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A salesperson is only worth something to his firm if he can close deals. Part of the reason firms turnover salespeople so frequently is because bad salespeople so readily burn bridges. The best (and most successful) salespeople never burn bridges, so their job is at its most basic level trying to find people who really need what they’re selling and help them to understand why they need it.

Decision-makers don’t always know what they need. For instance, who realized how much they ‘needed’ computers in their business until they saw dramatic impact they had on office productivity? For the salesperson trying to figure out how to increase sales, it is essentially a numbers game.

Trying to increase sales by refining pitches is good sales practice – good, honest delivery only helps the prospective client to make a good decision about how to help him or herself. But veteran salespeople know that finding the opportunity to sell – the business or person that needs a product or service – is more than half the battle. A good lead is worth more than a hypnotic pitch.

That’s why as a way to drive sales, the value of networking really can’t be quantified – or overestimated for that matter. Through making friends and acquaintances with as many people as possible, salespeople have more opportunities to spot one of their trusted allies’ needs and address it thoughtfully with a product or service.

Of course building trust and networking is a not a new idea in sales; it just seems like at times it’s forgotten. Honest sales and scouting for leads requires a lot of patience – patience that doesn’t necessarily pay off in the short-run but in the long-run always does. Burning bridges only tarnishes reputations and leads to plateaued sales performance. But maintaining good relationships with customers ensures a constant flow of new introductions and leads, which, over the years, will bit by bit grow a salesperson’s drag net and increase sales.

Most sales supervisors don’t really think back to the basics when they’re asked how to increase sales. But fundamentals can make a greater difference than any sales contest, discount, or turnover of staff.

The best sales managers know that increasing sales over the long-run is a function of good, honest business practices and constant networking.