How to Adopt a Sales Mindset

very good  

This really helps business people like me. Thank you.

With all those habits given above, personally, I'd like to say that staying hungry and  staying positive is at the top of my list. Nothing beats a hungry + a positive mindset to aim for that goal!

Great insight ..... Will certainly give me a reason to hang on till the last call 

We almost don't need to read past ==> "Every good salesperson I've ever encountered is driven."

Great reminders. Sometimes we stray a bit away from things we know...

People who like numbers would love sales.. Sales is all about calculative risks. Giving and taking is a methodology.. What to give and what to take differentiates the sales person's attitude..

For one, NEVER tell yourself or repeat to others that it is a bad economy. It's a great economy somewere, and that is where and with who i will do business with. If there was to be a bad economy somewere, then figure out how your product or service will improve the other persons bottom line, and make it advantagious for them to purchase from you. Successful positive people love to buy from other successful positive people. I had an ad exec, happened to be from a company i wanted to, and already knew i was going to advertise with, tell me that "well it's a bad economy so the rate will be discounted", So, i used this to my advantage. I replied with a mirror response and was able to even get a bigger discount. So, here i used this "bad economy ?" to my advantage. Good sales, and ALWAYS find the positives

ITS REALLY THE GREATER POINTS AND SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND

ITS REALLY THE GREATER POINTS AND SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND

A SALE IS A SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER OF ENTHUSIASM!! WINNERS GET RESULTS....LOSERS MAKE EXUSES....HOW TRUE!  LETS NOT BLAME THE ECONOMY AND GET OUT THERE AND HIT HOMERUNS!!!

Simple but true! Another simple truth "don't treat people the way you like to be treated, treat them the way THEY like to be treated" Thanks you

this is a great article and i think this should be used in schools

This is very true. You must stay positive!! keep in mind that sales is a numbers game so when you here the no's, that just means that you are getting closer to the yes. YOU CAN'T GET BEAT UNLESS YOU QUIT.

Absolutely amazing.These are simple Truths that I will practrice as as Sales Engineer. Thank you, Moses, Nairobi,Kenya.

really helpful!

Thank You a Great Read!

i'h got something new to improve my business,i used to apply rule 1 only. then from now things gonna be alright!

It's very easy to be down when the economy is so bad, I'm in direct sales and sometimes find it very hard to keep positive. There are many simple rules we should follow as salespeople but often forget! Be passionate, believe in your product, get people to like you, ect, but dont you sometimes find it hard to do all these things when you work your hardest and don't get results? I do. Infact i often make judgments before I even walk in the door because I've had a bad week! Keep doing the same old thing be yourself and you will get results! (currently having a bad week)!

 The article is very particle, for today's fast growing market.

To grow sales you must think sales.  Everyone has it in them, just takes a little focus.  Great article.  Thanks.  jwsv

GOOD INFORMATION, THANKS FOR THE MENTAL ENERGY BAR.....

Very nice...

  Danielle,this is a great ARTICLE, I like Rules 8, 10, 4 and 6 very much.

I don't believe you.

Oh! Very interesting article. The above mentioned 13 rules are really helpful to get sales mindset for any business man. Especially rules 3,7 and 11 are very important to achieve the target.

so full of yourself. why comment?

A well thought article on selling and useful for sales persons. 

I liked the article on "how to adopt a sales mindset" . A good salesman knows what to sell and an SMART salesman knows how to sell.

I absolutely loved this useful post about how to get out there in the business world. Nice work!

The article has fantastic points, which somehow relate to my situation. Great, and thanks

Well put and nicely delivered, I like articles I can relate to and get a lot out of and this was surly one of those articles!  Thanks,

unmatched article ...keep posting such great articles .... all the very best 

Thanks for the Great article......really an eye opener...!

How to Adopt a Sales Mindset?  Twelve + one  simple rules to become your own sales superstar.  The article is self explanatory and  excellent. Friendship and salesmanship carries you to greater heights in the modern times. - p v rao

Thanks for the great article! In my opinion, the honesty is one of the important factors the entrepreneurs should always remember. Without the honesty, it's hard to bring new customers and the current customers will never come back.

Awesome article!!! 10+.  I will make copies for my business associates and will definitely forward this email to all my friend in business. My husband and I have owned a cab for 36 years and what you mention in this article has been our policy.  Thank your for your tips, topics and helpful advise! They have encouraged me to tackle 2 new businesses. I'm most confident that we will succeed as well... and the key words are "humility and confidence." :-)) Fara C.

I'll be bad in sales because I catch myself lying every 15seconds. Lie after lie after lie, I need help!!!!! AAAAaah!!!!

