Hammer Out Q4 Sales

“Put that coffee down. Coffee is for closers only.” The immortal words of Blake from the movie “Glengarry Glen Ross,” are a prime example of just how serious this end-of-year rush is. If you’re not selling, then a necessity for most to be fully functioning throughout the day will be withheld. There it is—no pressure, salespeople, BUT we have officially entered the mad dash to close out 2012. Will your numbers beat last year’s numbers? How can you make the most of this all-important 4th quarter?

I recently read a great article on Inc.com, “7 most powerful Sales Tools,” by Geoffrey James. Most of these “tools” are useful in all realms of life, and skills that upon first glance wouldn’t be the trademark of a top salesperson. However, if the goal is to be a consultant rather than pushing product—these 7 tools are definitely ones that should be at the top of your toolbox.

Here they are in no particular order: patience, commitment, enthusiasm, curiosity, courage, integrity and flexibility. Not necessarily what you expected, right? But if you think about it, these traits create an overall feeling of trust and respect. These traits may not close the deal on a particular, last-blast-product-blitz-one-off, but they will help you build a relationship with your client that says you are a trusted advisor who will, against all odds, get the job done. In the long run, this will assist you in getting those last-blast-product-blitz-one-offs sold. Get it?

So, good luck and get going because the clock is ticking! And for a little Hollywood inspiration and fun, take some time to watch a few of the best sales movies of all time: “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Tin Men,” “Boiler Room,” “Jerry Maguire” (it doesn’t get any better than “Show me the Money”), “Wall Street” (the original only), and “Tommy Boy” (which I have not seen yet but am told it is a great sales movie ... go figure).