1. ‘Keeping the Sales Focus’
Focus delivers results and provides rewards beyond
our expectations
1

2. The intent of this e book is to provide in a short but concise way
daily inspiration and sales tips to help focus on becoming a sales
professional.
To those who consider themselves as seasoned professionals,
think of this e book as providing reminders of what was once learnt
and now should be second nature.
To those who have had not had the opportunity in their sales life to
have access to sales focused content, we hope the following pages
provide your daily/weekly sales knowledge intake and put into
practice the tips to grow your sales ability and reward.
2

3. quot;sales
1: the top line of the income statement and
the driving force of all organizations, ideas
and progress... also used to describe the
greatest profession in history and greatest
skill one can ever havequot;
3

4. Face to face time – creates
opportunities
Scheduled visits – allows consistency to visits and time
management and optimizes face to face time.
4

5. Confrontation isn't always a bad thing.
Did you know that the word quot;confrontationquot;
comes from the Latin words for quot;togetherquot;
and quot;foreheadquot;? Originally, confrontation
just meant quot;to come face to face.”
It's important to address issues, to constantly try to improve processes
and relationships. And it's possible to be diplomatic during a
confrontation, but above all it should be done face to face.
5

6. quot; Always do more than is required of
youquot;
G Paton
Anticipate, seek, be ready to act with conviction.
6

7. quot; Men make history and not the other
way aroundquot;
Harry Truman
The world is full of great leaders, they all share one thing in
common, they were dogmatic in reaching their goals.
7

8. quot; Education is the best provision of the
old agequot;
Aristotle
You can never read enough, attend forums on sales engagement
strategies, one idea can change your whole sales approach.
8

9. quot; Failure to prepare is preparing to failquot;
John Wooden
Do you think about the next sales call? Did you prepare for this
during the last call on the client?
9

10. quot; There are no gains without painsquot;
B Franklin
Rejection is not about you personally, its about your approach to
solving the customers pain, ask for feedback.
10

11. quot; Learning without thought is labour
lost. quot;
Confucious
Be conscious of information coming your way and ask more
questions to confirm your thoughts.
11

12. Trust should be earnt
Fulfill promises .
Exceed expectations.
Go the extra mile.
12

13. quot; Excellence is to do a common thing
in an uncommon way. quot;
B Washington
Stand out from the rest of the sales people that visit,
differentiate yourself, be engaging and mean it.
13

14. Successful people never let circumstances
dictate the outcome. Successful people
learn to respond to their circumstances.
They know that they cannot always control what happens, but
they can control how they respond to what happens.
14

15. quot; We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a
habit. quot;
Aristotle
Review your sub conscious ways and create new habits to achieve
your goals.
15

16. Never Attempt to answer an objection
unless you first clarify the objection.
An effective way of doing this is to ask
“How do you mean, please help me understand?”
This will cause them to elaborate.
16

17. Nobody ever listened themselves
out of a sale
Remember its not about you, its about their pain point and where
you may possible assist them.
17

18. quot;The right word may be effective, but no
word was ever as effective as a rightly
timed pause.”
Mark Twain
When you give your price and ask for the order – be quite, the
next person to break the silence creates the weaker position.
18

19. What you know about your
product/service is important.
But not nearly as important as knowing HOW your customer will
benefit from owning/utilising it.
19

20. Those who say it cannot be done
Should get out of the way of those
who are doing it
20

21. Nothing great was ever achieved
without enthusiasm.
Attitude is everything. Have the right one and people will
embrace you.
21

22. quot;Difficulty is the excuse history never
accepts.quot;
Edward R. Murrow - American broadcast journalist
There will always be obstacles in the way to the sale, but the more
objections they create, the more they are talking to you and the
greater the chance to win them over.
22

23. quot;Diamonds are only lumps of coal that
stuck to their jobs.quot;
B.C. Forbes - founder of Forbes Magazine
Success at sales means seeing the opportunities to the end.
A sale is only closed when the money is in the bank.
23

24. Successful people have passion. They are
faithful and they pursue their dreams with a
constant vigor. They do not fear rejection
and loss as much as they fear living without
a purpose.
Successful people are persistent.
They have their big idea and they stick with it.
24

25. quot;In any moment of decision the best thing
you can do is the right thing,
the next best thing is the wrong thing, and
the worst thing you can do is nothing.quot;
25

26. quot;Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up it
knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it
will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up it knows it must
outrun the slowest gazelle or it will
starve to death.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a
gazelle when the sun comes up, you had
better be running”
26

