The Sales Gold Rush: Digging Beyond the Easy Wins

By -

The Sales Gold Rush: Digging Beyond the Easy Wins

By Desiree Grace

Are you struggling to hit your goals? Is the mid-year review giving you that sinking feeling? If so, it’s time to dig deeper—because there’s still gold in them thar hills. But you’ve got to put in the work to uncover it.

Start by prospecting for new customers.
If that sounds obvious, it's because it is—but if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. So, work smart. Ask yourself: which customers are currently winning with you? Who genuinely appreciates what you bring to the table? Find more just like them.

For example, if industrial contractors are a stronghold in your portfolio, seek out similar prospects—like other industrial firms or large commercial contractors. Leverage your strengths and replicate your past successes.

Next, mine your existing customer base.
Are you maximizing your current relationships? What product categories aren’t moving that should be? If something’s not selling, find out why.

Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve talked to your customers about those categories. Markets shift. Your competitor might now be dealing with supply issues or price hikes. What didn’t work before might be ripe for another try. Ground shifts, and previously hidden gold becomes visible.

Also, don’t assume your customers are fully informed.
It’s not their job to keep up with your line card—it’s yours. For example, your customer might not realize you offer predictive technology and sensor systems thanks to a recent acquisition. Educating them could lead to an entirely new stream of revenue.

Get organized. Be intentional.
Go line by line through your low or no-sales categories. Ask questions. Where’s the need? Where’s the gap? Where is your competitor strong—and how can you show up stronger?

Develop a plan. Share solutions. Show your customers how you help them win.

At the end of the day, surface-level selling doesn’t deliver deep rewards. But experienced sales professionals? They don’t stop at the easy win. They chart a strategy, dig in, and uncover the gold others overlook. You can too.

Keep digging.

Ready to uncover hidden revenue? Take 30 minutes this week to review untapped product categories and customer segments. The gold is there; you just have to dig. Need help? River Heights Consulting is here to brainstorm or help map your sales strategy for the rest of the year. 

 

 

About the Author

Desiree Grace is a distribution channel expert and executive
leader with a passion for helping businesses grow through smart strategy, customer focus, and unstoppable follow-through. She knows that experienced minors keep digging.
Link up with her HERE.






...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Dance of Onboarding: Integrating New Hires into Your Corporate Culture

By -
Image
Have you ever tried to waltz or swing dance with someone who couldn't match your rhythm or didn't know the steps? It can become a clash of styles or cultures, or, worse—somebody gets their toes stepped on. A similar thing can happen when a new hire doesn't quite 'get' the culture. Much like dancing, though, skills can be learned. I recently facilitated a panel on Cultural Quotient (CQ) where we discussed best practices for increasing CQ. This involved intentional learning, self-awareness of physical cues such as body language and personal space, and the willingness to adapt to new cultures. I have some amusing stories about what not to do based on experiences with insensitive former colleagues. However, it's more productive to focus on how employers can improve the onboarding experience and subsequently enhance retention and employee engagement by welcoming people into their corporate culture. Maybe someday in person, over drinks, I'll share a funny story o...
Read more

50 Questions for Distributors

By -
Image
Last week I wrote an article titled “Six Questions that Demand an Answer.”  Sharing the article with a few trusted advisers, I received one consistent bit of feedback best summarized by this response. “Frank, I agree these are questions we must ask ourselves; they caused me to pause and ponder.  I used them as an exercise with my team to think about our overall strategy.  I believe taking the time to think about our business from an outside perspective to be justified and worthwhile.   Sometimes it’s hard to do this subjectively.  I would like to see more questions just like these.” The following is my first round of questions.  I have put them into categories to make them easier to digest.  Some will apply to your position, some will not.  I suggest spending a moment visiting these topics with members of your own team. A note:  The readers of this blog come from a variety of backgrounds, hold a diverse collection of positio...
Read more

Manufacturer/Distributor Joint Marketing Plans

By -
Image
Lately, Manufacturer and Distributor Joint Marketing Plans have been on my mind. This time of year I generally take a lot of calls from distributors and their supply partners on the topic. Allow me to share a few random thoughts. There are two varieties of plans which seem to go by the same name. Let’s look at both of types: Rebates designed to drive distributor behavior and reward performance. These plans typically create an incentive which comes as a rebate based on the distributor following some guideline. For example, if the distributor carries all of the manufacturer’s products, they get a bigger rebate than the wholesaler who simply cherry-picks the best of the supplier’s product line. Other versions of this type of plan incent distributors for having a specialist, properly trained staff, the right level of demo equipment or the proper inventory. I like these plans as they drive the behaviors and incent the distributor for being more than just a logistics arm for the ...
Read more