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Better Listening Skills = More Sales

2008-07-01T21:45:00.011-07:00

Today's business environment is intrinsically tied together by ongoing information exchanges between two people. This personal communication is most often facilitated by the spoken word. Understanding this information, as it flows within a dialogue between two people is fundamental to improving one's selling effectiveness.

One of the most significant business information exchanges is between a company's front line sales representatives and either it's existing or potential customers. Information processed between these parties will have a significant affect on many other employees within both party's respective companies as purchase commitments are made.

Maximizing the effectiveness of aural business communication between sales personnel and customers hinges on two fundamental communication process components, talking and listening. It makes sense that no matter how well you articulate a message to a customer, if it is not effectively absorbed by your target audience the probability of sales success is greatly reduced.

Why Do Salespeople Tend to NOT Listen Well?

It is known that humans think faster than they listen. While a sales prospect is talking at an average rate of 125 words a minute, the average salesperson is thinking at a much more rapid rate. The act of listening, the differential between the salesperson's thinking rate and the prospect's speaking rate means the salesperson's brain can and does work with hundreds of other words, in addition to the ones being heard. Often the salesperson is thinking about what they should or will say at the expense of what the prospect is actually telling them.

The challenge at hand for all sales personnel is to learn how NOT to construct their ideas and responses during the most critical stages of their selling process. This is not easy to do given the sales prospect is also subjecting themselves to the same listening distractions. It is no wonder so many sales calls "fall apart" after the salesperson missed a key point made by the prospect and consequently lost or never got the order.

Many business professionals, especially those who make their living selling, depend greatly on their communication skills to enhance their overall job performance and maximize their income. Few salespeople have yet to even scratch the surface of developing their optimum listening skill potential. Many sales professionals have never had the opportunity to learn how to listen most effectively.

Can A Salesperson Learn to Listen Better?

A comprehensive study completed at the University of Minnesota examined the listening ability of several thousand students and hundreds of business professionals. One of the primary conclusions of this study was that immediately after the average person had listened to someone talk, they remembered only about half of what was actually said - no matter how intensely they attempted to absorb all the information communicated.

Our basic inability as humans to listen effectively requires us to utilize continuous educational reinforcement to truly master listening skills not only in a business environment but on a personal level as well. This means for a salesperson to be most effective in any selling situation a systematic effort must be made to consciously attempt to concentrate more on what is said to them, than what they will say in response ? this simple priority of aural information exchange elements will provide a significant selling advantage in almost every possible selling scenario.

Prioritizing listening over talking in a sales situation is easier said than done. It takes training and ongoing integration into any selling technique process.

Listening Skill Development Should be in All Sales Training

Any training, especially sales training, should improve listening skills development. Like any skill set, practice in a controlled setting can not only build self awareness of listening deficiencies, but it can reinforce required skills to leverage other, associated selling tactics integrated in the sales process. As Vince Lombardi once said, "It's not practice makes perfect, its PERFECT practice makes perfect!"

Six Steps to Improving Selling Listening Skills

Again, with practice and conscious resolve, a salesperson can acquire the mental agility to become a better listener by mastering these six "mental listening exercises":

1) Learn to "listen ahead": By "listening ahead", trying to anticipate where a discussion is leading to, during the dialogue, determining the conclusion in advance of your required response allows you to relax and improve information absorption

2) Learn to periodically validate communicated information: By mentally striving to validate the accuracy and completeness of information points made by the prospect, especially during pauses in the dialogue, (which can be achieved with note taking), you can allow yourself to absorb more information easier, especially information forthcoming in the continued dialogue

3) Utilize "Active Listening" techniques: By periodically, mentally summarizing the major points communicated by the prospect and voicing, reaffirming your interpretation of the points made back to the prospect you add a tremendous amount of clarity to the information exchanged thus far

4) Strive to understand versus "Judging": By working to consciously understand what the prospect is saying versus the natural tendency of judging - approving or disapproving what is said will allow you to absorb what is actually said more than any other listening development technique

5) Use your eyes to "get the rest of the story" By listening with your eyes, paying attention to the prospect's body language, their nonverbal facial and body movements or hand gestures you can see what the whole body is trying to tell you, not just the mouth!

6) Maintain a mental repertoire of common responses: By mentally developing and rehearsing how you are going to strategically respond to common sales prospect purchase objections, for example, in advance of a sales call, allows you to listen more effectively. A comprehensive mental inventory of common responses will also give you more confidence in any selling situation.

Today's successful salesperson is ultimately an effective problem solver. Whether it is an existing or potential customer, the most successful sales people continuously strive to hone their listening skills to accurately define their customer's business intentions. If properly trained, and with constant practice, a salesperson will quickly realize that how they talk or present their product or service is relatively unimportant when compared to how and what they listen to, when guided by well honed listening skills.

Applying the selling skills developed from these listening exercises can give extraordinary power, not only to the spoken word, but the words listened to, and may be, in practice, provide the only margin of victory in any given sales situation.

By Mark Smock

The #1 Lead Generation System of Top Sales People

2008-07-01T21:45:00.009-07:00

Developing an abundant supply of targeted referrals is the number one lead generation system used by top sales people.

The first step to implementing any successful lead generation system is to get your attitude right. Becoming a "Master of Referrals" requires the proper referral attitude.

Many sales people believe that by asking for referrals they're putting people on the spot or being pushy. "I'll wait and if they want to refer someone to me they will". If this is your attitude you need to change it.

Do you care about the people you do business with? Does that caring come "from the heart" instead of from your pocket? Do you care about the products or services your client's friends are buying? Do you believe your product or service is the best?

I figure your answer is yes!

If you truly believe your product or service is the best money can buy and you care about your clients and their friends, you're doing them a disservice when you don't implement this lead generation system of asking for referrals. If you don't they may end up with one of your competitors who offers less benefit, protection and advantage as you do.

Your job is to make sure everyone in your client's network is looked after by the best. So make sure that's you!

You see, your clients are probably too busy to continually think about helping people in their network. By using a lead generation system of asking for referrals you're giving them an easy way to help their friends. You're making sure they get the same top quality products and services.

You've Got to Create a WOW Experience

Most sales people only try to satisfy their clients. Statistics show that two out of three consumers that were merely satisfied with a company will never return. If you only meet the client's expectations, you'll never see two thirds of them again and you won't receive an abundance of referrals.

So how do you get a client to come back to you again and again? How do you get your current and past clients to give you a personal endorsement to their friends and relatives?

By implementing the second step of this lead generation system and creating a WOW experience! Make every clients experience special!

How many of your friends, family and business associates would you refer to a company that?

?Takes care of your needs better than you ever expected
?Delivers more than they promise
?Makes you feel special every time you communicate with them
?Delivers amazing results for you

If you take the time to create a WOW experience for your clients, it's very possible every one of them will be selling for you.

One of the easiest ways to get referrals is too continually over deliver. If you give much more than you promised, people will want to help you in any way they can.

Over delivering should be the way you do business. The referrals, thank you notes and new friends you make are the bonuses you receive for doing your job.

Make a genuine difference in people's lives and you'll always get lots of referrals.

Make it Easy, Fun and Enjoyable to Refer People to You

People don't like doing difficult things unless there's an incredibly rewarding benefit in doing so. Even then many people still won't do something that appears too difficult.

Many salespeople's clients are unsure about who to refer. Which means they have to do all the work by figuring out who to refer? So they may end up referring no one.

Make sure your clients know exactly who to refer. Otherwise you're not going to get a high quantity or quality of referrals.

The third step of this lead generation system is give each client a good idea of who they could refer.

For example, The Realtor you recently purchased your home from could say to you?

"Do you know anyone who recently had a baby, got married or received a promotion and might be thinking about buying or selling a house?

If you do, I'm sure they could benefit from my services. After all you know how good my service is. So, please introduce them to us. If you do I'll be sure to do something wonderful to thank you."

You can see how this helps you know "exactly" who the Realtor is looking for.

So make sure you show a genuine interest in your clients, their families and friends. Make it your business that they receive the best products and services available, YOURS! Create a WOW experience for every client you do business with. Make over delivering your way of doing business. And make it easy for people to refer new clients your way by telling them who to refer.

Follow the three steps of this lead generation system and you're on your way to creating an abundance of new target clients and becoming a Master of Referrals.

By Jim Klein

The Reason Why They Buy

2008-07-01T21:45:00.007-07:00

If you're a business person you want to sell your product or service. If it's been a struggle, then you probably aren't giving your potential customers a good "Reason Why" they should buy from you.

Take off your "business person" hat for a minute, and put on your "consumer" hat. You ARE a consumer when you need products other than your own. And why do you buy what you buy? Not just because it's there. Not because someone else needs your business. You buy because you think the product will meet your wants and needs.

How do you know? Perhaps you've used it before. Perhaps a friend recommended this product or service. Or perhaps the advertising gave you a good "reason why" you should become a customer.

The reality is -- we're all tuned into station WIFM: What's in it for me?

When you put pen to paper and begin to draft your next ad, put yourself in your customers' shoes and ask yourself what's in it for them. WHY will your product or service give them more than someone else's? Do you offer better service? Faster service? Higher quality? Lower price? Greater variety? Better guarantee?

What makes you stand out from the crowd?

Whatever it is, that's what you must convey to your customer.

By Marte Cliff

The Clock is Ticking on Your Leads

2008-07-01T21:45:00.005-07:00

Every day is critical when you are in the business of sales. That lead you receive today could very easily be gone tomorrow.

It is very important to act on your lead the very second you get it, not an hour later, or a few days later.

The second it is in one hand, the next hand should be dialing the phone.

Too often leads and referrals are taken for granted, sales people assume that because someone gave them a lead, that it is exclusive to only them. It is not, at any time one of your competitors can call that person and offer them a better price or a better service.

I once worked with a guy in the mortgage industry. He received a lead from someone in his networking group on a Wednesday. He called the lead the very minute he got back to his office, and he was on his way to building a very nice relationship with her. By Thursday the two of them had come to a decision on a rate and product for her home that she was refinancing. Everything was moving along nicely.

Or so it seemed.

When he called her on Monday to follow up, it turned out that she was working with another loan officer, and would no longer be needing any of my co-worker's services.

As it turned out, his customer was at a family reunion over the weekend. While making small talk, she mentioned that she was in the process of refinancing her home.

One of her third cousins just so happened to be present at this conversation, and subsequently chimed in when he heard the word refinance.

He proceeded to tell her that he was a loan officer and that if she allowed him an opportunity, he could most likely get her a better rate. After some more small talk, she decided that since she was only three days into the process of refinancing with someone else, that it wouldn't hurt to give someone in her family an opportunity to do business with her.

So much for my co-workers loan.

So keep this in mind the next time you receive a lead. It is not a given. Give your leads the same amount of attention as you would give a customer you worked your tail off to get, or one with a high profile.

Keep in mind, every time you make contact with your customer, you are building a rapport with them, and strengthening the relationship you have with them. The more they speak with you the more they will get to know you and trust you.

It doesn't matter if the lead is from a friend or a family member. If your customer can get a better deal with someone else, nine times out of ten, they will take the better deal.

So call your leads as soon as you get them, give them exemplary customer service, be accessible at all times to answer their questions, and keep things moving. And remember, the clock is ticking on your leads.

By Jay Conners

Dont Close Your Eyes Or Let Deaf Ears Fall Upon You

2008-07-01T21:45:00.003-07:00

To listen to your customer is important, and to hear your customer is critical. But, to see what actions they take is the lifeline to your business.

Recently, I was giving an introductory presentation of the Life Enrichment course to a group of Real Estate agents.

The objective was to sell the agents on participating in the Hypmovation Life Enrichment eight -session, six-week course. The course teaches people how to apply the science of self-programming the subconscious mind through self-hypnosis to improve all areas of life.

During the twenty-two minute sales presentation, I asked questions of the agents to find out what was important to them.

The questions were:

? Do you wish that you could have more control over your life?

? What if you could completely remove and eliminate the fear of cold calling on new prospects--would that be important to you?

? How would your life change if you could permanently remove financial stress?

During the questioning and probing period, I was getting all the right vocal, body language, and yes signs from the audience. However, I didn't feel like I had fully connected with what would influence or inspire them to take action and enroll in the training.

While carefully watching my audience, the next question I asked got a resounding rise in energy from them. I knew now that I was on the right track.

The question I asked next was-

"Would it be important for you to eliminate the physical pain and everyday stress that keeps you from enjoying life more?"

After finding out what motivated and stimulated them to sit up and take interest, I was left with only two other steps. The first step was to explain the benefits of the program and how it would solve their problems. The second step was to enroll them into the program.

The principle lesson:

Listening is important. Hearing is critical. Watching the actions of your customers is the lifeline to your success in business.

By Don L. Price

Get Tough

2008-07-01T21:45:00.001-07:00

You deal with rejections, frustrations, disappointment, and possibly disrespect on a daily basis. You probably experience more emotional ups and downs than most other professionals. And, no matter how successful you are, your income is less predictable than that of salaried employees. As a salesperson, your level of mental and emotional toughness affects you everyday, both on and off the job.

Being mentally and emotionally tough is less about what you say and do than it is about how you feel about what you say and do. For example, if your feelings about asking a prospect to make a decision keep you from asking, then you start a downward spiral to nowhere. First, you're uncomfortable asking, so you don't ask and end up wasting time with a non-qualified prospect. You get angry with yourself and/or the prospect for wasting time. All these negative feelings and actions only serve to tear down your emotional and mental well-being.

Here's a Sandler rule: "Never become emotionally involved in a sales call, especially a cold call." Being emotionally tough doesn't mean that you have no emotions or that you are a cold person. It means that you have learned how to control your emotions so they don't keep you from doing what you have to do.

Excerpted from the President's Club Professional Development Program (trainer edition) © 2000 Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved

By Dan Hudock

Build Rapport by Mirroring

2008-07-01T21:44:00.023-07:00

Traditionally, salespeople look for something in the office that begs a question. For example, "Is that your sailfish on the wall?"

How many times do you think that prospect has been asked that question? How often do you think the prospect hears a salesperson ask about the family portrait on the desk, last night's baseball game, etc.? The prospect anticipates these questions. Verbal skill is actually a very small part of the rapport quotient. Non-verbal communication goes a long way toward establishing rapport with your prospect.

This may seem to suggest the need to learn to read body language. But it's not as simple as interpreting (guessing) what your prospect's body language is saying. The fact is, people feel comfortable with people who are like themselves! So, as a professional salesperson, you can use a technique called mirroring to match your prospect's body language so that your prospect relaxes and feels comfortable in your presence.

Show and Tell (and Touch)

All of us interpret our personal environments through our senses, which act like filters. Your mind is constantly asking, "How does what just happened fit into my world? How do I make sense of this and that?"

You use your senses to interpret your environment: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. For certain stimuli you use only one of these senses; for others, you use some combination of the senses.

In the business world, three senses are dominant: sight, sound, and touch. (Unless you sell a food product, you generally cannot give your prospect the opportunity to taste or smell.)

Most of the time, your prospects rely on one sense more than the others to make decisions. Prospects are either visual people, meaning they need to see a picture before they can make a decision; or auditory, meaning they need to hear something before they can make a decision; or kinesthetic, meaning they need to touch or feel to make a decision. Some combination of these senses is at work in all prospects, but one sense tends to dominate.

So what happens when your prospect is kinesthetic and you walk into the room and say: "How ëbout those Cowboys? Did you see the game yesterday?" How does your kinesthetic prospect - who needs to touch - gain any sense of commonality out of what you said? You'd want to say: "Wow, doesn't it make you feel great when those Cowboys win?" Your kinesthetic prospect knows, indeed, what it feels like when the Cowboys win or lose.

How can you tell which sense dominates the prospect's decision making engine? Listen for the clues. Every prospect will give them to you. Just listen to what the prospect says.

A visual prospect will say something like, "That seems a little fuzzy to me. Can you show me a picture," or, "I'm having some trouble focusing on that idea. I'd like to see that in my mind's eye." Visual people use their eyes to view the world around them and they need visual images to communicate. If you want to sell a visual prospect, you've got to speak visually. "What do you see yourself accomplishing?" is a good question to ask a visual.

An auditory prospect may say, "What does it sound like when you make the connection," "Can you comment on the importance of this gadget," or, "I've got to make it clear as a bell in order to announce it at the next level." Auditory people use their ears to make sense of the world. Next time you go to a concert, look around for the people who have their eyes closed. They're not sleeping; they're listening. They don't need to see the orchestra to enjoy the music.

A kinesthetic prospect may say, "It feels a little muddled to me. It's got to fit hand-in-glove with what we're already doing," or, "It's a sensitive issue, and I've got be comfortable with it." The kinesthetic prospect seeks trust. Learn to create the feeling of trust, and you can quickly establish rapport with a kinesthetic person. Equally important: Kinesthetics want to know that you are about them.

By "reading" your prospects' cues and "living" in their world, you can quickly establish rapport and begin to improve your sales proficiency. Your goal as a salesperson is to learn these bonding and rapport techniques and practice them repeatedly.

Excerpted from the book You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar, ©1995 by David H. Sandler. All rights reserved.

By Dan Hudock

Why Salespeople Dont Take Risks

2008-07-01T21:44:00.021-07:00

Proponents of traditional sales training simply teach the material, sometimes in a very entertaining format, but they place the responsibility for using the material on the salesperson.

So what happens? The salesperson sits at home, stuck with personal flaws related to identity, and he can't perform. He takes no risks. Not being able to use what he has learned simply makes him feel worse. He gets caught in a downward spiral of failure and rejection. He continues to find himself not doing what he's supposed to do - for example, not leaving his home to make sales calls. Pressure, guilt, self-doubt, worry, and fear will eventually totally immobilize this salesperson.

The Sandler Selling System separates identity and role. And by doing so, we reduce the risk factors in a salesperson's life. Since self-esteem cannot be hurt by the rejection of the sales process, a salesperson will continually take risks . . . more risks, and higher risks, leading to bigger sales.

The Sandler Selling System doesn't merely teach techniques and strategies. Human relations skills are included as well. The result is that salespeople whom we train are able to use the techniques and strategies with ease and success.

Tens Continue to Grow

When I tell people their identity is always a ten, some of them argue that it's impossible, because a rating of ten implies they have no room to grow. The say, "If I was a ten when I was born, and a ten when I was eleven, and twenty-five, and I'm a ten today, then how did I grow?"

Okay, imagine that you are going to plant a seed in the ground. The seed is going to grow into a rose. When you plant the seed, what's the value of the seed and everything in it? Can we agree that it's a ten?

Now, after a couple of weeks of sunshine and water, a stem wiggles up from out of the seed and appears above ground. What's the value of that stem? Can it be anything other than a ten? If you say it's less than a ten, then explain when it lost value. It didn't, of course!

So after six weeks, what's the value of the rose? In fifteen weeks, what's the value of the rose? It continues to be a ten. So the rose was a ten as a seed, and it's a ten now. And yet, didn't it grow?

Just because your identity is valued at a ten doesn't mean you stopped growing. You grow all the time.

However, that's not to say you don't have psychological "trash." In fact, everyone does! It's part of being human. If you were the only person with psychological trash, then you'd have a problem. But we've all got some of it, and in spite of it, we continue to be tens, and continue to grow.

Excerpted from You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar, ©1995 Sandler Sales Institute. All rights reserved.

By Dan Hudock

Top 5 Low Cost Ways To Get More Sales Leads And Sell More Without Cold Calling

2008-07-01T21:44:00.019-07:00

Cold calling may now be outdated. People have become defensive to cold calls and not many respond to them anymore. Cold calling is now about rejection, getting rejected call after call until many salespeople, especially B2B salespeople, just get fed up and quit. There are other methods of generating business leads without cold calling, and many of them inexpensive and not too time consuming.

Here is my list of getting more sales leads and selling more without cold calling:

1. Create a website and advertise it. In this day and age, there is no reason why a business professional or entrepreneur should not have a website. Not having a budget for it is no excuse as you can, now, create your own website for under $100. For example, you can buy a domain name and website building software on godaddy.com for under $100, and that comes with easy to use website templates that anybody can use to build their own website. And, advertising is now cheap and easy as well. You can buy first page listings on google.com through Goggle AdWords. For example, if you were a commercial insurance broker in Portland you can buy a listing on Google for just 5 cents a click for the search phrase "Portland business insurance." This means it would cost just 5 cents for each visitor Google brings to your website.

2. A new online sales lead generation website is trade-pals.com. Here, it is free to create a professional business profile in any business category and across all major North American cities. You just create a profile that says what you do, what type of business you want, who should contact you, and why people should contact you. If someone sees your profile and wants to do business with you, you will get an email stating exactly what they're looking for and, from this, you decide whether you'll purchase the person's full contact info (name, address, phone, email, and URL) which is the sales lead. Each email you receive will be from someone that has seen your profile and already wants to do business with you so the sales leads are top quality.

3. You have business cards? use them; use them in creative ways. Every time I send mail, no matter to whom it's to, I include a business card. Every time I eat at a restaurant, I leave behind a business card. Every time I meet someone new, I offer a business card. You never know if the next person that sees your card will require your services. Make sure your business card clearly states what you do.

4. Network at business functions and trade shows. Again, bring business cards.

5. Create a free classifieds ad on craigslist.org. Craigslist is the biggest classifieds ad site on the internet and every day thousands, if not millions of people visit the site. Classifieds ads on the site stay posted for 45 days, so you only need to create an ad every 45 days. The best part is, these ads find there way into Google's search results so make sure your ad has keywords that your clients may be searching.

By Tino Buntic

Cutting Through Stalls and Objections

2008-07-01T21:44:00.017-07:00

It's the prospect. If stalls and objections frequently come up in your sales calls, it's a good idea to bring them up before the prospect has the opportunity. If you bring them up first, several good things happen:

* It helps your credibility when the prospect sees that you're not afraid to bring up stalls and objections, even before you're asked. This promotes a feeling of trust.

* You remain in control, not the prospect.

* You can save time and get down to business faster and easier.

Here's how you can handle stalls and objections up-front:

"Art, sometimes when I talk to people about what we do--and it may not be the case here--sometimes they tell me one of the following: They see all vendors as being the same; they hate the idea of going through the process of whom to select to provide this product (or service); they had a bad experience the last time they tried someone new; or they're not sure which direction or application will be best for them. Which of these, if any, Art, is a concern to you?"

The idea is to take three or four of the most common objections--those that you hear most often--and phrase them in a multiple-choice question that prompts the prospect to select one or more. This technique smokes out an objection that might get in the way of your progress later in the presentation.

When your prospect selects one of the objections, you then reverse by saying:

"Really? I'm surprised by your answer. Why did you pick that one?"

Probe a couple more times to find out the real objection. Then, decide if the prospect's objection will be a problem, or if you can handle it later in the presentation.

By Dan Hudock

5 Powerful Tips To Persuasion!

2008-07-01T21:44:00.015-07:00

Having excellent persuasion skills is one of the most important abilities to possess in today's fast-paced world. We all need the support and cooperation of others in helping us reach our own personal goals. The saying that "no man is an Island" is an undeniable truth.

These are some tips to influence effectively and persuade others to buy your product or service.

1. Provide an Understanding Attitude.

Enter into their world. You must understand their situation. Look at life from their point of view. This is a time to set aside your personal interests in order to concentrate on your prospective buyer. Do not talk about you. Ask questions to learn about them.

If you were this person, what would you do? How would feel? What would your opinion be? Once you have these answers, then, take the appropriate action that would benefit them.

It would not hurt to mirror some of their actions. You don't want to be too obvious about mirroring, but it is helpful so that others relax in your presence. It is as if they see themselves in you. This can lead to trust.

2. Provide a Friendly Atmosphere.

Smile to brighten up the day. Make a sincere compliment to raise their spirits. Little things like this count a lot.

Make them feel that whenever they need help or just someone to look up to, you will always be there to lend a hand. They will tend to be more receptive in a caring environment.

If you want others to respond to your requests, be sure to go the extra mile. Always over deliver and exceed their expectations. It really does not cost much extra time or money to over deliver, but it pays off in dividends. Others will notice and want that kind of service.

3. Provide compelling evidence.

Explain how your ideas or suggestions could be the most effective techniques to implement. Show undeniable proof that you have the best product by way of testimonials, before and after scenarios. Give detailed comparisons against your competitors. Make sure all your claims are true and verifiable. You want to maintain a good reputation.

4. Provide Solutions to Meet the Needs of Others.

This point is very important. "Finding a need and meeting it" is probably one of the most effective ways to persuade others to buy your product or use your service. People are formatively concerned with their own well-being before others. If you can prove that your proposal is in their best interest and will provide substantial benefits, they will more than likely accept your presentation.

