“Listen to your customer instead of just telling your own story, ask for input and keep asking questions.” These are examples of sales tips that you will see in most professional literature. And rightly so, but we are of course always looking for new surprising tips that make us think. And who better to do that than an inspiring icon like Tom Hopkins? Hopkins has been active in the field for 40 years and has now written about 20 books about sales. He has of course gained a lot of experience over the years. Experience that we can all use in practice to improve in our profession. We have listed 10 tips for you, of course with our own input and additions.

Time is money

Only 86.400 seconds in a day. In short, you have to precious with your time. Many people lose a good chunk of this time with unproductivity. Successful people spend their time wisely. For example, they stop multitasking, because let's face it: we humans are simply not made for that. They also organize their day structurally. This is also a challenge for sellers. Because our profession is flexible and we have a lot of freedom, there is a danger that we will shift from here to here in terms of focus and activities. Provide a clear structure to your working days and do not let sales calls, unexpected requests, customer questions and emails distract you from your focus.

A personal mission

In order to give yourself the right focus and to always opt for the most efficient working method, you must have a personal goal. A personal mission. After all, what is a business plan or marketing plan without a central objective? That is a plan without soul and core. The same applies to our personal situation. Have you drawn up your own personal mission? Within sales, such a mission will of course often be numerical. A personal sales target, for example. But also consider a mission in the field of customer satisfaction within your customer portfolio. Perhaps even more important than that tough sales target.

Take 5 minutes to determine your priorities

Determining priorities is extremely difficult for many people. Especially in the issues of the day. The to-do list has become so long that you can no longer see the forest for the trees. The most common method is to look at your to-do list at the start of the day and determine priorities. Hopkins recommends doing this the day before. In short, at the end of the afternoon you determine the top priorities for the next day in about 5 minutes.

Gather peers around you

Opposites attract each other. We all know this famous statement. And yet there is a catch. If you are a passionate professional, for example a top salesperson, but your environment consists of other types of professionals, you can quickly become alienated from your environment and find yourself alone. Many entrepreneurs are familiar with this phenomenon. They experience so much and work at such a strategic level that the environment simply can no longer follow and understand. This can be a very unpleasant feeling, but it also means that you can no longer mirror your performance to others. So gather like-minded people around you. Peers who can still challenge you and keep you sharp. Fellow sufferers with whom you can brainstorm.

Brace yourself

Many sellers have a good story, but then do not deliver what they promise. Perhaps because they have made the situation seem too good, or because they have already received the sale and therefore literally lose attention. However, successful salespeople and entrepreneurs know better. Without the right follow-up, no future! Get stuck into your leads and customers, so that they have no reason to abandon your company.

Use the past to your advantage

The modern economy is full of new developments. Linkedin, Twitter, Blogs, integrated CRM systems, everything comes our way. Of course, you cannot ignore these developments and you should even take full advantage of them. However, we can also learn a lot from past experiences. A successful professional embraces all modern means of communication, but also knows how to appreciate the good things from the past, such as a physical present or thank you after a signed quotation.

Choose your own direction

There are enough sellers. More than enough. By following the beaten track you will never be able to distinguish yourself from competitors and the market as a whole. Spend time developing your own professional DNA. Treat yourself to a specialty that others cannot match. By doing things differently than others you can build an advantage for yourself.

Develop an elephant skin

We have mentioned it before on this blog and every salesperson or entrepreneur knows the feeling. ''NO!''. We hear it regularly in our field. For many, it still feels like a slap in the face to receive a rejection from a customer or lead after investing a lot of time. Or to lose customers. And yet it is part of it. Don't worry too much about your targets, you only have limited influence on them. The economy, a better offer from the competitor, political games, network relationships, it can all play a role without you having any influence on it. Be the best you can, is the only thing you can do!

Empower others

Sales is an individualistic profession. Entrepreneurship too. You are responsible for your own success or failure and therefore mainly work for yourself. Entrepreneurs and salespeople are therefore mainly concerned with their own recognition. And while your relationships need this recognition just as much. Whether it's a customer, a junior sales assistant or an employee, it empower of the people around you is a much greater driving force for success than chasing your own status.

Always remain eager

Finally, last but not least, never resign yourself to your situation. Is it going well? Nice, but try to make it even better. Are things going badly? Then don't drown in pity or excuses, but start looking for ways to improve or at least change your situation. Only then can you continue to grow. Who knows, in 10 years' time you might be as great a guru in your field as Tom Hopkins.

Want to see more from Hopkins? Then take a look at one of these videos:

How To Master The Art Of Selling Anything – Tom Hopkins

Selling Fundamentals – Tom Hopkins