Be careful what you ask for; you just might get it. I am always telling sales people this old adage. How are you starting each day and what are you saying to your self before you leave home? What are you saying to yourself as you go into your big meeting this week? What are you asking for as you plan for next year’s business?

Clarity of purpose

What do you ask for when you are with prospects? Are you asking for the business or are you avoiding that question. What questions are you asking in your meetings and what results are you getting?

What are you setting out to accomplish each day? Is your purpose clear and do you know what you are going to accomplish? Or are you letting whatever happens – happen. What is your mental chatter asking for? Are you worrying about what the prospect or client is going to say or that you are not prepared? Do you have the right attitude as you start your day, go into meetings and as you plan your time?

Top performing sales people have a very clear purpose with everything they do. They have a great attitude; they know they are going to be successful. They have plans for the year ahead and years ahead. They know what is important to them and they have a mental toughness that blocks out that negative chatter and insecurity.

Many sales reps get into a routine and do the same things day in and day out. They get in this routine and then it turns into a rut or slump. By the time you get to that point it is a lot of work to get back on track. The good news is that if you choose to, you can get back on track.

What do you ask for?

Over the next few weeks, pay attention to what you are asking for – or not asking for in your discussions at work and at home. If you say – That will never happen to me – Guess what, it won’t happen to you. If you say that no one is buying right now – guess what – No one will buy from you.

I had a conversation with two sales managers this week. They were both commenting on the fact that they had been successful reps and now that they were managing a team that it amazed them that they had to ask sales people to show up to work each day and make calls. The good news is that they know what they want from their team. Knowing this, they keep asking their reps for what they want. Some of their team will not make it based on our conversation. However they will create a team that will be successful. They know what they want and they keep asking for it.

Many of you will work in organizations with a leader or leaders that don’t know what they want. Based on this they constantly change what they are asking you for. One week it is for new revenue or margin. Next week it is cost cutting. The next week they want to go on customer visits. They don’t know what they want and don’t know what they are asking for. It is very frustrating and difficult to work with these types of leaders. You also work with leaders who are very clear on what they want and they ask you the same questions and have the same focus – every time you talk with them. Whether you agree with their focus or not you respect them for the fact that you know where they stand and what they expect.

How do I know?

You need to know what you need to accomplish in your daily activities. In your next meeting, what do you want to have happen? Once you are clear on the outcome – What questions do you need to ask? Then ask them. You get clarity from asking yourself what you want. Keep asking yourself what is important to you. Keep at it until it feels right, you know its right and that you will do whatever you need to in order to get what you want. Now you can focus on what to ask for when you meet with others that will help you accomplish your goal.

Sayers Says…

What are you asking for?
What is important to you?
How is your clarity of purpose?
What are you going to ask for in your next meeting?

Be careful what you ask for…………….You just might get it!

Author's Bio: 

Bill Sayers speaks, coaches, leads education sessions and provides management consulting services to a variety of companies. Bill has been praised for his leadership, common-sense approach and ability to inspire sales people to new levels of success. His easy manner and strong public-speaking skills make him an engaging facilitator. Bill connects with senior executives and sales professionals alike, as he shares his real-life experiences and provides the appropriate tools and strategies for success in today’s business world.

Bill’s book Funnels & Forecasts – The Great Game of Sales is available on Amazon. Sayers Says: "This second edition was important for me. It has allowed me to have my book and its message sent out to a global audience. The feedback from readers has been that the book is an easy read and that there are lots of common sense advice and tools to help sales people be more successful in their sales game. Funnels and Forecasts - The Great Game of Sales will help sales people in their quest to improve their game."

He has been a professor at George Brown College teaching Personal Selling Skills to the Sports and Event Marketing Graduate Program, and is on the faculty of Canadian Professional Sales Association and Canadian Management Centre.

To receive our free “How are you Playing The Game” Scorecard and a 45 minute one-on-one session with Bill Sayers, email: info@TheSayersGroup.com or visit: http://www.TheSayersGroup.com .