5. Provide an Expert Mind-Set.

People want to know that you understand what you are presenting to them. Be confident. Do the necessary homework so that you have answers to questions that may arise. This is not a time to be proud or arrogant, but rather certain.

By John E. Neyman, Jr., PhD.

9 TIPS: Dont Sell Me - Persuade Me

2008-07-01T21:44:00.013-07:00

We all have something in our past we believe someone "sold" us. It might have been a lemon yellow car, a skimpy skirt or a purple tie. We bought it because -despite our gut feeling - we thought we were doing the right thing. We wanted to please the salesman - and we believed that person knew more than we did. Until we got home.

One of the two major complaints from trade show attendees is about the booth staff that has a heavy sales pitch. You know that pushy salesman stereotype.. (FYI - the second complaint is staff that doesn't know its stuff - i.e. is not knowledgeable about the company products and services..)

Trade shows have the disadvantage of compressed time. You might have 30 seconds or 30 minutes but it's not a regular sales call. You can't talk faster. Just listen closely to the attendees and try to persuade people that your firm can solve their problems.

Here are nine conversation points, and examples, to consider when speaking with people at trade shows.

1. Authority - Why are you important? What gives you the authority to ask for clients? Perhaps it's your firm's expertise in a certain area, or a partner's experience. It's no longer because your company has a long history or is the newest dot.com.

TIP - It has to be a proactive, not a reactive, reason. "We've taken the position that e-learning is critical. We developed a great program in-house that improved our sales productivity 45%, and now we're sharing it with others in our industry."

2. Conformity - Are you certified? In every industry, some form of certification carries importance and gives you and your firm authority. Knowing that as a consulting firm, half your staff are CPAs, lets me know that you conform to accounting standards.

TIP - Don't just tell me why you are ISO9000 certified, tell me why it's important to your company. "We were the first HVAC company in this area to be certified and it really helps us focus our goals to service clients like you."

3. Commitment - Is your firm committed to your industry? Are you a leader or just in the middle of the pack?

TIP - Don't say you're committed to customer service, tell me how. "We found that 85% of our customer service calls come during regular business hours, but we never want you to have to wait for an answer, so our 800 number and online help desk are staffed 24/7."

4. Consistency - Clients want to know you have a track record and that you'll maintain it when they remain with you.

TIP - Explain how you maintain the consistency. "We're spending $5million in R&D this year for product improvement, but we'll always stock the MX49 that your firm uses, because we own that mold. "

5. Contrast - How are you different from your competitors? Avoid giving your competitor a plug and don't refer to them by name.

TIP - Answer questions with a comment that shows your company's leadership. "We're aware other firms are taking the low road, but we've always preferred the high road because the vision is better."

6. Like #1 - This is personal - we all like to do business with people for whom we have a good personal feeling, so if there's a twinge of personality clash in your conversation, pass the visitor over to another staff member.

TIP - You don't want to blow a deal because he or she didn't "like" you. "You know, I think Sam has a better handle on your concerns, so let me introduce you to him now."

7. Like #2 - This is business - In today's fast, competitive world, not everyone is aware of the relationships on the business side, if there is a history your firm has with the visitor's firm.

TIP - Be up to date on your company's status, ask about relationship problems before the show. "Yes, I understand we didn't get the bid for the job in Chile, but since we added enterprise software our costs have reduced considerably. I know we'll be more aggressive on your next bid."

8. Reciprocate - Is this a potential partnership? Every client should be viewed as a partner. Sometimes, you have to give more in a partnership than you get.

TIP - Don't view the reciprocity as a guaranteed 50-50 relationship. "We'll be happy to include co-op advertising in our agreement with you. All we ask is, when the advertising works for you, that you refer other wholesalers like your firm to us."

9. Scarcity - How unique are your firm's talents, products and services? What makes me have to choose you?

TIP - Be certain of your facts before you boast - "Are you aware we are the only firm to provide secure internet access for coffee grinder repair shops?"

Knowledgable conversation leads to persuasion which leads to sales.

By Julia O'Conno

Increasing Your Sales FASTER -- Dealing with Ill Think It Over.

2008-07-01T21:44:00.011-07:00

Do you frequently hear that from a prospect?

"I'll Think It Over."

What does this mean? It usually means that either

The prospect doesn't know how to say No, or

There are real questions he doesn't have the answers to that he will be looking for.

He might want to price shop.

Some clients are just procrastinators; they don't make quick decisions, or will never make a decision. and

Something was missed earlier in the sales process.So, could this have been avoided before it got this far? Possibly. The problem is that the longer the prospect delays, the less likely you'll close this deal. I see sales close ratios go up when my clients start using dealing with this before it happens, and handling it quickly when it does happen.

When your hear "I'll think it over," it is an indication that a step in the sales process was missed by not clarifying what the prospect's decision making process was and when a decision would be made. Following the sales process step by step, and making sure that the prospect has discovered all of the right answers for himself before going for the close can increase your close ratio by multiple times. If you are hearing this frequently it is an strong indication that something is missing in your sales process.

Let's break this up into:

How could we have avoided this?

Dealing with it now that you've got it.How Could We Have Avoided This?

During the sales process make sure to ask a few key questions:
1) If the prospect can make the decision, or does he have to check with someone else.
2) What is the decision making process? What is his major concerns? If they are all answered is there any reason that he wouldn't move forward?

Then restate the situation: "Let's see then, if [this problem, or that problem were resolved]?.. then you would decide to move forward?" (Now you have an agreement to make a decision and move forward if all of his questions are answered.).
3) Is Price the major concern or is one of the other concerns he stated more important? (One last heck on his concerns).

Dealing With It Now That You've Got the Stalling Tactic

"That sounds reasonable. You know, when I hear that I become a little concerned that something is bothering you. Is there something

You're unsure of

Your still looking for or

I didn't answer to your satisfaction?Some other questions:

What is it that you're still looking for that I might be able to clarify now?

Would you share your concerns with me?"This will frequently get the prospect to open his concerns to you rather than walking away. Then provide the answers that are needed to close the deal.

Don't argue with anything the prospect says. Provide a logical, positive answer.

The longer the prospect delays the less likely you will get the sale.

And, if the prospect didn't really need your product and didn't know how to say no, you'll clear this up quickly so that you don't waste your valuable time. There is nothing more frustrating than calling a client over and over to hear, I'll get back to you .... later and it never happening.

Following these steps you will see your sales increase FASTER. If you'd like to receive more Hints and Tips to Increase Your Sales, send an email to mailto:AlanBoyer@leaders-perspective.com with "Sales Tips" in the subject line, or go to the website at http://www.leaders-perspective.com/Sales-Training.aspx

Alan Boyer, President/CEO of The Leader's Perspective, LLC, is considered one of the world's leading breakthrough specialists and sales trainers. He has worked with some of the worlds largest companies, on projects in the multi-billion dollar area, and with single proprietor companies. He has worked on many hundreds of projects with companies that have resulted in multi-$100 million savings or gains. With over 35 years of business, sales training, quality, and process experience, he has catapulted businesses lightyears ahead in weeks. Some have doubled and some have jumped 10 times. He claims the key to that is:

Helping the business owners/employees develop the business skills

Helping them overcome the limitations and attitudes that they built between their ears (the self imposed limitations, I can't, this won't work for me, I'm different)

By helping them find the breakthroughs in their business and thinkingHe helps companies worldwide reach further than they EVER thought possible....FASTER

Training for Trade Shows - 5 FAQs

2008-07-01T21:44:00.009-07:00

Trade shows are so obvious. You go. You hand out brochures. You come back to the office. It's just a glitch in your work week. Well, it's much more than that. Your bottom line can float on when you make - or lose - a sale at a trade show.

Trade show training. So, who needs it? Well, you do - if you want to understand the process and do a better job. Is training just for one person? It's a start but it's best that everyone involved in a show understand the impact a show can have.

Through the years, I've been asked lots of questions about training. These are the one that are asked most often - the FAQs about why training is important.

Q - We've been going to shows for years. We always send the same crew. Why do we need training?

A - Because if you've been going to the same shows, sending the same staff and selling the same products to the same people, you're in a rut. The business world is changing quickly, and you need to adapt. Trade show marketing is unique for each show because there's a change of exhibitors, attendees - and most important - your reason for attending. To "just do it" doesn't work for trade shows.

Q - Why does everybody involved in the show need training?

A - Because old habits are hard to break. And bad habits are tougher. Trade shows are a company-wide marketing event, not a trip for the sales staff. Statistics show that 80% of leads are not followed-up after a show. When you have more people responsible for the success of the show - from the executive office to the loading dock, from the telemarketing staff to the out-of-town reps, your odds are greater for making sales and keeping customers.

Q - We have had sessions on how to sell and follow-up. What's so different about trade shows?

A - Trade shows are a completely different environment. The time is compressed, the expectations are high (sometimes too high), you're constantly on stage meeting strangers. Then you get back to your office? Well, you have to follow-up leads as well as do your regular work. The more you know about this unique marketing opportunity, the more comfortable and successful you will be.

Q - We're just going to a show to walk the aisles. Why do we need training?

A - Are you a good spy? What are you looking for? Do you know trade shows are the best source of market intelligence about your industry, new products, new processes, new suppliers, new partners, new reps, new employees and new competitors? Training can help you be more aware of your surroundings, focus on your targets and be open to new opportunities.

Q - Our display is looking worn since we do lots of road shows a year. But the boss doesn't want to spend money. Can we substitute training for a new display?

A - Sorry, no. A sad-looking display is a reflection on how important you think your company is. Training can make you more effective, but it can't overcome a neglected image.

Conversely, a new and expensive exhibit cannot overcome an inexperienced staff, pushy sales people, a lack of purpose or that infamous I-don't-care attitude. Don't put all your exhibit money into the exhibit. A sharp exhibit is important to get people to your space, but it's people who make the contact - and the contract.

The more you know, the better you will be at a trade show.

By Julia O'Connor

Marketing Vs. Sales

2008-07-01T21:44:00.007-07:00

Marketing and sales co-exist and work in tandem beautifully if they are allowed to remain as separate entities coming together to achieve results:

DRIVING REVENUE!!

Marketing = SIZZLE ------ Sales = CLOSING

The misunderstanding that marketing and sales are the same causes a downward spiral of events. Sales staff and managers become frustrated, productivity drops, turnover is high, and company image suffers. This "cycle of misunderstanding" perpetuates itself over and over again resulting in lost revenue.

STOP THE CYCLE OF MISUNDERSTANDING!

HOW?

1) Understand that there is a difference between marketing and sales.

What's The Difference?

Marketing is associated with advertising, event planning, community involvement, getting your company name "out there", creating credibility, normally a "people pleaser" personality, with the primary focus on lead generation.

Sales is associated with knowledge and understanding of the value of a lead, understanding the "selling cycle", a well documented sales process (and knowing how to use it), great qualifying questions, developing an atmosphere of trust with customers, listening more than talking, asking for the sale or the next step, great follow-up skills.

The actual skill sets (not personalities) for each of these areas of expertise is different. Most companies evaluate potential sales staff on personalities NOT skills. A critical component in the hiring process should include a skill based evaluation.

2) When recruiting, define well in advance what position you are hiring for - sales or marketing? Most companies' need both as a team working together.

3) Eliminate untrained or unskilled staff from being involved in the recruitment process. The misconception about sales and marketing being one and the same runs rampant in all industries in all staff involved in the hiring process.

Solutions:

1) Develop a company profile to differentiate skill sets.

2) Create a list of key questions designed to delineate the difference in skill sets of the sales person vs. the marketing person.

3) Provide appropriate training to anyone involved in the hiring process to help them understand the differences to assure you are hiring the right person for the right position.

Quiz: What Kind of Sales Shoe Are You?

2008-07-01T21:44:00.005-07:00

Have you ever wondered what type of saleswoman you are? It doesn't matter if you run your own company or sell for someone else - it is extremely important to know what your style is. What does The Sales Diva mean here? Well - let me throw my high heel on my desk here and I will explain.

Are You a "Shoe-In" With Your Customers?

The most important aspect of selling is to understand and relate to your customer. And before you can do that - you have to know yourself. Contrary to popular belief - you don't have to twist yourself into a pretzel to be a success in sales. You don't have to copy anyone else. You just have to be YOU - with all your quirks and also understanding your strengths.

The sales quiz below will help you determine what type of "Sales Shoe" you are wearing?and what areas of selling you need to improve. Answer yes or no to the following questions. Compare your point total to the scoring key at the bottom.

1. I enjoy the challenge of finding new clients.

2. I feel the most satisfaction with a client I have known a long time.

3. I like most networking events.

4. When I am faced with a difficult client I am not afraid.

5. I love when there are lots of details to put together.

6. Money is a motivator for me.

7. I get excited when I am working with a new client.

8. I love change.

9. I love getting out to networking events and meeting new people.

10. Following up with customers is easy for me.

11. Goal-setting is really important to me.

12. I get excited about unknown opportunities.

13. Self-motivation is one of my greatest skills.

14. I love people - that's why I got into sales.

15. I rarely feel nervous when I ask for the sale.

16. I don't tend to take rejection personally.

17. I love exceeding my goals.

18. People often tell me that I am a great listener.

19. It doesn't matter what I sell as long as I believe in it.

20. I love learning and invest yearly in professional development.

21. I think that the word "selling" is a fabulous word!

22. I am an expert at asking questions.

23. I enjoy solving problems.

24. Relationships are my middle name!

25. My customers see me as an expert.

26. I have a clear picture of who my target audience is.

27. I know what I need to do to market myself.

Scoring Key: What Shoe Are You?

22-27 Points: High Heel Pump

You go girl! You are dedicated to helping people and making money at the same time. Just make sure to keep yourself on track - start a Success Team so you continue to stay motivated.

16-20 Points: Stiletto

Great score! You can run a block in your high heels and not even get a run in your nylon. Just remember - to maintain customer relationships - you have to slow down and pay attention to some of the details.

11-15 Points: Mary Jane Classic

You're doing fine but there is room for improvement. Your shy nature may be holding you back in some areas. You don't have to be behind the scenes - you get out there and shine! Try taking a public speaking class - it will do wonders for your confidence!

6-10 Points: Sneakers

You're busy but not much is happening. You may be feeling a little frustrated at why success isn't coming faster. Dig deep here - what are you afraid of? It's time to get a mentor and also quit trying to do everything yourself.

0-5 Points: Flip-Flop

Don't despair! Many of your attitudes about sales can be adjusted - if you're willing. Use this quiz as a starting point to pinpoint the changes you want to make. Consider reading one professional development book a week and also getting some sales advice for your business.

By Kim Duke

How To Win Business By Networking

2008-07-01T21:44:00.003-07:00

In sales we do tend to become focused upon our own little worlds. Our company, our desk, our clients; but there is a whole world of people out there living their lives in their little worlds too. And they do a lot of business. The purpose of personal networking is to move yourself into these people's networks so that you can do business with them naturally and without cold calling. Now, I am not for one second suggesting that you should stop cold calling but you can use personal networking to greatly increase your chances of success and referrals.

Pareto's Law states that 80% of your business will come from 20% of your clients. Chances are that these are the clients that you have strong relationships with, your "champions" if you like. So start to network with them. Find out who they know, who they can refer you to and who they would approach for business if they were you.

Now you may be thinking, "Well, I cannot do that." Or even, "Well, they would have given it to me if they had any contacts, wouldn't they!".

Wrong! On both counts! People who do not sell for a living do not understand what you want if you don't tell them. They may well think that you do not need or want their help. Approached properly your clients will help you, they will give you leads and they will sell your services for you. I advocate that everyone I coach has a "circle of influence" - a group of people who always speak well of you, will refer you to other people and who will happily pass leads to you. Start by identifying ten people for yours now and start to network with them. As time passes you can expand this group. You will find that many of your best clients will be people who are referred to you by your existing best clients.

And remember! In sales, none active clients can be "champions" too so keep in touch with them. I have won many large pieces of business from clients who work with my competitors for a variety of valid reasons but then recommended me and not them!!! Why? Because the salesperson who sold them had something specific that they wanted at the right time but I had the networking skills and the credibility so they gave their referral business to me not the other salesperson!

"But Gavin, I have only just started out and I haven't got any clients or any people to get into my circle!!!!"

Well, firstly I don't believe you. Ten years ago I was offered a job with a large financial advisors in the City. I was very tempted. It was more money than I was earning, the commission was incredible and the offices were flash. I decided that it was not the path for me but I do remember their first question in the interview, "When you start with us you have to make a list of 200 people you know. Now you many not think that you know 200 people but you will. Write down all of your family, all of your friends and then everyone you know through them. It may take you a while but you'll get there. Your first job is to ring them all, tell them what you are doing and ask them how they can help. Can you do that?"

So you see you will know people, when you try. Are you ready to try yet?

But there are other ways to get to know people and here are just a few. I am sure that you will have more and better ideas because you know your business better than me?

Business groups, user groups, networking groups (such as BNI), breakfast clubs, Toastmasters, church, rotary, rotaract, the round table, standing in queues, public speaking anywhere, charity work, in restaurants, volunteer service, hotels, at the gym, professional associations (such as REC), your local business link, schools/ colleges / universities, neighbours, friends, family, colleagues, ex-colleagues and many, many more.

And as a final note before you all leave your desks to take your best clients out for lunch or to go and visit BNI! You are running your own business. You are responsible for making the sales that you need to hit target. You need to work out - by yourself and in discussion with your manager or coach - the best way to do that. Every networking meeting you attend should have an objective!

Several of my ex staff may well be reading this thinking, "I cannot believe him - he stopped me going to the XXX user group." Yes, I might have and if you remember I asked you why you were going. If the objective is not clear and not quantifiable - don't go. It's not a "jolly" or a day out of the office, it's a proven business development method!

For the last 10 years, Gavin Ingham has been helping sales people to explode their sales performance by turning self-doubt, fear and lack of motivation into self-belief, confidence and action. With his inspirational approach to sales performance and motivation Gavin combines commercial experience, personal excellence and communications technologies in delivering personal and business sales success.

How To Become A Sales Superstar And Have Fun Winning More Business - Start Here!

2008-07-01T21:44:00.001-07:00

One of the interesting things about being a coach and speaker is that I have the good fortune to work with lots of different people from all sorts of different types of companies, markets and backgrounds. Whilst I do work (on the motivation and public speaking side) with non-sales people probably 95%+ of the work I do is with sales teams of some sort or other! As such, I get a real insight into the challenges and issues that many top sales performers face and also into who they are and what they believe.

Now I guess that not many of my readers will not have heard of logical levels; logical levels hails from neuro-linguistic programming (nlp) and has been championed by a chap called Robert Dilts. Logical levels is a model of what's inside of us and how that helps us to filter information through ourselves before acting on it. There are various different versions of logical levels however they all have at the deeper levels the word IDENTITY or who you are.

If you think about it, who you think you are forms the basis of every action you take and every feeling you have. And it's not something that we consciously choose. At your next sales meeting why not ask everyone around the table:

"How did you get into sales?"

I've run this exercise with literally thousands of sales people and the answers are normally very interesting. One common theme however is that most sales people have "fallen into" sales. Very few actually choose. Lets take this back a step further and think about childhood because most of us had a goal or dream to be something when we grew up! What was it for you? Footballer? Astronaut? Nurse? Doctor? One thing I'm confident it probably wasn't was a sales person or a telephone salesperson!! Very few people choose to be in sales!

Think about it for a second. If at some level you have not met your childhood dreams and you have just fallen into sales then how are you going to feel? Particularly when you face client rejections or objections? Its easy to adopt limiting beliefs to support your non-sales identity. I recently worked with a team who had such a strong non-sales identity and such an aversion to what they perceived was a sales identity that they wouldn't even consider the option of objection handling as they felt it was too pushy and rude!!!! Fortunately, we did some one on one work and they're getting on fine now.

So what can you do about this for either yourself or your team?

Imagine that you're in a time machine and going back to your childhood armed with all of the information that you have now. When you get there ask yourself these questions ............

Why would you choose a career in sales?

What could be great about a career in sales?

What are the advantages of a career in sales?

What can only a career in sales allow you to do?

How can you reinforce this new identity and beliefs on a day to day basis?

Answers I have previously heard include:- money, travel, promotion, fastest way to the board (other than finance), meeting people, variety, nice clothes, great cars, work your own hours, respected, professional, essential to business, exciting, dynamic...

Spend some time in writing down why you chose sales and what it can do for you. Even better spend some time writing out your goals (1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years) and then consider how sales can help you get there. Chances are sales can not only help you but it will be the fastest way there!

Why not keep a list of all of the beliefs that you have adopted to support your old self identity and spend some time considering more positive options?

But most of all have fun! When you start to respect who you are and the importance of what you do at the deepest level you will become more congruent and focused and this in turn will lead to better sales results.

For the last 10 years, Gavin Ingham has been helping sales people to explode their sales performance by turning self-doubt, fear and lack of motivation into self-belief, confidence and action. With his inspirational approach to sales performance and motivation Gavin combines commercial experience, personal excellence and communications technologies in delivering personal and business sales success.

The Art And Science of Closing - How To Close More Sales Right Now

2008-07-01T21:43:00.021-07:00

One of the questions I often get asked as a sales coach by sales people and business owners alike is, "How do I close sales better? What closing techniques would you recommend?"

In my experience, closing is one of the three most feared areas of the sales process. The other two are fear of canvassing and fear of objections. But the real question is, what is it about these three that creates such a fear? Especially, when even some of the most successful sales professionals face challenges in one or more of these three areas. The answer is simple - fear of rejection. Humans are social animals and the fear of rejection is one of the primary human drivers so it takes a different line of thought to face this issue. Mere techniques will not suffice.

There are books about closing with hundreds of different types of closes in. Some are great examples, some are awful but all of them have one thing in common. They are just examples. They are often not usable as "off the shelf" solutions for your sales scenarios because they each represent a model and that model only works if the person you are dealing with is "running" a similar model in their personality and if your situation is nearly the same too!

Now, I am not saying don't study about sales. Infact, quite the opposite. I do recommend that you read everything you can about sales and human communications because you will learn more about sales and communications in that way than from virtually any other. What you learn however may not always be what the author intended as you should be a student of human behaviour and influence, not beholden to any one particular book! When Bruce Lee studied kung fu he took the best of each style of kung fu and designed a new art which had no set forms and changed to be the most effective for each and every situation. A good sales professional will be aiming to achieve the same.

The first tactic for achieving a better close ration is to change the words that you use. Why not "ask for the business" or "take the order" or "provide a solution" instead? These words don't create the same fear. I have tested this on dozens of sales people and removing the word that the fear is associated with removes the fear too. If anyone has read Anthony Robbin's material he describes how you can only experience feelings that you have words for and that words only have the meaning that you ascribe to them. He describes how, because the quality of snow is important to their survival, eskimos have dozens of different words for snow but we just have sleet and snow. Their experience of snow is different than ours and we cannot comprehend that because we have no words to describe it.

Secondly, it is important that you start with the end in mind. Whenever you go to a meeting or make a call think through it in your head first. Think about what outcome you want from the meeting or call and think through the possible ways this might occur. Think also of what the minimum outcome is that you are prepared to accept from the meeting or call. When you have built rapport, asked questions, uncovered your clients' needs and provided a solution it's only natural to ask for the business. After all, you have provided a solution so asking for the business is the next step! Why would you accept less than your minimum acceptable behaviour from the client?

I once worked with a talented sales professional. He made fantastic cold calls, built elegant and effective rapport and uncovered client needs effortlessly but he did little business. In a short coaching session I discovered that he disassociated the sales process from "closing" hence he would "do the meeting" and then think, "Oh dear! Now I need to close!". Cue panic. His customers could see it and the sale was lost, every time. He was in "sales" mode and they were resisting and he was a nice guy so it was easier to walk away than risk rejection or upsetting the client! Simply by viewing the sale as one seemless process with a natural conclusion he was able to see the "timeline" and "path" of the sale. If the client deviated from this he was able to maintain control and bring them back on track. He achieved a sales breakthrough literally overnight.

At this point, I might add that you must remain flexible. There will be times when you cannot make the sale for unexpected reasons. On these occasions, it is important that you assess your performance objectively. Ask yourself whether next time you could ask better questions to uncover the unexpected situation earlier. If the answer is "no" then reset your objective for the meeting. If the answer is "yes" then take on board what you have to learn and reset the objective for your next meeting. But, and this is very important, always remember to set a new objective for the meeting.

When was the last time you heard this conversation:

"How was the sales meeting?"
"Great".
"How did you get on?".
"Oh, great I think he / she will use us!".

My next question for you is, "So what's the next step?"

This should have been agreed, with time-scales with the client. If it hasn't then you haven't reached your objective. Maybe this was because you didn't set one or you didn't achieve it but this sales meeting was not "great"!

