They’re just different. They’re like those ultra marathon runners or the people you see on Fear Factor that will eat worms for a chance to earn $50,000. Give them a challenge with some competition thrown in for good measure and it’s off to the races. You know the ones I’m talking about – they’re the people that all of your other salespeople often call “lucky”. Look inside their office, you’ll see motivational pictures and photographs of exotic places that they’ve been. Look at the car they drive, the house they own and even the books that they read – they all speak one word loud and clear: SUCCESS. The thing is – they’ve earned every last penny of it. They generally came from a humble background – probably middle class – and saw that they didn’t want to work as hard as their parents did to get what they really wanted in life (read: lots of cash). They knew all along that there just had to be a better way and when they first learned about this “sales” thing – it was love at first sight. Now, I may not be exactly right, but I can bet that I’m probably not far off either.

I’ve personally met and worked with many of these high achievers and here’s what I’ve found separates them from the rest of the pack…

Which came first – the chicken or the egg? Or to put another way, what does chickens and eggs have to do with business development and building a successful business? A lot – an awful lot!!!!!!!

Closing deals takes more than the old “we have great service” line. It takes a carefully crafted USP!

Attending or exhibiting at a tradeshow, conference or convention can be one of the most productive and successful vehicles to:

• Take orders from existing customers/clients
• Build new relationships with prospects who could become customers/clients
• Educate clients/prospects on the company, its products/services and its Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
• Conduct market research to check-out competitors (known and new to the game) – identify products/services which might be appropriate to your company
• Test market new products/services
• Identify potential partners who might enhance the company’s ability to grow market share in markets near and far.

If I’ve heard this once, I’ve heard it a hundred times, “My salespeople are great – they don’t really need to be managed”. These executives or entrepreneurs believe that a “self-managed” salesperson does better on their own without any management involvement. Are they right or are they putting their company at risk. Are they making their company vulnerable? The answer is YES – they’re sticking their neck way-WAY out and waiting for it to be cut off.

Why? Because companies that do not manage their salesforce are companies that who put their company at risk. At risk of what? Well how about:

• Loss of business opportunity – unmanaged salespeople only rarely “suggestive sell” – making their employer vulnerable to competition and lower than acceptable levels of account penetration.
• Risk of competition getting into their account – stealing it from them without their even knowing it. This is especially likely with small to medium size accounts – those who rarely, if ever, see their account rep.
• The Communication gap – today’s savvy companies strive to maintain a strong communications link with their customers.
  
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