27. quot;Every chance meeting is an
appointment.quot;
Pablo Neruda - Chilean poet and diplomat
Know how to network, to engage with strangers and always ask
for their business card to exchange with yours.
27

28. quot; Yesterday is not ours to recover, but
tomorrow is ours to win or to lose.quot;
Lyndon B. Johnson
Remain focused on the immediate goals and at the plan will come
to fruition.
28

29. quot;Nothing great was ever achieved
without enthusiasm.quot;
Ralph Waldo Emerson - Writer and activist
Set your heart, mind and soul on your goal,
Then just go for it.
29

30. quot;If you do a job, do it right or there is
no point.quot;
Cal Ripken, Jr. - Hall of Fame shortstop and third baseman
The only time you are employed is when you are face to face with
the customer.
30

31. A parachute is like the mind, it only
works to its fullest potential when
open.
Help your customers open their mind, do not force it but plant the
seeds, then slowly water and pick the rewards at the right time.
31

32. quot;The big rewards come to those who
travel the second, undemanded mile.quot;
Bruce Barton - advertising executive and politician
How well do you know your customer, the organisation and the
people, research, research and ask others about them.
32

33. Successful people take a realistic inventory
of their talents and abilities. They
recognize their personal strengths and
weaknesses.
They play to their own strengths and overcome their weaknesses
by capitalizing on the strengths of others.
33

34. quot;If you work just for the money, you'll
never make it, but if you love what
you're doing and you always put the
customer first, success will be yours.quot;
Ray Kroc - Founder of McDonalds
Pay it forward
34

35. quot;Any job you're given is an
opportunity to prove yourself.quot;
Meg Whitman - Longtime CEO of eBay
Prove yourself for your own praise, don’t go looking for praise as
generally it will fall short of your expectations.
35

36. quot;Nothing is worth more than this day.quot;
Johann Goethe - German dramatist and poet
Plan the day and make sure your expectations are realistic, then
you will achieve more.
36

37. quot;No legacy is so rich as honesty.quot;
William Shakespeare
Transparency wins the day – customers want to be involved.
37

38. quot;I'm here to build something for the
long term.
Anything else is a distraction.quot;
Mark Zuckerberg - Founder and CEO, Facebook
Understanding and discussing the big issues with the customer lets
them know you are part of their team and being there in the
moment.
38

39. quot;We cannot banish dangers, but we
can banish fears.quot;
David Sarnoff - President of RCA and NBC
Fear of rejection is nothing compared to the fear of not even trying.
39

40. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
You can never prepare and practice enough.
40

41. quot;I always believe I can beat the best,
achieve the best. I always see myself
in the top position.quot;
Serena Williams
Always be looking for the order, visualise it and have a plan.
Above all, focus.
41

42. quot;To strive, to seek, to find, and not to
yield!quot;
Lord Tennyson - English poet
Objections are engagement signals, they need more information,
you need to ask more questions.
42

43. Successful people are resilient. They
recognize that failure is an opportunity to
learn and grow. They do not fear failure they
embrace it. They see every failure as a step
closer to the realization of their dreams.
They become masters of overcoming obstacles and staying
focused on a positive outcome.
43

44. quot;I've failed over and over and over
again in my life.
And that is why I succeed.quot;
Michael Jordan
Have a vision, a goal and a plan. Do not stray from them but stand
fast to your values surrounding them.
44

45. quot;If you have accomplished all that you
have planned for yourself, you have
not planned enough.quot;
Edward Everett Hale - Unitarian clergyman and writer
If you have achieved your sales budget for the year, create another
target for yourself, and keep it to yourself.
45

46. quot;You cannot create experience.
You must undergo it.quot;
Albert Camus - French author and philosopher
You can also learn from others mistakes,
find a Sales mentor and ask them questions – then listen.
46

47. quot;It's not the load that breaks you
down, it's the way you carry it.quot;
Lena Horne - American actress and singer
Have a spring in your step, people buy from positive people,
they like associating with winners.
47

48. quot;Just go out and make yourself useful.quot;
Peter Drucker - Austrian-American author and theorist
Just do it
48

49. quot;It's hard to beat a person who never
gives up.quot;
Babe Ruth
Persistence reduces resistance
49

50. quot;There ain't no rules around here.
We're trying to accomplish
something.quot;
Thomas Edison
Do not build brick walls around yourself, push through them, your
customers expect this from you.
50

51. quot;A problem is a chance for you to do
your best.quot;
Duke Ellington
Pitch the ideas and get the customer involved in the solution, this
makes it easier for them to buy from you, as it is their solution.
51