Lets face it, you work hard to find clients and get that all important meeting with them and you listen hard to understand their true needs not your perceived ones. When you provide a solution that matches their needs they are expecting you to "ask for the business". When this becomes a relaxed, natural part of the meeting you will achieve more and effortless sales.

For the last 10 years, Gavin Ingham has been helping sales people to explode their sales performance by turning self-doubt, fear and lack of motivation into self-belief, confidence and action. With his inspirational approach to sales performance and motivation Gavin combines commercial experience, personal excellence and communications technologies in delivering personal and business sales success.

8 Must Questions to Ask in Every Sales Situation

2008-07-01T21:43:00.019-07:00

Solving people's and organization's problems is ultimately what business is all about. Effective selling involves defining your existing or potential customer's problems. If properly "sold", a sales prospect will have his problems solved with your company's products or services. To be successful at selling, you must systematically approach customers with a proven repertoire of qualifying questions that allows you to clearly understand your customer's current business challenges.

In order to most effectively solve your customer's problems you have to ask questions, the "right" questions and most importantly, listen to the answers you get. The best source of information about a sales prospect's business problem is the prospect themselves. However, any seasoned salesperson will tell you that the customer does not always know what their problem is, how it happened or how to deal with it. Without a proven list of problem definition questions, a salesperson has little chance of achieving sales success.

In every selling situation, there are eight fundamental questions that must be answered to ultimately generate a purchase commitment, a solution to your customer's problems:

1) Does the customer know exactly what the business problem is? Are they giving you symptoms of a problem or the problem itself?

2) How long has the problem existed? Is this a temporary situation or an ongoing challenge?

3) What will happen if the problem continues? Short and long term ramifications should be explored

4) What has been done thus far to address the problem? This answer could be your "door opener" later!

5) What were the results of those efforts to "fix" the problem? Actions taken and money spent should be quantified here

6) What is the cost thus far of this problem? Here you can determine what it cost them NOT to have your company's products

7) Are there budgeted funds available to "fix" this problem? If there aren't, why not and will there be? If not, good luck!

8) Who is involved and how is the purchase commitment to be made?

You must clearly understand who the decision makers are and how the commitment decision is to be made. If you do not, there will always be "someone else" who will kill your deal within the organization!

Once you have valid answers to all these questions you can accurately determine whether the products or services your company has to offer can cost effectively solve your customer's problems. If your products or services can solve your customer's problem you now have something to talk about!

Before you begin your sales pitch, your explanation of how your offerings best meet their needs, be absolutely sure that you have all the decision makers at your presentation and have confirmed the money is budgeted to back up their purchases. If all the key decision makers are not present and you are not sure the funds are there to continue the relationship your probability of achieving sales success at this customer has been dramatically reduced!

One Final Question: Ask for the Order!

You may be wondering why, "Asking for the order" was not one of the "8 Key Questions to Ask in Every Selling Situation"? When you know your product or service can solve your customer's problem cost effectively, and it is clear they understand and sincerely appreciate the value of your product or service offerings to a level of justification that they can, and will, make a reasonable purchase commitment to you, you have AN OBLIGATION, not only to your company, but to your customer, to ask them to buy what your are selling! A simple way to do this is to ask: "What do you want to do next?" ? say nothing more until they respond.

Effective selling can be as simple as striving to get accurate answers to these fundamental problem qualification questions. It is most interesting to experience how systematically going through these eight questions with your potential customer will reduce their tendency to generate purchase objections. Also, there is an interesting relationship or "bond" that develops between the salesperson and the customer when they are asked to explain and again experience why it cost so much for them NOT to have your products or services in their lives!

Today's successful salesperson is a problem solver. How you define your customer's business problems can often be as important as how you eventually solve their problems. Use these fundamental problem definition questions as a format for your next sales call and see what happens. They could be the edge you need to get that order you thought you would never get!

By Mark Smock

The Unmentioned KEY to Selling

2008-07-01T21:43:00.017-07:00

PEOPLE DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE THEY KNOW, LIKE, & TRUST. PERIOD!

See for yourself.

Let me start by asking you this. Have ever taken your business from one company and given it to another (which sells the same product or service) because you just didn't like the person you were dealing with. Have you ever said, "I don't know what it was about him or her, but I just didn't like them." Or, "I just don't trust him or her." Or, better yet, "I don't even know them."

If you've ever said these phrases, as I suspect we all have, then you know E-X-A-C-T-LY how important it is to YOU, to do business with someone you know, like and trust!!

In the beginning of any of my businesses, I knew people would do business with me if they only knew me. I also knew that once they got to know me, eventually they would like me, and more importantly trust me. Then I would be able to conduct business with them for years to come.

The same will be true for you.

Think about it for a second. The instant someone starts to trust you, you sense it, don't you? After that trust is established, moving forward becomes easier doesn't it? It can be with a friend, a loved one or in business. And it's peculiar because you can't really pinpoint it; you just know it's been verified.

Stop for a minute and think of one person you trust completely. Can you explain why you trust him or her? It's hard to put into words isn't it? I know it is for me.

There is nothing more powerful than trust. Nothing.

On the other hand, we've all decided not to buy from a Salesperson because something just didn't feel right. Maybe we suspected they weren't telling us the truth, or the salesperson was side stepping our questions.

When we sense deception or distrust, a very powerful alert mechanism is somehow automatically triggered in our innermost being. We don't think about it, it instinctively happens. It's built into us. It's as automatic as gravity. And, if we fail to yield to this built in INSTANT-WARNING-DANGER-ALERT REACTION, we will remain unsettled and uncomfortable regarding our decision.

Do you know WHY you businesses repeatedly advertise and market to people? Because they're attempting to establish trust and likeability, by continually placing their products/services in front of prospects.

That's why repetition, repetition, repetition is so vital in marketing and advertising to people who have no idea who you are.

However, that style of relentless marketing and advertising is not necessary, but is considered obnoxious, to people that already trust you. Plus it's a lot less expensive!

It doesn't matter how many books you've read on selling, marketing, advertising, or prospecting, the most important reason people BUY is they liked, and or trusted the individual or company that was selling.

So, to make your prospecting easier (note I didn't say easy), wouldn't it make sense for you to contact people that you have already established trust with? You know who they are, and I promise you they'll be more open to your new venture than a complete stranger would be.

You'll find your sales presentations, quotes, bids, estimates, and prospecting, easier if you will seek out those who already know, like and trust you.

At the core of all transactions you'll find this truth to be the foundation.

By Scott Rauber

The Choice between Yes and Yes: A Psychological Revelation

2008-07-01T21:43:00.015-07:00

Three year old Kara was throwing a tantrum. She didn't want to go to bed, of that she was certain.

"Do you want to brush with the red or blue toothpaste?" her dad asked gently.

"Blue," she says, glad to be given the opportunity to make a decision.

Ten minutes later, Kara was well tucked up, wondering when she'd agreed to go to bed in the first place.

You laugh at the story, don't you?

The method used to get Kara into bed seems a bit like trickery. And who am I to say that it's not? Yet I want you to pay attention to one thing. Kara was glad to be given a choice between yes and yes.

Your clients are not much different

Clients come to you every single day asking you to give them a choice. A choice between yes and yes. Instead all you're giving them is a choice between yes and no.

Mah friend, your bank account will see far better days if only you'd step back, and use the immense power of the choice between yes and yes.

Of course, you don't have to believe that this choice factor works. You don't have to believe your sales will go up. All you have to see is proof. So in the article below I'll demonstrate the psychological factor of choice.How it can work for you and how it can turn against you and bite you in the you-know-where.

It all started on one stupid loss-making November's day...

We were doing fine with the sales on our website when we made one change. I'm going to demonstrate the change in the article below so it would help for you to have the page open so you can see what I'm talking about.

If you look at this page at http://www.psychotactics.com/hiddenlink.php you'll find that you get the choice to buy two packages. One is the copy of the Brain Audit and the other choice is a copy of the Brain Audit + the Brain Audit Rip.

Till the middle of November, we had both the offers up. Then one ego-driven morning we decided to pull the plug on one choice.

We gave customers the choice between a yes and um..NO!

Almost within 24 hours, our sales started going south for no reason at all. We ignored this sickening slack for about a week. Then we looked back at what was working. And we put back the choice between yes and yes.

The customer was back in choice-ville and the sales soared.

But here's the curious part

Among the two packages, one has a much higher price. Yet over 97.5% of customers, when given the choice between the two packages, chose the higher priced package.

The customer is no dumbo

No siree. The customer knows exactly what she wants. And when given the choice between yes and yes, she takes a decision to buy that which creates most value for her. Of course, if there's an enticement to buy, as was in this case, then there's a far greater likelihood of her buying the more expensive product.

The customer is no dumbo...but I sure am

Think about it. If your revenue shot up. If customers were buying higher-priced products what would you logically do? Wouldn't you take the same concept and use it everywhere you could?

You'd think a smart person would do that, wouldn't you? (Which is why I qualified myself at the start of this paragraph). But no! As we speak, the only product that has a choice of YES and YES is the page I've already mentioned above.

Don't stop at one point. Take the concept through it's paces

If you're in consulting, look at the choice between yes and yes. Are you giving the customer a choice between package A and package B. Or do you offer just one package? If you're selling products, the concept of yes and yes choice stays put.

And once you've found that the concept works, puh-lease don't do the dumbo bit. Audit every possible thing you sell. And put in a yes and yes factor. Not only will this bring you higher quantity of sales, but also an a much better price on every product/consulting assignment you do.

I said yes and yes...NOT yes and yes and yes and yes

You, me, we all crave for choice. But give us too much and we go a little waka-waka in our brains. Because choice is based on rejection. To choose the strawberry flavour ice-cream, you must mentally refuse all the other flavours.

(Read article on: The Curse of Choice) http://www.psychotactics.com/artchoice.htm

If you give a client too much to choose from, they will end up rolling their eyes, doing a RAM check and shut down their brains before you have time to do anything at all.

Keep your options simple. Keep the choice between yes and yes.

So that even a three-year old has no trouble choosing!

Secrets to Getting in Front of Your Best Prospects

2008-07-01T21:43:00.013-07:00

As a salesperson, your ultimate goal, of course, is to make that sale. But the process begins with selecting your best prospect. The objective is to spend more time with your best prospects and less time with suspects.

In order to do that, there are three 'secrets' or keys to getting in front of your best prospects:

? Define or identify who your best prospect is.

? Be active. The primary reason sales people fail is lack of activity and/or focus.

? Be persistant. Follow up with clients. Be there when they need you.

Who, then, is your best or ideal prospect? The obvious answer is anyone who has a need, can write a check or make a decision. If you were to pursue that avenue, however, you would be reaching out to nearly everyone. Remember, you're not interested in any prospect, you need to identify your best prospect.

For example, if you asked a successful realty agent who their best clients are, they would say someone who is renting but looking to buy, or a homeowner who wants to sell. That makes sense, but it's too ambiguous. The next logical question would be "What is your primary source of income?" The answer: Listings - a realty agent's best prospect is someone who wants to sell their home, because that's where the money is.

You have narrowed the field, but need to take it a step further. Your next question, then, is "Who is most likely to sell their home?" We posed this question to Paradigm Associate real estate clients.

After careful thought, consideration and research, they identified three target groups who would be most likely to sell their home in the Metro New York area. They include households that no longer have children in the school system, therefore, they do not want to pay exorbitant property taxes associated with large single family homes; households impacted by consolidations and layoffs in banking, finance and advertising - many have decided they no longer can afford or need the proximity to New York City; and homeowners employed by international companies where employees are likely to be transferred every few years, because often, they are responsible for buying/selling their own homes.

Based on that information, it would make sense to devise a selling strategy that focuses on reaching out to these three specific market segments as opposed to reaching out to everyone who may or may not move in the next two years.

Therefore, when defining who your best prospect is:

? Review your prior sales records and activity logs and compile a list of why your customers purchased from you in the past.

? Next, confirm that these are, in fact, the reasons they selected your firm. The most effective way to do this is to call your customers.

? Ask your clients the following questions - What was the major benefit you received by working with our organization? Why did you select us and not our competition? What advice do you have for us? That is, what should we be doing more/less of? What should we be doing differently?

The first two questions remind both you and your clients about your strengths, your capabilities and they reaffirm the things you do well. It's much easier to reach your best prospects when you are clear about what distinguishes you from your competition. The third question allows you to develop a close relationship with your customer. Not only will you discover future needs, but it presents an opportunity to become a trusted advisor. More often than not, the best prospects in your market will buy from those they trust.

Once you have identified your best prospect, remain active. Ask yourself the following questions:

? Do I have a list of 25 decision makers I can contact each day?

? Do I see at least one key decision maker each day and have an agenda prepared for them?

? Do I have a clear picture of how my product or service can benefit my future client?

? Do I have goals in place for each of my customers?

? Do I have a follow-up system in place?

That last question leads to my final point - You need to be persistant. In my more than 18 years of sales training, what I have found in tracking results is that our clients work with us not because of our good looks, best jokes or tee times, but because we follow up.

The best and most successful firms are those whose sales people are persistant. I recently had a discussion with Lew Hoff, Founder and CEO of Bartizan Data Systems. He told me about his firm's first client which he signed on in 1970 and who remains with him today. Through the years, this client has provided Bartizan with more than $1.5 million in revenue. After all these years, Lew asked his customer why they chose Bartizan over the four more experienced providers. His client's response was, "Because you were the only one who followed up."

By Michael W. O'Reilly

Selling More Effectively as a Trusted Sales Professional - Thirteen Tips

2008-07-01T21:43:00.011-07:00

Do you want to sell more successfully using an honorable and straightforward approach? Read these thirteen sales tips to help you be perceived as a trusted sales professional by buyers. Incorporating these sales tips into your selling process will differentiate you from the rest and help you sell more successfully.

Attitude can be everything. It is important to remember that your attitudes drive all actions and these actions are perceived by buyers as trust-building or trust-breaking. The most important change you can make to sell more successfully is to adopt and reinforce attitudes that will lead to actions resulting in greater levels of trust. Conversely, it is just as important to "lose the attitudes" that result in actions that are trust-breaking.

Truly believe in the product or service and company for which you sell. This is a really difficult hurdle for most sellers who strongly believe in straightforward selling. If you don't believe your products or services will benefit your buyers, then you will constantly be in conflict with yourself during the sales process. If selling using a straightforward platform is truly important to you, it might be necessary for you to find another product or service you will better represent to truly be successful using this approach.

Intimately know the product or service and environment in which you sell. Do you need to be an expert? Maybe not. But it can only benefit your customer to know as much as possible so you can identify if your product or service can best meet their needs. A significant aspect of building trust with your buying counterparts is quickly establishing credibility. First and foremost, you should know much more about your products and services - as well as your competitors' products and services - than your prospects. Secondly, you should know your customers' organization and industry and the unique challenges and issues they face better than any of your competitors. Lastly, "I don't know" is a very appropriate answer when that is, indeed, the case. If you're new to a market, letting your potential customers know that up-front will help lower their expectations and make you feel more comfortable when giving "I don't know" as an answer. When you use this response, however, make sure you offer to find out the answer in a specified timeframe, and then be sure to keep that promise.

Live within your means. It's simple. Don't force yourself into a position where you "have to make the sale" or you lose something. For one, prospects don't like to feel like you are desperate for business. Secondly, if you want to sell using an honorable approach, it's important to reduce the risk/reward for a given sales situation. If you typically make only three to five sales per year and find yourself in serious debt, don't you think there's a definite likelihood that you might "stretch your value structure" a bit to make sure you win the sale so that your debt can be reduced?

Focus on helping the prospect rather than making the sale. If all you're thinking about is making the sale, this will be perceived negatively by your prospect through your actions. It doesn't mean you should never think about the sale, it simply means that you need to focus on the prospect's needs first and foremost.

View yourself as an advisor. This is a different mindset that may be foreign to a lot of salespeople. If you adopt the mindset that you're an advisor with the primary goal of identifying and fulfilling your potential customers needs, your attitudes and actions will be perceived very differently by your counterpart(s) than if your view yourself as a sales rep needing to "overcome the obstacles" and "close the sale."

Focus on the long-term. Admittedly, this is difficult. Most salespeople are used to the frequent calls from sales managers reminding them that "we've got to make our monthly or quarterly targets." If you can adopt this attitude, though, you will likely see higher sales, both short-term and long-term. Buyers hate to be "closed." If you take a short-term mentality, there's a high likelihood that buyers will perceive you as trying to close them - this is trust-breaking and your sales will likely suffer in the short AND long-term.

Some business is not worth pursuing. Most sales managers probably hate this one. It's important, though, to be realistic about each sales opportunity. You're not going to win every sale, so why work under the assumption that you will? Oftentimes, there are many early indicators that will lead you to believe that there's a low probability for making the sale. If that's the case, move on and spend your limited time and energy on opportunities where there's a higher probability for success.

Tell the prospect if your product or service will not meet their needs. Once you've had a reasonable opportunity to ask the appropriate questions, you must be willing to let the prospect know, as soon as possible, if your product or service will not meet their needs. This will result in a more efficient buy/sell process and save both you and the prospect valuable time that could be better spent elsewhere. The prospect will respect and probably trust you more for selling in this manner, and very well may purchase or recommend someone else to purchase from you in the future.

Ask questions, listen, and take notes. Entire books have been written on this subject. Prior to every prospect meeting, you should already have a list of at least one dozen questions to ask. The prospect's response to each of these questions should oftentimes be followed by one to three additional questions to drill down to the true issues and needs. Always take notes. This will show the prospect that you're truly listening. Also, send your typed notes to the prospect and ask them to review to ensure that you did indeed "get it right."

Follow the 80/20 Rule. When meeting with a potential buyer, you should try to talk 20% of the time and allow them to talk 80% of the time - a lot of salespeople and sales managers get this one confused.

Be direct. Answer buyer questions directly. Why do you think there is such a loss in the public's trust with politicians? How often do they provide a direct answer to a question? Rarely. Just because most politicians set a poor example, doesn't mean you should.

No "closing." One of the worst things you can do as a salesperson is to spend a lot of time and effort building trust with a prospect, only to destroy your "trust factor" towards the end of a complex sales process. No buyer likes to feel they're being manipulated or "closed." Make a recommendation, preferably with several options for the prospect to consider, and ask them to identify the next steps with a timeline. Tell them you'd really appreciate their business and ask what next steps you can take that will be helpful to them.

By Robert Reed

Peak Performance

2008-07-01T21:43:00.009-07:00

One of the best books I have ever read is a 1986 classic written by Charles Garfield; Peak Performers: The New Heroes of American Business. Garfield spent nearly twenty years trying to figure out what causes some people to excel to amazing successes, while others bask in the glow of mediocrity.

He discovered all types of individuals can become peak performers, that they are made....not born. Regardless of industry, he uncovered these superheroes of the business world in every corner of the United States.

Possessing key attributes, a peak performer will very likely:

? Be motivated toward results by a personal mission
? Posses the twin capacities of self-management and team mastery
? Have the ability to correct course and manage change

Every field has those who reach the top. There are those who are in the top 10% and then those dominate in the top 1%. I am constantly fascinated by those who have that "spark" that leads them to achieve more than other from similar background. Amazing people who are able to work harder (or is it smarter?) and do so without visible signs of effort. They accomplish more than any one could ever imagine. These people stand out as an example to us all.

I have a friend who we have call "Midas". Since college he has had a spectacular career. He is able to spot great investments and helps others build their companies and maintains a phenomenally strong network of business and personal contacts. All this and he still has time to be a dedicated husband and father.

How about you? Are you a peak performer? If not, do you have the desire to accomplish more in your career and personal life? Here are three ideas that can help you on your path to peak performance:

? Never stop learning. Read books, magazines, newspapers, websites, blogs and other materials. Develop a never ending thirst for knowledge.

? Have a plan. If you do not know where you are going, how will you know when you arrive? Set goals and write them down. Refer to your goals regularly and make decisions that lead you toward their completion.

? Take action. Many intelligent people never reach their potential because they do not ever get moving. Even if you have to adjust your direction, having momentum makes it easier to get things done.

Make the commitment to be better tomorrow than you were today in everything that you do. With this as your mantra, the sky is the limit on what you will achieve.

By Thom Singer

11 Proven Sales Strategies to Help You Close The Deal

2008-07-01T21:43:00.007-07:00

There are a number of sales closing strategies that you can learn with different ones applied in different situations. Each salesperson might be more comfortable with one or another. As a business owner, you want to be certain that you and your salespeople become exposed to a number of different strategies so they can choose the one they prefer depending on different situations.

First you must understand that before you can assist your prospect in identifying the advantages of buying your products or services, you must also instruct them of the disadvantages.

Then you and the prospect analyze the items on your list and identify the strengths and advantages while overcoming the disadvantages.

The goal here is for the advantages to outweigh the disadvantages and close the deal.

The take it with them close- This allows the prospect to actually take the product home or try out the product. The idea is that once this happens, the prospect will be unable to part with the product and must have it.

There is a story about a salesmen who sold pet dogs. The salesman said "Here, take this home and give me a call in a week. If you don't want it, I'll come and get it". Once that dog was there and the young son fell in love with it, there was no way that dog was going back.

Subject To Approval Close- This allows a salesperson to actually close a sale, but do so subject to certain contingencies. In other words, it's up to the salesperson at this point to really do some work when possible to assist the prospect in removing contingencies thereby making the sale official. .

Take Away Close- I prefer this one. It's human nature to want what one can't have. The salesperson says things like, "This product isn't for everyone. It's a certain kind of person who can appreciate this service."

The Standby Feel Close- This approach is intended to establish empathy with your prospect's situation in an effort to persuade them that you or a prior customer has actually dealt with their situation.

The Order Form Close- Sometimes the prospect might need a little encouragement and It's useful to actually take your order form or contract and put it in ftont of your prospect. Tell them to complete a section and you'll complete the rest.

Never say, "Sign the contract", which has a very negative connotation. It appears too binding and rigid to your prospect

If they haven't heard enough reason to buy, you then say ""If We Do This, Will You Buy?" you must identify what it will take for the prospect to break down and buy.

Presumptive Close- Under this method you actually go on the assumption or presumption that the prospect has already decided to buy. You might talk about how a prospect will enjoy the product or service or how the benefits might be enjoyed.

When the prospect gets in the habit of talking, feeling and thinking like they already have the item, the sale is almost all but completed.

Informational Close- If your products or services is such that your prospect needs more information in order to make up their mind, then the more relevant information you can share the more likely the prospect is to buy.

Overcoming Objectives Close- You can identify the prospect's specific objections to buying and focus on ways to overcome those objections. As you successfully accomplish this task, the close will follow right afterwards.

Instructional Close- If the close requires the buyer to know how to use your products or services, it is critical that you provide detailed instructions where applicable.

Directive Close- This is when you actually talk to your prospect and tell them exactly what to do. Direct Them to go over and sign up. They will respond by buying when told to do so. It's one of the easiest ways to make a sale.

Exclusive Close- You indicate in all the marketing you do that your products or services are very exclusive. Lock the doors and only allow customers and referrals to enter. Soon you'll find they want it because everyone wants in. Whatever the strategies you and your employees learn and implement, all awareness that sales strategies are available is essential to go a long way in your business sales efforts.

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on your web site as long as the byline is included and the article is included in it's entirety. I also ask that you activate any html links found in the article and in the byline. Please send a courtesy link or email where you publish to: support@multiplestreammktg.com

By Abe Cherian

You Dont Love Your Kids if You Dont . . .

2008-07-01T21:43:00.005-07:00

"You don't love your kids if you don't buy my vacuum cleaner." The salesman looked me right in the eye and didn't even flinch. He was sure he was going to get the sale. I was a caring Mom, of course I'd buy his vacuum.

Now it was a good vacuum cleaner, but I wasn't buying one that day, already said so before his demonstration. To make things worse, he had a young assistant with him, training him. The only reason I let them do the demonstration was the new kid said he needed a place to "practice", didn't matter that I wasn't going to buy one, "let me give you a free carpet shampoo".

So I looked right back and told him exactly what I thought of his sales tactic. I also said that I didn't even think it was very effective, I'm sure he'd made many people angry. I could not believe it when he said that it did not matter since many would buy out of guilt or whatever. It had a lifetime warranty, thus no repeat customers. I guess he didn't want any referrals either, nor did he care about his reputation.

Recently, I got a call from a person I do not even know. "If you are serious about your business, you will take 45 minutes to listen to my call. I promise your business will explode." (From a person who didn't know me and had never heard of my business) Now I admit, there are times when I get frustrated, blowing up things could be tempting, but no thanks. I declined. Now the vacuum cleaner was good, so I'll keep an open mind, maybe the program they are selling is good. I do care about my kids and my business. But the sales tactic still stinks.

