Get APTT and Get More Business!
September 2003

Salespeople today need every edge they can get their hands on. With many competitors looking to gobble up your best clients and make nice with your best prospects, you need to organize your efforts in order to be successful. Unfortunately, many salespeople have no plan for success - they're selling virtually by the seat of their pants.

With that in mind, here are four selling "tools" that every good salesperson should possess: Attitude, Plan, Think and Tact.

Attitude - If you don't think you can, or you don't want to, you won't. Attitude is the foundation upon which every successful sales career is built. Attitude means taking advantage of every opportunity to get in front of clients and prospects - and knowing exactly what to do when you do. A good attitude also entails blocking out any negative influences and turning the strengths of you and your company into a winning selling proposition.

Plan - You need a realistic, actionable plan to help guide you to success. This can be as simple as organizing your sales territory so that you can see as many customers and prospects as possible in a given week. A good plan should also help you organize what to say when you do meet with prospects. Don’t give them a canned presentation; take the time to determine each prospect’s individual needs, and tailor your solutions accordingly.

Think - Sounds simple, right? It may, but many salespeople are thinking of how to interject their own agenda during a meeting rather than thinking of how to respond to the needs of their prospect. Don’t believe you can think fast on your feet? It will become much easier when you’re properly prepared.

Tact - Losing an attractive job by a hair’s breadth can be frustrating and discouraging. An APTT salesperson, however, can end up smelling like a rose by maintaining grace under pressure. When you can impress a prospect when you’ve lost a job, you can bet that the next time that prospect is in a jam, you're the first person they'll think to call.

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