19 Proven Sales Tips to Crush Your Quota Every Single Month
Do your results tend to fluctuate from one sales period to the next? One month you‘re on top of the world, and the next you‘re scrambling to hit your number.
Many reps fall into a "boom and bust" cycle – they focus intensely on closing deals at the end of the month or quarter, which causes their pipeline to dry up in the following period. Then they have to start from scratch building it back up again.
Breaking this cycle requires developing the right habits, processes and mindset. Here are 19 proven sales tips to help you fill your pipeline with quality opportunities and consistently crush your quota month after month, quarter after quarter.
1. Prospect early and often
The most successful salespeople treat prospecting as a daily discipline, not a last-minute scramble. Block out time on your calendar every day to research new leads, make cold calls, send outreach emails, and ask for referrals.
If you wait until your pipeline is empty to start prospecting, it will already be too late. Build prospecting into your routine and your pipeline will stay full. According to sales expert Colleen Francis, "Sellers who actively prospect every day will always outperform those who just sit and wait."
2. Qualify ruthlessly
Not every lead is created equal. If you chase every opportunity that comes your way, you‘ll waste a lot of time on prospects that aren‘t a good fit.
Be selective. Have a clear picture of your ideal customer profile and a list of must-have criteria. Disqualify misaligned prospects quickly so you can focus your energy on those with the most potential.
"It pays to be choosy," says Francis. "There‘s no rule that says everybody has a right to buy from you equally." Qualify prospects thoroughly upfront to fill your pipeline with high-probability opportunities.
3. Know your numbers inside and out
How many calls do you need to make to get a meeting? How many meetings to get a demo? How many demos to get a closed deal? What‘s your average sales cycle length and deal size?
If you don‘t know your sales metrics, you‘re flying blind. Tracking your activities and conversion rates will help you forecast more accurately, identify places to improve, and determine the actions needed to hit your goals.
"You must know how the numbers work to be a success," says Francis. Study your data and become a student of your own sales process.
4. Don‘t chase price shoppers
Prospects who ask about price early in the conversation are likely not serious about your solution. They‘ve probably already decided to buy from someone else and are just using you for leverage.
When you get the price question early, it‘s a red flag. "Prospects who ask about price early have already made up their mind to buy from someone else," cautions Francis. Don‘t waste time with price shoppers who aren‘t a fit.
5. Go where your prospects are
Social media can be a great channel for prospecting and building relationships – if you choose the right platforms. Go where your target buyers spend their time, whether that‘s LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or elsewhere.
"Social media [is] worth the effort as long as you follow the number one rule: Go where your clients are," advises Francis. Don‘t spread yourself thin across every network. Focus your efforts where you‘re most likely to connect with potential customers.
6. Share insights, not pitches
When reaching out to new prospects, resist the urge to push your products right away. Instead, lead with insights, ideas and knowledge that can help them achieve their goals.
"The key to successful content creation is to not push your products, but to push your knowledge," says Francis. Providing value upfront builds trust and positions you as a trusted advisor rather than just another salesperson.
7. Leverage multiple touch points
For important prospects, vary the ways you contact and engage them. Phone, email, social media, direct mail, webinars, events – each touch point keeps you top of mind without seeming overwhelming.
"Because buyers interpret different platforms in different ways, they view each message differently and don‘t feel you are overwhelming them with information as long as you mix your platforms," notes Francis.
Coordinate your outreach across channels for maximum impact.
8. Collaborate with marketing
Your marketing colleagues can be a tremendous asset for filling your pipeline. Work with them to host events, create content, run campaigns and engage prospects.
"The best sellers actively participate in what were traditionally considered marketing activities to attract prospects in addition to the normal sales activities they undertake to convert those leads to customers," says Francis. A strong partnership with marketing will make you more effective.
9. The sale doesn‘t end at the close
Closing the initial deal is a major milestone, but it‘s really just the beginning of the customer relationship. If you disappear after the sale, you miss out on significant expansion and advocacy opportunities.
