Strategic thinking can help you gain insight into your sales process and how you might develop valuable sales strategies. The hard part is usually knowing where to start. The following six questions can help you get started on the strategic thinking process and help you to generate more sales.

By asking yourself strategic thinking questions you can gain valuable insights into your sales generation patterns. It can be a quick and easy self-coaching process that might only take a few minutes. But it could make a big difference!

While you can do this exercise solo, strategic thinking works best as a team sport. So if you can find a partner to work with for this. Try it with a colleague or coach. Have them ask you each of the questions three times so that you can dig deeper into your thoughts. 

The Sales Process

Think about how you generate sales and the stages that take place when your sales process is easy-peasy and flowing in. Write this down or explain it out loud to your partner.

• Q: Where in the process do you most often get stuck? 
• Q: What parts of this process works well for you – and what part doesn’t?
  • Identifying ideal clients
  • Matching ideal clients with your offerings
  • Lead generation: getting in front of those ideal clients
  • Presenting your offering
  • Having them opt-in
  • Closing the sales/or not
  • Following up
  • Collecting the payment 
  • Following up with an additional sale

Low-Hanging Fruit

It’s sad but true: sometimes the path of least resistance is often avoided. It might be boring, too repetitive, or simply so easy you are not seeing it. 

• Q: Think about your products or service. Who might get the most value? They absolutely will see an immediate benefit and there is the greatest sense of urgency.
• Q: Where does the low-hanging fruit lie? What is it that you might be able to offer them in addition to what you are already focusing on?

The Follow-Up

This is where the buck stops. And this is actually one of the most important steps in the sales process. You have done all the heavy lifting and it’s so simple to just give it one more ounce of your effort. 

• Q: What are the different ways you can conduct a follow-up? Identify at least six.
• Q: What approach will be the most effective? What approach feels the most authentic to you?

Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t have all the answers right away. Your business will continuously grow and shift. Ask yourselves these questions any time you want to focus on strategic thinking, and see how they can help you generate sales at different parts of your entrepreneurial journey.