Prospects and customers are watching every move you make.
What is important to remember is in today’s competitive world your prospects and customers are watching every move you make. Imagine how mispronouncing or forgetting a client’s name can change that person’s perception of you.
Salespeople and sales leaders seem to be on constant lookout for big ideas that will give them the winning edge.
Perhaps you are one of them, combing the latest books, webinars, blogs, podcasts, and social media in search of the silver bullet that will get you into a prospect’s door, help you nail your presentation, or win a hard-to-close deal.
While you are chasing the next big thing there is something you must never forget: The brutal reality is the little things, more often than not, make or break the deal (and your sales career).
Here are 21 little things to consider:
- Do you prospect daily?
- When you call prospects on a cell phone, do you have clear reception?
- Are you articulating your sales story clearly so it can be understood?
- Does your voice inflection or body language demonstrate confidence and enthusiasm?
- Do you look, act, and sound like a professional?
- Do you listen?
- Are you proofreading your written communication thoroughly?
- Are you spelling/saying your prospect’s name correctly?
- Do you arrive on time for meetings?
- Do you thank your prospect for their time?
- Are you setting the agenda on every call?
- Do you set the next step on every call?
- Are you researching your prospect and planning for your call?
- Do you take good notes?
- Are you following up to keep your deals moving forward?
- Do you keep your promises?
- Do you send follow up notes to say thank you?
- Are you polite and kind to gatekeepers?
- Are you managing your territory to avoid windshield time?
- Do you keep your CRM updated?
- Do you start your day early and work a full day?
The Smallest Things Make the Biggest Difference
What is important to remember is in today’s competitive world your prospects and customers are watching every move you make.
Don’t respond fast enough to a phone call because you didn’t check your voicemail – strike against you.
Greeted the receptionist politely – check in your favor.
Late to your meeting again . . . two strikes.
Remember the names of your prospect’s kids . . . check.
Always give a little more than you have to . . . two checks. Forgot to proofread and spell check your proposal documents . . . strike!
Imagine how mispronouncing or forgetting a client’s name can change that person’s perception of you.
No matter how great your sales presentation was or how extensive your product knowledge, when you make this misstep, with what to that person is the sweetest sounding word in the English language, you lose all credibility.
Commit to Excellence
On the other hand, just think how your client may perceive a simple thank you note or birthday card. That will leave a positive impression.
It begins with developing a commitment to excellence. When we let the little things slip it is because we let down our guard and allow our discipline to wane.
Top Sales Professionals realize that, in sales, the game almost always comes right down to the buzzer and they maintain their self-discipline and commitment to excellence until the game has been won.
Lack of organization is a key contributor to small mistakes. If you are not organized stop what you are doing and find a system that works. Then implement that system.
Take time each week to reorganize and remove clutter from your office, computer, CRM, pipeline, and calendar. Review your calendar and to-do list each evening before you go to bed so that you are prepared to focus on your top priorities the next morning.
In sales, the little things count more than the big things and sales professionals who have the self-discipline to effectively manage the little things are more successful, better respected, and out-earn their peers.
With the right tools and techniques, any salesperson can sell more and better, all the time. Learn what it takes to engage buyers and close more deals, and advance your sales career in our on-demand course, Five Dimensions of Sales Excellence, on Sales Gravy University!
![6 High-Probability Moments to Send LinkedIn Connection Requests Prior to an Event Events create natural relevance. Conferences, trade shows, user groups, and local meetups give you a reason to connect that does not feel forced. The mistake sellers make is waiting until the event starts or turning the request into a pitch. A better move is connecting days or weeks ahead with a simple acknowledgment of the shared event. Example: Hi Sarah, saw you’re attending the Midwest Manufacturing Summit next month. I’ll also be there and am super excited! I’d love to catch up in person at the event. In the meantime, let’s connect here on LinkedIn. You are aligning with something already on their calendar. When you see them at the event or reach out afterward, your name is no longer unfamiliar. Following an Event After an event, connection requests work best when they reference a real interaction, even a small one. A short conversation, a question during a session, or a brief introduction creates enough context. The request should reflect that moment, not attempt to convert it into a follow-up. Example: Tim, I enjoyed meeting you at the conference last week. Your take on [subject/trend/idea] was intriguing. I look forward to staying connected and to our next conversation. This reinforces continuity and professionalism without pushing the relationship forward prematurely. After a Sales Call Sending a connection request after a sales call is one of the most underused opportunities in prospecting. If the call was answered and productive, the request reinforces credibility and continuity. Example: Thanks again for the conversation today. I appreciated your perspective on how your team is thinking about next quarter. I look forward to our next meeting and sharing some ideas I have with you and your team. If the prospect did not answer, a connection request can still make sense as a light reinforcement, especially early in the relationship. It keeps your name present without escalating pressure. Either way, the request works because the call establishes legitimacy first. After a Meaningful Interaction Not all interactions happen in formal selling environments. Thoughtful exchanges in comment threads, group discussions, or brief conversations in passing all create natural moments to connect. That might mean running into each other at a non-work event, crossing paths at an airport, or chatting briefly in a line somewhere unexpected. Example: Haley, it was a pleasure meeting you on our flight to Atlanta. Thank you for your restaurant recommendations! I look forward to staying connected, What makes this work is that the interaction was real. The request simply continues it. Mutual Connections Shared connections reduce perceived risk when handled with restraint. They signal that you operate in similar professional circles, not that you have permission to pitch. The mistake is overexplaining or implying endorsement. Example: Hi Mark, I noticed that you are connected to my good friend, James, and since you are also [interested in, working in, located in] I thought it might make sense for us to be connected also. A simple acknowledgment is enough. Familiarity does the work. Profile Views Profile views signal awareness, not intent. When someone views your profile after a call, email, or content interaction, a connection request can make sense as a low-pressure acknowledgment. Example: Wendy, thank you for visiting my profile. I had a chance to look at yours, and based on your interests, I thought it might make sense for us to connect. The discipline is resisting the urge to read more into it than is there. Want the exact framework for integrating LinkedIn into a disciplined outreach sequence without pitching, spamming, or wasting time? Buy The LinkedIn Edge by Jeb Blount and Brynne Tillman today. Sales Gravy is the number one sales training organization](https://salesgravy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/6-Moments-LinkedIn-Connection-Requests-Actually-Work-in-Prospecting-Sales-Gravy-Blog-Featured-Image-768x401.jpg)