52. quot;The noblest search is the search for
excellence.quot;
Lyndon B. Johnson
Never stop looking for the next relationship, you never know
where it will take you.
52

53. Time Management is critical. There are
only 8 hours of contact time per day,
use them wisely
(research, quotations, reports should be
done outside of these hours)
53

54. quot; If you can't fly, run.
If you can't run, walk.
If you can't walk, crawl.
But by all means, keep movingquot;.
Martin Luther King Jr
Always keep your customer moving forward.
At each meeting plan for the next.
54

55. quot;We tend to get what we expect.quot;
Norman Vincent Peale - American minister and author
Manage your clients perceptions and exceed their expectations.
55

56. quot;I only want people around me who
can do the impossible.quot;
Elizabeth Arden
A great sales success usually required a team of support people,
remember to thank them. There will always be a next time.
56

57. quot;Don't find fault, find a remedy.quot;
Henry Ford
Learn to be quick on your feet with possible solutions.
Do not blame others.
57

58. quot;Great labor overcomes everything.quot;
Roman proverb
Attend as many quality seminars, invest in yourself and you will
be rewarded well.
58

59. quot;Courage is being scared to death, and
saddling up anyway.”
John Wayne
Some days its hard to keep focused and positive.
Ring a friend for support.
59

60. quot;You're never a loser until you quit
trying.quot;
Mike Ditka - Former Chicago Bears coach
The sale is only lost when the order is firmly in the hands of the
competitor, have another shot.
60

61. quot;I'm not following anybody's tracks,
I'm making my own baby.quot;
Picabo Street - Skier, Olympic gold medalist
Remember the Australian Speed Skaters gold medal,
the others fell over, he remained focused.
61

62. Prioritisation – understanding the task
that achieve the goals and objectives
62

63. quot;Do or do not. There is no try.quot;
Yoda - Jedi master
If you do not ask for the order, they cannot give it to you.
ABC (always be closing)
63

64. Interrupting a prospect or customer should
always be avoided.
In many cases, it occurs because of the excitement
you have about a product or service feature that
matches exactly what the customer is asking for.
In other cases, it's a lack of proper training
on listening.
64

65. quot;I have learned to imagine an invisible
sign around each person's neck that
says, 'Make me feel important!'quot;
Mary Kay Ash, Founder of Mary Kay Inc.
Stroke the ego and watch the shoulders lift,
now you have their attention!
65

66. quot;Unless a man undertakes more
than he possibly can do, he will
never do all that he can.”
Henry Drummond - Scottish theologist and scientist
When was the last time you thanked a customer for an order?
66

67. quot;Failure is impossible.quot;
Susan B. Anthony - Activist for women's suffrage
Make one more sales call, send one more email,
make one last phone call.
67

68. quot;To play it safe is not to play.quot;
Robert Altman - Award-winning film director
Ask for the order, and ask again. ‘No’ means ‘not yet, convince me
further’.
68

69. quot;High expectations are the key to
everything.quot;
Sam Walton - Founder of Wal-Mart
Do not let anyone lower the bar for you, be busy raising it.
69

70. quot; Perpetual optimism is a force
multiplier.quot;
Colin Powell - Former U.S. secretary of state
You have an opportunity to lift people up as you enter their lives,
you are from the outside world – make it count.
70

71. quot;Accept the challenges so that you can
feel the exhilaration of victory.quot;
George Patton - American general
If you do not commit, then you are wasting everyone’s time.
71

72. quot;In the middle of difficulty lies
opportunity.quot;
Albert Einstein
Have all your bases covered, expect the unexpected and pounce
when it arises. Plan and Produce.
72

73. quot;Let us never negotiate out of fear. But
let us never fear to negotiate.quot;
John F. Kennedy
Negotiation is taking one step at a time, one agreement at a time.
Do not give without getting in return.
73

74. quot;Business is the most powerful force
in society.quot;
Ben Cohen - cofounder, Ben & Jerry's
Business is relationships, get good at developing relationships,
your future depends upon it.
74

75. quot;You may be disappointed if you fail,
but you are doomed if you don't try.”
Beverly Sills - American opera singer
If you need to meet someone, research and approach, very likely
they will listen if you have prepared for the meeting.
75

76. quot;Even if you're on the right track,
you'll get run over if you just sit
there.”
Will Rogers - American humorist
Make one last call to check how things are progressing.
Have another contact, an internal coach, who can verify the
information.
76

77. quot; Today is a new day. You will get
out of it just what you put into it...quot;
Mary Pickford - cofounder of United Artists
Wake up on fire, show your passion, its contagious.
77

