Sales Growth in a Challenging Market: "What a Nightmare!"

I keep hearing that the market conditions are challenging, what with Brexit, China & USA Trade wars, the change to online trading, price pressure, the slowdown in the economy, exchange rates, etc, etc. Sure, it’s a challenging time and market, but can anyone tell me when it was not a challenge?

I have been involved in sales for many years, in markets from Japan & Australia to the USA, Asia & the Middle East, Scandinavia & Europe, oh, and the UK. Are we still in Europe? Whatever the result of the Brexit negotiations, I think we still are!

Isn't it really just 'business as normal'? The norm? Reality? Life? I certainly think that you can hunt out excuses, find reasons for not growing, blame others or the current market, the competition, the weather, time of year, day, week, transport, the roads, rail, air travel... and, the list of excuses goes on.

OR

Can you just go about your business doing the right things and still achieve sales growth? But, what are the right things to do when all of this other STUFF is going on? All these distractions, excuses, reasons for NOT doing things like growing sales.

I genuinely believe it’s not about working harder or working smarter, although they will both help with sales growth. I do believe though that growing sales can be as simple as this:

Having a clear personal strategy for what YOU are doing, based on the things the company you are working for, or with, is trying to achieve; build, sell, promote, market, develop, etc. Setting within the strategy clear goals that YOU want to achieve.

Making a clear plan for YOURSELF around the business strategy is essential, it’s no good thinking others will do this for you, or that without a plan, no matter how simple, that anything will happen. So, if its 'achieve x% growth', then have a plan of how you will do that. Sitting in your office thinking about it won’t make it happen by the way!

What needs to happen for you to achieve that growth? Increase your call rate, contacts seen or connected with, focus, whatever it is that you think will work for you.

The plan has to be delivered, executed, and acted upon! Without some sort of action, then the telephone calls, emails, letters, actual sales visits, discussions, solutions, proposals, will mean nothing. And, I mean nothing; NOTHING will GROW, CHANGE, DEVELOP - even in good times!

Even the best plans need to be reviewed and reflected upon, developed, modified and changed to reach the goal. Accepting that things will change - that’s a given - that customers’ demands, requirements and needs will not always stay constant. You also need to remain agile, flexible and responsive. Reflecting on your plan, what went well? What didn't go so well? Be prepared to CHANGE.

That's it. Not too much is it really?

But and here is the challenge, if and I stress IF, you want to grow your business, your sales, your market, your product range, and your client base, you will need to get up, get your act together and go out and make it happen!

• Know what YOU are aiming for
• Know how YOU will achieve it
• Get it done, make sure YOU are executing the plan with clear actions
• Review it to make sure YOU are doing the right things!



Sales Growth in a Challenging Market: is it the market that's challenging, or is it YOU

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