One Can Be A Very Effective Number.

One is a very tiny number. However, it can have a tremendous impact on your revenues. Whether you’re planning your pitch, your approach or your professional development, adding one more ounce of effort can have dramatic effects on the outcome. Here are some ideas to consider:
Make one more cold call every day. One extra call a day equals more than 250 calls in a year. How many meetings could you set up with this number of calls? How many of those meetings could you turn into sales? Consider your current conversion ratio and think of the impact on your business.
Suggest one additional item to every customer. This is particularly important if you sell lower-priced items. Too many salespeople are focused only on getting the initial sale; however, almost everyone has additional items, products or services that could be beneficial to their customers.
Invest one day per month developing your skills. Many of the most successful people in business invest in themselves. They attend workshops, conferences, and participate in Webinars and tele-seminars on a regular basis. Considering that the majority of people do not invest in developing their skills, you can quickly out-pace your co-workers and competition.
Read one book every month. Expanding your knowledge will help you become more successful. Read books related to your or your clients’ industries or that will provide insight to help you improve your skill in a specific area.
Ask one more question during each sales call. Before you starting pitching products or your service, ask your prospect one more question. This question might give you the additional insight you need to more effectively position your product or service.
Pause for one moment longer than usual before responding to a prospect’s question or request. Known as the “pregnant pause”, this often prompts the other person to blurt out something he or she had not intended to say. The secret behind this strategy is that most people are uncomfortable with silence and will begin talking to fill the “dead” air space.
Get to the office one hour early. Remember the expression, “The early bird gets the worm.” That one extra hour first thing in the morning can be the most productive time of your day. You have a better chance to reach decision-makers, there are fewer distractions and you can often achieve more in that 60 minutes than in several hours.
Address objections one more time before giving up. Too many salespeople give up too soon when faced with objections. I’m not suggesting you beat your customer into submission to close a sale; however, I do recommend that you tackle each objection one more time before you throw in the towel.
Send one more e-mail to the prospect who has been sitting on the fence. Sometimes, people need that little push and encouragement to move forward. In many cases, their time is simply occupied by other projects and priorities which means they are not focused on your solution. Gentle reminders are often appreciated, providing you don’t follow up so frequently that you appear to be stalking them. Even though they may not be ready to make that particular buying decision, you will help keep your name in their mind.
Ask for an endorsement or testimonial one more time. Endorsements and testimonials are greatly underutilized by most people in business today. Quite often, we ask a client for a testimonial, but because they have other priorities, they forget. Call or send an e-mail and politely request the testimonial again.
Suggest one more idea to help a customer improve his or her business. Schedule a breakfast meeting or lunch with your customers, but instead of trying to sell them something, focus on learning more about their particular challenges. Offer solutions that do not include your products or services, and your customers will begin to see you more as a partner than a supplier.
Send one more thank-you card or note. Very few salespeople make the effort to thank their customers. You can stand out from the crowd by sending handwritten notes to thank customers for their most recent order, meeting with you or sending an on-time payment. You can also send a note when you see their company mentioned favorably in the news.
Although it is a tiny number, one can make a very powerful impact both on your top-line sales and bottom-line profits. One extra sale every day, week or month – depending on your business, can make a significant impact on your sales by the end of the year. The next time you think about giving up on a high potential prospect, consider the fact that you might be just one phone call, e-mail or letter away from making the sale.
This article was written Kelley Robertson for Corporate Logo Magazine. Reprinted with permission.
Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling, helps sales professionals pinpoint how to improve their results. He conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. For information on his programs, contact him at 905.633.7750 or kelley@robertsontraininggroup.com .