Knowing What to Do vs. Doing It: Successful Selling Requires Knowledge AND Action

As a long time sales manager and corporate sales trainer, and in the last six years as a business consultant and sales trainer for hire, I've worked with thousands of people who either want to improve their sales or whose boss wants them to improve their sales. What I offer is knowledge: how to sell, how to sell more, how to sell more efficiently, how to make more money selling...I'm lucky to have a lot of sales knowledge. And I'm lucky to be able to be paid well for sharing it with others.

I offer this knowledge in my writing, in my webinars and seminars, in my public speaking engagements, and through business consulting and sales coaching.I want salespeople, sales managers, and sales executives to have this knowledge.

So I share this knowledge with my clients and my audiences, and even in this blog. But I can't make people take action on it. Knowledge is one thing, but salespeople who want to excel must take action on that knowledge. Successful selling requires sales behaviors that yield the desired results. When sales knowledge and sales action walk hand-in-hand, success reigns!

Sales actions (behaviors) are determined by both knowledge and self-talk. Once knowledge is present, the salesperson's self-talk can either lift a salesperson to a new level of sales achievement or can act as a limiter of career and income growth.

So to all you salespeople out there: Gain knowledge! Take action!

> Read [books - blogs - articles]

> Listen [podcasts - speeches - manager - sales veterans]

> Participate [webinars - seminars - conferences - classes]

> Observe [other salespeople - yourself -customers] 

> Analyze [others - yourself - behaviors - strategy]

> Seek [mentoring - coaching - help - inspiration]

> Act  [do - move - call - write - do]

> Reach [beyond - farther - deeper]

> Commit [to yourself - to your employer - to your prospects and customers - to your career]

If you like this post (or don't) please leave a comment.Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies that sell to consumers in all B2C sectors to increase sales by leveraging the buying potential of every prospect and shopper.

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Comments

[Todd Youngblood]

Skip - This is a critically important message. It's great to know I'm not alone in constantly preaching "Gain knowledge! Take action!" - Todd

[tony cole]

So Skip, in your experience why is it that people fail to take action. Like you I've trained hundreds of people and many of them for many years. And they will hear and idea and say, 'wow that's awesome'. But with all the good intentions never change what they do or how they do it.
How come?

[Todd Perry]

As a business owner in the remodeling industry, I find my biggest challenge with coaching salespeople who do their selling in someone's home is getting them to realize how important their little actions and inactions are to people. I'm talking about wiping their feet before entering the home, closing a door by the handle - not putting their hands on the painted door, never putting their books or paperwork on the homeowner's furniture, never touching furniture or drapes with a pen in hand, etc. They usually look at me like I have lost my mind but I can tell you from experience people notice these things just as much as whether you showed up on time. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!

[SalesDog.com]

@Tony Cole: I think its because people are comfortable with their techniques and don't want to change to something new. To learn something new and unfamiliar is uncomfortable and when you are uncomfortable, you confidence ease a little. And in sales, confidence in yourself is your lifeblood!

@Todd Perry: I totally agree with you! Little gestures, considerations are noticed by consumers/customers and its important to realize that every little action is going to make or break your sell.

I also think like anything else, Preparation Equals Negotiation Success

[otimo]

"Self talk" is the key of this message. Fear of failure, whether conscious or sub-conscious can be a serious barrier to taking action. Knowledge can be power, and usually is, but is useless unless you can get past yourself. The barrier may have nothing to do with being "set in your ways." I think it is more about a belief in what you know and that taking action on what you know will result in success. It is also about believing that you truly deserve the success you feel your knowledge can bring you. Why else would you know something will work and take little to zero action. It is not always the result of laziness or tradition...it is most often getting out of your own way. Having said that, I need to get out my own way every day...and with me it is not easy. I'm stubborn as hell.

[Kitchen Remodeling]

The first thing for me to do to succeed is to have a self confidence. A confident that will boost you to gain more knowledge and will to survive in your desired field.

[Ronnie]

Great post (fantastic blog!), in answer to @tony cole above; The Fear Of Failure stops people taking action - that's it! Interestingly, how often has each and everyone of us procrastinated over something because of fear only to discover that nothing is ever as bad as it seems?!

[Furniture Stores]

Definitely includes ASKING for the sale. Which too many salespeople do not do effectively enough.

[Mindy]

It's all about information...as long as you're well informed you're going to succeed. And of course, try to put yourself into every occasion you have to learn new stuff...

[Business Consulting Pro]

An insignificant part of planning might have some very significant effects on your business, and ultimately could be the result of your failure. This could be a key
factor to why your current Business Consulting A> Strategy is failing. Reading blogs by this great author can help you to avoid making major business mistakes.

[Chris]

"Gain knowledge! Take action!" Great advice for every salesperson out there. Know your product and constantly adapt to whatever change may bring.

[Lead Generation]

you are like a philosopher , i share your point of view on this one and thanks for your advice, i'll take action from now on

[resume writers]

Even though this advice seems quite obvious, people often forget that only by both knowing what to do and actually doing it one can be successful

[Hailey]

exactly, it's the basic things people tend to forget to master