Sales Success Habit 9: The Power of Forming Good Habits

In reflecting on times in my sales career when my results were on track or off track, it all came down to 1 concept: the power of habits. In my experience, we have habits that support our success, and others that can sabotage our success. 'Only one habit can subdue another habit,' a favorite quote from Og Mandino that speaks to the power of habits, I often remind myself. As an example, if we tend to procrastinate and put off prospecting or business development activity, why not replace that with taking daily action towards this and setting a daily goal? I always find that once I take the action and overcome the habit that is holding me back, my self confidence rises, and the feeling of 'I did it'! makes taking the action worth it!

10 Tips: How you can integrate powerful habits to replace feeling stuck in sales with unstoppable progress:

1. Start your day with Business Development and Schedule It: Most often, the activities we most avoid we put off until the end of the day...or week! Schedule prospecting and outreach time. I find first thing in the morning builds momentum for the day. Schedule this like an appointment on your calendar.

2. Progress Over Procrastination with 2 mm Steps: Replace procrastination with incremental progress. The concept of “2 mm shifts” emphasizes taking small, actionable steps daily to stay on track toward bigger goals. This approach alleviates the overwhelm of seemingly insurmountable tasks by focusing on manageable actions that accrue significant results over time.

3. Act Despite Your Emotions: It's crucial to act regardless of emotional turbulence. This practice not only builds resilience but also nurtures a habit of consistency. Emotions can be fleeting, but actions rooted in purpose put you firmly on the path to success. This includes 'overthinking,' as an emotion I call 'analysis paralysis,' or fear.

4. Learn from Setbacks: Transform setbacks into stepping stones by asking, “What did I do well that I can replicate?” and “What can I improve next time?” This habit of reflection elevates learning from mistakes into a systematic method for growth and development.

5. Connect and Understand Before Selling: Establish genuine connections by understanding clients’ pain points. Prioritizing discovery over delivery allows you to address their needs effectively. Asking the right questions and listening actively helps uncover the urgent ‘why now’ of their purchasing decision, making your solution more relevant and timely.

6. Be a Trusted Advisor: Stay up to date on trends in your industry. Clients and prospects expect us to know not only our products and services, but our competitors offerings, as well

7. Invest in Yourself, Skills, and Learning: I once heard a saying that 'learners are earners.' I know personally, I have invested a small fortune in coaching, workshops, books, seminars, and conferences. I make it a habit to take away at least 3 new ideas that will help me get better personally and in my sales, professionally.

8. Stop the Comparison Game: Instead of comparison, learn from your industries top leaders. Get curious, let go of resistance, and notice how they are successful.

9. Quit Putting Down the Competition: Learn from your competition: what are they doing well that you can repeat? What mistakes do you see them do that you can avoid? Customers do not like to hear us putting down the competition - instead I might share 'what makes me different and unique from others.'

10. Get it Done with Power Sessions: A great way to tackle the tasks we avoid is to set a dedicated time to do it. Decide how much time you will spend on it. Set a timer. Working on proposals, training content, organizing my office, updating my CRM, and prospecting are important tasks that I find easy to do with a Power Session.

Some Destructive Sales Habits to Avoid:

Constantly pushing products without understanding client needs and neglecting genuine connection are detrimental habits in sales. Focusing on solving problems, building partnerships, and delivering world-class service over ‘sales pitches’ can revolutionize your approach.

Building and being consistent with these habits can transform how you approach sales, creating deeper, more meaningful connections with clients and positioning you for lasting success in your sales journey. Long term, this will lead to more referrals, references, repeat business, and long-term relationships.

My ⭐️ Northstar: I work with success-driven leaders and teams who want to be more, sell more, and make more with momentum. We play 2 games in sales: the 'inner game' habits and mindset, and the 'outer game' tactics and action. The best investment you will ever make is in...yourself. This is my commitment to you, my clients, and all who attend my events!