5 Ways to Have a Great 4th Quarter

I know it's still summer - probably vacation time for you and many of your prospects and customers. It's hardly time to be thinking about winter. But in sales, you know you need to lay the groundwork now to be able to close business in Q4.

Sales trainer and author Mike Brooks has the five things you need to do now to have a great fourth quarter:

How Much Do You Know About Your Competitors?

Their basis for competitive knowledge is the bits and pieces of information they pick up from their customers, lost orders and competitive bids.

While this may have been adequate in the past, an absolute knowledge of your competitors and their products is a competitive advantage for the sales person. It should not be ignored.

If You're Not Selling . . .

Are you working hard, but not getting the results you want? If you’re a professional salesperson and you’re not selling, it could be because:

• You are boring. Do customers cut you off in mid-sentence, or jump in when you pause for breath? Chances are, you’re boring them. Paint a vivid picture and put them in it; use an example or interesting case history to illustrate your point. Whip out some visuals to show them how much they will save.