5 Tips

5 Steps to More Sales and Success: A Simple Way to Win More

Motivation| Sales| success mindset| Habits| Business Development
February 10, 2025•4 min read

Last week, I drove to a conference that I was excited to attend and honored to be a speaker. Before I left my house, not having been to the exact location of the conference, I put the address in my navigation app. I thought, 'simple and done!'

As I got closer to the location, I was deep in thought about the words I would share, who I would meet, and feeling excited to get away for a couple days. Before I knew it, I had missed the exit, and realized I was off track. I safely pulled off the road, and reset my navigation app, and I was back on my way.

This 'missing 1 step' reminded me of something that separates the top from the average sales and business development professionals. Skipping a step in the process can lead to the wrong result - in my case, the wrong exit and 10 minutes added to my trip! In the fast-paced world of sales, business development, and life, it is crucial to have a structured approach that not only delivers results but also ensures sustained success.

I want to share with you a five-step process that I have consistently used over the past decade of sales and business development. It has to do with 'trusting' the process. I learned some tough lessons in my career that when we 'deviate' or miss a step of the sales process, it most often leads to the wrong destination: a delayed sale, lack of momentum, or worse, a lost sale.

I'm excited to introduce you to my five-email series on the DEALS process. This methodology, created from years of experience in corporate sales and training, has guided me to win partnerships and success. The steps of DEALS to win more sales and business: Discovery, Executive Summary, Agreement on Recommendations, Letter of Agreement, and Shared Commitment.

Today, we will review the first step: Discovery. Discovery is a pivotal starting point in any sales process. Discovery is where it all begins. It starts with scheduling a discovery meeting armed with pre-written questions aimed at understanding the client's challenges and goals. This crucial step shifts your focus from 'S' for Self Focus to 'O' for Others Focus, allowing you to connect with your prospects pain points.

To excel in Discovery, consider these best practices:

- Research Thoroughly: Understand the prospect's industry, challenges, and goals. “Clarity is power,” and we cannot provide options if we do not know the "current state" of our prospects business or challenges.

- Be Prepared: Arrive with targeted questions that uncover the client's pain points. Our preparation also helps us be confident as a trusted advisor.

- Listen Actively: Focus on their words, ask clarifying questions, and confirm understanding. Listening creates emotional connections. Eye contact is critical.

- Respect Timing: Start and end meetings on time, valuing both yours and the client's time. I often ask my prospect if they still have the set amount of time we scheduled at the start of the meeting.

- Stay 'O Focused': Prioritize understanding the client's perspective over pushing your agenda or talking about your products, services, or solutions prematurely.

The Discovery step sets the foundation. Yet, it often sees common pitfalls - avoid the following:

- Talking about yourself: People want to be heard and understood. Step into their world. Focusing on your products and services rather than the client's needs.

- Being unprepared: Failing to research the prospect or have tailored questions. Write your questions in advance, always schedule the next steps at the end of the meeting. People get busy and they forget about follow ups - handle it in the moment!

- Forgetting to listen: Interrupting or missing the client's pain points. Think of this as an interview, you should be talking less than your prospect.

- Time mismanagement: Not starting and ending meetings, talks, or scheduled presentations on schedule. People are busy and do not like meetings or presentations that go over the scheduled time. If I am up against the end time, I will ask 'do you have a few more minutes, I see we are at the end of our time?'

- Lack of pre-call planning: Not conducting thorough research on the prospect or company. Information is everywhere today-social media, Google, search engines, other people who know your contact, etc.

Mastering these practices in the Discovery stage will provide a strong foundation for the rest of the DEALS process. Stay tuned for our next email, where we'll explore the importance of an impactful Executive Summary.

Sales ProcessDiscoveryClosing
Amy Lemire CSP DTM works with success-driven leaders and teams who want to be more, make more, and sell more with confidence, with momentum. She is the creator of “The Best Version of You: Success Habits Breakthrough” Program. For the past 10 years, she has trained thousands of sales and business professionals on standards of excellence, and mastery of the keys to success and the ‘Sales Confidence Code.’ Her focus is on how to win the inner game of self-confidence to drive peak performance results in sales, business, and speaking, through the mastery of success habits. After spending 2 decades in business-to-business and medical sales and training, Amy founded AIM Training and Consulting International. She is a certified “Habitfinder” Leadership Coach. Amy is the author of 2 books: “From Zero to Sales Hero,” and “From Zero to Speaker Hero.” Amy was recently designated as a Certified Speaking Professional, in March 2023, by the National Speakers Association, for delivering over 300 hours of training and speaking. She is also a VISTAGE-certified speaker. Amy is a Distinguished Toastmaster, the Past President of National Speakers Association, St Louis Chapter, and a Member of the National Speakers Association. She has been recognized as a Fortune 500 top sales performer and sales trainer for over 3 decades. When she is not working you may find her at local rock concert, personal development seminar, or at home with her husband Nigel and her cat Brianna.

Amy Lemire CSP

Amy Lemire CSP DTM works with success-driven leaders and teams who want to be more, make more, and sell more with confidence, with momentum. She is the creator of “The Best Version of You: Success Habits Breakthrough” Program. For the past 10 years, she has trained thousands of sales and business professionals on standards of excellence, and mastery of the keys to success and the ‘Sales Confidence Code.’ Her focus is on how to win the inner game of self-confidence to drive peak performance results in sales, business, and speaking, through the mastery of success habits. After spending 2 decades in business-to-business and medical sales and training, Amy founded AIM Training and Consulting International. She is a certified “Habitfinder” Leadership Coach. Amy is the author of 2 books: “From Zero to Sales Hero,” and “From Zero to Speaker Hero.” Amy was recently designated as a Certified Speaking Professional, in March 2023, by the National Speakers Association, for delivering over 300 hours of training and speaking. She is also a VISTAGE-certified speaker. Amy is a Distinguished Toastmaster, the Past President of National Speakers Association, St Louis Chapter, and a Member of the National Speakers Association. She has been recognized as a Fortune 500 top sales performer and sales trainer for over 3 decades. When she is not working you may find her at local rock concert, personal development seminar, or at home with her husband Nigel and her cat Brianna.

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