And we wonder why people hate sales. I'm betting that they met someone like that particular vacuum salesman. I suggest that he didn't understand sales. I didn't buy. Neither did my neighbors, amazing the power of word of mouth.

But what if, after his demonstration, listening to me when I said I wasn't in the market for a cleaner, he was kind, thanked me for my time, left a couple of his cards for referrals?

What if the person on the phone, instead of saying "Have I've got a deal for you, give me 45 minutes of your time or else . . ." introduced themselves, asked questions about myself and my business. There is no way they can know whether or not they have something that I need, unless they know a bit about my business. When and if they saw that they had something that would truly benefit me, then they could ask. I'm not going to give a total stranger 45 minutes just because they ask for it, nor do I want to learn better ways to market my business from anyone using this guilt trip technique.

I'm not fond of the "If you don't buy now, you'll be sorry" deal either. I can remember looking at cars, and I'd hear "You can only get this deal if you buy this car right now." I bet if I showed up with cash the next day, that I could talk them into the same offer. But I do appreciate the car salesman who explains that since the '06 model is out, they have a great deal on the '05, but once it is sold they can't promise to find another. I always appreciate truth, even if there is some fear of loss involved. Don't pressure. "This deal may be gone, but I will see what I can do for you, whenever you come back."

You have to admire Dr. Suess's "Sam I Am". He was persistent marketing his green eggs and ham. "Will you try them here or there?" "Will you try them in a box with a fox?" In the end, the character tried the eggs just to get him to shut up. Worked in the story, but I'd have hung up on the guy. I believe that try it to see if you like it is a great way to go, samples, money back guarantees, etc. But don't shove it down my throat.

Consumers are bright. Find a nice way to get their attention without insulting them, show folks what you have to offer. Address any objections they have, clear up misconceptions, listen, and show concern for their needs. You don't love your customers if you don't treat them with respect and show that you care.

By Heidi Caswell

Attitude Insurance

2008-07-01T21:43:00.003-07:00

Everyone knows the importance of having a positive attitude, especially in the health insurance industry. Even negative people say that they have a positive attitude.

All agents have seen it one time or another. They are at a meeting, and in the hallway during one of those five minute breaks they notice a woman on the telephone. In fact, she's on the phone on every break. Finally one agent says, "calling your husband, huh?" to which she quickly responds, "No! Setting appointments." She's obviously protecting or insuring her 'good attitude'. She's making sure that the outside influence of a meeting will not affect her production goals or her 'good attitude'.

Or, what about the guy who's sitting at a table by himself at the Monday morning 'turn-in' meeting. He's busy wrestling with a pile of papers and hasn't said a word to anyone. Someone goes up to him and says something about the monsoons or scorching heat or earthquake in China last week and he barely acknowledges their presence. "All those papers must be apps", he mutters to the group in the hall.

An example of Attitude Insurance:

Sam, a new agent, rode with John, a seasoned pro, for a week. Monday, John finished setting up his week. He already had about eight appointments and added another 7 or 8. It didn't look too difficult, people just seem to like him. On Tuesday, things started going bad. The first appointment wasn't there so they just introduced themselves to a few other businesses. The next person didn't qualify medically, but they did sell the NBA membership and a critical illness policy. Wednesday they encountered severed thunderstorms. Their first appointment was the owner of a tow trucking company and was a no-show. They went next door to a beauty shop and found five beauticians and a receptionist looking very bored because all their customers had canceled due to the weather. They took to them immediately, offering coffee and a place to dry off. During the three hours before their next appointment, they wrote up every one of those ladies.

Still raining something awful, they went to their next appointment. It was a mechanic shop on the other side of town. The rain was blowing completely horizontal with no signs of letting up, so they made a mad dash for the door. The ground was so soft that Sam lost one of his brand new shoes in the mud. The owner and one employee helped them in and long story short, was so impressed with John's presentation that he quickly called his brother over. They ended up selling 3 families. Thursday, John's car broke down on the way to their appointments. So they had to call Sam's wife to pick them up and use his car the rest of the day. John had over $20,000 in AV that week. He never once let the elements get in his way. He was constantly thinking of positive solutions to every situation. It was John's best week to date.

So, where does attitude insurance come from? Attitude insurance comes from the same place things like honor, discipline and integrity come from?inner self. An agent's friends and co-workers surely help but for him to truly have the good attitude, he will have to be the one to get it and protect it. The agent is the only one who can give himself an Attitude Insurance Policy.

The really great news is that there is no cost associated with obtaining this policy. Not in terms of money anyway. The cost is the agent's action and their discipline. Agents must discipline themselves to take action against all those outside forces that adversely affect their good attitude.

By not protecting his attitude, an agent's focus and ability to perform sound reasoning will be destroyed. Failure to protect a good attitude will certainly feed a bad attitude.

If an agent wants to make $4,000 a week selling insurance, he can. But if he sets a goal to make $4,000 a week and doesn't do his due diligence to gain the proper knowledge and discipline, it won't happen. And what do happens next? Well, believe it or not, this person is now looking for ways to cancel their Attitude Insurance Policy. They actually seek out other unsuccessful people to confirm their lack of success is justified --- again, from another unsuccessful person.

Dropping attitude protection, even for a moment, can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Ironically, highly successful people who encounter great challenges have those really huge Attitude Insurance Policies.

By Dan Roberts

Do You Want To Sell More? Then Stop Trying To Be Everything To Everybody!

2008-07-01T21:43:00.001-07:00

I know you've heard this a thousand times, but from the looks of things few businesses are following the advice?

Far too many businesses (online or offline) define their target market as "anyone with a pulse and a wallet." (Not always in that order.)

You read their sales copy and it's the same old, walking on eggshells "corporate speak", devoid of personality, writing to a group style, as everyone else in their industry.

Sure. They're not going to eliminate any "potential buyers"? But there're not going to stand out from the crowd and get their message noticed either!

You need to define your target customer as specifically as possible. You should describe your customer in exacting detail. Not as a group, but as an individual. Get a laser focused, clear and precise image in your mind of one specific person. Know that persons sex, age, marital status, wants, needs, educational background, psychographics, demographics, geographics, technographics (level of technological sophistication), understand their psychological motivations, hopes, fears? Everything!

And then (and only then) write your copy directly to that person. Craft your message to your target customer in a one-on-one, person to person style, keeping this focused image of who you are talking to clear in your mind.

So? You've clearly defined your target customer. Great. Now you're ahead of 95% of the business in your market.

Do you want to know how to jump ahead of the other 5%?

(This next tip is something that very few top marketers talk about? But it just may be one of the most important activities you ever do for your business.)

Clearly define who your customer IS NOT! Spell it out? Write it down? Let the world know, exactly who you REFUSE to do business with.

Eliminate the freebie seekers, bargain hunters, complainers, whiners, price shoppers, deadbeats and time leaches (Michel Fortin calls them "Vampires"? I love that?)

The first step in face to face selling is to qualify the prospect. So I've never understood why so many businesses are afraid to do the same thing when selling in print or on the computer screen. Cowards!

Guess what? An amazing thing happens when you "take something away". By stating (unapologetically) in your copy that "This offer IS NOT for everybody?", "?only a select, elite few will qualify?", "?unless you meet the following qualifications, you can't beg us to let you buy this?", something magical takes place in the sales process.

The dynamic changes, from YOU trying to convince the PROSPECT that they need your product? to the PROSPECT trying to convince YOU that they are qualified to buy what you are offering.

So, stop worrying about eliminating part of your potential market by only focusing on your "ideal customer", the ones you eliminate wouldn't have bought from you anyway. And by adding a bit of "posture" to your copy, your conversion rates with your REAL market will skyrocket.

Just remember this?

If you try to be "everything to everybody", you will end up being "nothing to nobody".

By Eric Graham

Are You a Sales Professional?

2008-07-01T21:42:00.021-07:00

Many sellers like to describe themselves as professionals, but what is it that makes a seller a professional?

Professional sellers conduct themselves in such a way that buyers respect and trust them. Professional sellers work with buyers, they don't sell to them.

Many surveys and studies have been conducted asking buyers what traits they value most in sellers. This information is invaluable for those who truly want to be toward the top of the sales profession.

The list below shows the traits buyers say they want to see in sellers. For some sellers, these come very naturally, while for others perhaps it's a constant struggle to exhibit these traits.

Nearly all the traits can be summed up in one word - professional.

Are you a professional?

Traits Buyers Like

Honest. Buyers want sellers to be honest with them. Give your prospects credit for being intelligent people who know that no product or service is without faults. Be forthcoming with those faults and at all other times.

More often than not, buyers will find out the truth - if they already haven't figured it out.

Knowledgeable. Make it a goal to know your products and services - and how they address customer needs - far better than your potential buyers. You should know the industry which you serve better than any of your competitors.

Most companies do not train their salespeople enough to meet these objectives, so you must constantly take the initiative to learn these things on your own.

Organized. For meetings with buyers, make sure you have a valid business reason and are properly prepared.

Whenever possible, provide a proposed agenda in writing to your buying counterparts. Do it several days before the meeting to allow them time for input/feedback.

Punctual. Buyers expect sellers to be on time, even if they - the buyers - are not.

"My last appointment ran long" or "traffic was really bad" may be valid excuses on occasion, but there is no excuse for not letting the buyer know if you'll be more than a few minutes late.

Solution-oriented. "Think outside the box," may be an overused phrase, but buyers want sellers who can provide creative ways to solve their problems.

Talk to your current customers to identify creative solutions they used in conjunction with your products or services that you can share with prospects.

Prompt. Return calls and emails the same day whenever possible and always within 24 hours.

According to one expert, the current expected response time to an email is now four hours.

Follow-through. Strive to always meet or exceed timeframes in which you've promised to provide information or other items to buyers. Exceed their expectations by providing the information more quickly than the promised timeframe. If you will not be able to meet the promised timeframe, let your buyers know as soon as possible.

Don't make the mistake of thinking buyers will forget about your promises - they won't.

Empathetic. Buyers want salespeople who genuinely care about their personal and professional needs and goals.

The ability to identify buyers' personal wins is just as important, if not more important, than identifying business wins.

Traits Buyers Don't Like

While it is critical to understand what traits buyers want to see in sellers, it is just as important to know what traits they don't enjoy. The list below shows what organizational buyers don't want sellers to be:

One word describes most of these traits - unprofessional.

Are you viewed as unprofessional by your buyers? In most situations, they surely won't tell you. What they will tell you is that your price was higher, the other company was a better "fit," or the other guys had a better solution.

Are those your problems, or are you unprofessional?

Unprepared. While you may like to think your buyers' worlds revolve around decisions involving your products and services, most times they do not. Unless they are in purchasing, buyers are paid to perform a specific task or function, not to meet with sales representatives.

Always prepare for your meeting. This includes the appropriate research, written agenda (when feasible), written questions, and goals and objectives for the meeting. In the first few minutes of the meeting, review this information, along with the expected results or payoff for the buyer.

Uninformed. In many industries, the bar has been raised significantly on how much buyers know about your products and services. Before a sales call, meeting, or presentation, anticipate the questions you'll be asked - and have the answers and/or information at hand.

If you cannot confidently answer a question, say you don't know and give a specific process and timeframe for providing the answer.

Aggressive. While aggressiveness may be touted by many sales experts and managers as a necessary trait for sales, buyers don't like overly aggressive sellers. In many situations, overly aggressive behavior can be construed as desperate, and buyers don't like to purchase from sellers who are desperate for business.

Buyers may also believe that aggressive sellers are not interested in their needs and care only about generating a commission.

An interrupter. There still may be a few industries where it is appropriate to show up without an appointment, but most professional sellers generate new business by setting appointments. It's funny to read stories where a sales representative "won the business" because he just decided to "show up" and ask to see the CEO.

While a few of these stories may be true, there are many more untold stories where the CEO (or more likely an assistant) asked the sales rep to leave and never come back.

A talker. This is another sales expert and manager favorite. "You've got to hire people who can tell a good story or joke and develop rapport with customers." That bus left long ago. Selling is much more about asking good questions and listening.

Many sellers have the 80/20 rule backward - they are talking 80% of the time and listening only 20%.

Undependable. Buyers don't like to work with sellers who do not follow through and do what they have committed to doing.

If you're guilty of being undependable, figure out if you're over-promising or under-delivering - or both.

Powerless. Buyers don't like to work with sellers who do not have the power or influence to make decisions on their own. If you consistently go to your superiors or to other departments for approval, buyers will quickly lose respect for you as a seller.

Professional sellers view themselves as the CEO for their relationships with buyers. They have the power to get things done for the benefit of their buyers.

A deflector. This is a seller who deflects the blame for problems that arise to external forces. Buyers don't like sellers who won't accept responsibility for customer satisfaction.

Professional sellers are willing to be accountable to their buyers.

To be a professional salesperson, conduct yourself as a professional. Your buyers will like it when you do - and you'll be more successful.

By Robert Reed

Stop Selling! for the Million Dollar Contract

2008-07-01T21:42:00.019-07:00

During the introduction of the "Stop Selling!" philosophy, we typically use the example of buying shoes to make the participants aware of the infinite number of ways buyers decide on purchasing simple items.

While using this example makes it easy to get a deeper understanding of buying behavior, it often creates doubts as to whether the "Stop Selling!" approach is equally applicable to selling high-value solutions in business-to-business (B2B) settings. As a matter of fact, this approach is practical for these situations as well.

During my corporate career, I was involved in mostly technical solution sales with order values typically ranging from 20,000 to 4,000,000 USD. Now that I'm working with the "Stop Selling!" approach, I realize that this method would've been extremely useful at that time!

Let's have a look at the key benefits of this unique approach and how they are achieved:

1) Creation of deeply trusted relationships for long-term recurring business
2) Acceleration of the buying decision, leading to more time available for more sales
3) Improved margins by becoming a truly trusted partner

1) Recurring sales through deeply trusted relationships

The "Stop Selling!" approach is much more than a method. It is based on a mindset that differs quite considerably from the typical sales mindset.

Most salespeople believe that once they discover a customer need that could be satisfied with their product (products can be goods, services, solutions, etc.), they have something to sell. As a consequence, perhaps after some further needs analysis, they start pitching their product, hoping that it will lead them to a sale.

However, even though a buyer may have a need that perhaps could be met by the seller's product (or the product of the competition, for that matter), it doesn't necessarily prompt him to act upon that need. There can be numerous reasons for this behavior, including poor prioritization, lack of budget, complicated approval processes, and so on.

It is therefore important for a salesperson to acknowledge that identifying a need that could be satisfied is pretty meaningless unless the buyer realizes that this need is important enough for him to act on it.

If the salesperson is willing to accept the possibility that there might be nothing to sell at this point even though he sees a potential need, only then will he be able to interact with the buyer without creating any pressure.

The "Stop Selling!" approach promotes the concept of NATOO - "Not being Attached To our Own Outcome". If a salesperson is able to shift his focus completely to the best possible outcome for the buyer independent from the seller's own outcome, he will be able to display true care, resulting in relationships based on deep trust.

Using this approach could mean that for the buyer, the best outcome might be not to buy, or to buy from another supplier.

During our "Stop Selling!" seminars we help the participants adopt this new mindset through a change in their belief system. This is achieved through "real plays", i.e., role plays that reflect their own situation. Through this exercise, they experience the role of their buyers and become aware of their own selling patterns and how they can change them.

Needless to say, a deep level of trust becomes more important when more is at stake in making a buying decision.

2) More sales through acceleration of the buying decision

While the "Stop Selling!" approach seems to be a soft approach towards sales, it is by no means a slow or passive one.

One of the key targets of our approach is to shorten the length of the buying cycle without creating uncomfortable pressure for the buyer.

In the true sense of coaching - that is, to help the coachee speed up his development - the seller assists the buyer in making his buying decision faster than he would without the seller's intervention.

Making a buying decision is like solving a jigsaw puzzle: the seller has an idea of what the final picture could look like and the buyer needs to assemble majority of the pieces to see the picture.

The puzzle pieces represent the criteria and factors the buyer needs to consider and align before he can make a decision. The seller, having an outsider's view of the entire picture, is in a position to coach the buyer through his decision by asking whether certain key pieces are already in place. In order to do so, the seller needs to learn how to ask the right questions without creating pressure and without disrupting the buyer's own efforts to move forward with his own process. We have observed that the coaching approach is an effective way to do this.

Obviously, for high-value buying decisions, the puzzle is more difficult to assemble. This also means a salesperson acting as a highly qualified buying coach can add tremendous additional value to the buyer.

3) Improved margins by becoming a truly trusted partner

It is far from easy for a salesperson to adopt this new mindset and truly coach the buyer, especially when the seller is used to being a consultant who believes he has all the answers. Habits are hard to change so this process requires a strong follow- through for new behaviors to be wholly adopted. This is why we emphasize the importance of effective follow-up procedures after our seminars.

Let's be realistic: even if we are fully aware of the benefits of the "Stop Selling!" approach and even if we can grasp what the new mindset and resulting behaviors should be like, we are still likely to make mistakes and may occasionally fall back into our old patterns. This, in itself, is not a problem - as long as we are aware when it does happen. We need to become sensitive and create a higher level of self-awareness, so that we can take corrective actions when necessary.

However, once we manage to fully apply this new approach, the quality of our relationships with our (potential) buyers shifts. We become truly trusted partners instead of people who want to sell something. When we achieve this state, the selling price becomes secondary because both parties look for true win-win outcomes, which include a comprehensive margin for the seller also. This is equally true for selling shoes ? and for selling high-value solutions.

Conclusion: The "Stop Selling!" approach is not just a technique for selling certain products. It involves a new mindset for a different approach towards (potential) buyers. In effect, the buyer recognizes the seller as a truly trusted partner who adds new value to the relationship by being an effective coach for the buyer. The benefits for the seller are shorter buying cycles, recurring business and improved margins. Clearly, the impact on selling high-value solutions tends to be even more significant.

By Charlie Lang

Make Your Referrals Count

2008-07-01T21:42:00.017-07:00

Just because we receive a referral, it doesn't mean that the sale is ours and the deal is closed even before we make contact.

For all you know, the person being referred to you may have also been referred to someone else, so don't take your referrals for granted.

Treat your referral as though it is someone that you have never heard of before, make believe you were cold calling and came across this name on your list, and when you called them, they showed interest in your product.

Now, you would never treat your very own hard earned customer with anything but the best customer service, would you?

Of course you wouldn't, you found this customer on your own through hard work and you want to keep them.

Think of your referral in the same light.

Far to many times I have seen referrals that have been given to people that just let them sit around for days. The assumption is, I believe, that because this customer was referred to them, that it is a done deal and they can take their time with it. This is not the case.

The minute you get a referral, you should be calling that customer, the simple fact that you believe a referral to be a done deal, should be all the reason in the world to call them immediately.

The customers point of view . . .

If a customer is looking for a particular product or service, and they put the word out on the street, they will be expecting a phone call very soon.

Lets suppose you were looking to have your bathroom updated, and a friend of yours referred you to a guy who installs kitchens and bathrooms, and you never heard from the guy, and if you did it was many days after the guy received your referral. You probably wouldn't be too thrilled about doing business with him now, would you? I doubt it.

So the next time you get a referral, make it count, call that customer immediately, they are sitting by the phone, waiting on your call.

When it comes to referrals, don't hesitate for a second, because if you do, your referral could end up in the hands of your competition. Best of Luck

This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and active.

By Jay Conners

A Simple Sales Strategy: Talk to Yourself!

2008-07-01T21:42:00.015-07:00

You are about to speak to a potential client, go to a networking meeting or give a presentation. What should you be saying to yourself in those few minutes beforehand? If you spend that time saying what I propose below, you will effortlessly and naturally become very attractive to your potential clients. This approach is very powerful, I promise you.

What if, in those few minutes, you say to yourself:

* I desperately need this client.

* I want their money.

* I need to show them how good my services are.

* I need to get them to listen to me.

* I hope they think I am good enough.

* I need to remember my "script" and those objection handling and closing techniques.

* I don't think I am going to enjoy this.

Do you ever say these kinds of things to yourself?

Imagine how you are going to come across if you are be-ing like this? Desperate? Unauthentic? Uncaring? Not relaxed? Attached to the outcome? It's all about me, me, me. Like a salesperson? Oh no!

Instead, just suppose that in those few minutes, you say to yourself:

* I am about to have a conversation to explore if I can help.

* I really want to help.

* I want what's best for this person, even if they don't become my client.

* My focus is on what I can give, not what I can get.

* I am committed to helping but not attached to it.

* I am going to put myself in their shoes. I will look at things from their perspective.

* It's all about them, not me.

* I am going to listen, listen and listen.

* I have no expectations from this conversation.

* I am going to be me (open, honest, full of integrity, natural ...).

* I am going to enjoy this.

* I am going to forget about trying to sell them something.

Imagine now how you are going to come across if you are be-ing like this. Authentic? Caring? Relaxed? Committed? It's all about them. Magnetic? Not at all like a salesperson!

If you are be-ing this way when you are having a conversation, you will quickly build rapport and trust; people will listen to you then. Talk about your solution and products before you do this and what you say will fall on deaf ears.

I suggest you create your own written list by using mine as a starting point. Add to it over time. Say these things, out loud preferably, to yourself before you speak to any potential clients. Then sincerely (or it will not work) be like this.

This may sound silly to some of you but it works. Eventually you will be like this naturally and getting clients will become easier and easier. People will find you magnetic.

This is a simple and yet very powerful technique. Please do not underestimate it. Try it out for yourself and if you do, I promise, you'll quickly be on the path to getting a lot more clients. It's all in the be-ing!

(c) 2005, Tessa Stowe, Sales Conversation. You are welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end) and all links are made live.

By Tessa Stowe

Sales Skills for the Non Sales Professional

2008-07-01T21:42:00.013-07:00

Have you ever wondered how in the heck you're going to do it? You are a lawyer who wants to make partner, an accountant, an engineer or other professional and part of your business plan is that you have to attract business customers? You've always detested selling, and you can't see yourself doing it! As a matter of fact, sales people are a HUGE turn off to you!!!

Yet, you HAVE to bring in customers!!!

What ARE you going to do?

Many of my current or former clients fit the above description. Many of them finally contacted me, a coach, when they were in trouble because they had NO CLUE where to start. They decided that they did need help, and they realized that only a professional could rescue the mess that they've made.

And guess what? They survived! And not only did they survive, but they thrived! As soon as they realized that they didn't need to change their personality, become a raving fan, or over the top, they relaxed and settled into learning what they had to do.

I'll take you through a typical client and what they learn to do.

Kirk was a guy who found me in one of my Charisma classes! He was basically a smart fellow who was trying to make partner in his law firm. He had been told upon his hiring that he'd be responsible for attracting business to his company. He bluffed his way through the interview by mentioning how many people that he knew and how many big cases he had worked on successfully. He didn't mention that the business wasn't his, or that he was TERRIFIED of calling all of the people that he knew and asking for business!

When Kirk and I finally got together I asked him to start by naming all of his strengths. We went over all of the benefits that any of his clients or future clients would get by working with him. I had him post these in his office so he'd never doubt how talented he really is in work.

Next, we outlined what sorts of clients he should secure and then wrote a list of any current or former friends or colleagues that he knew. We developed an information sheet on each of them which would be later transferred to a contact management system such as ACT or Goldmine. On each of the sheets, Kirk had to go and write about the person. He wrote down anything he knew about them professionally or personally. These ranged from where they went to school to their spouses names, to their hobbies.

Next, we put them in order from A Accounts ( HUGE!!!) down to D accounts (Barely worth calling) and everyone in between. When all was said and done, Kirk had a list of about 25 people on the A list and those were the ones that we focused on.

Those names went into the computer. We then called and got all of their current information such as emails, secretaries names, firms, etc. We then wrote a letter that was sent to each of them announcing his new position and then said that Kirk would soon be giving a follow up call to say a quick hello. The letter was written in a casual manner, and not too formal. It definitely did NOT look like a form letter from a law firm!

Over time, Kirk redeveloped these people into friends. He did it by meeting them to play basketball, going to networking events with them, or inviting them to political speeches. He was able to get tickets for a few of them to different events and basically became a resource to the whole legal profession for most of them. Kirk became a FRIEND to these individuals, their firms and as a result, guess what happened?

Kirk started bringing in business of course! Not only that, but his bosses wanted to know what he was doing and how it all started. Needless to say, a few of his co workers were in the position to hire a coach and we duplicated Kirk's experience.

Developing into a sales professional is a scary thought for someone who is afraid of sales. But turning into a resource for your friends and colleagues is not only fun, but a great way to learn and grow your business. And if you get stuck, call me! I'll help you through!

By Mary Gardner

Close More Sales With This Very Simple 3 Step Sales Process.

