5 Lessons on How to Sell in This New Economy

1) More activity does not equal better activity. Quality always beats out quantity. - John Golden, Huthwaite

When times are tough, you'll always feel better if you're burying yourself in work. What you need to be sure of though, is that the work you're doing is productive and not just a good way to "look busy." In terms of lead generation, making 500 cold calls instead of 100 doesn't mean that you'll instantly do more business. Put your energy towards calling referrals if you can, or use that energy for something else besides generating a higher phone bill.

2) Make sure you give some attention to your high performers; now is not the time that you want to lose them. - Richard Dickerson, The Brooks Group

Your high performers are what propel your business forward and, whether you want to admit it or not, help keep you afloat in rough economic waters. However, High performers know that they're high performers; they also know that if they wanted to, they could probably perform just as well somewhere else. To keep their minds (and bodies) from wandering right out of your company, be sure to give them plenty of attention and incentives for staying with your business.

3) Don't try to turn everyone into a high performer; work on weeding out your weakest sales reps instead. - Howard Stevens, HR Chally

On the other hand, high performers are a rare commodity. While it may someday be possible to turn every single one of yours salespeople into a high performing superstar, the amount of time, effort, and funds to do this simply isn't worthwhile in this economy. In contrast, it's relatively quick and easy to identify your weakest performers and act accordingly. By removing your low performers and replacing them with "just average" salespeople, you'll generate more business than you would with a small team of superstars.

4) Two of the most important qualities for sales reps in this new economy are achievement orientation and understanding of impact and influence. - Jean Mackintosh, Thomas International USA

Your sales reps need to be able to see how their actions affect the big picture. Not only that, but they need to see their client's big picture and align their pitch to accommodate those needs. If you can make sure that your sales reps know how to align your company's vision with your client's vision, then they'll not only be successful, but they'll be geared towards achievement now that they know how to do it.

5) Not only does everyone need to be in the right job, but everyone needs to be communicating and collaborating to create the best sales strategies. - Paula Cushing. IBM

The days of the "lone gunman" salesperson are over. Everyone needs to be communicating with each other to make sure that all of your clients are having their needs met. People that were not traditionally involved with sales are now being brought along on sales calls, and don't expect that trend to stop any time soon. By working together, your team can guarantee that they'll be able to marginalize their weaknesses and maximize their strengths.

Would you add anything to this list? What are you changing (if anything) to shape up your sales teams and survive tightening budgets? Tell us in the comments and check out our online, on-demand conference available only until July 28^th for more lessons from industry experts.