PPB February 2018

W hen the housing bubble burst in late 2007 it led to the worst recession since the 1930s. Among the countless casualties was Kimble Bosworth’s job with a large online distributor. Instead of wringing her hands, she took stock of her strengths and decided to launch a marketing company with her husband, Chris. With a strong background in sales, the pair looked at what other distributors were doing wrong and came up with a marketing plan that addressed what they thought the industry was missing. The plan focused on what customers could do to promote their brands without a lot of cost—since the recession was in full swing—and it provided an essential one-stop shop from program design to delivery. In the decade since, growth at Proforma Printelligence in Nashville, Tennessee, has exploded—consistently qualifying Bosworth for inclusion in Proforma’s Million Dollar Club. When salespeople are steadily at the top of their game, it’s not a run of luck or a game of chance. Exceptional salespeople know what repeated behaviors and actions are most critical to their success—and they practice and hone them at every opportunity. Conversations with some of the industry’s top salespeople revealed eight common elements that, when practiced consistently, propelled them to the top of the sales chart—and then some. Not surprisingly, it all begins with attitude. Game At The Top Of Their Proven s les tips and techniques from 11 of the industry’s most productive salespeople by Tina Berres Filipski Tips and Techniques of Top Sellers | FEATURE | FEBRUARY 2018 | 41