In a world crowded with "me too" solutions, the final differentiator is often the effectiveness of your sellers. At CloudCoaching International, we dedicate a lot of research time to Sales Mastery. Our Partner, CSO Insights, conducted a recent study of 797 firms, and revealed two startling statistics:

• The odds of a deal that has been forecast actually closing are less than 50%
• Your odds of your sellers making their quota are slightly better, at 55.5%

Imagine the impact of just 10% more of your sales force making quota. Or 20%…

Here are seven pillars of sales success. These seven foundational pillars will enhance your sales mastery and get you in the right state to sell more.

1. Remain in a constant learning mode.

Learn from what you read, see, hear and remain curious. As you continue to learn your synapses, you will start to connect (what seem to be random or disconnected) data points into more meaningful ways to help your clients.

2. Practice and never be satisfied.

Always look to improve yourself and others. You are part of a team and you owe it to each other to keep pursuing higher levels.

3. Focus on understanding as much as you can about your client’s needs, desires, wants, fears.

Until you do, you will be guessing at what could really help them.

4. Offer your clients options they can pick from.

This involves your client in the decision making process which helps you figure out how to create the most value for them.

5. Communicate with certainty.

Believe in your solution! Communicate with conviction. Your clients can tell how you feel.

6. Do whatever it takes to deliver.

Very few people do what they said they were going to do by the time they said they would for the amount of money they said it would cost. By being one of the few that follows through consistently, you'll separate yourself from 80% of the rest of the sellers out there.

7. Eliminate distractions.

We can all be tempted by the many distractions around us every day. Sales physics are simple. The more customers you have meaningful conversations with, the more sales you will make. It is that simple. Remove distractions and focus on what matters most, creating value for your clients. The more “at bats” you have, the more likely you will get on base or hit a home run.

What would be the 8th Pillar? Comment below.