2008-07-01T21:42:00.011-07:00

As Financial Services Sales Professional you need to build trust and rapport in order to close more sales. By using a simple 3 Step Sales process you will able to close more sales and earn more commissions.

Step 1 - Contacting the Lead

For most Financial Services Sales Professionals making that phone call to set the appointment is often the hardest part of the sales process. Well it just got easier. You call the prospect and say

Hi Mr Prospect

wait for Reply

My name is Mike Makler and I received your name from a form you filled out on my web site. It says here you are interested in a possible Mortgage Refinance, some life insurance and retirement planning. Does that sound about right

wait for Reply

Mr Prospect this is how I work I would like to meet with you for about 15 Minutes and have you fill out a brief questionnaire to see if I can even help you. I promise I will not try to sell you anything I will be in your area tomorrow would Morning or afternoon be better.

wait for Reply

Great Morning it is. Do me a favor mark your calendar and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning between 9am and 11am

Step 2 The First Meeting

Remember the first meeting is where you get to know your prospect. Have a questionnaire prepared in advance with the questions related to their situation. Most good sales organizations will offer you online and offline tools with questionnaires.

The Sales call will go something like this. You Make some small talk, then have the client fill out the questionnaire. You say goodbye to the client and tell them you will get back to them to see how to proceed. In some cases you may want to make the 2nd appointment on the spot in other cases you may want to wait.

Before you leave ask for some leads.

Step 3 The Sale

The second meeting is where you make the sale. You go back with the questionnaire and at least 2 proposals on how you can meet their needs. If you get the sale or not always ask for leads. If you get the sale or not ask them if it's ok if you check back later on to review there situation.

By Mike Makler

Visual Science of Selling

2008-07-01T21:42:00.009-07:00

Statistics state that 55% of people judgments are made based on what is seen visually, as opposed to 38% based on voice and the message you give. That means what you promote using images is the most important factor in making the right connection.

This observation makes the Internet the biggest opportunity to sell. It's been said that information is king, but in the world of the Internet, it's image. Here the visual presentations are the most usual method to promote your product/service. According to web development tools you have at your disposal photos, images, animations, movies to enhance your marketing strategies and create a professional sale system

There are thousands of authors out there teaching sales people on how to turn more prospects into customers, how to increase their sales, and convince people to buy. Almost all of their books state that creating an image of your product is the best thing you must do and this is nothing else but to recognize the importance of visual methods in sales process.

Here are some 'visual' tips that salespeople may use effectively in selling their products

Use images in your website. An image values more than a thousand words. Take care to not overload your web site with high tech gadgets. They can create a slow loading web page and distract people away from your offer.

Use text with descriptive terms and phrases in a manner that compel images in your customers, something like "see with your own eyes", "come and see our product", "red alert" and so on.

Make your prospects feel that they need the product, and help them visualize how much better their life will be after the purchase.

Get your visitors excited about your product by showing them how excited other people are about it. Tell them why they're excited and use images with satisfied people.

Provide testimonials on your site from your happy customers. When asking if you can publish testimonials, ask if you may also include and photo along with their endorsement. This will add more 'visual' credibility to your testimonials and further decrease any resistance your visitors may have to your sales message.

Keep people at your web site as long as possible. You may allow them to download for free e-books, movies, banners, signs and other visual materials These techniques are most effective when used in concert. They require effort and practice to be able to leverage their full potential, so take the time to study them. Apply these techniques to the weak areas and put the science of selling to work for you.Valerian Dinca

Selling White Space

2008-07-01T21:42:00.007-07:00

Almost all Internet Marketers have a basic idea of what they want to achieve in their careers. They may want to close more sales and earn a higher income.

The process is quite simple.
They craft a targeted letter with a powerful offer and post it on a web page. However, somehow they do not achieve the success they desire.

Why?
Why is it that intelligent, motivated, hard-working individuals are not achieving the success they deserve? It is because they don't know to sell white space.

They pay all attention to sales letter vital elements:

The Headline.
They create a power headline to get the reader's immediate attention and create curiosity.

The Body.
(presentation of products characteristics) They create interest and desire through answering the question "what's in it for me?".

The Sub-Headlines.
A sub-headline is an one line statement containing a powerful benefit of product. Headlines are very important because they make sales letter better structured and charge up the reader.

The Irresistible Offer.
They always offer a strong risk-free guarantee and give a free bonus together with the product.

The Invitation to Order.
Always they finish the sales letter with asking for prospects to order NOW! They do not forget that sales research has shown that over 90% of the sales process is based on having a good rapport with the prospect. They build trust and have the best coverage for the client. They write short and use direct statements that cut right to the heart of the matter, making everything as simple and direct as they possibly can.

But sometimes they forget to make letter easy to read. Following the desire to offer a full presentation of the product they often put too much inside, line after line. Nothing kills more sales than a full solid page of type and the result is a boring letter that people will not read it.

The solution is to offer a pleasure to customer's eye using white space accordingly. The easier it is to read your letter or web page the more money you make.

Don't torture your potential customer. Make you letter as "aired" as you can and you will make the most money just selling white space.Valerian Dinca

Theres a Referral for Everyone

2008-07-01T21:42:00.005-07:00

I worked for years as a mortgage loan officer. During this time I worked with two very successful loan officers, however, their styles were polar opposite. These two guys were opposites to the point where they basically didn't like each other, and spent most of the day avoiding one another.

Here are their stories.

The first loan officer whose work habits I am going to tell you about is Mike. Mike was a creature of habit. He was always the first one in the office every morning, where he would drink his cup of coffee and read his newspaper cover to cover.

Mike never left the office, he never did cold calling at night like the rest of us, he never sent out mailers, in fact, Mike never did any thing except deliver excellent customer service, and work his tale off for his customers.

Mike was also a student of the mortgage industry. He learned everything there was to know about it. He read countless magazines, and numerous articles. He attended seminars at night, and he knew all the niche programs of every lender our company dealt with.

Mikes excellent customer service along with his excellent knowledge of the industry put him in a position to help people in all kinds of financial situations.

A lot of these people were in desperate need of financial help. Mike was always capable of finding them a lender and a program to fit their financial needs, while being compassionate the entire time.

Mike treated these people with such kindness and dignity that he not only made their holiday card list, they talked him up to anyone that would listen.

Mikes inflow of referrals came from at least one hundred of his previous customers that he had helped in a time where the largest financial decision they would ever make was at stake.

These people referred family and friends to Mike because of the way he treated them, and the hard work he did for them. The bottom line is, they trusted him, and they liked him, so they referred to him.

The other guy . . .

The other guy I worked with was a guy named Joe. As I stated earlier, Joe and Mike were polar opposites.

Joe would come hustling into the office every morning approximately five minutes after the office opened. He made a grand entrance and said good morning to everyone in the office.

Joe was usually coming from breakfast with a client, or coming in from one of his many networking events.

You see, that was Joe's angle, he networked. Joe attended every networking event under the sun. The chambers, the lions clubs, the rotary clubs, you name it and he was there.

Joe had really put his time in at these organizations, and he had really paid his dues. He took the time to get to know the other members of the business community. He not only got to know them, he got to know about their business as well. This way he could refer business to them.

From these groups alone, Joe continued to receive his own steady flow of referrals.

These two scenarios are only two of the many ways you can keep referrals coming in. And, as you can see, different people use different techniques. In these two cases, the loan officers used what worked best for them.

Find out what works best for you, and stick with it! Good luck!

This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact.

By Jay Conners

Make Your Prospects Speak

2008-07-01T21:42:00.003-07:00

You've probably heard people speaking about someone that he was born a salesperson. You might think that talent and native skills are all what you need to succeed in sales. In spite of what most people believe, selling is a science. Native abilities can help you to feel more comfortable in salesman position, but first comes learning.

You have to build and permanently grow your knowledge and techniques. It's not just about putting up a web site, or using a replicated web site and promoting it to free classified ad sites and FFA pages. It is not just about learning by heart your product and telling to your customers all what you know.

The most important part of sales science is to listen.

A serious prospect is one who is interested to get what he needs. By the consequence, having some questions or concerns related to your product, he is really interested to find out if your product fits his needs. He will come to you to tell about his questions and concerns. Be prepared to welcome him in silence, selling is not about talking, it is firstly about listening.

Pay attention to his questions or concerns.
What are his likes and dislikes?
Is he motivated by your product price or he perceives the value ?
How your product fits his desire for status ?
Listen to him is like listen to your market.

When is your turn don't start answering, better ask what he means by every question. Make him speak and listen what key words he uses for explanations. Tailor your answer based on the information you gather and be prepared to reply using these key words to emphasize the image of your product.

This technique requires effort and practice to be able to leverage its full potential, so take the time to study and practice it. Make your prospects speak and their concerns will do all selling work for you.

By Valerian Dinca

7 Keys to Turning Cold Calls Into Warm Calls

2008-07-01T21:42:00.001-07:00

Let's face it when it comes to cold calling many of us fear being rejected. What if I was to tell you I have come up with 7 keys to turning your cold calls into warm calls? Would you believe me?

Try these 7 cold calling ideas for yourself and see just how easy making a cold call can really be.

1. Change Your Mental Objective Before You Make Your Call

When making a cold call the traditional way, your main objective is usually to try and get the appointment or make the sale. The main problem with that is when you do make the call it is quite clear to the person on the other end of the phone that this is your goal and they usually think of an excuse to get you off the phone before they have a chance to hear what you have to say.

To turn your cold calls into warm calls you need to change your objective to creating a feeling of trust with the person you are calling. It is important to remember that the person you are calling needs to feel that you are calling to help them rather than just trying to make the sale.

2. Understand The Mindset of The Person Your Calling

This is an extremely important tip and one that can help you greatly with your cold calling success. By putting yourself in the mindset of the person you are about to call, you can move beyond making a sales pitch.

Imagine that you are that person receiving the call and you hear "Hello, my name is Clare and I'm with a company called Financial Solutions International, do you have a few minutes?" What would be your immediate reaction?

You'd probably think "Salesperson! How can I get them off the phone." Instead, try beginning your conversation with "Hi, my name is Clare, maybe you can help me out for a moment?" Something as simple as that puts you smack in the middle of your prospect's world of welcoming phone calls.

3. Identify A Problem That Your Company Can Solve

Knowing a specific problem that your prospect is having is how you can immediately create a natural conversation on the phone.

If your prospect feels that you really do understand their particular issues, then they are more open to hearing your solutions giving you the opportunity to see if you both are a good match.

Identifying the problem before you make your cold call really can make a major difference in the success of your cold call.

4. Start A Conversation, Don't Give A Presentation

Giving a presentation is the old traditional way of cold calling which has the negative affect of creating sales pressure and viewing people as "prospects".

Engaging people in a natural conversation is the only way to avoid rejection because you are relaxed as if you are talking to a friend. A genuine approach will always put your potential customer at ease from the start.

Never assume beforehand that your prospective customer should buy what you have to offer. Your prospect will pick up on this right away and you will be on your way to losing the sale.

5. Start By Asking A Question

After your opening cold calling statement, always begin by asking a question about how you can help them solve issues that you believe your solution can solve.

Think about it, how would you respond if someone genuinely knew what you were struggling with and had ideas to solve it?

By basing your cold call on honesty and truthfulness and knowing how to engage your prospect based on their issues, then all of a sudden your call becomes a two-way dialogue rather than a one-way pitch.

You will be able to open up a conversation and be able to build up trust at the same time.

6. Recognising and Diffusing Hidden Pressures

By being able to recognise hidden sales pressure you can turn your calls into pleasant conversations. And be aware, that enthusiasm can make your prospects feel pressure from you.

Learning to engage in a natural conversation can alleviate this pressure and leave your client open to the idea of hearing what you have to say.

Try to avoid controlling your calls in a way where your prospect feels you are taking them down a sales process. Give them a chance to share their concerns with you without having to worry about you trying to "close" them.

7. Determining A Fit

Let's say your call is going great and the dialogue is flowing well but the conversation is reaching its natural end. What do you do next?

Most people who sell assume they should try and close the person to an appointment. But there is a risk in that if the person's problem isn't a priority to solve. So it's important that you first ask "Is this issue a priority to solve or is it something that's on the back burner?"

Not only have you determined a need but you will also determine a time frame. This could save you months of wasted "follow-up" calls.

Now it's time to start putting these tips into practice. From personal experience, I can tell you that you if use these ideas on your cold calls, you'll know how to turn cold calls into warm calls.

By Ari Galper

Sharpening Your Sales Skills

2008-07-01T21:41:00.001-07:00

Making a living in sales can be very rewarding, however, it can also be tough at times. That is why it is very important to stay on top of your game at all times.

Making a sale doesn't happen by accident or by luck, the sale is made because the person doing the selling has done a good job of explaining and representing their products.

Here are a few activities that will help you and your co-workers keep your sales skills sharp at all times.

Roll Playing

I know this sounds corny, but it really does work, and it puts everyone in the office in a good mood, because of all the laughs you will receive.

Make up a few fake, but realistic sales scenarios for you and a fellow co-worker to act out. Take turns playing the customer and the sales person. Repeat the scenario several times until you become comfortable with it. If at all possible, find a third person to observe and critique your mach sales sessions. If this is not possible, than critique each other.

Current Events

During each of your sales presentations with a potential customer, there should be some sort of small talk, or what you would call a relax period, where you relax your customer by discussing something other than your business and the product you are about to sell.

The weather is the most obvious thing to talk about, but it is a very boring subject and comes across fake, because everybody brings up the weather when they don't have anything else to talk about.

Every day, in the morning, decide on a current event that you will bring up when making small talk with your potential customers; Such as a major news event or a major sporting event that is happening.

This way you will be prepared and won't run into any snags in your conversation.

Shaking hands

Get into the habit of shaking hands. Every time you meet a potential customer, shake their hand. Most of us are comfortable with shaking hands, but for those of you who are not, here is a tip to help you reach a comfort level.

Each day that you walk into your office, shake the hands of your co-workers that are closest to you. Seriously, every morning, go in, look them in the eye, greet them by name, and shake their hand. They may look at you as though you are nuts at first, but explain to them that it is simply an exercise. Trust me they will get a kick out of it, and will respond with enthusiasm.

Remember, people don't want to be treated as statistics, they wanted to be treated as people, so treat them that way. Shake their hand, look them in the eye, talk about things other than business, and use their name as often as possible.

By keeping your sales skills sharp, you will ultimately be keeping your sales up. Good luck!

By Jay Conners

The First Step to Stress-Free Selling (TM)

2008-06-29T21:55:00.005-07:00

Step 1: Get Ready - Create a foundation you can build on. This step involves prospecting and pre-call planning. Approach businesses randomly and you will: 1) Call businesses unsuitable for your magazine 2) Who don't believe in advertising and 3) Are unlikely to advertise with you. Then appeal to them by doing homework before m contact. You will make sales more often contacting businesses inclined to advertise with you.

Prospecting

Identify the businesses most likely to advertise with you. Then prioritize them. Call your best prospects before your least likely prospects. As adverse as this sounds, many ad reps call businesses who don't believe in advertising or are not interested in their industry or their reader. If this were so obvious to all reps, I wouldn't be writing about it! The fastest way to make sales hard is to call the wrong businesses, and sadly, many salespeople do just this. Start off with the right prospects and save yourself a lot of time.

Your key prospects are found in these locations:

1. Advertisers in competitive publications. This most obvious source is the one you should prospect first.

2. Current customers running sizes or schedules smaller than they are in competitors or smaller than their competitors are running with you are great prospects. After all, they already believe in and like your publication. What a great place to start!

3. Advertisers who used to do business with you. Just because someone stopped doing business with you does not mean they never will again. Many will come back. Why make it later rather than sooner? Stay in touch with them. Maybe the decision maker left.

4. Advertisers advertise. Seek key prospects in other media (newspaper, radio, television, billboard, yellow pages, internet, etc.) If they meet your criteria (type of business, location, their customer is your reader), these advertisers are excellent prospects.

5. New businesses entering your market or industry. If they believe in advertising (you'll find out easily in an initial conversation), get them early? before your competitors do.

6. Referrals are my favorite prospecting source. They are the easiest to sell! You can turn these leads into sales nearly 100% of the time. Don't be among the unfortunate who do not capitalize on this tool.

When asking for referrals, be specific. Don't ask, "Do you know anyone who would be interested in advertising in our magazine?" Your answer will probably be "No." Ask if they know a specific business (have a list of your top prospects), specific type of business, a business in a specific geographical area. You get the idea. Narrow your request and you will help your customers help you.

Make sure the leads are good. Referrers must know the person they are referring well. If they say, "SoAndSo should advertise with you," and they don't know this person, they're right, but this does not qualify as a referral. Just a good idea you probably already had.

Pre-Call Planning

"To me, selling begins with investing time in preparation and planning," Donald Trump.

Determining and gathering the information you need prior to contact facilitates Getting In and helps make first calls successful.

At a minimum, know the key places your prospects advertise before you get in touch with them. Know the size ad they run, their main message, and have copies of their ads. You will learn a lot about them. For example, are they running a consistent, cohesive campaign, or is every ad different in look, content and tone? How organized is the company in their approach to advertising? This will clue you.

Who should you ask for? If your first call sounds like, "I'd like to speak to the person responsible for advertising," you are likely to get them on the phone before you know their name. This does not make you look good. Learn who to call before getting them on the phone.

How long have they been in business? Who is their target market? Find this information and a lot more by visiting their web site or reading their ads. A new business has different objectives than one in business for decades. Does their target market match your audience?

Arm yourself with this basic information about your prospects, and you will make Getting In easier and build trust faster.

Skip this preparatory step, and you will contact many people before you find the ones who are right for you. Why would you want to do that?

Next month, will discuss Step 2: Getting In. Create Introductions that Eliminate Hurdles. Get Past Gatekeepers, Voice Mail and eMail, one of today's biggest challenges. Get Permission to meet with you on your terms.

By Jenaé Rubin

Be Yourself

2008-06-29T21:55:00.003-07:00

Here's the thing... you still have to make every marketing and sales message all about the WIIFM* for your target audience. But it's how you do this - the words you choose and your behavior - that makes the connection with the marketplace all about you.

Let's look at what the experts advise. By the way, while these tips sound bizarre -- they're real nuggets, so stay with me:

1. Be an authentic liar.

2. Be your own valentine.

3. Fight bull.

Here's how these successful experts connect with the marketplace - and you can too:

Be an authentic liar. In his latest book, All Marketers Are Liars, Seth Godin explains "the power of telling authentic stories in a low-trust world." Mildly unsettling at first, he makes the case that our buyers are actually the ones who are lying. To themselves. About why they want to buy from us.

Successful marketers are just providing the stories that our buyers choose to believe. But here's the rub: you have to really live the story you're telling. The second a potential buyer smells anything less than complete dedication to what you're selling, you "cross the line from fib to fraud." It's simply not good enough to have a good story. You have to live up to it as well. If you're a cobbler with no shoes, why should your clients take your advice?

Be a role model for what you sell, and nothing less. Then tell a good story about it, to buyers who want to believe.

Be your own valentine. In his hot little book, Little Red Book of Selling, Jeffrey Gitomer takes a tough-love approach to helping us be the best version of ourselves we can be.

My personal favorites are:

? No Whining ("Don't whine to me that the customer won't return your call. Study voicemail. Don't whine to me that your boss is a jerk. Get a new one. Don't whine to me that your company won't give you a laptop. Go buy one.")

? Kick Your Own Ass ("Ever have a bad day? Ever lost a sale you thought you had? Ever had someone say yes to you and three days later just evaporate? Wanna know what to do about it?? Kick your own ass. No one is going to hand you success?that's something you have to do for yourself.")

The heart of Gitomer's message is put your heart into your work?and if you don't love what you sell, go sell something else. No amount of cleverly packaged marketing spin can camouflage a missing heart. Your clients will see right through it and won't buy from you.

Research shows that people buy professional services because of trust. In Gitomer's words, "If they like you, and they believe you, and they trust you, and they have confidence in you?then they MAY buy from you."

Let your heart shine through in your words and actions. If you do, your clients will like, believe, trust, have confidence, and buy from you.

Fight bull. In their recent book, Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: A Bullfighter's Guide, Brian Fugere, Chelsea Hardaway, and Jon Warshawsky give it to us straight. Stop using words that are meaningless, boring, indirect and obscure. Start communicating with your own voice, personality, and style.

How many times have you sat through mind-numbing presentations, meaningless PowerPoint slides, or felt no connection with (no trust in?) the person trying to sell you on their idea, service or product?

So stop. Just stop adding to the bull that piles up every day in business communications. Talk and write to your target audience person-to-person. Ask them simple questions that get to the heart of their wants and needs. Tell them that you've thought a lot about their situation and have some ideas that might help them. And do it without the crutch of slides, silly business-speak, or slick messaging.

In other words, just be yourself.

*WIIFM: What's In It For Me?

References

Fugere, B., Hardaway, C., and Warshawsky, J. (2005). Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: A Bullfighter's Guide. New York: Free Press.

Gitomer, J. (2004). The Little Red Book of Selling. Austin: Bard Press.

Godin, S. (2005). All Marketers Are Liars. New York: Penguin.

Catapult Your Business-How to Get Customers to Chase You Instead of the Other Way Around

2008-06-29T21:55:00.001-07:00

I was thinking about the statement:

The Small Business Administration tells us that 80% of all small businesses will not make it more than 2 years, and by 5 years 90% will have gone out of business.

If that is the case, then why does every business out there try to be like the others? Most copy everything right down to the way everyone else in the same industry lays out their office.

The reasons I get from clients

They don't want to reinvent the wheel.

They want to learn from those that have done it because it will save time and money.

Can we then assume that they are all wrong? Yes! At least 80% of them!

Finding How to Be Different Will Bring More Success Faster Than Trying to Be Like Everyone Else

For most companies there is someone just like you on literally every street corner in the world. Isn't it a little hard to get noticed standing in a crowd that all look alike?

If you want to be noticed, don't you have to look different, do something that would make you stand head and shoulders above that crowd?

I'm going to give you two points here that, if you decide to follow them, will make your business so visible that people are chasing you to buy from you instead of the other way around. It will make your business a magnet, pulling customers in.

Find what makes you unique (we'll discuss that later).

Find what is different about the 20% of businesses that are succeeding. (I'm not saying copy them and look like them either. I'm suggesting that they have something we can learn from).

Learn what the other 80% of all business are doing so we can avoid it.

Finding Your Unique Selling Proposition, That Thing that Makes you so visible above the crowd that they are chasing you

When I'm working with my executive business coaching clients I spend a significant amount of our time trying to find what would make my clients different. This one idea alone can make you super successful if you find your powerful unique selling proposition.

List your products/services/features

Let's start a worksheet on a piece of paper. On the far left create a column called Products/Features/Services, and list all of your products, your features, your services down that column. List each on their own line down the left side.

Benefits--Why Buy the Product/Service?

Next to that create a column, label it, "Benefits, What would a client get from buying my product or service. This is an answer to "Why buy my product (service)."

Don't worry about perfection here. This is a thought process that will get better the more you think about it, and until you start writing down your thoughts it isn't going to get better. So start now. This is a process. You'll find that your early answers will be rather weak and wishy washy. You might not think so when you first write them down, but I'll guarantee that the more you review this each time you'll look back and realize how far off target you've been when talking about your product before, and probably still are in the early phases of what we are doing right now.

Make sure that, as you write the answers in each column to the right, that they line up with a product or service on the same line of the first column. So, answer the same question for each product or service.

Why Buy It From Me?

The next column to the right is "Why buy it from me?" In other words, if someone has already decided to buy the product based on the benefit you just wrote in the 2nd column, and IF there really is someone just like me on every street corner, then give a reason why they should buy from you, or even better, why should you be noticed above that crowd on every street corner. A quick suggestion: Before you go where everyone else goes-your answer shouldn't have anything to do with being less expensive. If you go there you'll lose. Everybody else is already there. You'll just be looking like everybody else anyway. Take your best shot at this, we'll come back and get it better later.

Make the "Benefits" and the "Why Buy It From Me" ?.MEASURABLE

Now, the last column:

? Take both the Why buy the product?
? And Why Buy it from me?
? And turn them into measurable results.

Finding the right measurable result is where you'll find your opportunity to stand out above the crowd, where you'll find a statement that will make your company a magnet to customers.

I want you to step back and really look at all of those answers. Did you answer all of the questions based on what benefit the customer really receives? Or was it still about the product/service, was it kind of iffy, wishy washy, weak?.

I'll use one of my client's businesses. He is a business coach as well. I coach the coaches, a business advisor to business advisors. His product is business coaching, training, sales training.

Now for the benefit a customer might receive: It's almost too easy to say education, better skills, but that's not digging deep enough.

Why would the customer want education and better skills?

