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Sign up for monthly selling tips from Leader Trends' president Lorna Donovan.

These monthly sales tips, gleaned from real-world experiences, are designed to move you forward and upward in your sales goals. Read samples below:

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Nothing Is More Important Than Sales
It may be the single most common mistake in starting a new business--spending precious capital on secondary considerations such as real estate, office equipment, stationery, business cards, employees, software, and sometimes even the product itself.

The first and most important consideration of any new business is the fundamental selling proposition. Can you really sell your product/service the way you want at the price you want?

Business plans, product revisions, and customer-service programs are all important, but for a new business, nothing is more important than sales.

Plan Your Next Half-Year
Gearing up for the rest of the selling year just might be your top priority right now. But getting focused on what's really important in developing your plan may be tricky. Writing goals, making activity plans, and keeping score are a start; but figuring out your personal motivators--what keeps your head in the game-is important.

Consider these sales self-care questions about the first half of the year as you plan the next six months:

• Did I care more for my clients than for myself?
• Did I act too unselfishly in setting my priorities?
• Did I over-commit to others?

If you answered "yes" to all three self-check questions, you may want to revisit your selling purpose. While there's nothing wrong with taking care of others--including your prospects and clients--you may want to re-consider self-preservation by way of caring for them, rather than taking care of them.

If you fail to focus foremost on your own goals, you'll have someone else's dumped on you instead, which can build resentment so you avoid their daily calls and emails. If you're in avoidance mode, you'll also block the nurturing relationships, people, and activities you need.

Take time to focus on your personal motivators so you don't miss out on sales. Care for yourself first as you set your next half-year plan in motion.

Face Your Fears
Oftentimes it's not the activity level, but rather the inertia that points to a paralyzing fear:

• the fear that you won't make money in your dream work
• the fear that you can't approach strangers and ask for a chance at their business
• the fear of picking up the phone

Don't allow your greatest sales tools to languish. It's not just about making cold calls or cleaning up difficult business dilemmas; it's about strengthening your ability to face your fears and re-channel them productively.

Try re-examining your self-talk and re-framing your fears to see them for what they really are; then ask yourself, "What's the worst that could happen?" Gradually start re-visualizing your fears as gifts of opportunity. Start with one you know you can easily tackle. This will make the bigger fears shrink by comparison.

Address each fear one at a time. Sales professionals have a bad habit of tearing up their goals or action plans rather than mastering them systematically. Use small deliberate steps to overcome your fears and remind yourself of the trust you are building in your own capabilities. Facing your stagnating emotion releases new energy for your greater purpose.

Turn Up the Focus Volume
For even the most motivated salesperson, sometimes one cold call can set you back for weeks, as can the act of pulling the sales trigger. When you focus your energy on negative sales outcomes, your confidence sways and your sense of cause dims.

You may hate to lose, but you don't need to be afraid to lose. Try repeating to yourself, "You can't beat me, even if I don't win today." It's an internal message that supports your confidence and preparation. Too many salespeople identify themselves with winning or losing and what that means about them. Before starting, they're thinking of the consequences if they don't close: What will people think? What will my boss say? How much money will I lose? Instead, just run each race the best you can, focusing on the things you can control and not worrying about what you can't, or what the consequences might be.

Become aware of actions that either fuel or drain your productive focus. Practice higher-value daily sales activities. Ask yourself, "Where is my focus tuned right now?" then turn up the volume when you've tuned to an unbeatable attitude.

Sign up for monthly selling tips from Leader Trends' president Lorna Donovan.

Contact Leader Trends about a sales solution for your company or call Leader Trends at 720-406-8289.