Do you want to sell more stuff, make crazy commissions and live an overall happier life? Then this animated video is for you.
It outlines the 7 habits included in the business classic ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen Covey and to emphasise how powerful these mindset hacks can be I’ve gone through some sales specific examples below the video.
HABIT 1 – Be proactive
There are always deals to be made and a tell tale sign of the average salesman is that they’re happy with the leads they are given.
Sales managers will reward you for discovering new sources of leads (as they can potentially help the whole sales team) and it makes filling your pipeline more sustainable.
HABIT 2 – Begin with the end in mind
If there is one habit out of the 7 that I personally do well it’s this one. I never dial my phone, start a pitch or arrange a meeting without knowing exactly why I’m doing it and what I want to get out of it.
I’m not being selfish, if anything I’m being respectful of other peoples time.
As Anese explained on the Salesman Podcast having intention about where you want things to end up helps shape how you get there.
HABIT 3 – Put the first things first
Now if there is one thing out of the habits I do poorly it’s putting the first things first.
I always try and put my family first. Yet I spend way more time working on my business and selling than I do hanging out with my Dad or grabbing food with my Mum.
Why?
Sometimes life gets in the way of life but it’s important to keep nudging yourself on back on the right track.
HABIT 4 – Think win-win
A massive cliché for salespeople but thinking win-win drives the following results –
- Repeat business
- Referrals
- Great testimonials
- Non financial benefits
HABIT 5 – Seek first to understand, then to be understood
Salespeople need to understand the problems of their customers before they can sell a solution to them.
I don’t mean, they want more revenue and your complex SAAS software bollocks will give them it (within X days or their money back…).
I mean salespeople have to understand that the prospect has just bought a second hand Mazda RX7 and although it’s beautiful it’s an absolute money pit.
Every extra dollar you can make them with your software becomes a new modification to their car and so instantly becomes more desirable than numbers on a P&L sheet.
HABIT 6 – Synergize
I hate the word Synergy.
It reminds me of every pointless corporate slideshow I’ve ever had the displeasure of sitting through.
The concept of finding ways of working with people and systems that can benefit you as much as you can benefit them is an interesting one though.
We covered an example of this on the Salesman Podcast when Bob Apollo explained the potential benefits of working with your sales colleagues rather than competing against them.
HABIT 7 – Sharpen the saw
This habit is clear to me. All sales people, if they want to crush it and earn serious money, should be sharpening their saw.
They should be improving their sales skills.
They should be joining the SalesSchool and learning from the best sales trainers, physiologists and business development experts from the entire planet.