What is the final result if we keep asking why this, why this, why this until we get to the bottom line.Benefits:

Increased business, increased bottom line, easier to run business. In my opinion that is still a little weak. But let's move on so that you get the idea. And I suggest you do the same. Get the ideas down at first. Then, after completing all of the other columns come back and look at it with the new ideas that will have been generated.

Why buy it from me?

It's a little too easy to say that he gives them training, or does it at a better price than others. If he digs deep enough, he gives them results instead of training. Where most companies provide training for a day, he'll ask the client what he wants and dig for that deeper answer, and then focus on delivering results, not just training. Still not where I want it. It's still weak.

For the measurements:

Small business clients that act on the ideas they generate together double their business in 3-4 weeks, and he'll guarantee a 2:1 ROI on his fee.

Now if I go back to Why buy it from me, and add, "giving results (and how much, make it measurable, do you double a business? A really good coach can.), and doing it in 3-4 weeks" instead of just some time we're starting to reach that really powerful statement.

Using what you find in the measurable part in your marketing, in your elevator speech, you'll find people noticing you for a change. You'll start to see marketing results go up 5-10 times. When you use this in a networking event you'll have the room coming over to find out more.

Most of my clients really balk when we start talking about "make it measurable." They are usually afraid to have to commit to something. And many have never even thought about what kinds of results could be measured.

I'll get answers like "How can I put a measurement on it? I have so many different products. They are so different I can't give you ONE answer." Or, gee I don't feel comfortable committing that I can do that.

I'll not let them get away with that. Pick an average, pick the best you've ever done, the worst you've ever done. This is a thought process. And then let's put something down on paper that you are willing to commit to. Let's write down something that says, "most of our clients will get this?.." "the typical client will get this?.", and "I will absolutely guarantee that a client will get this?"

At first, many of my clients will feel that they are having to commit to something they don't want to commit to. Well, guess what? That's what will make you different. Pay close attention. These are the KEYs to catapulting your business forward.

Very few commit to THE RESULTS they will deliver.

Making it measurable will deliver a product that SO VISIBLY stands out above everyone else that you WILL be noticed.

Everyone else is selling generic stuff on every street corner. Just make sure that your statement is true and deliverable.

Believe me it works. I have people running over to me after chamber introductions to hear more. Or sometimes to say, "You can't really do that?.can you?"

Back to my coaching client example: Sales went through the roof when he was willing to stand up and commit to doubling someone's business, or doubling the output of some specific part of a business, if they, in turn, would just act on the ideas, and then guarantee a 2:1 ROI against the fee. That's measurable. That's a very visible, clear definition of results.

Measurable results in an elevator speech, ads, brochures, wherever your getting out there to be seen will become so powerful of a statement that your business will magnetically be pulling customers in faster than you could possibly imagine.

Alan Boyer, President/CEO of The Leader's Perspective, LLC is considered one of the world's leading breakthrough specialists. Typical results are doubling his small business clients, while hsi larger clients experience doubling the outputs of departments and workgroups. His focus is "multiplying companies." He has worked with some of the worlds largest companies, on multi-billiong dollar projects.

With over 35 years of business experience, he has catapulted businesses lightyears ahead in weeks. Some have doubled and some have jumped 10 times. He claims the key to that is:

Helping the business owners/employees develop the business skills

Helping them overcome the limitations and attitudes that they built between their ears (the self imposed limitations, I can't, this won't work for me, I'm different)

By helping them find the breakthroughs in their business and thinking, he helps companies worldwide reach further than they EVER thought possible?.FASTER

How To Stop Chasing Prospects Forever!

2008-06-29T21:54:00.013-07:00

Perhaps the biggest challenge faced by salespeople is the problem of chasing prospects. In this article I'll explain exactly why that happens, and how you can avoid it entirely and make prospects chase you instead.

I once heard Donald Trump say, "In selling, you must never appear desperate. As soon as you look desperate, it's over."

A friend and I were talking about the dynamics of a cold call the other day. When we make that call, we usually hope and expect that the prospect will be receptive to hearing what we have to say. However, salespeople face increasing resistance to cold calling, as well as increasing flakiness on the part of prospects who do meet with them. Instead of thinking, "Ok, this may be interesting," here's what most prospects actually think when they receive a cold call: "Great. You don't know me and I don't know you. You have no idea what my goals are. You don't even know if we need what you're selling, and in spite of all that, you've decided to waste my time anyway with this call."

What is increasingly becoming the norm is to be rejected by the good, solid prospects everyone wants, and to get appointments with flakey time-wasters who will never buy. Flakiness, in particular, is a growing problem thanks to the fact that prospects are increasingly bombarded with endless advertising as well as endless salespeople. When you consider the fact that few prospects actually have the courage to say "no" and instead choose to blow us off and make excuses, it becomes even more frustrating.

One of the main themes I try to teach salespeople is two-fold: 1) You must be supremely confident. 2) You must get into the habit of qualifying prospects OUT instead of merely qualifying them. It is the appropriate response to ever-increasing flakiness and evasiveness on the part of prospects. It's our way of communicating to them, "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" in a non-verbal way. The idea of taking the lead and qualifying prospects out is scary at first, and as a result most salespeople aren't willing to do it, but it will save you lots of otherwise wasted time with prospects who aren't really serious, and will free that time up to be spent with prospects who are going to buy.

It's important to start all sales relationships from a position of power, and you do this in two ways: 1) Through your outward presentation. This is easily accomplished by acting very professional and dressing better than your prospects, rather than taking the wrong advice of "dressing like your prospects." It's easy to say "no" to someone with whom you're comfortable, but much more difficult to say "no" to someone who intimidates you. 2) Through your actions. A great example is someone who is squirrely about agreeing to an appointment with you. In many cases, these are the people who finally agree to meet with you but eventually blow you off without buying. When I found myself in this situation, I discovered a great way to overcome it. It goes back to the idea of confidence bordering on mild arrogance, and puts you in the position of power. When you're getting the runaround, something like "Well, we'll let you know when we have time to pencil you in," say something like, "Great, let me know. I'm very busy so I need to know either way - NOW." This will get rid of time-wasters, and with serious prospects, will clearly communicate that you're a serious businessperson, should be taken seriously, and will not tolerate having your time wasted and otherwise being disrespected. It will also set you apart from the competition and greatly increase your chances of getting the sale.

As time goes on and I work with more salespeople, I'm realizing that this idea of being powerful really overrides everything else, and once you can pull it off, it overshadows everything. You can do a poor job of presenting and selling and yet this can carry you all by itself. For anyone who is doubtful about this idea of presenting yourself as overconfident and even a little bit arrogant, I'll go back to Donald Trump since he's famous for his giant ego. I saw him on Larry King, and as they were taking live calls, one of the callers openly confronted him about his massive ego and Larry King jumped on and questioned him about it as well. Donald Trump simply replied, "Have you EVER met a successful person who didn't have a big ego?" After some hemming and hawing from King, Trump repeated the question to him, and King finally said, "No."

Moving on from the idea of avoiding an appearance of desperation and creating an appearance of power, there's another very good reason as to why prospects who are uncovered via cold calling are flakey. This one has nothing to do with us and everything to do with a particular prospect's mindset and level of sales vulnerability to begin with.

Most of us have noticed, at some time or another, that prospects who absolutely refuse to take cold calls and have giant "No Soliciting" signs plastered on their front doors tend to be the easiest to sell to once you manage to get in front of them. There are a few popular theories as to why this is so, the most common one being the idea that since so few salespeople get through to begin with, there is little competition and therefore a better chance of getting the sale. However, I know the real reason behind this.

The reason those people are so defensive against sales pitches and have all those "No Soliciting" signs is quite simple. They are AFRAID of salespeople. They know very well that they have a very difficult time saying "no," and as such they are highly vulnerable to sales presentations and know very well that if a salesperson gets to them, they'll probably buy whether they need to or not.

(I never figured this out until I spoke with an expert on social dynamics who has studied the subject of human social interaction in depth. He explained that the people who act the coldest and most unapproachable in social settings do so because they're overly vulnerable to being seduced and falling in love and therefore are afraid of what someone's advances may lead to.)

Now that we've explained why those people are the easiest to sell to, let's look at the opposite type of prospect: those who willingly take your call and willingly agree to set an appointment.

If those who are easily sold won't take your call and won't agree to meet with you, why would someone be so agreeable to taking your call and meeting with you? Exactly. It's because they have no fear of salespeople. They know right from the start that there's little chance of them being sold. Their openness and receptiveness to your call puts us off-guard. We think we have a great shot at a sale, but in reality we're meeting with someone who is 99% certain not to buy.

Since the people who willingly take cold calls usually don't buy, and the people who usually buy don't take cold calls, what's the solution? Since those who are easily sold almost always meet with salespeople only when they've called the salesperson first and not the other way around, you must get your message across to these people in creative and effective ways other than cold calling.

To those highly desirable prospects who are easily sold, all salespeople seem the same. The only way to win with them is to separate yourself from the rest of the crowd.

The first way to accomplish this is to be that powerful businessperson who needs nothing and deserves respect. I think most of us were taught and have gotten into the habit of treating prospects as superiors and as a result we tend to do whatever is convenient for prospects and otherwise kiss up to them. We are used to rearranging our schedules just to meet with that one prospect. Stop this, and start expecting your prospects to treat YOU with the respect and consideration you deserve as someone who is not only a business equal, but who has the knowledge and wisdom to help them and improve their businesses and their lives.

The second way to stand out is to stop cold calling. Nothing will stereotype you as a typical salesperson faster than a cold call. The way to win with prime prospects is to get your message across to them in ways that don't use cold calling. You'll get in front of the easy sales, and you won't have any competition once you get there.

By Frank Rumbauskas

Unleash Your Inner Sales Superstar & Win More Business Right Now!

2008-06-29T21:54:00.011-07:00

It's a rainy afternoon on a typical mid week afternoon and the telesales team isn't firing on all cylinders. Cedric really isn't pulling his weight at all. He's been pushing papers around his desk for most of the afternoon and is having a miserable time. His sales figures are below target, his call statistics are below average and he knows that winning the lottery is as likely as him turning it around before the end of the month. John the sales manager also knows that Cedric isn't performing and decides to run a coaching session with him to try and sort things out. So far so good.

John and Cedric sit down and start to chat. John has read a few books on management and he knows that it's important to empathise and listen to John. After a bit of preamble and a few good questions the two of them actually begin to get quite honest with each other. We pick the conversation up about here?

C: "Well you know. I guess that I'm just not reaching enough new clients."

J: "OK. I respect your honesty. What do you think that we could do about that?"

C: "Well I don't think that it's a case of we, I guess that I am just going to have to reach them aren't I."

J: "Do you mean more cold calling?"

C: "I suppose so."

J: "We mentioned earlier that you need to get 5 visits a week. Based on your ratios how many calls would you need to make to get that?"

C: "25 contact calls or thereabouts. Sometimes a bit less, sometimes a bit more. 30 to be on the safe side I think."

J: "Can you do that?"

C: "Yes. I have to don't I or I'll be back in here. We don't want that!"

J: "No, we don't. Are we agreed that's what you need to do then?"

C: "Yes."

J: "Do you need anything else from me?"

C: "No that's fine. Thanks John."

Fairly common conversation from my experience. John feels pleased that he's helped out and Cedric returns to his desk knowing what he has to do. In most cases I would suggest that he probably does intend to do it. Cedric might even get on the phone and manage to make the calls for a few days but reasonably quickly it all falls down. Why?

As human beings we are driven by our emotions not by our willpower. I'm going to say this again because I think it's worth saying; as humans we are driven by our emotions not by our willpower. Just think about it for a second. Has there ever been something that you wanted to do, something that you rationally planned to do, something that you knew you knew you ought to do but then, for whatever reasons, when it came down to it you just didn't do it? Of course there has! Good examples might be dieting, flossing, cleaning the house, going to the gym and telesales!

Let's say for example that you know that you need to floss every day. After visiting the dentist you sit down and decide to do it. For a few days you floss but as time passes you start to become less consistent until you don't floss at all. Now there will be those of you who did floss and are saying to yourselves, "Well that's not right Gavin, I do floss!" Think of something else then. There will be something. Most of the time our internal representations decide how we feel irrespective of what our conscious brain has decided. What about smoking? How hard do many smokers try to give up yet their emotions constantly overpower their willpower?

Cold calling and telesales are much the same. Many salespeople know that they should be cold calling on a daily basis but when it comes down to it they make excuses and do something else. They may even end up feeling really bad about this (or not in some cases!) but it doesn't make a jot of difference! Ultimately we are driven by our emotions not by our conscious willpower. We all have our own internal constructs of the world and we act in accordance with them all of the time. Our feelings and our behaviours will always be in accordance with our internal construct.

"So what's the point then Gavin if we can't take conscious control?"

Great question! A little bit negative (we'll talk about that later) but great question none the less. When we understand, control and choose what happens inside we take control of the world's most super computer - our brain. If you have read personal development, NLP or motivation books you may have seen explanations of logical levels similar to the one below. I think this is the best way of explaining, understanding and controlling our internal construct and representations.

Identity

Beliefs

Feelings & Emotions

Behaviour cold calling / face to face / presenting

Results

When we fully understand where our internal construct comes from and how it was formed we can start to examine whether it is supporting us or not. If it's not then we can change it. After all, it's yours to change!.

Let's go back to John and Cedric for a minute. When John originally speaks to Cedric what is it that Cedric is doing that attracts John's attention? Primarily it's the fact that he's not getting good enough results isn't it! As you can see we are right at one extreme of the diagram. John will probably already have noticed that Cedric hasn't been making enough cold calls. This would be at behavioural level wouldn't it. Indeed, if John is particularly perceptive he may even think that he knows how Cedric is feeling. This wouldn't be correct as we can never really know what someone else is thinking even if they tell us!

I'd like you to think of typical management coaching session such as the one above between John and Cedric. At what level did the management coaching take place? Mostly at the behavioural and results levels wasn't it. How many calls Cedric needs to make linked to his historic ratios. Solid management and the way most management is done but what about the person underneath? How does Cedric feel about this conversation, his new targets or the prospect of cold calling? Even more vital, what beliefs does he have about cold calling or about this conversation? And, perhaps even more crucially, how does all of this reflect his personal identity? Let's explore Cedric's dilemna a bit further.

J: "Are we agreed that's what you need to do then?"

C: "Yes."

John left Cedric going back to his desk agreeing to a course of action to resolve matters. Cedric's a good guy, committed and focused and he does know that this is good advice. He wants to follow it. Unfortunately, he's not likely to because he's not congruent with this course of action internally. Let's take a peek and see?

RESULTS:
Conscious awareness of desired results
Also aware of the behaviours necessary to achieve them
Not getting the results that he wants

BEHAVIOURS:
Knows what to do and what is expected of him
Has the capability to do the task
Isn't doing the task

FEELINGS:
Doesn't like cold calling
Feels stressed and worried
Hates rejection
Fears picking up the phone

BELIEFS:
Cold calling means rejection
Clients don't want to speak with him
Product overpriced
Not very good at cold calling

IDENTITY:
Too good to be in sales
Didn't' choose sales
He's not like all those second hand car salespeople

Despite this, Cedric does pick the phone up and start to make some cold calls. He is quite quickly met with some resistance from a client who asks, "Are you trying to sell me something?" Cedric instantly feels bad, his speech speeds up, he starts to mumble, he makes excuses and he gets off the call as fast as possible. Alternatively, he might become more confrontational, challenging the potential client as to why he should listen to him. Either way - neither option is great!

In this example Cedric doesn't have to stop to feel bad. He has become unconsciously competent at making himself feel bad in this kind of situation. The more times that Cedric runs this process, the stronger and more debilitating it will become. Cedric will reach a point where he will do anything but cold call. Consciously he may want to but he will have this massive physical reaction to the whole process. Because the whole process is unconscious most of the time we will be unaware of the steps. Let's have a look at what they might have been in Cedric knowing what we know about him so far?

"Are you trying to sell me something?"

Because we personally interpret all events and give them meaning through our filters this question only has the meaning that you give to it. The client may genuinely be interested in us trying to sell something!

Cedric however immediately sees this as an objection. "Yes, yes I am. And I know that you won't want it. No-one ever does."

Note this mixture of mind-reading ("you won't want it") and beliefs ("no-one ever wants it") which causes Cedric to? start to feel bad. As he starts to feel bad Cedric remembers all of the other times he has been rejected? and feels worse still. He then mixes this with his beliefs such as, "No-one ever wants to buy" and "This is like begging for a living".

Finally, he starts to question his beliefs about his own identity and worth, "And that's what I do isn't it. Ring people about things that they don't want to hear about and then try and sell them to them. Why couldn't I have done better at school?"

Cedric now feels terrible and subconsciously wants to end the call. He will probably just bail out and even if he does have a go at dealing with the client's (perceived) objection he will probably do it very poorly and get another bad result to add to his collection of negative cold calling memories! Poor Cedric!

Now reinforced through identity, beliefs, feelings and examples how likely is it that Cedric will break this mould? Pretty unlikely in my experience. Whilst this is a very simple example it shows how we all code our memories.

"Why do our brains do this if it sabotages us in this way?"

To understand this I think you have to consider what the advantages of this process are. Each of us receive millions and millions of pieces of information every day. If we had to process every one of them consciously our heads would explode. Fortunately, we don't as our brains delete, distort and generalise information based upon our previous experiences. This way we don't have to recompute every piece of information every time we come across it. We know for example that a smile means that someone is happy with us. This may not actually be the case but it's fairly useful information in most cases.

The problem when it comes to sales and telesales in particular is that a lot of the constructs that we are using may not be the most empowering ones. If you believe, for example, that the market is overcrowded at the moment then when a client tells you that he already has more suppliers than he needs you are not likely to challenge him as you already know that to be the case. What's worse you will utilise that example to reinforce your construct.

The most effective way to change your construct is to start at the deepest level and work your way up. Working from the inside out often creates a cascade effect because once the identity is changed many of the beliefs and the feelings will change automatically. If your identity was that of a sales superstar would it be difficult to hold the belief that selling is a great career? I don't think so. Try installing that same belief into a someone with the identity of a failing second rate salesperson who yearned to do something else - much, much harder to do.

Exercise: Find at least three other salespeople and ask them how they got into sales.

I love that exercise. When I run it at seminars and trainings delegates create a real energy and buzz talking about their sales careers. Whilst there are some exceptions I am going to predict that the vast majority of people did not choose to get into sales. They may well have said that they "fell into it"! When I ask, "So what did you discover?" someone always says that. Interesting, isn't it. What did you want to be when you were young? Do you remember? Do you remember those parties with the jelly and the sausages on sticks? And then someone would say, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" What did we say? Astronauts, footballers, ballet dancers, firefighters, hairdressers? And do you remember that child in the corner? The one who put his hand up and said, "I want to be a cold caller?" "No?!".

Very few people actually set out to be a salesperson. What effect does this have on our identity of ourselves as a salesperson? I often read about other trainers saying that you should call your salespeople something other than salespeople to avoid exactly this issue. That's fine and it may even work in the short term but surely it's avoiding the main issue. We're all of us pretty clever really and it won't take long to transfer that negative identity to the new word subconsciously I can tell you! What are you going to do - change the title again? Far better to actually deal with the issues and choose a winning identity.

I was reminded of this the other day when I was shopping in Sheffield Meadow Hall. An old school friend came running up to me and said, "Gavin it's great to see you!" Now, it's been a little while since school and I am afraid to say that I didn't actually recognise him however we started to talk. It wasn't long before the subject of careers came up and so I asked him what he did for a living. His answers was somewhat strange. He said something like, "I work with directors of companies to help them to solve problems and improve their businesses."

It sounded quite interesting, maybe consultancy, but I still wasn't quite sure what he did so I asked him to tell me what he did in a bit more detail. "I work with senior business executives at a strategic level to help them to understand where their businesses are now and where they are going. Together we identify potential challenges and blocks and then make recommendations to help them to solve those challenges." I was still not sure what he did so I asked what the name of his job was. He looked coyly around, covered his face with his hand and looking down said, "I'm a sales professional!".

Very interesting. What negative identity has he got associated with being a salesperson? Certainly can't be helping him much.

Exercise: I want you to imagine that I have a time machine and I am going to lend it to you. You are going to climb into it and go back to some time in the past when you were deciding what you wanted to do with your life. Knowing what you know now why would you choose to be in sales? Think about it and write them all down. Why else? Why else? Keep going for at least 10 minutes. For the second part of the exercise I want you to look at your answers to part 1 and write down why those answers are important to you.

There are certainly many reasons why sales superstars choose to be in sales.

Money. You do not need qualifications and you don't have to pass exams to get a job in sales and you can start straight form school yet your income and earnings potential is potentially unlimited.

Flexibility. Selling can create flexibility in employment, working hours and opportunity.

Promotion. Sales is one of the best ways to get up the corporate ladder. Every company loves people that add to the bottom line. The two key professions that do this are accountants (managing the costs) and sales (improving the turnover).

Buzz. Selling is exciting and fun. What other job creates the kind of buzz that you get when you win a new client or fulfill a new contract.

People. Selling is a great way to meet people. What other job pays you to meet new people and become their friends, their business partners and their confidants.

Travel. Selling provides unlimited opportunities for travel. I know international sales professionals who spend more time out of the country than they spend in it.

Toys. Sales people have some of the nicest cars, houses and toys than anyone I know. Let's face it - nothing happens in business until someone sells something. Wouldn't you reward your best salespeople well?

Results orientated. Selling ensures that everyone gets paid on their own merits. You don't have to sit around waiting to make the next grade or support the laziest member of the department. Sales pays you for your results.

And I know that you will have thought of many, many more reasons.

Selling is a great, profession, aren't you glad that you chose to be in it?!

Imagine for a second that Richard Branson were to lose all of his money, his friends and his contacts. As you are walking home from work you seem him homeless on the street with another homeless and moneyless person (I know it really isn't likely!). You have to put your month's salary on one of them being a millionaire within two months. Who would you put your money on? Unless you have money to throw away you'll have put it on Richard Branson like every delegate I ever teach. Why? Because it's who he is - it's in his identity.

Build your sales superstar identity!

Welcome to the first steps on a journey. You won't create a winning identity in one go and you also won't keep it unless you work on it! The forces that created your identity over the years are still out there and you need to now focus consciously on deciding what your identity is and how and when you are going to work on it.

Exercise: Ask yourself who is the best salesperson that I know? If you said yourself, I really would like you to think of someone else now. Someone you admire and whose sales identity would be congruent with who you want to be. Write their name down at the top of a page and then take 5-10 minutes to describe who they are when they are selling. What's important to them and why?

With those answers firmly in mind I want you to imagine for a second that you are them. What does it feel like? How does it help you? What do you learn?

Now, clear your mind and focus on your own identity. Who will you be when you are selling at your best? How will this support you in the achievement of your goals? How much easier does selling become? How much more do you enjoy selling?

Take a moment to enjoy this feeling and then note your thoughts and distinctions into your log. You may even want to write down a personal identity statement.

Ongoing exercises:

1) Identify new sales superstar models and take them for a mental test drive.

2) Revisit your own sales superstar identity regularly.

3) Add to it, improve it and make finer distinctions. The more often you visit your perfect self the more real the experience will become for you.

Have a great month and remember to go out and sell with passion.

By Gavin Ingham

Qualifying vs closing

2008-06-29T21:54:00.009-07:00

The art of effective question asking (qualifying) determines the effectiveness and the success of the "close".
EXAMPLE: Let's assume you're a candy sales rep. You sell both chocolate and non-chocolate candy. I'm your potential customer. You know nothing about me but you're trying to sell me chocolate candy. You proceed to tell me how great the candy tastes, how exquisite the texture is, how incredible the quality of the chocolate is, and, by the way, how affordable this candy is because your company is doing a promotion on this outstanding chocolate candy. However, you don't sell me a single piece of chocolate candy. WHY?
You assumed I liked chocolate candy and I would buy it based on the information you provided. But the most important thing you forgot to identify or ask me is "do you like chocolate candy?".
The answer is "no, I hate chocolate candy?". But since you never took the time to understand me as your potential new customer, you lost today's sale and future sales a well.
Better Approach: I'm still the customer, you're still the candy sales rep. You're still promoting chocolate candy. The difference is - upon meeting me and establishing a rapport, your first question might be.

"Do you like chocolate candy?".

My response "no, I never eat chocolate candy".

Your response "you never eat chocolate candy, why?".

My response "because I'm allergic to it".

QUESTION: Do you believe it would make any difference to me, the customer, how the chocolate looks, tastes, is processed, or even how affordable it is? Your answer should be "no". However, just because I don't eat chocolate candy doesn't mean I don't know a number of other people who love chocolate candy. Also, you sell hard candy not just chocolate candy, so maybe the next question would be:

"Do you eat any kind of candy?".

