The Sky's The Limit

"Sales is dog eat dog." "Sales is all about winning." "Sales is exhausting and draining." "Sales is soul destroying." "Sales is torture." "Sales is just about making money."

Let's flip the script.

Let's move this mindset from survive to thrive.

"Sales is about teamwork". "Sales is the pursuit of excellence." "Sales is exciting and fulfilling." "Sales is rewarding." "Sales is just about service."

We created the Octagonal Mindset to enable our clients to move from survive to thrive and to see and to step into the opportunities before them. We work with a real mix bag and part of what we do is enabling sales people to grow and thrive.

Below we've summarised how we apply our Octagonal Mindset to the wonderful world of sales:

1. Fail

Rejection is part and parcel of sales. You don’t need to fear failure if you’re in sales, just expect it and you’ll do fine. You don’t need to be scared of sales. In fact, we’re all in sales. Any time you are asking a friend or persuading a family member to do something you are effectively trying to sell them on an idea. Sales generally has a negative stereotype and associated with manipulation and coercion but instead it is about assistance, service and communication. When we understand this and approach sales in this way it is not so scary and you are free to try and free to fail (but just go again).

2. Originality

When you know you have a unique and special offering that can help another and believe you can make a difference to them this is conveyed in your communication and will help you to sell your message. This isn’t about faking it but about real, honest conviction.

3. Respect Overnight success does not exist and the same is true in sales. We have to respect the process. Success takes time, perseverance and patience. Keep going, don’t give up and you will get there in the end. Sales is a skill it takes time to master it. Don’t worry if you feel like you’re not getting anywhere, keep going and you will succeed in the end.

4. Generosity Effective and successful sales are based on trust. Take the time to create genuine relationships. Be diligent. Be generous. Invest time. Invest effort. Respond quickly to everyone, regardless of who they are or what they do. Be diligent and generous in all of your communication it demonstrates that you can be relied on to produce quality work and to be diligent and generous in everything you do.

5. Innocence Sales is all about service; sales without service leaves you without a sale. Effective service comes from genuine, innocent and spherical kindness. At 70x7 Ltd we have created the concept of spherical kindness to demonstrate that real kindness is 3D and kind to everyone (including ourselves) and not just clients. If we’re just kind when we want someone to do something for us then it is not kindness at all. Innocent and authentic kindness is kind without motive to clients, colleagues, cleaners, taxi drivers and everyone else we meet.

6. Value Effective sales conveys and portrays enthusiasm. Are you enthusiastic about your job? Your product? Your message? Your values? If not, then should you be selling it? Again like belief, enthusiasm should be genuine, unforced and certainly not fake.

7. Empathise

Sales is about fulfilling a need. It requires empathy to understand what is required in order to fulfill that need. Do your research first before contacting a potential client. It is never too soon to build relationships but only pitch when you have gained an understanding of a need and know how you can help.

8. Sustain Sales is all about sustained commitment. Not just to the customer but also to your employer. This does not mean that you have to spend your whole career with that employer but it does mean that while you are you will be completely committed to doing a good job for them. Likewise, some customers are only customers for a short time but while they are a customer show them total commitment.

How does this relate to your experience of sales? We'd love to know.

This strategy and theory is based on the Octagonal Mindset © 2018 70x7 Ltd