78. quot;Quality is not an act. It is a habit. quot;
Aristotle
Your professionalism is on the line all the time, check everything,
it stops with you.
78

79. quot;Achievement is largely the product
of steadily raising one's level of
aspiration and expectationquot;.
Jack Nicklaus - Golf champion
For sales leadership and success, never stop looking for the next
sales opportunity.
79

80. quot;When your work speaks for itself,
don't interruptquot;.
Henry J. Kaiser - American industrialist
Now and then sing your own praise, just to remind people that
your success is their success.
80

81. quot; Pain nourishes courage. You can't
be brave if you've only had
wonderful things happen to youquot;.
Mary Tyler Moore - American actress
If the business opportunity is worthwhile, never give up, even if
they say NO.
They will respect your commitment.
81

82. quot; The quality of a leader is
reflected in the standards they set
for themselvesquot;.
Ray Kroc - founder of McDonald's Corporation
Great leaders have great advisors, trusted people are invaluable.
82

83. quot;Never measure the height of a
mountain until you have reached the
top. Then you will see how low it wasquot;.
Dag Hammarskjold - Nobel Prize laureate
To be successful, sometimes the goal need to be planned in small
actions, before you know it, you have reached your target.
83

84. In your sales discussions moving forward,
commit to adding a small gap of silence
between what your prospects and customers
say, and your response.
This will help you minimize any tendency to interrupt and
encourage your prospects and customers to teach you
even more about their needs and wants.
84

85. quot;A pessimist sees the difficulty in every
opportunity; an optimist sees the
opportunity in every difficulty“.
Sir Winston Churchill
Challenges are just that, needing ideas to find solutions are what
great sales people are remembered for.
85

86. quot;Daring ideas are like chessmen
moved forward. They may be beaten,
but they may start a winning game.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet and dramatist
Understand the difference between your customer and the end
user. Different benefits requires different approaches.
86

87. quot;We know what we are, but know not
what we may be.”
William Shakespeare
People will treat you the way you allow them to treat you.
87

88. quot;If we wait until we've satisfied all the
uncertainties, it may be too late.”
Lee Iacocca - Businessman and industrialist
Make another call, review your old contacts, say ‘hello’ to see what
they are up to, congratulate someone, you will be amazed at what
it can do.
88

89. quot;It takes 20 years to build a reputation
and five minutes to ruin it. If you think
about that, you'll do things differently.”
Warren Buffett
Dress for success, keep positive and be humble.
89

90. quot;You may not realize it when it
happens, but a kick in the teeth may be
the best thing in the world for you.”
Walt Disney
An angry customer is spending time to help you/your company
improve. These are great opportunities to create long term
relationships.
90

91. quot;It is not necessary to do extraordinary
things to get extraordinary results.quot;
Warren Buffett
Work at making your customers successful.
91

92. quot;Defer no time, delays have dangerous
ends. quot;
William Shakespeare
Time management is simple.
Do what it is you know must be done.
92

93. quot;Nothing else can quite substitute for a
few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere
words of praise. They're absolutely
free - and worth a fortune.quot;
Sam Walton - Founder of Wal-Mart
Never assume people trust your intentions.
93

94. quot;You can either take action or you can
hang back and hope for a miracle.
Miracles are great, but they are so
unpredictable.”
Peter Drucker
Do not expect prospects to call you back, they rarely do.
94

95. quot;Every day you've got to get up and
play hard.”
Jeff Immelt - CEO, General Electric
More than anything, time is money to sales people, watch
what and who you waste time on.
95

96. quot;Make happy those who are near, and
those who are far will come.quot;
Chinese proverb
Tell a story about your last customer success, let your
customers know how you helped others.
96

97. “If you can’t state your position in
eight words or less, you don’t have a
position.quot;
Seth Godin
Know your elevator pitch for different levels of people.
97

98. “The deepest human need is the need
to be appreciated.quot;
William James
Make your customer feel you are really interested in them,
find something in common to build the relationship on.
98

99. “Do one thing every day that scares
you.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
Make the call, ask for the order/appointment, do not leave
a message, call again, and again. Call early in the morning,
late in the day, get them on the phone.
99

100. Acknowledge the current supplier as
delivering good service.
Ask what the wish list for the future would
have,
Position your solution to provide those wish
list items,
Ask for a chance to prove your worth.
100

101. You are only limited by your desire, your
passion to create a sincere relationship to
provide a valued solution which will
generate a just reward.
Settle for nothing less.
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