Mastering Sales: The Key to Entrepreneurial Success

Great advice is everywhere, but most of it is fluff. In sales, you don’t need clichés—you need real strategies that help you win more deals. We’ve pulled together five of the biggest game-changing sales tips from the Sales Gravy Podcast so far this year.  These are proven tactics from top sales pros who know what it takes to close deals, stay sharp, and dominate the competition. If you want to crush your numbers, start here.  https://youtu.be/gmf7YzzlPkQ?feature=shared The Grind Gets You Gold You won’t become a sales expert overnight.  But you can practice your way to excellence and then—one day—reach elite levels of selling. As sales guru Tony Morris said, “You get out what you put in. … You don’t have to be the greatest; you’ve got to be the hardest [worker].” In other words, be ready to roll up your sleeves and get in the trenches. Everyone sees the skills of great athletes, but not everyone considers all the consistent work it took to hit that home run or make that perfect golf swing. Sales success is no different—it’s the result of countless daily reps, not just the big wins. Top performers make it all look fluid—like a dance that should be easy to learn. But it’s not. Developing sales acumen takes time and massive effort, plus dedication to the grind. You have to dedicate time every day to getting better—no matter what. Practice is an integral part of the grind. Drill your frameworks. Roleplay with mentors. Ask for feedback. You have to pick up the phone and make calls no one else will—that’s how you win. Don’t give up before you see results.  You Must Learn to Sell Once you’ve learned the basics, the grind perfects them. But you better start with some solid foundational skills. Sales strategist Dawnna St. Louis puts it this way: “The first thing you need to do is learn to sell.” Because trying to sell without knowing how to sell is an uphill climb that most never finish. Learn to sell, or risk losing everything. It’s an ultimatum that no sales rep can afford to ignore. Even the best subject matter experts fail without sales skills.  Take courses and identify a mentor—a seasoned veteran who can provide feedback on your calls and negotiation techniques. Find a personal sales coach to teach you the ropes.  Perfect Your Digital Profile Stick to the simple; nix the jargon. As Breaking B2B Founder Sam Dunning says, “Does it pass the Caveman Grunt test?”  Given a few seconds, could a caveman successfully grunt what you do based on your website—or your social media presence—alone? If not, you’re in trouble. No one is going to buy from you if they don’t understand what you do or your expertise.  A website is the online lobby of a business—the introduction to your service or product for potential digital customers.  But take Dunning’s advice one step further and apply it to your Linkedin profile and social media accounts that are your lobby to your potential customers. Lean into the basics: Who are you? What do you do? Why should a customer pick you? The quality of your messaging can encourage prospects to reach out to you or establish you as a trustworthy source of business. Create content that positions you as a thought leader and advisor.  Otherwise? Your social presence is useless. Wasted Time is the Enemy Time is the one commodity that you can’t replenish. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. That’s why you must dedicate time to filling your pipeline every week. Protect your Golden Hours at all costs and then use that time wisely to make as many calls as you can. Whether you’re in the same building or your team includes remote workers, pick a mutual time and start dialing numbers. As best-selling author and sales expert Jeb Blount put it in a recent Ask Jeb, “Pick a period of time and say ‘We’re going to run call blocks.’ … Be ready with your list and we’re going to chop wood.”  Eat the frog—carve out specific time to focus on your hardes...