Improving Your Sales One Customer at a Time

-Todd Brouillette

Sales professionals are always working on improving their closing numbers, as well as to continually drive both additional revenue and company profitability. The employer of any given sales professional

may be pressuring them to improve on revenue growth on a constant basis. Improving sales numbers takes time, and it often involves winning each customer over on an individual basis. The best and

most productive sales professionals tend to work on the strength of the business relationships they develop with others.

A successful account executive is a trusted advisor. The products an account executive sells are, of course, important,

but unless you have a one-of-a-kind product, there may be countless other sales professionals offering the same products, and using the same selling

points, as you. How then do you convince customers to buy products or services from you and not your competitors?

Simple. By focusing on the ‘one customer at a time’ approach.

Each customer interaction should leave a positive impression on the customer. Even if you aren’t able to get the customer to sign on the dotted line, you have to at least work on ingratiating

yourself to the customer, as well as to establish their trust with both you and the products or

services you’re offering. Relationships tend to be the key to repeat business; to selling products to

a loyal client base for many years to come.

The sales professional should work to build these relationships on the elements of trust and understanding. When you first meet a new potential client, take time to listen to their pain points, and work on understanding

what they need from both you and your company. This basic understanding helps to build trust, and a rapport, between yourself and the customer, something you can build on, and that is crucial to selling products and

services for years to come.