Want to succeed in sales? Rob Liano says it’s all about consistently engaging in practices that set you up for success. During a Wednesday education session at the ASI Show Dallas, Liano -- an entrepreneur and featured mentor at Insurance WebX – articulated some of the practices of top sales professionals. The strategies of high-achieving sales aces include:

They Provide Value & Service: Your interactions with clients should be centered around using your unique skill set and offerings to help them solve their particular business challenges. When you do that, there’s no reason for clients to turn to a competitor. “Sales is service,” said Liano. “You need to give them reasons to keep working with you.”

They Establish Expertise: Educate yourself on processes, products and more so that you’re always in a strong position to confidently advise clients what their best options are. This can lead to delivering creative solutions that set you apart from the pack.

They Write Down Their Goals: People who write down their goals are 30 times more likely to attain them, Liano said. Once objectives are established, map out a realistic plan for achieving them – and then follow through on it.

They Really Manage Their Time: Each day, write down the tasks you intend to work on during particular blocks of time. Then, to the extent that’s possible, stick to the schedule and give it your all. You’ll find that you maximize your time, getting much more done – and done well. “If you take nothing else away from today, I would encourage you to do this,” Liano said.

Position Their Clients To Succeed: Get to know your clients and their objectives. Armed with this understanding, you can help them craft promotional solutions that are tailored specifically to appeal to the customers’ desired audiences. In so doing, you maximize the likelihood that the campaigns will deliver ROI for the client. That can lead to loyalty.

They Provide Great Content: Get active with content marketing, which centers around providing advice and insights that clients and prospects would find useful through mediums that can include white papers, blogs, articles, videos, e-newsletters, and more. If done well, such content can help attract and retain customers. In particular, said Liano, content marketing is effective when you ask for a person’s contact information in exchange for providing them the content – say, a short e-book – for free. By capturing the contact info, you can now market to them directly with additional advice-providing content. That can keep you top of mind and portray you as an expert worth working with.

They Reward Referrals: Ask clients for referrals – and reward the customers who give them. Be sure you clearly communicate to clients that they can earn referral rewards and let them know what the rewards are. It’s a dangling carrot some will certainly pursue.

They Feature Testimonials: Testimonials help establish your creditability. Sure, feature them in your marketing materials, website and social pages, but also add a testimonial or two at the bottom of your email signature, said Liano.

They Always Qualify: Top sales pros spend their time wisely. A big part of that is qualifying prospects within a few minutes to see if they actually need what you’re offering. Do that, and you’ll spend more time in conversations that lead to results.

They Use Communication Means Clients Are Most Comfortable With: Liano once closed a deal that involved nothing but text interaction with a client. He’s had other clients that preferred to receive materials through snail mail. The point, he said, is that different clients prefer different communication mediums. Meet them where they are, and work through the medium that’s best for them. You’ll increase your chances of closing the sale and winning loyalty.

They Are Helpers: The right wording can set a tone that puts you and the client on the same side. For instance, Liano suggests using phrases like, “How can I help you with your marketing?” With such phrasing, you’re no longer someone who wants to sell the prospect something and get their money; you’re a helpful consultant, a teammate invested in their success.