"Your work with a client does not stop when you close a sale," emphasizes Francis. "It continues until the client is actively using the product." Stay engaged post-sale to drive adoption, uncover new needs and turn customers into raving fans.
10. Slow down to speed up
When we‘re pressured to close deals quickly, it‘s tempting to skip steps and rush the process. But moving too fast often backfires, lengthening sales cycles and killing deals.
"Slow down the qualification process to speed up the closing process," recommends Francis. Take time to thoroughly assess needs, build rapport, and get buy-in from all stakeholders. Deals may take a bit longer to develop, but they‘ll ultimately close faster and more consistently.
11. Keep your pipeline overflowing
A healthy pipeline covers your bases and alleviates pressure. You won‘t feel stressed about any one opportunity because you have plenty more where that came from.
"If you always have a full pipeline of three to four times what you need to close, urgency will not be an issue for you," says Francis. Keep filling the top of your funnel and the bottom will take care of itself.
12. Define your objectives
Before every sales interaction, get clear on what you‘re trying to achieve. Do you want to uncover a specific need, introduce a new solution, or secure a follow-up meeting?
"When you take the time to set your goals for the meeting you will increase your chance of moving the sale forward every time," says Francis. Defining your objectives upfront keeps conversations focused and purposeful.
13. Keep things moving
Deals can stall for all kinds of reasons – the prospect gets busy, priorities shift, or the need becomes less urgent. But the worst thing you can do is nothing.
"Never listen to sales experts who say you can‘t move backward in the process," argues Francis. "Movement – forward or backward – is always better than stagnation." If an opportunity gets stuck, try going back to an earlier stage like re-assessing needs or re-building the business case. Moving somewhere is better than not moving at all.
14. Get value for discounts
Discounting can be a useful tool to get deals unstuck or secure key clients. But don‘t give away margin needlessly without getting something in return.
"Never reduce your price without getting something in return," warns Francis. "Once customers have tasted your desperation to get the deal done at any cost to your business, they will always demand that discount (or more) for future business. I call this vicious circle of discounting ‘eating your young.‘"
If you must discount, tie it to a bigger deal size, longer term commitment, or agreement to serve as a reference.
15. Play favorites with clients
All clients are important, but some are more important than others. Your largest accounts with the most future potential deserve more of your time and attention.
"Not all current clients are created equal nor should they be treated as equal. You must play favorites!" says Francis. Go the extra mile for top tier clients and they will return the favor with loyalty and abundant referrals.
16. Connect with multiple contacts
When an opportunity involves multiple stakeholders, it‘s risky to rely on a single contact as your primary champion and sponser. People leave jobs, priorities shift, or relationships sour. Having multiple points of connection mitigates risk.
"There is no such thing as the wrong contact," argues Francis. "The more corporate contacts you have, the stronger the corporate relationship is." Build relationships at all levels of the organization.
17. Be human and authentic
Even in B2B sales, remember that you‘re ultimately dealing with people. Take time to build rapport and get to know prospects as individuals, not just roles.
"Remember that you are selling to a fellow human being, not a faceless corporate entity," says Francis. Ditch the jargon, be real, and connect on a personal level. Authenticity andgenuine connection go a long way.
18. Ask for referrals
Your happiest and most loyal customers can be an invaluable source of warm introductions to potential new accounts. But you need to ask.
"Whenever you have the opportunity to introduce your best clients to your best prospects, the results are increased sales," notes Francis. Make it a habit to request referrals and watch your pipeline grow.
19. Manage your mind
Success in sales starts in your head. Maintaining a positive attitude, strong belief in your offering, and confidence in your abilities is just as important as your selling skills.
Feed your mind with inspiration – read books, listen to podcasts, watch videos, and attend seminars that motivate you and expand your thinking. Associate with positive, successful people and limit your exposure to negativity. Your outlook will shape your outcomes.
Follow these 19 sales tips consistently and watch your results soar. With the right processes and mindset, hitting quota will become the norm, not the exception. Here‘s to riding an endless wave of sales success!
