Marc Wayshak, sales strategist and bestselling author of “Game Plan Selling” (Breakthrough Success Publishing, 2012) and “Breaking All Barriers” (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012), spoke with Business News Daily and broke down the five keys to successful selling in today’s world based on his recent survey findings.

He points out how under-valued personal phone calls are, despite 41% of his respondents saying that this is their number one tool. He points out that even two meetings from 100 calls is a good result.

Asking for referrals is also key – top performers are twice as likely to ask for a introduction or referral, with most sales people only asking for one each month. Why wouldn’t you utilise your best sales asset – your proven reputation with converted clients?

Some essential steps are largely down to the business owner to put strategies in place – let your sales team get on with what they do best, and minimise their admin and reporting time as much as you realistically can while still having efficient systems and insights.

Pitch less, converse more. The hard sell doesn’t pay off as much as legitimate connections.

And finally, empower your sales team with the knowledge to be experts in their field. Confidence and understanding pays dividends in the form of converted sales. Invest in training and set your team up to sell more, better.

Inspired? Get in touch with your local Prime Strategies Business Advisor and start refining your sales strategies.