First - being before all others. Fast - moving or able to move quickly. Foremost - first in rank, order, or place. Wouldn’t you like to be first, fast, and considered foremost in your business. Obviously, the correct answer is yes. Here are nine tips, hints, and practical ideas to get you on your way. These sales tips work.

1. First - All potential customers have needs. All potential customers have problems. All potential customers are never 100% completely satisfied with their current supplier. A professional salesperson recognizes these simple facts and uses prepared questions to uncover the hidden needs, problems, and dissatisfactions that every potential customer has. Once these have been uncovered, always try to have your potential customer quantify them for you in dollars. Every quantifiable problem is begging for a solution. That’s where your products and services come in.

2. First - The way to achieve number one is based on your ability to ask rock-solid and open-ended questions. Develop and use a minimum of ten questions. Your questions should get your potential customers to talk about their business, responsibilities, challenges, priorities, current supplier, current product, criteria for making a decision, the decision making process, expectations, and how they measure success. Note, that the person asking the questions is usually in control of the sales call.

3. First - Make every customer presentation a personalized one. If you ask enough questions, you’ll learn about your potential customer. The more you learn, the better your opportunity will be to tailor your presentation. The goal is to get the customer thinking your presentation is awesome. Run-of-the-mill presentations are never awesome. When your product fits the customer’s specific needs it then becomes awesome.

4. Fast - Today more than ever, our biggest challenge is too much to do and not enough time to do it. Moaning and groaning aren’t solutions. Learn to prioritize everything. Start each selling day with a six-pack. No, not that kind. Have a written list of all the things you want to do each day. Prioritize your list by writing the numbers 1-6 next to the six most important things. If this is so easy why do so few people do it?

5. Fast - In sales we tend to over promise. We’re so anxious to get the business we make commitments based on perfect alignment and unreasonable assumptions. Every broken commitment, regardless how small, is a credibility deduction. Be slow to commit and quick to deliver and you’ll have a significant reputation.

6. Fast - Someone once said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.” Pledge from this day forward you will never utter these words again, “I’ve always done it this way.” They are limiting words during these rapidly changing times. Ask these two questions often: How can I do it better? How can I do it faster? You headed in the right direction if you’re always attempting to do things better and faster.

7. Foremost - There are V.I.P.’s and F.I.P.’s. You don’t want to be the latter. A F.I.P. is a formerly important person. To remain a V.I.P. in your customers mind, mix high touch with your high tech. Buy and use an old fashioned fountain pen. Send two handwritten notes everyday. (10 per week, 500 per year, 5,000 per decade, and 10,000 over twenty years). It’s a real touch of class during these busy times.

8. Foremost - You don’t have to be a lot better than your competition to win more sales. You need only be a little better. Having an edge doesn’t give you a lot, it gives you a slight advantage. Join the 1% club. Seek to do everything that affects your business 1% better.

Imagine the consequences if you were 1% better in these areas; your questions, your prospecting, your networking, your telephone, your time management, your communication skills, your negotiation skills, your closing skills etc. Big things happen when you focus on being a little better.

9. Foremost - The principle tool for salespeople is words. You use words to make appointments, to build rapport, to ask questions, to make presentations, to handle objections, and to ask for the order. Words are the real key to success. To avoid getting mugged by your own mouth, choose your words carefully. You will take your skills to the next level if you prepare and practice your words.

First - being before all others. Fast - moving or able to move quickly. Foremost - first in rank, order, or place.

If this isn’t your style, you could always be last, slow, and lagging.

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