As salespeople we all want that big account or to be able to sell the big ticket items, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Obviously the more we sell, the more we make. It’s just important to remember a couple of things as you pursue those big sales.

The first thing to keep in mind is that you cannot rely solely on the big accounts as your only source of income or commissions, it’s too dangerous. As profitable as big sales or accounts can be, they are also more likely to have ups and downs based on the market and the economy. That leads to the second and longer point.

Before going after those bigger accounts, take the time to build up the smaller and medium accounts. Another word for accounts is relationships if we are talking about an individual salesperson. If a salesperson has a good base of customers who buy on a fairly regular basis, then when a customer buys something big, it is a huge bonus. The best way to illustrate this point is with an example.

If a salesperson is selling jewelry, then it is vital that they have a customer base that may not ever make the big purchase, but they do make a lot of purchases. The best example of this is the gentlemen who bought his wife's engagement ring from you, then continued to return an anniversary gift, a birthday present, and a new watch. Those types of customers are the ones that all salespeople should focus on building and maintaining relationships with.

Once you have a base like that, then when the opportunity to make a large sale presents itself, you are able to go for it without pressure. If you make the sale, then great. But if you don’t, turn it over to somebody else, then you still have your “every day” sales that are enough to keep you going.

Of course, whenever the opportunity arises to make a big sale, then you should take it; but your bread and butter should be that young man looking to buy an engagement ring. He may not be much in terms of commission now but if he continues to come back to you for all of his jewelry needs, then you have a new customer to add to your base. Go for the big ones when they are available to you, but make sure you continue to foster the small ones as well.

FINAO - Brad Huisken