My response "occasionally".

Your response "when you say occasionally, how often is

that?".

My response "2 to 3 times per month".

Your response "when you do eat candy, what type of candy do you eat?"

My response "hard-type, mint candies".

Your response "have you ever tasted our incredible hard, mint candies?".GET THE PICTURE? "Its all about asking, not selling." Once you have identified what's important to me, the customer, you have positioned yourself to sell me what I want - not what you have.

5 Small Steps To Ultimate Sales Success

2008-06-29T21:54:00.007-07:00

"Selling worth doing is worth doing badly ? at first!" ~ Gavin Ingham, 2002

Have you ever wanted to learn something new but just found it too difficult? Or started something but gave up because you just couldn't get the hang of it? Or maybe you just find the thought of ringing new clients far too scary? Perhaps you sometimes get great results but don't know what you're doing differently? Could you be stuck in your ways?

If any of these could possibly be true then this article is for you.

Everyone would agree that the ability to learn, understand and utilise new information, strategies and behaviours is important particularly with a topic such as sales where you may well have tried before with limited success. In order to help this process it is important to understand the learning process itself and the stages through which we develop new skills, behaviours or attitudes.

Whenever we learn anything new we go through 5 steps.

Sometimes we will do this so quickly that we may be unaware of the process whereas other times we may be made much more aware of the process by our emotions. Understanding this process, why we do it, the pitfalls and the strengths will allow you to maximise your learning capabilities.

Step 1) Unconscious Incompetence. You are unaware of what you don't know. You don't know all that you don't know!

Step 2) Conscious Incompetence. You become aware of what you don't know. You're ignorant and you know you are!

Step 3) Conscious Competence. You become aware of how to do things properly. You can do something but you have to be concentrating on it.

Step 4) Unconscious Competence. You are unaware of how you do things you know. You do things without even thinking about it!

I think one of the best ways to really understand this process is to consider a specific situation such as learning to drive. Do you remember learning to drive? I think that most of us do! It was for most of us a fairly sizeable landmark in our lives so it tends to stick in our memories! I certainly remember learning to drive! Like most teenage lads it meant a lot to me - freedom, adulthood and sex appeal!

On my 17th birthday I dragged my mother out to the car and hopped in to have a go. I knew that I would be able to drive! I had been watching others for months in preparation - this was going to be easy! How unconsciously incompetent was I?! I was totally ignorant of how difficult this was actually going to be! Ah well, ignorance is bliss. Easing into the seat I grasped the wheel, started the engine, depressed the clutch, punched the accelerator and ? stalled the car! Not deterred I had another go ? same result. Another ? another ? another.

Suddenly I was overtaken by the dawning recognition that this was going to be really difficult and challenging. Welcome to conscious incompetence! Gavin you're useless and you know you are! But I was determined to learn to drive so I persevered and practised. After a lot of heartache and effort I eventually reached the point where, if I could maintain my concentration, I was actually quite a proficient driver. Now I don't know if you remember your driving test? I do. There was so much to concentrate on wasn't there! Keeping your hands at 10 to two, mirror, signal, manoeuvre, the examiner, the speed limit, the road signs and that's without mentioning the other road users! Remember taking your test and that's probably a fair gauge of conscious competence!

"Now you really go out and learn to drive!" That's what everybody said to me when I passed my test and they weren't wrong. Your whole concept of driving changes. You don't have to focus on every little detail all of the time infact you might not have to think about it all. Have you ever driven somewhere got out the car and thought ? how did I get here? I don't even remember driving here. Welcome to unconscious competence! Fabulous the way that the brain works isn't it!

Being able to operate at unconscious competence clearly has many advantages. We're able to multitask, we generally operate fluidly and easily, it's within our comfort zone, it's stress free, it's the way we do things and for most people we spend the vast amount of out lives here. Just think about it for a moment. How many things do you now do that you once had to think about consciously. Walking, talking, picking things up, bodily awareness, writing, driving are all great examples but we also become unconsciously competent at responding to certain stimulus in certain ways. If I were to walk into your office and say, "Right! Time to make 100 cold-calls" you'd probably be unconsciously competent at producing a feeling and a response. Maybe not a very nice one! When a client snarls, "That's too expensive, you must be having a laugh!" chances are that you will also be unconsciously competent at producing an emotional reaction.

So unconscious competence does have disadvantages too. We are unconscious or unaware of our responses or our behaviours therefore we may gradually change what we are doing and be unaware of it. We may find it very difficult to teach others our skills because we are not aware of how we put them together. Maybe we continue to do things in a way that used to be unconsciously competent but external changes now mean that what we are doing is now wrong. And here's the challenge and the danger of unconscious competence. When does unconscious competence become unconscious incompetence? It's very difficult to say for sure because the one commonality between the two is that we are unconscious!

Reacting in a certain way to a certain stimulus may be right for one situation but it may be wrong for another. Take the example above of the snarling client. Many salespeople would feel frustrated and angry without having to think about it. When we unconsciously learned this response there may well have been good reasons for it however I'd suggest that if you want to be a sales superstar then this kind of reaction is unconscious incompetence. One of my first clients used to frequently tell his salespeople that they should sell products that were a 50% match and that if they couldn't they were bad salespeople. Maybe in his day the clients were happy with this kind of product but in today's competitive markets they certainly would not be! Maybe this boss was once unconsciously competent but changing market conditions, changing client attitudes and his lack of flexibility had left him unconsciously incompetent. Most dangerous of all was the fact that everyone in the business knew it but him!

So it's clear that if we are doing things unconsciously we need to periodically step back and have a look around to see if what we are doing makes sense and is getting us the results that we want. If it is great, if it's not - change it for something that does work.

But if unconscious is where most of us are most of the time conscious incompetence is what most of us try to avoid at all costs. When you are learning a new skill or behaviour and you reach conscious competence how does it feel? Take a bit of time to think about it. Typical associations with unconscious competence are feelings of stress, frustration, challenge, obstacles, pain, outside your comfort zone, lack of control, uncomfortable, fear and uncertainty. When we think about ringing new clients on the phone this will often occur the moment that you step outside of your comfort zone and have a go. Indeed this barrier is so great for many people that they would rather give up than actually break through. But the human mind is a clever animal and it won't punish you for this - nope! It will give you reasons, other things to do. It will rationalise, explain and help you to feel OK. As you slip back to unconscious incompetence you will feel perfectly great because ignorance is bliss!

To achieve anything worthwhile you must break through this barrier. And you can! As children we achieved some absolutely amazing feats. One of the most impressive was learning to walk. How many times do toddlers fall over? Thousands and thousands but the one thing that you can count on is that they always get back up again. Crawling for the rest of their lives is never an option - they are going to walk just like the rest of us. It's a certainty. Yet as adults we're not so resilient. We don't tend to push, push, push our limitations. Infact there are many people who, even with the weight of the medical establishment behind them, fail to teach themselves to walk again properly after an accident even though physically they could. Somehow life and growing up seems to programme us to not try as hard.

There might be many reasons for this however I think that one of them is the perpetuation of the win / lose culture in our society. There can only be one winner and for every winner there must be a whole group of losers. You often cannot win unless you've beaten someone else. Now don't get me wrong I do not subscribe to the no competition brigade - that's just sop - what I do believe however is that we should create ways for us to win by being the best that we can be. In cold calling many salespeople set unrealistic targets that they are never going to hit because they have benchmarked someone else. Had they benchmarked themselves they would have found that they were winning all along.

On the other side of the coin we need to realise that everything in life is a learning experience. Eddison's much hyped quote as he failed to invent the light bulb for the umpteenth time was that he had eliminated another way to not make a light-bulb! In sales we have to accept that we will continue to be put through the learning experience for the whole of our career. As a director, author, business owner and sometime sales guru (!) I believe my sales ability to be a real asset to my business however I am constantly put through learning experiences. And I wouldn't want it to be any other way. My feelings as yours are telling me something. They are reminding me to be prepared to practise and to make sure that I am at the top of my game.

So how do we break through from conscious incompetence to conscious competence?

Persistence.
Determination.
Self-belief.
Drive.
Tenacity.
Repetition.
Add your own here!!!

But if I was to say to you, "Hey look! Just go out there and be tenacious, persistent, determined and have drive!" you'd tell me to tell you something that you didn't know! And quite rightly so! Because we all know that this is what's required - it's maintaining it that's the challenge.

I was reminded of this when I first started sales coaching. I was working with a client who had a small telesales team. Two of his staff were organising a campaign focused on a specific niche market. They were targeted to make 100+ outbound calls per day, to speak to 25 decision-makers and to organise at least 2 interviews. For the market they were working in this was about average. One of them was very positive and was consistently surpassing his target. He was a joy in the office and great to have on the team. The other however was really struggling, not good around the office and mostly fairly negative. I wasn't specifically working with these chaps and therefore hadn't really spoken with them much but we had been introduced. One afternoon as I was sitting there I found myself alone with the chap who wasn't doing so well. I asked him what he was doing and how it was going. He turned to me, scowled and said, "I'm cold calling, what's it look like! It's awful!" Needless to say I left him alone.

About half an hour later the other chap went to make a coffee so on a whim I followed him determined to ask him the same question. As I asked him he turned to me and smiled, "I'm developing an new and essential part of the business. This project is going to get me into major account sales and get me noticed within the company. I should be promoted within 6 months. It's hard work but I know that it will be worth it!" Interesting! Same job, same opportunity, same potential clients, same products - totally different meaning.

The meaning we attach to things determines the impact that they have on us. When you attach a strong personal meaning you don't have to remind yourself to be motivated or persistent, you just are. The successful sales professional in the above example doesn't constantly have to harry himself to be motivated because he knows why he is doing the cold-calling and he knows what it means for him. He'll still have days when he feels less motivated, outside his comfort zone, challenged and uncomfortable but he will view them differently because he will accept them as part of the essential development process on his journey to success.

Exercise: Take a moment to review your goals. When you've done this make note of why setting up client meetings plays a vital part in helping you to proactively achieve these goals. If one of your goals is materialistic, try getting a picture of it and sticking it by your phone. Every time you make a call think to yourself - "one step closer!".

Top Tips for the 5 Steps to Sales Success

1. Look around at what you habitually do and how you habitually react once in a while.

2. Most things worth learning will feel uncomfortable or challenging at some point.

3. Practise, practise, practise!

4. It takes several week's worth of telesales to beat your fear.

5. Challenge yourself one step at a time.

"But Gavin - you said there were 5 steps."

Correct. And in my opinion there are.

I have been teaching the 4 steps to success now for several years and in several different forms and I have used it successfully in individual coaching sessions with both myself and others. Powerful as I know that it is I believe that the fundamental construct has inherent challenges?

If many times we find ourselves back at unconscious incompetence despite our best efforts or we have to keep dropping back to conscious competence to check ourselves then we are performing below our potential. There must be a better way?

Step 5) Mastery. Mastery is something more than unconscious competence - it has an extra, somewhat mystical quality. It's the sort of state that most of us only experience once or twice in a lifetime - you probably never quite know how to describe it. Top athletes would call it being in the zone. I remember the first time I saw it in action. I was nearly 13 and the athlete in question was Sebastian Coe. He smashed the world record for 800m running 1 minute 41.72 seconds, a time nearly two seconds faster than the next fastest person ever. But it wasn't the time - it was the way that he ran it. Majestic, graceful, relaxed. He made it look easy! Of that race Seb himself said,

"Other sportsmen say there are moments when they are outside themselves, watching from the stand, as it were, and I've only experienced that in the 800 metres."

I believe that we all have the potential to enter this state if only momentarily and I believe that this is the state that top salespeople reach when they are playing their best possible game. When I present, this is what I strive for and, having achieved it a few times, I can say no more than that once you taste it you know that you have the tools to recreate it and become the best that you can possible be.

Exercise: Describe what cold calling will be like when you achieve a state of mastery? What will you be doing? Feeling? Thinking? What is the one most important thing that you need to learn to help you to move towards mastery right now?

By Gavin Ingham

Get Leverage & Increase Your Sales Results Immediately!

2008-06-29T21:54:00.005-07:00

Have you ever started something and not completed it? Or maybe there's something that you know that you should do but you just don't seem to get around to it? Or perhaps there's something that you know would benefit from more attention / more focus but you just don't give it the attention that it deserves?

For a lot of business people this sums up the selling experience!

Most people that I speak to who are involved in sales freely admit that they don't focus on new business enough or that they frequently put off new business generation to do something else instead. This seems surprising when every business person knows that new business generation is essential to helping them to hit target, push them over target or build the business that they desire.

Given this - why is it that we so often don't take action?

A large percentage of people that I speak to complain that sales isn't seen as professional and that they don't consider themselves as doing a professional job. When I ask them when they last read a book or attended a seminar on selling, communications or motivation they look at me like I'm stupid.

90% plus haven't read a book in the last year and ?well over 80% have never read a book on selling!

Is it any surprise then that they feel unprofessional?

Question.

Would you consider a brain surgeon with no training and who had never read a book or attended a seminar? I don't think so!

So why is this the case?

I believe that it simply comes down to leverage. We often know what we need to do but it's just easier not to do it. Think about it for a second. Have you ever thought that you really needed to so some cold calling? You maybe got the client list together, got yourself a coffee and sat down to do it. All ready to go but then you ended up going through your email inbox! I think every business person has done that because sometimes it's easier just not to do it!

As we're still at the start of 2005 I decided today that we should focus on what you want and on how to get leverage so that you feel compelled to take action right now. Record the results of your findings in your sales success log and remember ? the more detail you go into, the greater the leverage ? the greater the leverage, the more the call to action.

But before we do this? consider the fact that according to all of the statistics - you are about to catapult yourself into the elite group of sales winners!

Why?

* 90% of sales people don't buy books or listen to audios

* 90% of books / audios won't be read / heard past the first chapter

* 80% of readers / listeners won't take any action

That means that if you read AND take action you will be part of an incredibly elite group! Interested?

Where are you now?

No seriously! Where are you now? When I work with individuals and teams I have discovered that it takes an incredible amount of courage and honesty to really investigate where we are currently. In life we all live in our own perceptions of the world - prejudiced by the spectacles that we habitually wear. If you are going to make a radical difference to any area of your life it is essential that you break through this barrier and be honest with yourself. Only by taking this crucial step will you get what you want.

Over the course of the next few minutes I am going to ask you some questions. The more time you take to really consider these and think through the answers, the more they will help you to get leverage. I strongly recommend that you record the questions and the answers into your Sales Success Log (SSL).

Questions to Ask Yourself

What is the most pressing issue or challenge that you face with new business generation at the moment?

If you were to know, what is the biggest issue that you need to resolve at the moment such that if you solved it you would make a major breakthrough?

Sometimes this question isn't so easy to answer. Keep asking it of yourself over and over. Let's face it, if this was dead easy, everyone would do it and then you'd only be keeping up not getting ahead!

Typical answers include:

* I don't have enough time to generate new business
* Making excuses
* Fear of rejection
* Not confident enough
* Not enough training, knowledge, support, back-up etc.
* Market depressed
* Client rejections
* Price
* Existing supplier relationships
* No database
* Unqualified leads
* And many, many more?

Am I sure that I understand this issue fully?

Sometimes the presenting issue is not the real issue at all.

Before we carry on you need to ensure that you have a full understanding of the issue at hand.

* What is really going on here?
* How long has this issue been going on?
* Have I always considered it a challenge?
* How bad are things really?
* Is this worth working on?

For the rest of this exercise I am going to use fear of rejection and not having enough time as my examples. I will be basing my answers on typical answers given by coachees in sessions that I run.

Fear of rejection. "Before I even make the call I am worried that the client will reject me. I wasn't always worried about this. When I first started selling I didn't care at all. I guess that I started to feel this way about 3 months after I started. I seem to get rejected much more often now and, if I'm honest I do very little new business generation. This is definitely worth working on as my lack of proactivity is effecting my business."

I don't have enough time. "I think that this is more wrapped up with the fear of rejection. I am very busy but generally I do make excuses when it comes to cold-calling. If I didn't have the fear of rejection I am sure that I could find the time. I started finding things to do as soon as I started to win my first clients and things have really got pretty bad now. If I were to lose a client I really have no back-up as I haven't been focusing on new business generation at all recently."

What is the Impact of This Problem on Me?

Now? I said that you had to be honest! Ask yourself?

* How is this problem currently impacting on me?
* What results am I getting due to this problem?
* How are these results impacting me; my team; my business?
* When I consider this impact how do I feel about it?

Remember to consider each incidence separately.

Fear of rejection. "I'm not doing hardly any new business generation. I know that this is impacting my potential client base. I used to bring on new clients quite regularly but I can't remember the last time that I brought on a really new client. My team don't really see me as a new business winner and I know that the boss thinks that I only "cherry-pick" easy business. his makes me feel annoyed as I know that I can be better than this. What's more I think that I am less confident in my dealings with existing clients and this is impacting my potential revenues."

I don't have enough time. "Because I don't make the time to generate new business I am sabotaging my own chances of success. When the others are doing business generation I am usually doing administration. I'm not really part of the team because of this and it upsets me."

What Future Consequences Will Your Problem Bring?

Quite often when we don't do something right now it doesn't really matter. Doing exercise today or not doing exercise today will do little (or nothing) for your fitness levels, your physique or your health. When considered over a larger period of time however daily actions such as exercise will determine massive differences in the results that you get.

When considering your actions and their consequences you need to look at the long-term. It's important that you take time to really think through and picture these consequences. The more real they are for you, the more leverage for change will be created.

Questions to ask yourself?

* If nothing changes in your current situation what will the consequences be?

* What's the likely outcome of your continued action (or inaction)?

* What consequences will this have on your sales career, finances, business, promotional prospects and self-esteem?

* What's at stake for you?

* How will others such as your family, friends and acquaintances be affected?

* How do you feel about this course of events?

Fear of rejection. "Ultimately, I will not have enough business coming in and I will probably be sacked or go bust. No business can survive without new sales. I have been quite ambitious in the past and have taken on loans for cars and a new house. If I don't make the sales then I could easily lose these. My industry is quite small and it would not be good for my reputation or future employability if I were sacked or made redundant. I would hate the thought that I had failed to do my job. If I lost my house it would put an incredible amount of pressure on my family life too as we are hoping to have a baby next year."

I don't have enough time. "If I don't create the time to generate new business I won't make any sales and I will lose my job. This will make me unemployable as my reference would be poor. I wouldn't be able to keep up the car payments or my mortgage. This would create massive family tensions and personal stress."

Take Personal Responsibility

People often ask me what the differences are between great salespeople and sales superstars. This is a truly great question which, I believe, has several answers. High up on my list would be that sales superstars' take personal responsibility for their success no matter how hard things around them may get. Only by taking total personal responsibility can you become totally accountable for the results that you get.

Keeping this foremost in your mind consider how you contributed to the current situation or problem?

I totally accept that your initial answer may well be that you didn't contribute. For many people this way of thinking represents a quantum leap in their habitual behaviour so it may not come easily.

Keep asking yourself?

If I knew, how have I contributed to this current situation or problem?

Fear of rejection. "I have allowed myself to fall prey to my own imagination and become fearful of generating new business. I have focused on the times that I have not succeeded rather than the times that I have. I have listened to people around me who are not getting results rather than focusing only on those who are peak performers."

I don't have enough time. "I have allowed myself to make excuses and rationalise my own behaviour because of my fear of rejection. I have listened to and adopted the mindsets of other salespeople who are making excuses rather than taking action."

Do You Want to Change Now?

Before we start talking about what you want instead I think that it's important to know that you do want to change now don't you. So take a moment and consider?

* What you will gain when you resolve this situation?

* What results will you begin to get and why will you enjoy them?

*How do you feel about your decision to move towards a satisfactory solution?

Fear of rejection. "When I let go of the fear I will be able to generate new business confidently and professionally. This will allow me to take control of my own destiny whatever sales challenges are thrown into my path. I will begin to create new client relationships, new sales and new opportunities. Knowing this makes me feel alive and ready to get going."

I don't have enough time. "I will gain the ability to choose how I spend my time rather than being dictated to by my irrational fear. I can concentrate on planning my sales campaign so that I gain maximum benefits from my efforts. I feel excited at the possibilities ahead."

You + 100% Commitment

Many times in my programmes I ask you to commit yourself to action. In the minds of sales superstars there is no greater commitment than to yourself. Grab your Sales Success Log and answer the following questions?

1. What is the most powerful and congruent step that you can take right now?

2. What's going to get in the way of you taking it?

3. How are you going to deal with this challenge?

4. When will you start and complete this step (put a date on it)?

My suggestion is that you sign and date your commitment to this step.

Welcome to the new you ? let's get going!

By Gavin Ingham

Body Language, Five Key Ingredients

2008-06-29T21:54:00.003-07:00

When making your living in the sales industry, and working with people, it is important to not only get your point across verbally, but you want to allow for your body language to send a clear message as well.

Your body language consists of many key ingredients, but here are the five that are considered to be the most important, along with a description and a few tips to improve your skills.

1. Eye Contact

When you are speaking with a customer, or potential customer, look them in the eye, it will show that you are a confident person, and that you are confident in the product you are selling.

2. Hand Shake

When you shake someone's hand, grasp it firmly, and give no less than three good pumps. This will once again give your customer the indication that you are a confident person, and that you are genuinely glad to meet them, or see them.

A limp hand shake, better known as the "dead fish" is a way of telling your customer that you are not interested, it is a major turn off!

3. Appearance is key, and many studies have confirmed this. People prefer to deal with sales people who present themselves well in appearance. The mind set of the customer is, if this person doesn't take care of himself, how can I expect them to take care of me?

Would you buy a food product, or utensil off of a person with grimy fingernails? It sounds kind of harsh, but it is the truth.

4. Smiling

Smiling, the easiest thing to do in the world! Smiling is contagious, and it puts your customer at ease, and puts a nice upbeat inflection in your voice.

5. Good Posture

Good posture also shows the customer that you have confidence in yourself and the products that you sell. It also speaks volumes about your personality. Anything less, such as slouching, makes you look like a slacker, and will give your customer the indication that you don't believe in your product, and that you would prefer to be somewhere else, and doing something else.

These are the five main ingredients to having good body language, and it isn't very hard to master these skills. In fact you can practice on your friends and family without them even knowing it.

Once you master these skills, they will begin to come effortlessly, and before you know it, they will be second nature to you, and your sales will ultimately increase. Good Luck!

By Jay Conners

Simple Technique for Isolating Objections

2008-06-29T21:54:00.001-07:00

To isolate any objection quickly you can use this effective and powerful sentence - "Aside from "that" is there anything else?"
Here's how it works: You're a water softener salesperson, I'm your prospect. In the qualifying steps of the sales process you have identified a few concerns that I've shared with you:

1. Cost
2. Financing
3. Company Credibility

Let's review and address these individually

You say: "Teri, you mentioned three areas of concern - cost, financing, and company credibility. Aside from these 3 concerns, is there anything else?"

My response: "No."

Your response: "Of these three, which is most important to you?"

My Response: "Financing."

Your response: "When you say financing, could you be more specific?"

My response: "I have recently emerged from bankruptcy and am concerned about being approved."

Your response: "Aside from bankruptcy, are there any other financial issues?"

My response: "No."

Your response: "OK, if financing is your primary concern and we can work that out, would you move forward on completing the application process today?"

My response: "No."

Your response: "Is there a specific reason?"

My response: "Yes, I'm concerned about the total cost of the unit."

Your response: "When you say the total cost are you referring to the total cost of the unit and interest - or are you referring to the monthly investments?"

My response: "The monthly investments."

Your response: "Let's talk about what would be comfortable for you on a monthly basis so that I'm in a better position to help you move forward and not only receive the water softener but begin the process of repairing your credit as well."

My response: "OK."

Your response: "The monthly payment will be determined by three things: The down payment, if any, the term of the financing, and the interest rate. Will you be putting any money down?

My response: "No."

Your response: "What dollar amount between $100 and $200 per month would you be comfortable with?"

My response: "$125.00 would be comfortable."

Your response: "OK, if we're in a position to finance you with no money down and payments of $125.00 per month, would you move forward with completing the application while we're together today."

My response: "Yes."

You're probably wondering what happened to the company credibility issue. It really wasn't a concern at all, as identified when continuing to isolate the real objection - MONEY.

Recap: The purpose of this simple, yet powerful sentence ("Aside from "that" is there anything else?"), is to eliminate all objections prior to the "close."

Sales Trap - We Love to Talk, But Need to Listen

2008-06-13T21:36:00.003-07:00

My research has clearly shown that, when it comes to selling, the part we're most comfortable with is talking about what we do - explaining our services and how we can help the client.

So what do you think happens in most sales encounters? That's right? we tell 'em what we do.

