A Day in the Life of a Successful Salesperson

by Brian Zeng 5 Minutes

Sales reps are not tethered to their desks 9-to-5. They lead the most hectic lives shuffling between tasks, making endless calls, meeting people, traveling extensively, and facing new challenges. Needless to say, success doesn’t come easily to them as they earn it with their quick-learning abilities, smart work, pressure handling, and organization skills.

Modern buyers are a smarter lot and make informed buying decisions after comparing products and services. Convincing them is no less than an art. Until and unless sales reps commit to working hard and constantly update themselves with industry knowledge, it is difficult to gain new customers, retain them, and reach the top.

More often than not, the best sales reps adhere to stringent routines and lead a disciplined life. If you’ve wondered what it must be like to step into the shoes of a successful sales rep, this is your chance.

Here’s a potential timeline of how they spend a typical working day…

MORNINGS

1. Getting up, Getting Ready

Successful sales reps begin their day early by waking up at 6:00 am or so, followed by indulging in some physical exercise and eating a healthy breakfast. This gives them the much-needed energy boost that helps them face a long, hectic day at work.

This is followed by dressing immaculately, which is an important step, considering that outfits and accessories are confidence-boosters and give them competitive edge. Dressing sharply also makes them stand out and look more professional by reflecting that they put much thought into what they wear.

No prizes for guessing that dressing sharply plays a definitive role in their success!

2. Catching up on the Latest News

Every second in the day matters to go-getting sales reps and you’ll come across most of them catching up on the latest industry news early in the day, especially when commuting or immediately upon arriving at work.

Who knows, they may read something that may help them in their sales pitch later in the day!  Additionally, they can do with more knowledge on buyer insights and challenges in the markets, and use them to reach possible solutions.

3. Conducting a Quick Team Meet

Sales reps never miss conducting a quick standup meeting with their team before getting on with their work.

The objectives of the meeting include, but are not limited to, overviewing the targets achieved the day before, going through the pending tasks in the roster, knowing the key priorities, and so on.

They also take this opportunity to brainstorm sales pitches and learn a thing or two from one another.

In the end, it is all about teamwork and working towards a common goal!

4. Making Calls, Sending Emails

Successful sales representatives don’t rely only on cold calls, but a mix of calls, voicemails and emails. According to an infographic published on HubSpot, they choose Wednesdays and Thursdays to make cold calls, and call their prospects early in the morning or between 4:00 and 5:00 in the evening.

They make the scheduled calls, answer their voicemails/leave voicemails for prospective clients, and read and answer emails/draft follow-up emails.

To save time, they keep proposal templates ready and simply hit the ‘Send’ button after customizing them for their prospects. 

5. Talking To Prospects

Sales reps leverage the insights gained to help solve their prospects’ problems as and when they talk to them. A seasoned sales expert gets to the root of the customer’s problems by making them share their challenges.

Talking to their prospects and addressing their problem areas becomes a breeze because the research on their buying nature, services they rely on, and other habits is already done!

Also, they never hang-up without scheduling a follow-up call or meeting.

AFTERNOONS

6. Plan Ahead

Sales reps who want to make it big, ALWAYS plan ahead.

They’re always ready with their to-do lists, which include the appointments and the mini tasks they need to get done.

Next, they schedule their tasks according to priority and at the same time, make time for unforeseen/urgent tasks. This ensures a smooth sailing for them. They also quickly go through the targets set for the day, week, and month, and review the opportunities required to achieve them.

Sales reps also utilize this time to work on their pitches. They may rehearse it with colleagues or manager until they perfect it.

This way, planning in advance helps them keep procrastination at bay and increases their productivity.

7. Catching a Break

Sales reps always need to have high energy levels.

Even when they have back-to-back meetings and grabbing a quick bite becomes nearly impossible, they make it a point to at least catch a quick break or grab some coffee. Alternatively, they choose to meet a business prospect over lunch or take a quick stroll, play a quick game of foosball (or anything else for that matter) with coworkers, or simply step outside to get some fresh air.

Some of them also like to spend this time on social media by going through their newsfeeds, adding people to their network and posting a picture or two! They may also use this opportunity for social selling or researching different tools to automate and streamline various processes.

EVENINGS

8. Meeting with the Manager

By the time it is evening, sales reps complete all their tasks and probably conduct the last meeting even if it is for 20 minutes. This meeting is usually with their manager(s).

In the meet, they discuss areas that need improvement, think of different strategies or rethink existing strategies, and decide on the subsequent action plan to make selling more effective.

9. Tying up Loose Ends

Before leaving for the day, sales reps ensure to tie up loose ends by reviewing their day, wrapping up pending tasks, researching, and preparing for the next day. This helps them be more organized and save time. 

NIGHTS

10. Maintaining Work-Life Balance

Top sales reps know and understand the importance of work-life balance  and relax after a long day of grueling sales.

They spend time with their family or partner, indulge in hobbies, read a book, attend social dos, catch up on their favorite shows, or cook sumptuous dinner.

This helps them de-stress to a great level.

11. Calling It a Day

Sales reps prepare for the next big and challenging day by getting sufficient sleep so that they can wake up feeling fresh with their energy restored.

They make it a point to hit the sack on time and get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis.

Conclusion

This was a glimpse into the lives of successful sales representatives, although it may vary from person to person. What stays constant is their unending enthusiasm and passion for learning, meticulous planning, and achieving their targets.

Do you relate to this routine of sales reps? Or do you follow a different timeline? Do let us know!

 

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by Brian Zeng
Brian Zeng is the owner of Ponbee.com. He is an entrepreneur by spirit. Brian likes to share his insights on an array of topics related to business, marketing, entrepreneurship, productivity and motivation. His recent collection of powerful collaboration quotes will showcase the importance of teamwork to achieve organizational goals and drive employee engagement.