Do you want to be a sales champion? There are a few small secrets that will help you achieve these goals.

Commit to your goals. Write down your sales goals for this week, this month, this quarter and this year. I urge you to use specific numbers that challenge you, but are attainable. Post these goals in your office, commit yourself to meeting or exceeding those numbers. Commitment is the foundation that enables you to proceed with the remaining steps.

Ask involvement questions. Your No. 1 goal is to find the prospects' need and then fill it. Sales champions use their time to find out what potential clients really need. This encompasses two purposes: one that you are interested in helping the prospect; two that you keep them interested in your presentation.

Maximize your time. Many amateurs spend a large percentage of their time prospecting. Sales champions develop systems that maximize their time and enable them to spend time doing what earns them money.

Ask your current clients for referrals as you close the deal, so you're striking while the iron is hot. Ask for referrals from prospects that do not buy from you. It is a simple idea, but it yields great rewards.

Prepare for objections. The most common rejections will be related to time, money, and fear. Fear of rejection is normal for human beings.

Here are a few simple steps for handling objections:

Receive the objection. Allow your prospect to complete his or her train of thought before offering a rebuttal. Never interrupt.

Acknowledge and clarify the objection. Endorse the fact that your prospect has offered a great idea and valid point. Ask some questions to make sure you understand the objection, which also allows the prospect to explain his or her idea completely.

Answer the objection. This is where you address the objection. Many salespeople lose the sale here. Amateurs dance around the issue and usually never get back to asking for the commitment. You need to not only answer the question, but focus on following up with a closing question.

Create a win-win close. Sales champions create value in their product or service to move forward with their proposition.

Here are a few strategies they use to close the deal:

Trial close: Give the client a few choices for moving forward to purchase your product or service.

Assumptive walk-through close: Let me walk you through this so you get a complete understanding of how this is going to work for you.

Then walk your potential client through the steps of your process, getting him or her to visualize a simple, effective means to move forward. Finish with: Most important, if you have any questions, I want you to call me so I can either help you answer them or put you in contact with the right people who can. I want to save you time and money. So please feel free to call me anytime.

Method of payment close: Are you going to use a credit card or check to purchase today?

Give unlimited follow-up: Implement strategies to communicate with your clients regularly so you can build trust, loyalty, and additional selling opportunities. Champions use thank-you cards, emails, voicemail messages, birthday cards, holiday cards, newsletters, and personal phone calls. They stay in touch at least once every three to four weeks.