Very well drafted, direct and result oriented article. Kudos!!

It is a great idea to keep a balance when doing sales and always work on getting better. There are many sales approaches and strategies to try out and make it work for you. http://tampabaysavers.com

It is a great idea to try to keep a balance and get stronger in all aspects of sales because there are many strategies and approaches to take.

Read this book:  "Pitch Anything"  (I forget the author).  Fantastic book, one of the best business books I have ever read.  This guy is in the business of "pitching" companies and project ideas to big money people (investors), the toughest crowd there is.  So he has perfected techniques to get a super-egoed, aggressive, impatient investor to sit and listen, and to get their attention.  And its not always how you would think...

I'm about to start a new business and those thirteen points were so good for grabbing my thoughts and organizing them in a step-by-step logical rules. All that was said is extremely important and everyone should keep it as commandments. Thank you for this opportunity of sharing knowledge.

Nice Article, Really good Article. Specially the 2nd item. I'd love to get my hands on that referred study, any change of sharing? Cheers

I like your comments,your club should be very Interesting

Actually, I thought Harvey said it best when he said that 'develop trust with your customers, because customers buy from people that they trust. One could take this a step further than even ask existing customers if they think you're trustworthy. If they say no, then ask what you could do to improve the trust factor. Don't forget to ask for the order after asking if you're trustworthy, either. :))))  John Heinrich, Chief Mentor American School of Entrepreneurship www.theasoe.com

Very good overview.   I would add the desire to win.  I want a sales person who really wants to win.  That will play into your "Stay Hungry" mindset.  I have a few more disciplines for sales people on my blog that may help you. www.sales-getters.com/blog

As a counselor, I will have to believe in my ability to help individuals in order to promote my services. This article is a great way for all entrepreneurs, regardless of their place of business, to carry themselves professionally and responsibly to obtain a successful career and lifestyle. Great article. These rules can apply to work, school, and life in general.

Interesting read, very insightful. I am going to forward this on to our sales team! Thanks very much for the info!

The above points are very useful, for marketing person. One inspire by this, Thank you very much i need them i m life. 

Sales are indeed very important in any type of business. I previously been in the Retail business since I was 16 y.o  Now 51 y.o. I recently made a change in my life and removed my self from Retail / wholesale business and started a new carreer in the Home Improvement business. Being talented in many Home Improvement tasks I found that In needed to SALE my self to many new customers and preform many small jobs at a reduce rate to SALE my self to get the bigger projects. Being in the wholesale / retail business for 30 plus years has certainly come in handy as a handyman

Sales is a very important aspect for business survival. If you are not selling then you are not receiving the nutrients to live on and grow. Know your consumers and understand the motivaters that stimulate them to purchase from you.  entrepreneurialambitions.com

Have been reading Mackay's books for years. I get inspired by reading far more than meetings. These are the times we need to review all the postive! I presently manage a private club in a very small town. I search for interesting current topics and print them to share with members. They look forward to these discussion as well as cartoons and jokes. Keep the mind on  subjects outside of self and you will find your positive is addicitive to others.

it is very good articles will really help me to do more sales

People are ready to work today than ever before you could hear the media calling on investors rather informing the public, about richmen and women put their money in where they can reap, and no one exist, and if so why agric is not one of area necessary for puting such money.

That was we were youth, palatizing , loading and unloading, was the business. At Kano International aviation services when exporting was a big deal in the Nation none oil export economy, where are company today the agriculture is growing, and the population is increasing, the private sector have taken Government unaware, and it neccessary the private sector will be accountable, for the colapse, of many idustry, while Government will accountable for the security challenges.

Great overview on the mindset for successful sales! My personal experience re-enforces most of what was said in this article.

Training myself in sales, so this was a great find for me! (via LinkedIn). Thanks.

I love the line, "In tough economies, it may not be your fault for being down, but it is certainly your fault for not getting up". I do think this is sales 101, however for many entrepreneurs without a solid background in sales it's very helpful. You should see people who don't understand sales try to sell - it's painful to watch. I think one simple way to "up your game" is to not only know your specific product inside and out but also to understand the industry as a whole in which you sell. Elisha Lowe RN, BSN

Note to the Moderator: You have my permission to post my email address in my recent comments on this article as: For those who may wish to contact me: merlin.magic@hotmail.com

This is so true, it is always the little things and the obvious things that stand out most, which in turn makes you stand out from your competition!!

Generally very very good points! I know I love working with fun charismatic people with similar interests - I got my first opportunity in IT Recruitment through playing sports! If you are in a job search "rut/dead end" then think about the activities that you like to do and check out what they do - maybe they might give you a chance!

