The 5 Ds of Sales Success

What separates great salespeople from the rest of the pack?

How are they able to continually turn cold prospects into long-term customers?

Have they found some dusty old tome that taps into the wisdom of the ancients? Signed a contract with the devil? Enjoying a long lucky streak?

Nope, it’s none of the above.

Natural Sales Megastars repeatedly turbocharge their performance and achieve outstanding results because they possess and are fully in tune with the 5 Ds of sales success:

Direction

High performing salespeople don’t want to be hostages to fortune, drifting from one sales conversation to the next, hoping with every one that the prospect will sign on the dotted line and make their day. On the contrary, they set personal ambitious goals and write them down along with the dates by which they must be achieved. They plan their daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly schedule and are constantly reviewing their own performance, learning from mistakes and filling in knowledge gaps with relevant sales training. They are comfortable in their own skin and with their own natural abilities and are keen to soak up knowledge and experiences to make up any deficiencies. This keeps them constantly focused and motivated.

Our top sales guy, Nick, consistently pulls in a six-figure annual income, crediting his success with meticulous planning. “When I started out in the business I couldn’t believe how many other sales professionals were just making call after call, seeing client after client and getting ever more desperate as the pile of ‘nos’ stacked up and the end of the month loomed. Some, are still like that.

“I never wanted to be one of those guys. I know exactly what I’m doing and where I’m heading and create tough goals for myself. Many times I achieve them and sometimes I don’t. When I don’t, you can bet your bottom dollar that I do everything in my power to find out why so that I can do better next time round.”

Determination

Top salespeople are relentless in the pursuit of their objectives and what they know is going to make them money. It’s all about knowing what you want and taking the steps to achieve it, never faltering, wavering or giving up. As a salesperson, you have to be determined and persistent. Even when on occasion, all seems lost, you must press on and not give in. Determination is about breaking down the self-limiting internal barriers and having the belief and that you will achieve.

Without determination you will miss golden opportunities. It’s as plain and as simple as that. A study by Dartnell Corp., highlighted in the book Sales Genius by Graham Jones revealed that 80% of sales purchases are made after the fifth call, yet 48% of salespeople drop out after the first call. By the time of the fifth call, where most of the sales are being made, only 10% of salespeople are bothering to pick up the phone.

Determined salespeople on hearing “no” do not run away. They realise that the word is really an indication from the prospect that they don’t yet have enough information about how the product or service in question can solve their problems.

Discovery

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but in the world of sales it can help boost your performance and drive phenomenal growth. Wide-eyed curiosity will help you to discover more about your target industry, your market, your product and most of all your customer. It is this willingness to know that uncovers opportunity and creates growth.

Unfortunately, there is still a tendency for many salespeople to pitch and preach and leave gaps for their prospect’s responses rather than go on a voyage of discovery to learn more about how they can actually help them. Great salespeople know this and are always asking questions.

Remember how as a little child you probably asked questions, such as “why is the sky blue?”; “what are shadows made of?” and “why is water wet?” Unfortunately on the path to adulthood many people lose their inquisitive nature, largely because of societal pressure. We’re afraid of looking stupid by asking questions because it suggests that we don’t know something. Yet smart people realise that the only dumb questions are the ones that aren’t asked.

A study in the journal Neuron suggests that the brain’s chemistry changes when we become curious. This helps us to learn and hold on to vital information, traits that are invaluable to the salesperson. An article from the Harvard Business Review stated that curiosity is just as important as intelligence. It said that people with a higher CQ (curiosity quotient) are more inquisitive and open to new experiences and as such tend to generate more original ideas.

Development

A sale is a development, a change, from A to B. Unless you can develop your client, showing progress and momentum, then you haven’t got a sale. A sales development process will lead your prospect through the buying journey.

Remember, they are people too and just like you, do not like to be rushed. It’s your job to nudge them in the right direction by asking them focused questions and actively listening to their wants and needs. Then provide the solutions to those needs instead of a long list of features and benefits.

Do more

Not just more ‘selling stuff’, but more of the right stuff. Selling isn’t just acting like a salesperson, and making calls just because you have to, although that’s not a bad start. Instead, it’s regularly saying to yourself – “How am I going to change their world and make a seriously impressive impact every time I speak?”

Selling is about doing more of the small things, the tiny increments that make a difference, the accumulation of marginal gains. It’s about knowing what you do and using that knowledge to change a client’s world. Doing more is about making the client the focus of everything you do.

Performing the 5Ds

You may have a sales mantra or a favourite quote that you swear by, but alongside these, commit the 5Ds to heart and let them filter through every core of your being. Incorporate them into your routine so that they become as natural as breathing and help to turn you into a top performing salesperson.

At Natural Training, our sales performance training can help your people reach ultimate sales success. For a free 45 minute consultation, click on the button below and we will give you a call…

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