Small adjustments make a huge impact in sales.

After 28 years in sales, I have seen for myself along with the thousands of salespeople I have coached along the way, how tiny tips and tricks can skyrocket your sales.

Here are a few of my favorite hacks to boost your sales.

Sales Hack #1

Don’t use the word ‘referral’ when asking for referrals or approaching a referral. That word is like the word ‘prom’. It makes everyone squirm.

When I ask for referrals, I always say “Bob, thanks so much for your business. Everyone has been thankful to know about what I’m doing. Who do you know who would appreciate just knowing about this? Would you mind if I jot down a couple of people?

When I approach a referral, I say “Hey Jeff, your friend Bob suggested I introduce myself to you. I’m the one……”

My online training course on Referral Selling will go into more detail on this.

Sales Hack #2

Talk low and slow when you introduce yourself to new prospects. Most salespeople are very sales-ish – they are very loud and boisterous. If you walk and talk like a salesperson, people will have their guard up.

Approach your prospects as if there is a baby sleeping in the same room you don’t want to wake up. Be very chill, laid back and turn the volume waaaaay down in your voice. I know, it’s awkward. But it is highly effective in booking more appointments and getting in more doors.

Once you sit down with your prospect, you can go back to being your normal, fun self. But in the approach, a loud whisper is much more effective.

Sales Hack #3

Coach your customers what you want them to do when they think about canceling. Cancellations are a part of life. And they stink. But you will have a huge boost in retention when you tell your customers what you want them to do when they want to cancel.

First, make your personal cell number the most prominent number on your business card. Don’t include the corporate customer service number unless you absolutely have to. YOU need to take all phone calls because your customers are tied to you, not a random voice in your customer service department.

After you wrap up the sale, say to your customer “Bob, in 6 days, 6 weeks or 6 months you might think about canceling. You guys might go through budget cuts, your boss might not like the decision you made to get this, a competitor might tell you they are better than my product or a different employee might take over your position. If this ever happens, call me directly. I can reduce your package if you are in a financial crunch. I am happy to do a side-by-side comparison with any competitor and of course I’d love to meet with your boss or another employee if I need to. Whatever the case, just promise me you will call. I want to have a long-term relationship with you. Cool?

(Noticed how I mentioned head-on the 4 biggest reasons my customers would cancel)

And it made my day when I received a call from a customer who I had sold 5 years prior and the first thing they would say is “I remember you told me to call you if we ever went through budget cuts. That’s why I’m calling….”.

I was able to save the sale 99% of the time

Sales Hack #4

When a prospect initially says “Now is not a good time”, are you taught to push and give a second or third approach like “This will only take a few minutes”?

What nobody taught me was this: I made far more sales, was given more respect and referrals when I stopped giving a second approach.

When my prospects said “Now is not a good time” I politely said “No big deal. When would be a better time? At the end of this week? Next week?”

People hate pushy salespeople. And a second approach comes across as very pushy. When they immediately felt that I wasn’t pushy and respectful of their time, they were much more willing to do business with me.

Plus, pushy salespeople have a hard time getting referrals. And referrals are the boss. So avoid doing anything that will keep you from getting referrals.

Sales Hack #5

The 5 minutes it takes to write a hand-written thank you card will have monumental perks. No, not an email. Not a text message or smoke signal. Dust off a friggin pen and write a simple thank you for their business.

• It will give you instant respect from your customer
• It will set you apart from every other person they do business with
• You will hear many of them say “OMG! I got your card! Thank you so much!”
• It will help reduce cancellations and increase retention
• It’s simple decency in life to say thank you. #bedecentwhenyousell

As mentioned before, tiny adjustments will make a big impact on your sales.

This season, practice the following:

• Approach your prospects low and slow
• Don’t use the word ‘referral’ when you get referrals
• Coach your customers what to do when they want to cancel
• Never appear pushy
• Always write thank-you cards.

I love positive feedback. So drop a line in the comment box and share which of these makes an impact on your sales. Have fun out there!

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