Fantastic articles. I do a lots of selling especially in automotive and do alsi shared my selling experience. It is a great floor for me to learn-unlearn- relearn....

Sales 101....please bring something new to the table!!!

Nice insights.

very useful article, simple but powerful. thank you

Nothing here is very new.  It is quite dull to read the same information again and again.

Probably the best article I've have seen on sales mindset, well done Harvey!!

All great strategies, everything I "sell" begins with WHY my business sells it in the first place. Something very wise I have learned that I will always keep as a reflection when determining how I am going to approach the public eye

Great article- all of the best salespeople I know are positive, energetic and 'thirsty'. Entrepreneurs, not only sales people, need to have these skills as well as we are the face of the company. And, in today's economy, customer service goes a LONG way. Keep the clients happy and they'll stick with you through thick and thin. 

Passion, Persistence and Pro-active... are also, very important traits for Sales Super Stars, especially in the  current environment with so much of competition around...and the still the basic hurdles remain... "No Need, No Money, No Hurry, No Desire, No Trust"... People needed Products to survive but now its the other way round... yet, great sales people need to maintain balance between your organization and the customers... Happy Selling :)

It is a good article. Sometimes I do a lot of things to get everything prepared and want to be perfect in order to get good sales result, however, the more I do the prepare work the less I do the real sales work. Now I have to make a change.

As salespeople we know these concepts. many business owners are not salespeople and shudder at the  thought of having to sell themselves or their business. great article especially for the non-sales business owner.

A great article!  Thank-you.

I've read sales books, and none of this is new information. I also think customer service starts before they say "yes".  I think customer service should be fantastic whether they're a customer already or not. It speaks volumes about your company if you're delivering great customer service to someone who isn't your customer. It's a great selling point. If you treat them that well when they're not a customer, you must treat them like a million bucks when they are!

What you consciously set your goals on unconsciously sets your values. If the 'goal' is to make the sale, then what do you suppose happens to Integrity? Like the entire political structure is based on falsery, yet every now an then a integrous statemens comes along. Likewise, 'selling' is based on falsery, yet every now and then an integrous salesman comes along. www.harrisonm.com

... never compromise your integrity ... every sales person has already compromised that by going into sales ... well perhaps un-comissioned best buy employees have not ... 

Crisp, to the point and actionable recommendations!

A lot of comments here are by people who are expressing negative comments about the article's content, which is about being positive. This makes me wonder how their sales are going : )

Thank you your post, its been really helpful and the mindset of a salesperson is crucially important as it affect his or her performance.

Agreed. Integrity/Trust should have been at #1. I also read the "7 Ways to Avoid Competing On Price" link. The customer you mistakenly think... "only buys on price" might actually be telling you something about how they perceive your (mediocre) sales and marketing - presentation - skills.  

Andre is correct , LISTENING is number one and number two is earning the right to be in the communication process, it is called TRUST.

Great article, hits on every level. Running my own business i HAD to learn about sales and learn it fast. I think these are all the areas that a good salesman should have. But the 3 most important factors for me personally at being a great salesman are: 1. Be honest - Always be yourself. This is very important. Nothing worse than putting on cheap                        salesman talk and tactics, especially today people can tell when your being dishonest 2. Don't have customers, have friends - Developing a relationship with a customer creates loyalty.                       A good friend will go the extra mile to help there friend out, treat your customers                       the same. 3. Always be hungry - Like stated at the start of the article, this is important for sales success. There                     are two types of salesman, theirs the sales farmer and the sales wolf. The sales farmer                     has there clients handed to them and are comfortable attending to there heard and are                     never usually hungry. The sales wolf is one that's always hungry, willing to think outside                     the square developing new hunting tactics in order to get bigger and better deals. If you follow the rules above and stated in the article especially, you to can become a great sales wolf. Daniel Ray

I find your comment interesting. As a tenured sales person myself, one would think this is basic "sales 101" - but the simple reality of the situation is that it is not. Take my industry for example (logistics/trucking/supply chain management)...We are taught to be solutions providers and great negotiators. If you work for a good company, and most reps eventually have worked for at least one, you go through a lot of training to teach you how to really listen, bring forth solutions, and be a top notch negotiator.  At the end of the day, the # of people who truly take that training to heart and put it to use, the ones who possess the skills and the mindset listed in this article are far and few between...what most customers end up with are "donut droppers who are good at putting a pretty smile on their face and selling price."

Its good to see that integrity wins and is backed up by research.  I know we find that to be true in the software industry.  In a complex sales cycle, people buy from who the trust that also understands his need and can simply present the solution.  Too often, sales teams focus on giving the customer everything they want instead of what will solve their problem.   Educating the buyer goes a long way towards earning that trust.  There are so many sources of information that often buyers struggle through site after site of conflicting opinions and end up confused.  The sales team that can help them weed through and make an educated decision wins the business. 

