Mindset - see yourself as a value-creator and a professional problem-solver. You’re committed to securing a meeting because you believe the prospect needs you – that they are stuck in a suboptimal situation. They are very likely to have a need for your solution. So, pursue target prospects relentlessly because your motivation is pure – you want to help them.
Messaging - from mass email blasts to all tailored all the time. No research, no outreach. You have to know the person you want to talk to and how your products/services will positively impact their day to day business life.
Consistency - slow and steady wins the race. Being consistent means dedicating yourself to your goals and staying focused on the things and activities to achieve them. However, it requires a long-term commitment and involves sustained effort in doing the right actions repeatedly until you achieve your targets.
Volume - send 5 emails & make 5 phone calls every business day. Especially important for founders/leaders terrified of using the phone. Tailored emails with phone calls remain the most effective outbound combination in producing winnable sales opportunities and new customers.
Technology - stop using spreadsheets to drive new sales. There’s free software to help you be more productive. For example, Hubspot’s free and $30 per month sales hub works well for small businesses breaking through their $500,000 and $1,000,000+ annual sales revenue barriers.
Level up your sales skills and business acumen. Carve out time to read some practical sales and business books. Three of my favorites are New Sales Simplified, Mike Weinberg, Business Made Simple, Donald Miller and The Road Less Stupid, Keith Cunningham. My favorite SaaS growth advice is from SaaStr, founded by Jason Lemkin.
Recognize that time is finite and you cannot create more. To become more productive and drive improved results, you must allocate more time to high-value, high-payoff activities and delete or delegate lower-value tasks and distractions that steal your time or energy. Decide right now what you need to do more of and what you must do less of to achieve a breakthrough. Sales is about results. Period.
John Duvenage, Founder & CEO, SMB Growth Strategies