We are all looking for it: success! Success in our professional lives, but also in our private lives. We like to reflect on successful people and then draw inspiration from them. Recently at an FD Gazellen conference the audience was asked who their great (professional) hero was. Of course, many top athletes passed by, but it was mainly names such as Richard Branson and Bill Gates that were mentioned. Successful entrepreneurs. And, noticeably but not coincidentally, Jack Ma's name was mentioned several times. Ma is the founder of Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce company that is bigger than e-Bay and Amazon combined. Be inspired by the keys to his success.

An entrepreneurial story you will never forget

Jack Ma's story is, like many stories of successful entrepreneurs, one never to be forgotten. After being rejected just about everywhere in his life, Ma started a business with money collected from himself, his wife and his friends. $20.000 to be exact. Now, a few years later, Ma is the richest person in China and is in the top 20 of the richest people on earth with an estimated fortune of almost $30 billion. A childhood dream! Ma has listed his 10 golden rules, his keys to success, for you. A source of inspiration for every entrepreneur, manager or sales professional.

1. Take rejection for granted

Ma said she was rejected 30 times by potential employers and was also rejected 10 times by Harvard University. However, he did not give up and stubbornly continued. A wise lesson for us salespeople. Hardly anyone, except perhaps a call center employee, experiences setbacks and rejection more often than a salesperson. Yet giving up or giving up is not an option. Perseverance brings success.

2. Keep your dream alive

We all have dreams. These are crucial to our success. Even if there are setbacks (and there will undoubtedly be setbacks), always keep going for your dream. Do you want to become a sales manager someday? Believe in it, keep investing and maybe one day you will succeed.

3. Focus on the culture within your team

A wise lesson for the sales managers among us. Sales departments are often competitive, just like their employees. That can quickly be at the expense of culture in your group. Monitor the culture of your department and always ensure that your team of salespeople go through the fire for each other and have common goals. Don't let it split into loners.

4. Ignore the critics

If you see things differently, or want to stick your head above the parapet, you will be criticized. An important ingredient for success, however, is that you should not worry too much about that criticism. Most people around you prefer to choose the 'safe path'. That safe path rarely leads to unprecedented success. Do people criticize your approach to sales processes, but do you firmly believe in your approach? Then dare to persevere!

5. Be inspired

We try to inspire you with inspiring stories from top entrepreneurs. However, to reap the benefits, you have to be open to it. You can also be inspired by professional athletes, a colleague, your partner, your children or others.

6. Ensure sufficient focus

The big pitfall for entrepreneurs and salespeople is that they have a lot of energy and often also many interests. That can be a problem professionally. Make sure that you or the salespeople in your team always have sufficient focus. For example, by working together towards a common goal that is known to everyone. It is also nice to focus on the services or products you sell. Don't do everything. As the saying goes: “Shoemaker stick to your last.”

7. Come up with a catchy name

A 'catchy' name is of course very important. Especially for companies like Alibaba. This point may seem less important to us as sellers, but it is also important for us to provide our offer with a catchy name and content. Product names or services must evoke recognition among the customer and be internationally recognizable. After all, if your customer does not understand what your product or service is, you cannot sell it. So make your offer clear and easy to understand.

8. Put the customer first

We have talked about it regularly in this blog. The job of a salesperson has changed. The seller is increasingly an advisor who tries to help and advise his customer before closing the deal. It all starts with rely. Your lead or customer must therefore always be number 1.

9. Don't complain, look for opportunities

Complaining is in our blood. About the weather, politics, or the economy. During the crisis, salespeople and companies complained repeatedly about the lack of leads and deals. And yet there are always companies that see opportunities where others complain.

10. Work with passion

The last of the series of keys to success is of course self-explanatory. No sales without passion! It's that simple. If you don't have a passion for the services or products you have to sell, how are you ever going to convince your lead. We wrote one before blog about.