Over the last fifteen years, I've noticed that 97% of businesses don't know how to sell.

They let mediocre results plague their company because developing an effective sales strategy isn't a priority. Yet, sales are the lifeblood of every organization. Without sales, a company dies.

I used to be one of these people.

Poor sales habits guided the direction of my company. I was selfish. I was worried about my success, that I never helped potential clients with anything meaningful. All I did was try to push my product down someone's resistant throat. "Eat this, damnit!"

But, as I became better at helping people, I produced more significant results.

My company started to build momentum. We weren't just offering products; we were positively transforming our clients' operations. We became trusted advisors. Partners!

To succeed in sales or to lead a team of sales professionals, you must embody the following five habits:

1/ Phone first

Amateur salespeople solely rely on email, which makes it easy to ignore.

Every effective sales professional uses a phone or an in-person first sales strategy. They've mastered a cold call script, they know who their targets are, and they get dialing.

They are a disciple of discipline every day.

2/ Be insightful

The most effective sales organizations know how to deliver impactful insights to clients and prospects.

They know industry trends, key issues, and ways to overcome them. They understand their client's needs, challenges, and goals and provide powerful solutions that help people progress.

As a result, they add value to every conversation and make it worth people's time.

3/ Ask intelligent questions

Great sales questions help expose challenges and identify key ways the client can improve.

However, the most successful sales organizations never bombard prospects with one hundred questions. People who default to reading from a list of questions are amateurs who don't know how to guide a conversation.

If they say X, don't start rambling about Y.

Go deeper on X.

Question > Listen > Related Insight > Deeper Question.

4/ Be persistent but always add value

Effective salespeople are professionally persistent.

They don't give up after the fifth call or the tenth email. They're persistent, but the difference is, with every touch, they're adding value in some way.

They know their target.

They know the value they can create.

They keep at it.

5/ Have the business acumen to give advice

Without business acumen, you can't succeed in sales.

Great producers know their client's core business issues, and they can speak to stakeholders at nearly every level. They understand finance, supply chain, and critical operational functions.

They can converse intelligently about a client's operation and provide helpful advice.

If you want to sell while positively impacting a client's business or life, these five habits are non-negotiable.