A new budget year has already started for some of you, and for the rest, there are still a couple of weeks to go. Either way, you’re out hunting and closing as much as you can before the holidays divert your clients’ focus. If you haven’t already made plans for next year, now’s the time.

When you’re in sales there’s not really a full stop from one sales year to another other than looking at whether you hit your annual targets or not and all that comes with that. Maybe you take a day off and then you immediately switch your focus on to the next year. Being flexible is an important trait in sales.

Here are some ideas to make 2020 the year you soar:

1. Assess and reflect

…on the accounts you closed and the prospects you still have on that list. What created success with some and not others? What were your highs and lows, proud moments, and insights that resulted in you tweaking your sales process moving forward? Talk to a friend, co-worker, or create a voice memo and just get it all out of your system.

2. Who’s on your list

…and who do you want to add? Filling your pipeline is part of the game as you know. Asking for referrals, utilizing Google Maps, LinkedIn, and good ole fashioned networking.

3. What is your current closing rate

…and what do you want it to be? How many calls or visits do you normally need to close your targets? Having this number helps you create a numbers game instead of getting caught up in personal defeat.

4. What activities are you planning

…throughout the year to close your accounts and what are you doing to serve and retain existing clients?

5. Has your ideal client changed?

You get to choose who you do business with and add clients that fit your profile while letting go of the ones that are not buying. This is all a part of doing business.

6. What’s your success formula?

Review and tweak your sales process, from questions to pitches. Simply, what’s your formula for success? Look at your strengths lineup — they’re part of that – you being you is one of the keys.

7. What questions are you asking?

It’s so easy to pitch before you’ve actually asked your prospect what they’re looking for. Being interested in what they have to say is part of the success formula. Your product or service will determine the depth of your questions.

Here are some questions to ask:  a) What does their current situation look like? b) What do they want to achieve or create that they don’t have now? c) What’s stopping them, and, d) What would their life/biz look like if they achieved their dream/target?

Asking these questions will help you get clear on what solution you can provide your prospect. You know that, do you practice your listening skills?

8. What do you want to get out of the year?

What are your personal targets and achievements? It’s important to incorporate your own desires to stay energized and on point. You can use the questions in this post for yourself too.

9. How are you going to celebrate your successes?

10. Define your version of success

…and create a collage/vision board, or simply select one image that represents what you’re striving for in 2020 on all levels. Then select images from royalty-free sites like Unsplash and use an online collage maker like Canva or go old school and cut out images from magazines and then take a picture of it so that you have it on your phone.

I just saw this article on Hubspot about 81 One-Sentence Sales Tips that offer additional tidbits of value. Check it out.

Blogs mentioned above:

Who do you sell to and how

What’s your sales process?

Defining your version of success

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