5 Q1 Mistakes to Avoid

In Q1 you’re setting the stage for your success in the coming year – at least, you should be. There are typical mistakes we see sales reps make again and again that get in the way of their ability to achieve an ultra high performer status.

We sat down with Brian Burns, host of The Brutal Truth About Sales & Selling, to talk about five mistakes that can be easily avoided in Q1:

1. NOT LEVERAGING SALES KICKOFFS. A lot of sales reps have a tendency to joke about sales kickoff meetings as one big party, but there’s a lot of value that companies put into these events to make them a success. From guest speakers to workshops, it’s an opportunity to feed your head that you should be taking seriously.
2. FORGETTING WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. Company culture can be enticing – who wouldn’t want ping pong tables and gym memberships? But it’s important to remember that culture isn’t free. It’s all about revenue, so don’t kid yourself that it’s about anything else.
3. GETTING TOO COMFORTABLE WITH CLIENTS. After a kickoff, sales reps often relax their diligence with customer communication. This isn’t a catastrophic mistake, but can take several weeks to recover from. At a time when budgets are being reallocated and reduced it’s important to continue nurturing your relationships with accounts.
4. WHINING. Territories get disrupted and people get moved around. That’s just part of being in sales. Managers quickly take note of those who begin to complain and question in a public forum. Instead, have a professional conversation about what’s slowing you down and ask for their help.
5. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST FOR THE 5TH ELEMENT!

Listen to the entire podcast episode to get more insight into each key element, the things you, as a revenue executive, must be aware of to remain relevant and successful in the new sales landscape.

This post is based on a podcast discussion with Brian Burns, host of The Brutal Truth About Sales & Selling. To hear this episode, and many more like it, you can subscribe to the B2B Revenue Executive Experience.

If you don’t use iTunes, you can listen to every episode here.

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