Eight Sales Activities You Can't Afford to Neglect

Earlier this year, My wife and I moved to a brand new subdivision. We had lived in a very mature area and what we missed most this summer was a backyard with a patio and lots of grass. Fortunately, a few weeks ago the sod people arrived and covered the dull brown dirt with bright green grass.

The builder issued instructions to water our grass for approximately 2 hours every day for the first couple of weeks to ensure that the sod could take hold and thrive. However, several homeowners have disregarded these instructions and have only sporadically watered their lawn. As a result, their grass is starting to turn brown and die.

The same type of neglect also happens in sales.

Sales people often neglect to execute certain concepts that contribute to their success and they wonder why their sales falter or die off. Here are eight things that many sales people neglect.

Nurture existing accounts. Just because you captured the initial sale does not mean you have a customer for life. You need to nurture your accounts and keep adding value to ensure a competitor does not come along and take the business from you. Keep in touch with these key accounts and look for ways to continually add value. A coffee meeting or lunch is often all it takes to keep abreast of the changes in their company and to discover new opportunities to help them.

Nurture prospects. Many sales people connect with prospects but fail to keep that contact alive if a deal doesn't happen right away. Unless you sell a small ticket item, it is essential to keep your name in your prospect's mind. You can do this by providing valuable information or industry insights that will help your contact or prospect improve their business.

Personal development. Most people stop learning and integrating new strategies into their routine. What worked last year may not be effective today. Even though you attended a training program a few years ago does not mean your skills are current. Read new books, attend conferences, listen to audio programs, or sign up for a training programs.

Recharge time. Let's face it, selling is challenging and it requires a tremendous amount of effort and energy. That's why it is important to take time to rest. Recharging your batteries can give you renewed energy and inspiration as well as new ideas and strategies. Take your allotted vacation or if you operate your own business, take time away from it so you can return refreshed and recharged. Even a few days away from the your business can make a difference.

Networking. Many people aggressively network when they first start their sales career. However, as time passes and their sales develop, they gradually stop networking. They get caught up in the day-to-day busyness of their job and stop making time to connect with others. Schedule at least one or two networking meetings every weeks to keep the momentum going.

Filling the pipeline. Some people experience major fluctuations in their sales and this is usually a result of not keeping their pipeline full with new prospects. This is particularly true for small business owners or sole proprietors who work directly with their customers. They often end up working on a few projects and stop prospecting. However, when those projects are completed, they usually discover that they have no leads to follow-up on. A general rule of thumb is to ensure that you have 300% of your sales quota in your pipeline at any given time.

Cold calling. Not every business relies on cold calling to generate new leads or business. However, the vast majority of sales people rely on this age-old strategy and neglecting it can seriously affect your results. You may not enjoy calling strangers (I don't know many people that do!) but it still generates business.

Follow up. Although it is mentioned last in this article, follow-up is one of the most important concepts. Many of my prospects and customers have said, "Thanks for following up" when I finally connected with them after making multiple attempts. Decision makers are extremely busy and neglecting to follow up after an initial meeting can cost you the sale.

Neglect doesn't happen overnight. It usually starts with one small thing and gradually expands into several other areas and the result can be devastating.

What are you neglecting?

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