Ultimate Rainmaker: 3 Steps to Close More Deals and Make More Money

For entrepreneurs, the success or failure of your business is in your ability to make revenues. You have to get people to purchase what you have to offer, which means sales. Below, Keith “Sales Pro” Willis, expert salesman and author of The 10 Laws of The Ultimate RainMaker: Shake A Hand, Make A Friend, And Get Paid!, shares three steps to help you become a better salesperson.

Take time to give personal attention and cultivate relationships before jumping to the sale. “People do not want to feel like you’re just trying to sell them and no one ever wants to take a trip down Regret Avenue,” he says. “Be sure you understand new friends’ needs, desires, and goals. If you have a solution then talk about it. It takes a person with high integrity to acknowledge their product or service isn’t the best match. If you will keep the focus on having a great relationship then you won’t ever have to force the shoe to fit.”

Call the Next Morning: Willis suggests finding creative ways to stay in contact such as hosting a client appreciation lunch, giving away tickets to premiere events, or supporting a cause that matters to your client. “Recognize their accomplishments, birthdays, and even condolences when applicable,” he says. “What comes from the heart always reaches the heart, and details do matter, so polish them up.”

Understand Your Solution: Get to know why people buy from you, and know your value. Identify 50 companies or individuals who could benefit from what you have to offer, and from there, pinpoint the top 10 who are easy to reach and most likely to buy, including past clients, friends, or family (low-hanging fruit). “The next 20 are those who, with a couple of contacts, will take advantage of your solutions,” Willis says. “The final 20 are your ‘development deals,’ usually your big-dollar sales and may take 12 months to gain the business.”

Marquita Miller is the founder and CEO of Five Star Tax and Business Solutions — a full service accounting firm in Kansas City, Missouri. A small business expert contributor on CBS & FOX morning shows, Miller is a published author, business strategist, motivational speaker and well-known advocate for entrepreneurship. A recipient of Kansas City’s Influential Woman and Woman Who Means Business award, Miller is also a conference speaker and workshop facilitator for TD Jakes Ministries.Â www.marquitamiller.com. Twitter:@MarquitaMMiller www.facebook.com/MarquitaMMiller