2022 is almost at an end, but there is still time to improve sales performance for 2023. The good news is, there is still time! Planning ahead for future sales success at the end of the year is essential. 

Many events and functions are held during this time of year which presents perfect opportunities to network and expand one’s business. 80% of people are contributing towards 20% of work, while the remaining 20% are driving 80% of results. Which do you want to be? The first thing you need to know to improve sales performance is to take advantage of your time. Don’t waste it. 

The BAT-ing Average.

The “Bat-ing Average” strategy encourages individuals to focus on Behavior, Attitude, and Technique as a triad to minimize emotions-led decisions. If you allow your attitude to drive your behavior, you will fail because you become ruled by your emotions. Instead, let your behavior guide your attitude. You can control your feelings and always practice the best sales practices. 

The importance of the growth mindset in sales

A growth mindset – becoming a subject matter expert – will help you lead your industry while building your sales pipeline and making those sales. Attracting a loyal audience doesn’t have to be complicated. Think about it, when you want to feed the birds, do you go chasing them? No. You lay the seeds out and wait for the birds to come to you. Businesses that want to expand their reach in terms of customers and audience use content seeds to fill the pipeline with leads while allowing audiences to come to them.

Develop your subject matter expertise to facilitate growth in your industry and bolster your sales pipeline. Make it a priority to take an hour out of each day to increase your knowledge base. This small amount of time will make a difference as the skills you acquire will be put into practice quickly, accelerating the speed of your sales pipeline. 

Understanding your customers is critical. 

Another vital component of improving sales performance is communication. Communication is critical in building your network and making yourself a leader in your industry. To do this, identifying and understanding your personality type (as well as other people’s) can help increase communication effectiveness when discussing business, products, and services. Disc profiling (Dominance, Influence Steadiness, Cautiousness) is a great way to get you started.

In the sales environment, it’s essential to remain professional and show empathy; however, maintaining a friendly but impartial relationship is integral. It’s advantageous to know customer personas — what drives their needs, how they want to be communicated, etc. Make sure you understand potential clients’ personalities and what they need to convert more leads into sales; otherwise, you may miss out on that possible “yes.” 

9 skills to increase your sales performance. 

• Responsible: Accept personal accountability for your actions, and strive for excellence in all you do.
• Empathetic: Show genuine sympathy for others and be willing to put yourself in their shoes. Be aware of what customers need, and strive to provide a service that meets their expectations. 
• Focused: Focus on your sales, marketing, and funnels to ensure success and productivity.
• Resourceful: Don’t accept failure as an option. Utilize every resource available to help yourself reach desired outcomes. If one approach isn’t working, think outside the box and pivot towards a new solution.
• Optimistic: there will always be ups and downs, don’t let the downturns kill your optimism. Work toward the positive. 
• Confidence: be confident in what you can do and what you believe you can do. You are the only you. The more you do something, the more confidence you have to practice and continue to jump and do. 
• Insightful: the more you do it, the more you build confidence and the more you will have insight. 
• Be honest: Be upfront. People appreciate that the most. Honesty builds more relationships than trying to hide information.
• Passionate: this is key. Be passionate about what you are doing. 

Make 2023 your year and peak your sales performance. 

The year is not over yet. As the holiday season approaches, you may find yourself at social or work events, a great place to begin planting seeds for future sales next year. 

You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen to other people more than you talk. Listening to your clients is critical for your sales performance. They should always be talking to you more than you are talking to them. Sales are all about understanding people. Everyone has a unique personality, but you can communicate better by understanding others and making those sales.