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OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW – THE SALES TACTICS YOU NEED TO DROP IN 2019

Sales is a fast-paced and exciting career, but at times it can also be stressful and a bit of a struggle. As we exit 2018 and enter 2019, tweaking your sales strategy could be just the pick-me-up you need to leave your sales tensions behind and make 2019 your best year yet.

We have compiled a list of 16 outdated sales tactics, with realistic ways you can improve them. Here are our top 3 (if you want to check out all 16 you can here).

1. Just say no (to cold calling)!

Today’s consumers are savvy. With instant access to information 24/7, they possess a healthy dose of scepticism about products and/or companies they’ve never heard of before, or only know briefly. This is precisely why traditional cold-calling alone doesn’t work anymore. If you’re using this sales tactic, you might want to give the 1990s a call and ask them to take it back!

Instead…

Breathe some hot air into your cold calling by:

1. Researching prospects to understand their problem and how your product can help fix it (social media, websites & mutual connections might help here).

2. Build brand awareness and trust through online mediums (your website and content marketing on social media platforms is a good place to start. Use analytics to target the correct audience).

3. Discuss your lead’s problem without selling. Building the relationship in this way may not end in a sale on the spot but will gently warm the bones of that cold lead.

4. Consider using marketing automation as a hot water bottle for cold leads. It’ll save you time and your company money – both great outcomes!

2. Be realistic, be truthful

 This point is closely linked to the above one. In a world filled with fake news, your clients have been forced to hone their ‘you-know-what’ radar. As such, they’re now more likely to realise and back away when a salesperson is overdoing it.

That ever-present stereotype of the pushy, dishonest salesperson doesn’t help either!

Instead… 

People appreciate honesty so much more than a pushy old-school sale. If you demonstrate this, your prospects’ trust factor shifts up a notch.

Sell realistically, offering real value, not fake value. If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so, but assure your prospect you’ll find out and call them back (and please, for the love of sales, call them back!).

3. Don’t ignore your follow-ups (yes, that’s plural!)

Marketing Donut did a little research into sales staff follow-up rates and the results were astounding. They found 44%

of salespeople stop following-up after one rejection. That’s right. Almost half gave up after just one shot! Imagine how many deals they’re failing to close just because they lack a little persistence?

Instead…

Follow-up … multiple times! But also develop your feeling for when a ‘no’ (or silence!) is really a no.

Still using outdated sales tactics?

If you’re being honest, you know you probably still use some outdated tactics – we are all guilty of this. However, these don’t need to be the downfall of your 2019 sales goals.

We have compiled a list of The 16 Sales Tactics You Need to Drop in 2019 and the realistic changes that you can make to smash your 2019 goals.

You can check it out here.

3. Don’t ignore your follow-ups (yes, that’s plural!)

Marketing Donut did a little research into sales staff follow-up rates and the results were astounding. They found 44% of salespeople stop following-up after one rejection. That’s right. Almost half gave up after just one shot! Imagine how many deals they’re failing to close just because they lack a little persistence?

Instead…

Follow-up … multiple times! But also develop your feeling for when a ‘no’ (or silence!) is really a no.

Still using outdated sales tactics?

If you’re being honest, you know you probably still use some outdated tactics – we are all guilty of this. However, these don’t need to be the downfall of your 2019 sales goals.

We have compiled a list of The 16 Sales Tactics You Need to Drop in 2019 and the realistic changes that you can make to smash your 2019 goals.

You can check it out here.