Sales resolutions, like fitness and diet self-promises, are already starting to lose their grip. Selling professionals have fallen back into the same old rut of not prospecting, not filling pipelines and doing anything to avoid paper work or worse, making a cold call. And when it comes to organization and time management, most good sales people lack the skills.

Don't despair, the year is young and you can get in touch with your resolutions once again and make this a great sales year.

Here are 8 steps to get your well-intentioned sales resolutions back on track:

1. Get out of the comfort zone, really! Tackle the tasks you hate without much thought. Pick up the phone, prospect and handle paperwork efficiently and timely.
2. Quit talking. Quit talking about you. A prospect wants to buy from you if you'll only let them tell you why and they will, if you just start listening.
3. Forget the close. If you've been selling for anytime at all, you remember the ill-taught closing techniques. Forget them. Closing is a natural part of the sales conversation. Don't push it.
4. Take time to research your prospect. Find out what it is that you may be able to help with. Far too many sales reps fall down here. You are not too busy to skip this.
5. Get in the Game. Many a sales rep rearranges drawers, handles personal errands and does anything but work a sales system. Quit putting it off and get to work.
6. Enough with the dumb questions. Ban the following questions to prospects: How are you? What's new? Ban the following statements: I was just calling to check in (substitute touch base). Have a nice day.
7. Deliver the right message to the right person at the right time. How many of you spend far too much time dueling with gatekeepers while the decision maker remains elusive.
8. Track, track, track your efforts and results. If you don't have a CRM or sales planning system like Goldmine or ACT, get one now. You'll learn a lot about what efforts pay off most and you'll be more organized than you ever thought.

If your sales are suffering, look in the mirror. Better yet, look at your 2009 selling resolutions and commit to them. You made them for a reason. Remember?

Author: Brian Grinonneau

About the author:
Brian Grinonneau is an award winning business author and a partner with the sales consulting firm MaSM.
www.masmllc.com

Article source: Free Sales Articles.