We recently came across an article written by New York Times bestselling author and sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer, in which he offered  ‘the best tips and tactics for salespeople, by salespeople.’ Gitomer developed a contest on his Facebook page that would give a prize to the person who sent in the best sales tip and he was blown away with how many responses came in.

Keep an Eye on the Competition:
– Your competition never sleeps, neither should you!
– I do my best for my customers before my competition steps in and does it for me!
– Don’t be like everyone else.

Check Your Attitude:
– Be sincerely excited.
– Create a following by never following.
– Make doing business with you easy, no nonsense.
– Love what you sell, love it like you made it yourself. Love it like it’s difficult to part with.
– Vince Lombardi once said, “You are what your scorecard says you are.”
– If you don’t care, neither will your customer.
– Confidence speaks louder than words.
– Sales is a simple concept: Help people like you would want to be helped.

Utilize a Solid Strategy:
– Get together with your clients while your competition is sleeping – early morning. And listen!
– Mail a thank you note to each customer after each sale, even the little ones.
– Want to make more sales? Answer the phone before your store opens and after it closes. More sales have been made just by not letting the machine pick up the call.
– The best time to sell is right after a sale!
– Fundamentals never change. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel, just make sure yours is properly inflated, well balanced and keep it rolling.
– Don’t talk benefit and features, talk outcome.
– You must make an impression, so there can be a second.
– Loose lips sink ships. More salespeople talk themselves out of a sale than into one.
– Do your homework and earn the right to have a conversation.

Remember – Persistence Pays:
– Quit whining.
– Your phone isn’t going to ring by itself. You have to get off your butt and make it ring.
– Do it now. Not tomorrow, not later, not after your coffee, not after you check e-mail. Do it now. Be known for your super-fast response.
– When you work hard consistently, your numbers will take care of themselves.

Practice Truth, Character, and Integrity:
– Always tell the truth.
– Alter the way you interact with each and every person, but never change who you are.
– Don’t sell anything you wouldn’t buy yourself.
– Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty – to yourself, to your customer, to your company, to your product.
– Be yourself, be honest and be a friend.
– Give more in value than you make in money.
– Be curious and genuinely interested in your prospect and what they need.
– Do what you say you are going to do.
– Smile, and mean it!

Tell Yourself, “It’s all about them”:
– Your customer is the real boss. Act accordingly!
– Tailor your offer to their exact needs.
– Make them laugh. If they laugh with you, they are more likely to buy from you.
– Make a friend before you make a sale. People are more likely to buy from friends.
– Refer customers to your customer.
– You can’t help but be successful when you help your customer succeed.
– Be prepared! Know your client and their competition.
– Speak their language and you will get far.
– It’s difficult to take back a first impression.

Ultimately, the winner of Gitomer’s contest was Bill Atkins. Atkins owns Red Bank Limo in New Jersey and his sales tip was, “Each day, pick two customers at random. It doesn’t have to be your biggest or newest customer. Tell them you don’t have any agenda for the call, but just called to see how they are doing. No sales pitches allowed. Focus on the long-term relationship you are building not the sale.”

We found motivation and inspiration in some of the tips.  What do you think? Do you have any sales tips that aren’t listed here? Let us know in the comments!