The power of habit is everything in sales, yet it can be elusive. Are there some new habits that you’ve been wanting to add to your sales routine but just never got them to stick? How about some basic sales activity that you’ve started doing for a week but then it fell by the wayside? This is one of the more common issues that I see salespeople facing.
It’s time to harness the power of habit to help you succeed in sales.
There are simply so many distractions out there today that the good habits are tough to make stick. Maybe they last for a few days, but not long term. Having those key habits actually stick is the key to success in selling. In this video, I’m going to show you how to master the power of habit in sales, with five steps to start any sales habit. Check it out:
The Power of Habit Video Summary
The Power of Habit Sales Tip #1: Determine what’s actually top Return on Time.
Salespeople often commit to sales habits that aren’t even a good use of their time in the first place. Not only is this a waste of time, but it will also eventually create resentment towards your selling and really lead to burnout.
For example, committing to make 100 cold calls per day to low-level prospects is probably not the best use of your time. Not only is it painful, but it’s also not even going to lead to making serious money.
On the other hand, committing to ask for one introduction or referral every single day is a very high Return on Time activity. Therein lies the real power of habit in sales. It doesn’t take a lot of time and it can lead to huge upside—but you must be very clear on what habit will actually have that high Return on Time.
The Power of Habit Sales Tip #2: Write out one sentence as to why it’s important.
Get very clear on why you need to start this habit. This isn’t just some silly motivational stuff. It’s critical to actually holding your feet to the fire and leveraging the power of habit for more success in sales. Think about what will happen positively as a result of implementing this habit—or what pain will end as a result of this change. Why is it important to you? If the answer is not compelling, then either go back to the drawing board and start over, or find a more compelling new habit to start.
The Power of Habit Sales Tip #3: Start smaller.
There’s nothing less motivating than getting your ass kicked. Imagine you’re out of shape and you want to start working out. Do you start your first workout at the same intensity as the fittest person in the gym? Of course not. That would lead to complete failure. The same goes with harnessing the power of habit in sales. If you’re currently not making any sales calls each day, then commit to just 5 a day. Not 50. Get a feel for the smaller effort for a few weeks, then once you’re used to it, up the volume.
The Power of Habit Sales Tip #4: Schedule it daily.
The only way that something actually becomes a habit is when you do it consistently. Weekly habits are actually much more difficult to maintain than daily habits. Commit to doing a few activities each day as opposed to many on just one day a week. For example, 5 calls per day is easier to maintain than 25 calls only on Tuesdays. Make the power of habit a part of your daily routine and don’t let yourself leave the office until your habit is done.
The Power of Habit Sales Tip #5: Say “no” a lot.
We’ve been talking a lot about what you should do to harness the power of habit in sales. But what about the things that you should stop doing? Time is a finite thing. There is only so much of it on any given day. Chances are, there are at least 5 things you do each day that you could stop doing or just off-load to someone else.
What’s more, there are probably folks who come to you every day asking you to do things. Start telling them “no.” It’s not mean. You’re not being a jerk. It’s just that in order to be successful you can’t be distracted. In order to leverage the power of habit, you need to say “no” to other requests constantly.
So, there you have it. There are five steps to master the power of habit and start any sales habit you want to become more successful at selling. I want to hear from you. Which of these ideas did you find most useful? Be sure to share below in the comments section. I’ll respond to as many comments as possible.
Tip #4 is something I am going to start doing now. Why does it seem like the actions that make the most sense are overlooked?
I like the writing down why is it important. However I don’t know how to make it smaller. I’m a sales opener and four houndred cold calls a day is a minimum so I always thought that the more practice the better you get.