by Ed Gray

Created on: January 27, 2009   Last Updated: February 13, 2009

With recent downtrend in the economy retaining the existing level of business has became a challenge itself. So how about increasing your sales by generating new leads, finding new opportunities and expanding your sale targets?

While difficult the task is not unheard off. Even in toughest times there are companies that thrive well and whose sales and profit margins do not slump.

Following is a condensed list of tips true, tested and tried in good and bad times that you a sale professional can use to not only retain your sale target levels but to prospect for new sale leads and unearth new opportunities that others may have missed on.

1)
WHAT ARE MY CUSTOMER'S NEEDS?

Sales is not about you, it is not about what you need or want to have. It is about customer , what they are looking for and who can best fulfill their needs.

Call on your existing customers, see how they are doing, do they need any help with the product they bought? Be genuine with them show them that they are still important and that their relationship with you did not end up when they placed their order with you.

Following up on your existing sales channel will ensure you are on top of your client's needs and they actively remember you if they need to purchase something else. Regardless of the state of the economy people will still buy and if they trust you and know you carry what they need you will be amongst first people they will call. The large part of the job well done is in staying in touch with your existing clientele.

2)
ASK FOR REFERRALS

Your existing clients are your best advocates. They are actively in the field, they talk with people and they if asked can come up with some very warm and relatively pre-qualified leads for you. Ask your existing clients if they are happy with your product or service do they know anyone else who may benefit from the same? This in no way is impolite or unethical and many successful sales professionals are on top of their game because they had learned to do this automatically and had built this into their prospecting mechanism.

3)
STAY VISIBLE, STAY POSITIVE

The error many sales professionals make when thighs get tough is that they will cocoon into their shell giving up on their prospecting drive and becoming less than optimistic about themselves and products they sell. Feeling sorry for yourself will not get you new leads and in fact if the prospect notices that you had lost your edge and confidence, they may walk away from you.

So stay positive, stay visible, network

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>