Taking the lead in sales includes..

As a sales person you are always under review from your prospective and current clients. Thus said you are then always 'interviewing'  and representing both the clients as well as the business you are engaged in. Therefore there will always be 'taking the lead' control factors in play.   Not the control factors of outright dominance but those that guide the sale into your hands.

Start with your appearance
You rock up to a beach party in a top hat and tails.  Wrong place and time to carry through with your sales pitch. So while dressing and acting the part is important there are many variances that could be unaware of but you will be remembered for these discrepancies. 

Your attitude.

Individually courtesy, manners and politeness will only take you so far.  But with all three in use you will go further to getting that sale than you would have before. Factoring the knowing where you are heading to this attitude mix your journey destination is  focused, able to be redirected and realigned if necessary..

Time factors.
The old saying of "Time is money" being so true why waste your clients and yours?

Follow ups

You have made one cold call, received an interview time, even just following through with  a cold calling update. Follow ups are opportunities that come from many different places. Turn these opportunities into what the customer wants -  your sales will increase. Remember that it is not the way you enter but how you leave that stays in people minds.

Networking

To network you need to interact with people. This is a constant in any sales position. Therefore to create a functional network includes all the contacts you get through the  interests and activities both inside and outside the "Work time".

Being opportunistic
While being on the forefront of things you are learning to recognise opportunities be they repeat patterns or new trends. Get out there yourself or refer the opportunities to your fellow sales people. In effect sometimes "go with the flow" actually means "trailing the storm gathering float some".

Closing the sale

Why put all that energy and time taking the lead without closing the sale?  If you do not close the sale someone else will walk in and get it.  Effectively you work and they get the money!


Filling in the paper work.
Come on where would you really be without it.

One last thing.
The conscience checker you use will be guiding your sales method. So ask yourself this question!