Entrepreneurial sellers look beyond what's immediately in their view. Instead, they focus on the bigger picture. When they do, they position themselves as someone who is doing more than selling a product or service. Entrepreneurial sellers treat their territory or book of business like their own company. They own their outcomes and make it a priority to know every facet of their business. When something isn't working, they change it.

Amy Franko, a strategic sales expert and keynote speaker, says entrepreneurial sellers create higher value for their clients, higher margins for their company and they maximize their commission check. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share Franko's three steps to taking ownership and becoming an entrepreneurial seller.

1. Create your vision. Franko says it doesn't matter if you're brand new to your territory or you've had the same territory for years. Create a vision for what you want it to be in the next year, three years and five years. One technology seller she knows covered a statewide territory that had no outside sales representation until he arrived. There were exactly two customers doing small levels of run-rate business. The rest—all several thousand accounts of the territory—were dominated by competitors. She says his vision was simple: He wanted his company to become the most well-known and respected brand in the territory within three years. That vision translated into the strategies he needed to make it happen. Imagine if he hadn't first established his vision. He would likely have ended up moving from one opportunity to the next without clarity. Start with vision. It the fuel that powers entrepreneurial efforts.

2. Create your territory roadmap. How well do you know your territory or book of business? The most successful entrepreneurs analyze their business from multiple angles. Your territory is a business in much the same way, and a territory roadmap can be your strategic guide. Successful entrepreneurs know and keep tabs on key wins and losses, and the why behind them. They anchor the clients they must win to elevate their brand, financial projections and customer churn rate. Your vision should be at the top of your roadmap. This will steer your decision making as you grow the territory.

3. Look for the diamonds in the rough. Entrepreneurs always look for the gap where they can stand out. Where are pockets of opportunity that your competitors aren't pursuing? There are likely untouched segments that haven't been uncovered or new ways of approaching existing segments that no one is thinking about.

The sales environment is constantly changing. It's an ever-fluid mix of technology trends, cultural change and business dynamics. To succeed, embrace entrepreneurial selling to give your clients more creativity, better insights and stronger business value. You'll reap the rewards today and well into the future.
 
Source: Amy Franko is a strategic sales expert, keynote speaker, sales strategist and author specializing in B2B sales and sales leadership development. With more than 20 years of client-facing sales experience, Franko has been recognized by Top Sales World as one of the top 50 sales bloggers in the world.