Articles like this are great Sales 101.  But for the other 80% of veterans, this material is a re-hash of material that's been around since the early 1940s.  We need to up our "standard" of a real sales articles that have real-world application and not benevolent bromides which we've all heard.  Again, good 101 stuff, but can we "up the learning game" here?!  Victor Antonio

Thank you for this I really enjoyed it.

Harvey Mackay is a genius and the article is how YOU, a business owner, can have a sales mindset. Some of you did not understand that I guess. This is not an article on becoming the best salesperson you can be, that would require a complete novel. This is a snippet of wisdom to enable business owners to become a sales evangelist. Extremely helpful.

I like this article, the key is to Stay hungry. This is what keeps you motivated, and in sales you have your highs and deep lows. I also like the the second one Never compromise your integrity, this is without question the way all sales people should be thinking. The crash was partly caused to sales people (bankers) who had not integrity.

We got to keep in mind that the basics of success do not change, whether its the 80's or 2000's. Times change, technology changes but basics/truths dont change very much.  Most of us know all of these but never go back to revisit these concepts. Thanks for the article. It made me read it and revise some of these important points.

As someone else said, "Thanks for cutting and pasting out of a 1980's brochure for another vanilla sales training."

As someone else said "Thanks for cutting and pasting out of a 1980's brochure for another vanilla sales training."

Great article and subject that I'm very passionate about! The points you raised Harvey are all very well done! I'd like to add one more to the listing and that is don't forget the basics/fundamentals of "LISTENING" and improving your listening skills. We as sales professionals by birth and by habit like to "Talk"...when the best sales person listens 80% of time 20% of the time provides solutions. You've presented all of the key areas (i.e. stay hungry, customer centric, hard-working etc), however, what I found is the most challenging when I was in a sales leadership role and now as a global sales consultant to corporations is getting sales people (good sales people as well) to listen the majority of the time when they interact with customers and NOT be so itchy to address the customer's issue. People in general want to be heard, and the GREAT SALES PERSON (not just good sales people) understand that the best way to build a relationship, partnership, value, and sales is to "Shut-Up" and listen because they know what they may hear is exactly what the customer wants...what a novel idea! I've created a radio-talk show on the net for "The Sales Professional" my show is actually called "The Sales Professional" (TSPN). We talk about issues related to the Sales Profession/Sales Professional, we also at times have guests appear on our show. Hear is the link to our show: http://bit.ly/sf0cRa Our next show which is tomorrow (Nov 8th 7pm EST) We'll be discussing  "Keeping A Sales Team Inspired...When Times Are Bad" http://bit.ly/sf0cRa Please join us for provocative discussion!Thank you and again GREAT ARTICLE!Andre'http://www.ah2andbeyond.com Our next show which is tomorrow (Nov 8th 7pm EST) We'll be discussing  "Keeping A Sales Team Inspired...When Times Are Bad" http://bit.ly/sf0cRa Please join us for provocative discussion! Thank you and again GREAT ARTICLE! Andre' http://www.ah2andbeyond.com

Superb article.

As a writer & recovering introvert, I need all the sales advice I can get. Thank you for an article that doesn't just tread over the same ground covered in most sales articles!

Beautifully written. I think it's very important to constantly learn new things and improve your skills. 

thanks for cutting and pasting out of a 1980's brochure for another vanilla sales training.  I have met so many sales reps that earn  top dollars as well as ones that earn far less.  I've seen all these traits in all of them.  The difference, often sadly enough is luck.   Today's world moves at light speed,  what's hot today is commodity tomorrow.  All these traits are required, but certainly do not guarantee success.  A sales person that wants to be in the top % of his field needs to be able to gauge his products place in the market.  If its best days are behind it, work to move on to greener pastures.  You thins guys at oracle in the late 90's had all these traits.  No, many were scumbags actually.  But they had the hottest product on the market and they knew it and they made oodles of money!  

Steve, Remember that what you offer your customer is the most important aspect of your business, the service that you provide. If you allow short term worries, like compensation, become intertwined with your pitch you might miss out on a long term business relationship. We all know that long term relationships create good business. Hope this helps.

Some points are okay, some points are far away from the reality. If you are fit in all of the mentioned areas it doesn't meant you will have success. It's not about being perfect. It is about to be smart and empathetic.

A+, glad to see someone having clear view on sales process and people. There are so many lame salespersons around these days and I just hope this article will make someone of them to start thinking differently.