In short, salespeople love numbers. Here, then, is another number that can help you close more sales: 10 things every salesperson should know.

1. Have 10 stories about how you have helped 10 clients.

Knowing the facts about how you have helped your clients is essential information during a sales call. Fancy proposals and outlines are nice, but future clients want to know why they should do business with you. Give them the tangible, quantifiable results -- the hard numbers.

2. Know why your No. 1 account bought from you and what led that account to closure.

In addition to hard numbers, business professionals like stories. Make sure you know why your largest account (the account that now generates X thousand dollars a year) decided to buy from you. The story will break the ice and give you credibility.

3. Have your top five references ready.

People don't like to take chances in business. Have ready a list of references your client can contact. Make certain your references are solid and will speak highly of your organization. If your references are respected within the industry, the endorsement can carry a lot of weight.

4. Know five restaurants in which to discuss business.

You should always know five restaurants to which you can take a client anytime. Requirements should include good food, service and rapport, and an atmosphere appropriate for conducting business.

5. Understand your clients' business.

Know your clients' numbers, not just your own. Ask how many years they have been operating, how many employees they have, what their budgets are for your services. Understanding your clients' business leads to more sales for you -- it's that simple.

6. Know your top 10 target prospects.

It is common for a prospect to ask you what other businesses you are targeting. The prospect wants to know (for instance) whether you’re experienced and well equipped to work with a company of his or her size and industry focus. Asking who else you’re reaching out to is a good way for your prospect to discover your firm’s direction and capabilities. You should be prepared to offer a list of relevant target organizations.

7. Identify three internal people you can call on for assistance on a sales call.

Don’t be hesitant about asking someone who has had more experience than you do to accompany you on a sales call. Getting someone to come along on your next meeting may mean the difference between striking out and hitting a home run. A sale still counts, even if you have help making it!

8. Know your ratios.

Salespeople often downplay the importance of ratios. Understanding your ratios means improving your sales. For example, if you know that every 25 cold calls leads to five appointments, and that five appointments lead to one sale, you can work backwards to determine exactly how many cold calls you must make to reach a certain number of sales each week. Just do the math.

9. Prepare for the objections you’ll hear.

If you’ve been selling for more than a month, you can probably anticipate the negative responses you will hear from your prospect. Will the prospect say you’re too expensive? That your company is too inexperienced? That you don’t have the right team in place? Prepare relevant success stories: stories about satisfied customers who got more value than they expected, or who benefited from a new outlook, or who sang your team’s praises. Practice these stories – they will help you turn the most common objections around.

10. Have one good joke that always makes you laugh.

Sometimes business can get stressful. Always have one thought, story or joke “in reserve” that can put a smile on your face and help you keep things in perspective.

About the Author

Stephan Schiffman is the president of D.E.I. Management Group, Inc., one of the largest sales training companies in the U.S. He is the author of a number of best-selling books including Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work!), and The 25 Sales Skills They Don’t Teach You at Business School. Schiffman’s articles have appeared in many publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and INC. Magazine. He has also appeared as a guest on CNBC’s Minding Your Business, How to Succeed in Business, Smart Money and TCI’s Arlington Business Today. For more information about Schiffman and D.E.I. Management, please call (800) 224-2140 or visit www.dei-sales.com.