Sales is an emotional profession. People do business with people. Motivation is therefore decisive. If your sales team is not optimally motivated, the chance of success is only a fraction of what it could be. Inspiring and motivating salespeople is therefore crucial for a sales manager. Today we have listed a number of inspiring quotes for you that are typical of our field.
Inspiring and “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time” – Thomas Edison.
Salespeople love to talk. In general, we are doing well. But you can't get a new customer just by talking. Show that you can put what you say into practice. For example, consider a sample of what you have to offer or an example of a design that you can make for your relationship. Put your knowledge and experience into practice immediately, instead of just talking about it.
“Motivation will almost always beat mere talent” – Norman Ralph
Hard work pays off. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? And yet in practice it often turns out that salespeople rely on their talk and prepare only to a limited extent. We sometimes forget that thorough preparation will almost always beat a good story, even if you are a talented storyteller.
“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm” – Winston Churchill
You do business with people. And people like to be convinced by enthusiasm and passion. Someone with a passion for his profession comes across much more convincing than someone who finishes a story perfunctorily. As a seller you have to have a thick skin, because disappointments are an insurmountable part of the job. However, make sure that your enthusiasm remains intact, even in the event of disappointments.
“Don't sell life insurance. Sell what life insurance can do” – Ben Feldman
You are not selling a product or service. You sell a solution or an experience. Selling an insurance or loan is not exciting. However, making that parachute flight or that beautiful holiday home abroad possible makes all the difference. Sellers, whether within a B2C or B2B environment, should much more often emphasize the solution or experience offered, rather than the features of the product.
“Make a customer, not a sale” – Katherine Barchetti
We all want to score that great assignment. Perhaps because of a nice bonus or simply because we like to win. In itself, it is not bad at all to have a great drive to close the deal. However, building a long-term customer relationship is much more valuable than scoring that one quick deal. So don't spoil yourself by, for example, promising too much for too little money, just to get the order. Think about your sustainable relationship with the customer.
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower” – Steve Jobs
Anyone with a good product, a good story and a competitive price can sell something. That's exactly why every salesperson, no matter how successful you are, will lose a deal every now and then. Sometimes the competitor will run away with your order, for example by undercutting the price. However, the difference is made by the extent to which we are able to surprise our customers time and time again with new and innovative solutions. In a sustainable relationship you continue to innovate and think about solutions and points for improvement together with the customer. In the end, that is much more valuable than that one-off assignment.
“There is little success where there is little laughter” – Andrew Carnegie
Last but not least. Where people work there should be laughter. Of course we talk about serious matters. But perhaps even more important in building customer relationships is the opportunity to laugh together. Without passion and without pleasure, little business is done. In addition to all substantive points of interest, spend time on the human relationship and the fun you can experience together.