There are a few sales tips you must follow for a New Territory.

• Meet and qualify all the accounts in your territory before you begin to focus on a few.

• Do your homework. Know your company first; the strong points, the weak points. Know who and what your internal resources are. What is your company’s sweet spot?

• Do your homework. Know your customers. What do they buy? How do they buy? Who are their five largest customers? Research your customer and their industry on the web. Become an industry expert for your customer. Meet people and cultivate relationships beyond your customers purchasing department.

• Create a call plan prior to every call. The objective can be as simple as getting an appointment with someone higher up in management to meet with your management on a subject as complex as a full-blown PowerPoint presentation designed to secure a contract.

• Keep a data record on every buyer at your major accounts. Get to know him as well as his family knows him.

• Create an itinerary for each week. Know what you are going to do. Set at least two base appointments in the morning and afternoon with major accounts. Fill in around these appointments as appropriate. Know your customers’ personality. People buy from people so develop a relationship with each of your customers. PIMS (Personal Information Managers) or sales programs such as TeleMagic and Goldmine have a place for this information. Use it, or put it in your spiral binder.

• Nothing is more important to Jennifer than her daughter’s ballet or to Bill than his golf or his son’s little league, BUT do not waste your time or theirs. Some people will reject you as a time waster if you talk about this, others will keep you on the phone for hours with trivia. Know your customer and control the conversation. Your job is to sell and move on but do it in the most productive and effective manner and only you know what that is for your customer.

• Create a territory plan. Establish goals, identify milestones, create a time line and engage all your resources including upper management.

• Create an action plan for every major account. Know your customers’ "Rules of Engagement." What keeps them up at night? Create a strategy that involves your entire team including the President of your company if appropriate.

• Set specific goals and objectives. Write them down.

• Maintain a positive attitude. Don’t procrastinate on anything.

• Keep your promises. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

• Sell yourself first. Develop a trusted relationship, and then sell your company.

• Know your competitive advantages and your company’s core competencies.

• Think creatively. Think outside the box.

• If voicemail is blocking your contact, call someone else’s extension as if by mistake and ask them to transfer you. Voicemail has become the "gate keeper." Call early before business hours or later after business hours.

• Listen more – speak less. Get your customer to talk about himself. If your customer spends most of the time in a sales call talking about himself, he can’t help but like you. Apply the 80/20 rule – listen 80% of the time.

Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership for wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with company executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.

Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor's degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. He’s also a published book author with four titles to his credit: "The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance in Distribution," the NWFA & NAFCD "Roadmap", Lone Wolf-Lead Wolf—The Evolution of Sales" and a fiction novel "Shattered Innocence." Rick’s next book due in November is titled; Lone Wolf – LEad Wolf The Evolution of Leadership