business owner, even if it’s just on a part-time or start-up basis?

Congratulations! You’re also a sales person!  

[cue the scratchy horror music]

Wait, though.  Before you run screaming from your computer screen, let me assure you that it’s really not that bad!

Many entrepreneurs completely forget that being in charge means you have to be willing to sell whatever you offer, be it products or services (or both). That can be a tough realization for individuals who “hate” sales.

Now, to be sure, it’s possible for you to hire a salesperson to do the bulk of the selling, but you’re still going to have to do some kind of sales yourself. You really cannot avoid it, so it’s better to embrace the fact and prepare yourself.

I‘ve compiled a list of 12 things to keep in mind as you develop your new-found sales persona. Trust me - these suggestions come from years of experience:

1. Get a tough skin. Sales can be rough and you’ll always hear “no” more than you’ll hear “yes”.

2. Pay for sales training. It’ll be worth its weight in gold.

3. Find a sales mentor. This should be someone you know and trust or can be a person you hire to coach you.

4. Get into a daily (or weekly) sales routine. Don’t allow yourself to slack off or you’ll never make those “cold” or “warm” calls.

5. Go for “low hanging fruit” first. If you don’t know what this means, find a sales advisor to explain the concept to you.

6. Read a lot about sales. There are many incredible books, websites, periodicals and blogs out there and the more you know, the better you’ll become.

7. Talk to other salespeople. Even if you think you loathe selling, it’s important to discuss sales with people you know. Join an association if you’d like.

8. Take your sales seriously. This isn’t something you can afford to not do. There really isn’t a choice.

9. Be a bulldog… but a nice one. Learn how to be firm but not pest-like.

10. Try different sales techniques. Just make sure you give each one time to “pan out”.

11. Don’t become overwhelmed by the process or take it too personally. It’s just business. Really.

12. Celebrate your successes. When you make a sale, you should feel good about yourself! There’s nothing wrong with being proud that you overcame your original concerns about sales!

Want a one-on-one evaluation on how to get your sales to soar? Contact me at Julie(at)jadcc(dot)com today!