About a year ago I created a list of what I thought were the most critical things I should be doing every day in order to provide myself the best opportunity to be successful. Over the last few months I have noticed how this list is producing big dividends for me and I thought I would share it with the rest of the world. The beauty of sales is that every day is different, however, there are some things you should do every single day if you want to reach the top and stay there.
I believe in creating habits that exercise the brain, keep you in the know, and drive communication. Warren Buffet once said:
"Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken."
7 Things Salespeople Should Do Every Day
1. Reach out to at least 5 new prospects
2. Read at least one article related to your industry
3. Read at least one article that provides a useful sales tip
4. Learn at least one new thing about your product
5. Reach out to at least 2 existing customers
6. Learn at least one new thing about your competitor(s)
7. Post or share something valuable on the web
If you can create a habit of completing these items (or a similar list) you should benefit from many dividends down the road. Some of these items on my checklist you are probably already doing naturally, some you might hardly ever do, and others you may not have thought about. The key is to follow a checklist and stick to it creating a habit (an acquired behavior or pattern regularly followed until it becomes almost involuntary).
Speaking of habits, Charles Duhigg, who wrote New York Times best seller, The Power of Habit, states that there is a psychology pattern called a "habit loop" which is a three-part process which I think is important to share:
1. First, there's a cue, or trigger, that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and let a behavior unfold.
2. Then there's the routine, which is the behavior itself.
3. The third step is the reward which is something the brain likes which helps it remember the "habit loop" in the future.
Go on and try this out, take my list or alter it a little to fit what you think will be the key tasks you need to do every day to be successful. You can set a reminder in the morning on your calendar that can act as the "cue" or "trigger." Have it pop up every day at the same time creating a "routine." Your "reward" will be more customers. Becoming more knowledgeable of your industry. Learning more about your company, product, and competitive landscape. You will gain all of this while creating the opportunity to share your insights with others.
The goal here is to create a habit that you adhere by every day which exercises your brain, keeps you in the know, and drives communication.