The Only 3 Ways to Improve Your Sales with Steve Elwell Steve Elwell and Joe Lynch discuss the only 3 ways to improve your sales. [00:22] A few weeks ago, I had Steve on the podcast to discuss the buying process. In that interview, Steve said something like “there are only 3 ways to improve sales” which I found very intriguing. In today’s podcast, Steve and I will discuss those 3 ways to improve sales. [01:16] Steve, I got lots of great feedback on the buying process podcast, but now I want to discuss a new topic, The Only 3 Ways to Improve Your Sales. Before we begin that discussion, please review the buying process with us again as a starting point. The buyers (our prospects) have a process for determining if they want to buy our product or service – that is the buying process. The buyers control the buying process, as salespeople, we can only attempt to influence the buying process. The sales process should always be aligned to the buying process Since we don’t control the buying process, salespeople can only do their best to understand how their customers buy. [02:33] What is the first way we can improve our sales? Increase the number of opportunities you have available to you using the following tools and strategies: Online presence Websites Content like blog posts, videos, and podcasts Search engine optimization Social media LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Youtube Advertising Magazines Brand and messaging Customer-focused Increased credibility / reputation Focus on one market segment Develop critical mass in a market (retail, distribution, e-commerce, etc.) Specialization Hire more salespeople More lead generation with existing customers and new prospects Networking, lead generation, relationship building (offline) Promotion Conferences Industry events Feet on the streets [09:59] What is the second way we can improve our sales? Reduce the amount of time that it takes to get to a decision. Have a sense of urgency for everything within our control. Do not extend the time required by making the customer wait for information from you. “Keep the ball in the customer’s court.” Standardized processes. Systems that improve efficiency. [13:00] What is the third way we can improve our sales? Improve the rate of success at which you can close by Better salesmanship. The relative strength of the offer. Product or service. Perceived value. Alignment to the buying process. [16:03] To summarize, the three ways to improve sales are 1.) Increase the number of opportunities you have available to you. 2.) Shorten the amount of time that it takes to get to a decision. 3.) Improve the rate of success at which you can close Yes, that’s it, however, there are a few things that are critically important to improving sales that we didn’t touch on: Sales filter. A set of criteria or questions that qualifies new opportunities Upgrading your people. Hiring better people Training your people Managing your people better A good sales manager can positively impact all three areas that we discussed today.  Learn More About the Only 3 Ways to Improve Your Sales Steve Elwell The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast