Tips from the trenches to keep your copier career on track
A slow economy doesn't necessarily translate to slow sales, but it does mean that salespeople need to work smarter and harder to keep their numbers up. A few tips for sales success during recessionary times:
1. 1. Increase your sales activity. This one is a no-brainer. No matter what the market does, there are still sales to be had, but you won't get them sitting at your desk and moping over your stock portfolio. In order to keep your sales healthy, you need to be making more sales calls, not fewer.
2. Adopt a consultative approach. Especially during tough economic times, your clients need to be able to justify their expenses. Show them how your products can help them cut costs and increase productivity, and they'll be more receptive to doing business with you.
3. Be strategic. Though it's tempting to spend your time going after the small, easy sale ("at least it's a sale, right?"), continue to focus on strategic prospects just as you would during better economic times. Your efforts will pay off in the long run.
4. Improve your sales technique. In an economy like this one, it quickly becomes apparent who the most talented salespeople are. If you're anything but the best, now is the perfect time to invest in yourself by reading books, attending seminars, studying top salespeople, and doing anything else you can to hone your skills.
5. Focus on relationships. Boom or bust, someone will always be willing to undercut you for the sake of grabbing up market share, and customers who would never consider "cheating on you" during better economic times can easily be unfaithful during times like these. Stay attuned to your clients' changing needs, provide the best service you know how to provide, and don't ever take the relationship for granted.
6. Know your competition. As the economy worsens, your competitors will become more aggressive, but they'll also become more vulnerable. Make your company indispensible to customers by providing a caliber of advice, insight, and service that your price-cutting competitors can't possibly match.
7. Stay positive. In order to be successful, you have to believe that you will be successful. So believe it.
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