Are You Really Serious About Your Sales Success?

“School is never out for the pro.”

Cavett Robert

Last night I spoke at an event organised by the Institute of Sales & Marketing Management (ISMM).

As I started my speech I joked with the audience that by attending the event they were missing out on watching “EastEnders” (a popular TV soap opera for readers outside the UK.)  I then went on to congratulate them for taking the time and trouble to come to the event.  As far as I am aware watching TV soap operas doesn’t do anything to improve your sales performance!


In sales the more you learn the more you earn.  Despite the fact that it was a cold and dark November evening some dedicated sales professionals took the decision to travel to the event and invest in their personal development.

The ISMM arranges numerous events around the country every year with a great line up of speakers - even if I do say so myself!  Last night I was speaking with my good friend Sean McPheat (author of the very excellent book “eselling”).  Between us we have written a host of bestselling books, trained tens of thousands of sales people and spoken at sales conferences across the world.

Sean shared some highly effective sales techniques (if you don’t know how to reverse engineer your benefits then you really should have attended!) and I shared some powerful negotiation tactics that can tip the power balance in your favour.  An evening that helped those who attended to raise their game.

And what did it cost to attend the event? Nothing. Zip. Zero.
Just the commitment required to turn up and learn.

So what about you?  Are you really serious about your success?  What are you doing to continually develop your sales skills? If you aren't investing in your own development then trust me you are going to be overtaken by those of us who are.

Are you, for example, a member of your professional organisation?  If you are a sales professional then you should be a member of your professional organisation.  And in the UK that is the ISMM.  In addition to a host of other benefits the ISMM basically hands you sales development on a plate.

You get to attend great events, learn from great speakers, join webinars, network with other sales professionals and receive an information packed magazine called “Winning Edge” on a regular basis.  Just put the magazine in your bag and carry it with you.  And then as you are going about your business you can always invest a few minutes to read and learn. You can learn on trains, planes, when you are staying in hotels or between customer appointments.

You can find out more about what the ISMM offers here: 
http://www.ismm.co.uk/

In addition, load your Kindle or tablet with some good sales reading.  And download some good sales audio material so that you can listen and learn as you drive around.  Turn your car into a classroom!

To get you started here is an interview I did on the Voice America “Be More Achieve More” business radio show about my latest book “Neuro-Sell: How Neuroscience Can Power Your Sales Success”.  You can listen to the recording at the website, download the mp3 or get it from ITunes absolutely free of charge.

Here is the link:
Neuro-Sell: How Neuroscience Can Power Your Sales Success

If you are truly serious about your sales success then you need to invest time in your personal development.  If you don’t invest in your sales success then those of us that do look forward to stealing your customers from you!

Simon Hazeldine MSc FinstSMM is an international speaker and consultant in the areas of sales, negotiation, performance leadership and applied neuroscience. 

He is the bestselling author of five business books:

• Neuro-Sell: How Neuroscience Can Power Your Sales Success
• Bare Knuckle Selling
• Bare Knuckle Negotiating
• Bare Knuckle Customer Service
• The Inner Winner

To learn more about Simon's keynote speeches and other services please visit:

www.simonhazeldine.com

To subscribe to Simon's hard hitting "Selling and Negotiating Power Tips newsletter please visit:

www.SellingAndNegotiatingPowerTips.com