Problem #1 - Clients don't really want to know what we do.
Not to start with anyway. Usually they first want to know that they can trust us and that we comprehend their situation. They also want to understand 'how' we can help them. This is different to knowing exactly 'what' we do. To achieve this we need to look at what they want to achieve, and what their concerns are.

Problem #2 - When we're talking we're not listening.
It's a fact. People can think many times faster than they talk. This means that when you're talking, your client can think about lots of other stuff (like their next appointment, or your unpolished shoes). So keep your client focused by getting them to do the talking.

Control the sales encounter with questions. By using a structured questioning sequence you can move from initial exploratory questions to high-impact outcome oriented questions. When done properly this creates a harmonious exchange between the seller and the client. It's not a matter of interrogating the client, or forcing them to make a quick decision.

As the salesperson (whether you be a consultant, partner, owner or manager) the overriding temptation is to start explaining what you do. Often this includes mentioning previous clients and interesting outcomes you have achieved. But does the client care? Not always. And not ever if what you are saying is not relevant to them.

The secret to selling like a professional is to listen closely to the client. Find out as much as possible that might be relevant to your service. Ask questions about their expectations. Then when you have that knowledge, discuss only the aspects of your service that have a direct bearing on your clients stated needs. Use this 'inside knowledge' during your presentation to highlight why you are the best choice as service provider.

And when you finish your presentation and need to gain a commitment from the client, ask another question, or suggest the next step. "Would you like to sign the agreement tomorrow?" or "Can we meet next week to finalise these last few issues?"

With a bit of practice you can replace your old sales monologues with a meaningful exchange of information that leaves your client wanting to work with you.

By Stuart Ayling

Making Sales is Easy When You Learn How to Make Friends

2008-06-13T21:36:00.001-07:00

Friends buy from friends. Why? Because people trust that their friends will go above and beyond the duties of a typical salesperson. They know that their friends will give them friendly, honest help and provide them with the product that is perfect for their needs. In return, these people develop into loyal customers who are happy to support their friend's business with continued sales and referrals.

So how do you take advantage of this wonderful sales cycle? You must change the focus of the sales experience on making a friend rather than making a sale. When you focus on making a friend at all costs, you will find ways to serve your customers beyond the scope of what you do in your business.

This type of exceptional service is what will get your customers talking positively about you after the fact. They will enthusiastically tell everybody they know about you, your company and your excellent service. These testimonials are the most effective form of advertising you could ever have for your company. By making one friend, you will create customer loyalty that will boost your sales as they continue to buy from you and recommend you to others.

In order to be friends with your customers, you must take the time to revaluate several key aspects of how you interact with them.

Do you value your customers?

Your customers do you a great service by contacting you. Think about it. If a customer contacts you or stops into your place of business, they have already paid you a wonderful compliment. They likely have heard that you do good business or that you have the solution to their problem.

Return that compliment by respecting your customers and letting them know that you are honored that they have given you the opportunity to earn their business. Recognizing the important value of each customer will establish the loyalty that will keep your friendships and sales numbers growing.

Do you truly care about your customers?

The only way to become friends with your customers is by caring about them as a friend would. You must listen to your customer's concerns and understand the meaning behind their words. Everything from your tone to the product that you recommend for them should reflect your sincere desire to make them happy and to solve the problem that they brought to you.

Because this type of attention and service is so rare in business today, you will create relationships with your customers that are just as rare. This unique relationship will be the driving force behind their purchases.

Do you treat your customer as you would want to be treated?

Your customers come to you because they need help and they trust that you will be able to supply them with the information they need. Do not take advantage of that vulnerability and belittle their intelligence while speaking with them. Avoid phrases that may sound condescending. After all, knowing every intricate detail of your product is your job, not theirs. Your mockery and disrespect will be evident to your customer, and will be sure to end the possibility of their friendship and business.

Treating your customer like a friend also means letting go of many of the techniques typical salespeople may use. Do not fall into the trap of trying a manipulative sales trick on your customer. You do not like it when it is done to you, so do not do it to your customer. If you are focused on your customers needs, there will be no need for finding a manipulative way to close the sale.

Employing manipulative sales processes and formulaic closing techniques insults your customer's intelligence and paints you in a shadowy light. This is obviously not good when it comes to earning their trust, their respect, and, most importantly, their business.

Making friends with your customers is an easy way to ensure a sales experience where everybody wins. Your customers will feel confident buying from a friendly and trustworthy business, and you will enjoy the benefits of new friendships and continued sales.

By Tom Richard

Do You Have to Be Aggressive to Make Sales?

2008-06-13T21:35:00.005-07:00

A few weeks ago I was onsite at a company that had hired me to train their sales team on how to stop using traditional selling and start using the Unlock The Game? sales approach.

After one coaching session, one member of the sales team came up to me and said, "Ari, your approach makes complete sense -- but I'm afraid I'll lose sales if I stop being aggressive and start being passive!"

Whenever I hear a comment like that, I want to scream, because it means that the person just doesn't yet understand that removing pressure from the sales process doesn't mean being passive!

But...I didn't scream. I took a deep breath and then explained that Unlock The Game? is the reverse of passive.

Rather, it's an active attempt to create pressure-free conversations with prospects.

However, to do that we must eliminate behaviors and language that prospects can perceive as "aggressive."

We all know what these are -- continual e-mail and voicemail "followups" in which salespeople try to pin down the status of a potential deal -- is one common example.

The problem is that prospects react to aggressive, or perhaps we should say "overaggressive" sales behaviors by withdrawing and evading us.

We could say that Unlock The Game? actually takes the "middle ground" between passive and aggressive by being authentically unassuming, yet effective - and that this is the most stress-free and effective way to sell.

What do I mean?

I mean that you have to shift away from assuming that every prospect is a fit for your solution.

It's sort of like the legal concept of "being innocent until proven guilty."

We can't afford to make any assumptions about "fit" until our conversation with the prospect indicates that we've mutually arrived at that conclusion.

The aggressiveness that turns off prospects sets in when you assume, every time you pick up the phone, that you have a solution for them.

Your tone of voice and language gives them that message long before they've even had a chance to agree that they have a problem you might be able to help them solve.

But if you can manage to find that middle ground of not assuming anything while also communicating in a low-key, unassuming manner, you'll discover a whole new effectiveness you could never have imagined.

Can prospects sense when you're assuming too much?

Sure they can -- because most of us have been conditioned to present or talk about our solution as a way to engage prospects so they'll reveal their problems to us.

But that logic is completely flawed, because when you launch into your solution to someone who doesn't trust you yet, all you do is allow them to pigeonhole you as a stereotyped "salesperson."

So how do you make this concept of being unassuming but effective a reality?

First, learn to start conversations by focusing 100 percent on generating discussions around prospects' problems, rather than pitching your solution the second you hear an opening.

Second, learn to begin those conversations by converting the benefits of your solution into problems that your solution can solve.

Third, after you and your prospects have identified a problem or problems, you can then engage in a discussion about whether fixing those problems is a priority.

It's only at that point that prospects have finally given you implicit permission to share your solution with them.

Jumping in with solutions prematurely will only land you back in the trap of being perceived as "aggressive."

With a Masters Degree in Instructional Design and over a decade of experience creating breakthrough sales strategies for global companies such as UPS and QUALCOMM, Ari Galper discovered the missing link that people who sell have been seeking for years.

His profound discovery of shifting one's mindset to a place of complete integrity, based on new words and phrases grounded in sincerity, has earned him distinction as the world's leading authority on how to build trust in the world of selling.

Leading companies such as Gateway, Clear Channel Communications, Brother International and Fidelity National Mortgage have called on Ari to keep them on the leading edge of sales performance

Increase Sales - Overcoming Barriers

2008-06-13T21:35:00.003-07:00

Ever thought to yourself, "If only my team members would complete the tasks that we mutually agreed to in our action plan."

Most managers have felt this way about certain employees at some point in time.

Let's face it, some employees have a very hard time consistently executing tasks that "should" be relatively simple to complete.

So what are the barriers getting in the way of their success?

Actually, there are several types of barriers - but perhaps not the typical sort of barriers that you may be thinking.

Barriers can be classified in three major categories. Each category identifies strong barriers that, if not quickly identified and corrected by the team leader, can negatively impact the progress of your team.

The Three Major Types of Barriers are: (Hint: Remember A, B, C)

A-ttitude Barriers

B-ehavioral Barriers

C-onceptual Barriers

Attitude Barriers Every employee must take ownership of his or her own attitude.

A manager is NOT in charge of anyone's attitude except her own. If an employee has a poor and non-productive attitude and is not willing to correct it, that is a personal choice and that person needs to be held accountable for that decision.

Quite simply, there are too many quality people who are willing to learn and add value to an organization, for a leader to invest time and money on anyone who makes the conscious "choice" to portray a poor attitude.

Keep in mind, if a leader does NOT hold team members accountable for non-productive attitudes, then he/she has in essence told the team "it's ok".

Employees' displaying poor attitudes is NOT ok. A leader should never allow herself to be seen as "sanctioning" this kind of behavior.

Here is a great way to communicate expectations about "owning your attitude" to your team.

Go to any hardware store and buy the largest coat hook that you can find. "The Hook" will be a visual reminder to your team members that you expect them to leave any personal issues or poor attitudes on this hook prior to beginning their day.

(Suggestion: You might want to paint The Hook a bright silver or gold color, and perhaps even mount The Hook on a nice piece of stained wood. Hang The Hook in a common area, away from customer view, where employees will see it often and be reminded throughout the day about your expectations of leaving poor attitudes on The Hook - as they do not belong anywhere in the workplace.)

When you introduce "The Hook", and your expectations relating to attitude, you might say something like:

"Rest assured, if you each will make sure to leave all your personal issues on the hook each morning when you arrive, I will take personal responsibility for guarding it on your behalf. I will watch over it for you throughout the day, and I promise that every night when you are ready to return home, it will still be there - just waiting for you to take it back home with you. That is my solemn promise to each of you." :)

Behavioral Barriers

Behavioral barriers equal actions not taken or completed, which hinder the achievement of maximum results.

Behavioral barriers refer to an employee not completing critical sales management tasks as expected - despite having mutually agreed to do so.

Managers spend most of their time coaching to behaviors - working to increase results of the mid-level and low-level producers.

Examples of behavioral barriers include techniques, strategies and skills such as:

Prospecting
Profiling
Telemarketing/scripting
Overcoming objections
Asking for the business
Closing the sale
Following up and managing the relationship

Leaders who are very successful in overcoming behavioral barriers follow this three-step approach in this sequential order:

- Managers must TEACH employees what behaviors (actions) are expected

- Managers must COACH employees to build their confidence to master sales management behaviors

- Managers must EXPECT and hold employees accountable for completing the desired behaviors on a consistent basis

Conceptual Barriers

Conceptual barriers are the absolute most difficult barriers to overcome.

Conceptual barriers are the barriers that are right behind the eyes, DEEP within the brain. "Beliefs" which were planted at a very young age and re-enforced over a long period of time - which is why they are so hard to "dislodge".

Here are a few quick examples of conceptual barriers:

(Think back to your own childhood. Were you ever taught any of the following rules?)

- Don't talk to strangers
- It is impolite to talk about money
- Never interrupt important people
- Wait to be asked

Now think about what you are asking your sales people to do.

- Telemarket (cold call)
- Profile/Prequalify based on ability to buy
- Create new relationships

Do you see how many of the things we were taught as children fly directly in the face of today's daily sales management expectations?

It is no wonder why some folks have such a difficult time adopting certain routine sales management practices. They are quite literally "handicapped" by a belief system that limits their potential for success.

As a leader it's your responsibility to approach performance issues with a clear understanding of these predetermined belief systems. Armed with this knowledge you can more quickly address issues in a way that can help both the sales rep and your entire organization.

By Richard Gorham

10 Blockbuster Ways To Ignite Your Sales

2008-06-13T21:35:00.001-07:00

1. Sign-up to win web site awards. When you win, some award sites publish your web site link, name and description on their site.

2. Join online business associations or clubs. If you join, they will usually list all their members on their web site. It will give your business extra exposure.

3. Utilize a simple form of viral marketing. Write or have someone else write a small report with your ad included on it and allow others to give it away.

4. Improve your business by promoting customer feedback. Tell them you want their honest opinions about your business, good or bad.

5. Design your packaging so it sells your products. Utilize colors and lettering that make your product more attractive to your prospects.

6. Compare your product's guarantee to your main competitors. Find a niche were your can design your guarantee to be more powerful.

7. Try not to assume your audience understands everything in your ad copy. If you have words they may not know the meaning to, define them.

8. Build alliances with other online businesses. You could trade links or ads, create joint venture deals, cross promote your products, etc.

9. Design your web site to be a valuable resource for people. Include original content, links to other interesting web sites, ebooks, software, etc.

10. Compete with the highly branded businesses by practicing good customers service, strong product quality and speedy service.

By Steve Li

Grrr! Why Arent I Making SALES?!

2008-06-13T21:34:00.005-07:00

Selling online can be very difficult, more difficult than in the 3D world because you do not get any personal contact with your customer. People cannot just browse like they do in a store, they cannot offer feedback, and it is hard to build and maintain trust throughout the entire online sales process. What compounds this difficulty is the fact that most online marketers have absolutely no experience in the field of advertising and sales.

Evaluate Your Sales Process
There are many aspects that effect your sales process online and it is possible to track the effectiveness at each stage:

Phase 1 is your advertising. The first step is just to get people to your site.

To measure your traffic you must have some kind of statistics for either your web site or integrated with the ads you place, such as ad tracker URL's.

If you can't get people to your site, you must alter your advertising methods or, more likely, your ad copy, there is no way around it. Whether you are using free or paid advertising, a good ad will get clicks (at least some). Remember that no matter how good an ad looks to you, if it doesn't do it's job, it is useless. Keep a log of the ads you place along with where and when; don't use ads that do not produce results once they have been given a fair chance.

If your ads never seem to draw visitors, make improving your ad writing skills a priority right away. Today there are many resources available to help you learn to write a better ad, including ebooks, live personal ad writing workshops and ad writing seminars.

To be sure that WHERE you are advertising is not the problem, it is best to get recommendations from other online marketers for advertising sites and tools that produce results. This will save you the time and frustration of trying them all out for yourself. It will also allow you to stay focused on your offer rather than spending your time searching for ways to promote it.

Look for recommendations in marketing chat rooms and ask for their results or find a reputable marketing information site that will give you plenty of free information along with their proven recommendations.

Affiliates without control over their web site need to pay special attention to getting traffic. Presumably the offer you are selling includes a web page that sells, after all it sold you.

If you find that you are driving targeted traffic (not just click exchange hits) to your affiliate site, but not making any sales, you need to reconsider your offer: does it really have such a wide public appeal? Maybe new competition has arisen that has made your offer less of a value? Have you given people enough time to consider your offer and have you followed up? Be objective.

Phase 2 is your web site copy and navigation. Are people coming to your site and looking around, or do they click away immediately?

To find out, it is best to have web sites statistics that include the path visitors take once they get to your site, but you can get an idea about this by studying your web site statistics even if they do not provide this type of information. You know which page(s) you are promoting, are people looking at other pages as well?

If not, you must alter your web site copy, design or navigation. There are several places now where you can have your web site reviewed for free by other internet marketers. This can be very valuable information; learn from it to build a site that makes visitors feel confident enough to buy from you.

Also, be sure to send prospects directly to the page that contains the information you promise in your ad, it will make their visit quick, effective, and memorable. If you advertise a particluar product, send them to that page directly, rather than landing them on your home page and trusting that they will navigate to where you want them to be.

Affiliates can experiment with sending prospects to pages other than the main page (if provided) to see if that makes any difference in their sales ratio.

Phase 3 would be your order process. Are people looking around, going to the order page and then leaving?

Here again, you need comprehensive web site statistics. If you do not have site paths statistics, pay close attention to the number of hits each of your pages receive. If you see that many people go to the order page, but do not buy, you will have to either rewrite your text to clear up misunderstanding, lower your price, display payment options more clearly, or implement some other change that makes the ordering process quicker and easier.

Try to capture email addresses with a contest, free product, report or newsletter so that you can follow up with potential customers.

Of course, affiliates would have no control over the ordering process with a replicated site. I think this is important, so I will say it again: If you find that you are driving targeted traffic (not just click exchange hits) to your affiliate site, but not making any sales, you need to reconsider your offer: does it really have such a wide public appeal? Maybe new competition has arisen that has made your product less of a value? Have you given people enough time to consider your offer and have you followed up? Be objective!

Don't Guess!
When you are having trouble generating sales, you need to track all of your activity (and the activities of your visitors) to pinpoint where the trouble lies. Only then will you know where you need to make changes. Without this kind of information, you are just guessing and that could be worse than leaving it alone.

By Cathy Wagner

Sales Skills are Life Skills

2008-06-13T21:34:00.003-07:00

I love the art of selling. LOVE IT. When I first entered the field of sales, the one thing I quickly grew to appreciate was the fact that anything I did to increase my ability in selling also increased my ability in life. Sales skills are life skills.

"There's a born salesman!" I have yet to read, or hear on the evening news, of a lady who gave birth to a sales person. Or an attorney, or doctor, or for that matter an embezzler or swindler. Birth is given to boys and girls; everything after that is by choices made and skills that are learned. And sales skills are life skills.

"I am not ever going to be in sales!" Really? If you have ever been in a conversation in which you were trying to express an opinion or influence an event, then you were selling. The truth is that everyone is constantly trying to sell an idea, belief, proposition, opinion, or a goal. You use sales skills throughout the day, everyday. With your spouse, your kids, your peers, your neighbor, your parents, at the store, at the bank, at your church, when you buy a car or a house, or when you simply go out to dinner. Sales skills are life skills.

There is not an area of your life where sales skills cannot be a benefit. Teachers use sales skills. Preachers use sales skills. Police officers use sales skills. Mother Teresa used sales skills. Regardless of what you do, sales skills will improve your probability for success at motivating, instructing, encouraging, coaching, communicating with and reaching people. Sales skills are life skills.

In fact, every successful person is good at selling himself or herself.

Truly successful sales people have great listening skills. (Although my wife often questions mine!) Unfortunately, the image of a good sales person is a slick talking person who could sell ice to an Eskimo. However, just the opposite is true. The professional sales person wouldn't sell ice to an Eskimo unless that ice was wanted and needed. And that would be determined through a series of questions and keen listening to determine the need. In fact, a true professional sales person will listen over three times as much as they will talk! (Again, my wife may disagree but it is true!) Sales skills are life skills.

There is not a single person in an organization that does not have an opportunity to sell for their organization. It is for that reason that I believe everyone in an organization should receive some training in sales skills. It takes very few positive results to more than pay for the investment! Think about the tremendous upside. Not only do you dramatically increase the potential of your sales force, but your employee's confidence, attitude, and motivation greatly increases. Sales skills are life skills.

How to ask questions, listen intently, clarify a position or opinion, present a view, deal with objections, and reach a successful conclusion for all involved is the art of sales. What is there not to like and which of those skills do you not want to get better at and use throughout your daily life?

Have I mentioned that sales skills are life skills?

By Shawn Lacagnina

How a Best Buy Sales Clerk Taught Me the Simple 6 Step Formula to Close ANY Sale!

2008-06-13T21:34:00.001-07:00

Follow this story...

I went to Best Buy today to get a few CDs and walked out with a new subscription to Sports Illustrated. Immediately confused, I asked myself how'd that happen? As I went through the steps that brought to that point in time, I realized I was sold on the subscription before I ever had a chance to even think about saying no. Wow! What if and I had this power? My home business would be booming to say the least. So, let me go through exactly what happened and then I'll pull a few key points out for you.

I browsed the CD section of Best Buy for about 30 minutes and then after making my final music selections I headed to the checkout counter. I was greeted by a friendly checkout clerk who rung up my three CDs to a total cost of $43. As she was ringing me up she said "How would you like a free Subscription to Sports Illustrated or Entertainment Magazine?" Before I could answer she continued by telling me that she had already taken advantage of the offer herself and had received eight free issues of Entertainment Magazine. She continued by telling me exactly how I could unsubscribe at anytime and still get eight free issues of whichever magazine I choose. Then, even before she finished speaking, an adjacent check out clerk chimed in and said how great of a deal he thought it was and how much he enjoyed his free subscription.

Then the magic happened! No sooner did I turn my head back to the first sales clerk than did she ask me which subscription I wanted. Without thinking, I said Sports Illustrated. She replied, "that's what the guys always choose". She rung me up and I was out the door before I had a chance to think about what had just happened.

How great is that?

She probably made a commission and I never even saw it coming.

-----------------------------------------------------

Ok? So, what made this whole process work so well?

First: The Element of surprise?

I had no idea what hit me.

Second: A free trial offer?

She offered me something that was very low risk to me. I didn't really want a subscription to Sports Illustrated, but hey it was FREE so why not?

Third: Smooth transition into her testimonial?

Once she said that the subscription was something that she personally took advantage of herself I let guard went down. From that point on, I wasn't being sold on something I didn't want, but instead I was just getting a friendly recommendation.

Fourth: Smooth transition into how easy it was to back out at anytime?

At this point, not only was I just getting a friendly recommendation, but she told me how easy it would be to back out of the deal at any time. Not only that, but I was given explicit directions as to how to end my subscription. Hey, if I didn't want the subscription I now felt even less pressure because I knew exactly how to end it.

Fifth: Additional Testimonials?

Bang? Before I had a chance to think about whether or not I want a free subscription to Sports Illustrated bad enough to go through the future hassle of canceling it I'm hit with another testimonial about how great of an offer this deal really is from ANOTHER person that's taken advantage of it. So, now I start to feel a little like I'm the one left out. Everyone else is doing it? why not me?

Sixth: The Close!

I loved the close! It was so sneaky. She never asked me whether or not I wanted a subscription, she just asked if I wanted Sports Illustrated or Entertainment Magazine. I NEVER had the option to think about whether or not I wanted the subscription or not. She simply ASSUMED the sale and at that point just asked me what subscription I wanted. She never gave me a chance to tell her NO!

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Now that I've given you six simple steps that you must follow to get the sale every time it's just a matter of you figuring out how to use this in your own home business. So, stop and read this again if you have to. Just let it soak in. It's an extremely powerful process if mastered. Personally, I left that Best Buy not knowing what happened to me. It was like I was brainwashed!

Wouldn't you like to brainwash your customers into buying your products or services or joining your home based business opportunity?

If done right the customer will never know what hit them!!!

Wanna Learn the Secret of Creating Passive Income Online
From a man who made $3,244,842.32 from the Internet in Only 27
months?

7 Ways to Get to the Truth: When the Sale Disappears

2008-06-13T21:33:00.005-07:00

Based on his most recent e-mail, "Everything looks good -- I'll get back to you so we can move this forward"--everything points to a probable sale. You feel so relaxed, happy, and hopeful. Then a couple of days go by with no phone call or e-mail. You tell yourself, "He's probably busy. I know he'll get in touch tomorrow." But tomorrow comes and goes with no word.

You start to panic. Your self-talk turns negative: "I can't believe this...This is really starting to hurt...He let me believe it was a sure thing...I trusted him...now he's disappeared on me, and I was counting on this sale..." The relaxed, happy feeling is gone. You've fallen victim to "hopeium " again.

Have you been in this situation before?

Of course you have--we all have, and it's painful. So, can you keep from getting dropped? Yes--With the new mindset, you can abandon the salesperson role and come from a place of integrity that stems directly from your personal brand that doesn't compromise your authentic self. This opens communication with your potential clients so you can learn the truth about their situation--and that's what you always want.

These suggestions will help:

* Don't assume the sale. Potential clients are used to the traditional buyer-seller relationship, so they may decide not to tell you things that might make them vulnerable to you. Until you're sure you know the complete truth, you can never assume the sale.

* Keep making it easy for potential clients to tell you their truth. Toward the end of your conversation, ask, "Do you have any more questions?" If potential clients say no, follow up with the 100-percent-final truth-gathering question: "Now, are you 100 percent sure that there's nothing else that I can do on my end to make you feel more comfortable with this situation?" You'll be amazed how often people then say, "Well, actually, there is one more issue..." And it's at that point that you really start to hear their truth.

* Call back to get the truth, not close the sale. Most potential clients who suddenly "disappear" will be expecting you chase them down by calling them and saying, "Hi, I was just wondering where things are at?" Instead, eliminate all sales pressure by telling them that you're okay with their decision not to move forward, based on their not having called you back. In other words, take a step backward. Most of the time, it'll open the door to a new level of open, trusting communication.

* Reassure potential clients that you can handle a "no." Of course we'd rather not hear a "no." But the only way to free yourself and your clients from subtle sales pressures is to let them know that it's not about the sale but about the best choice for them--and if that means no sale, it's okay, because it's ultimately not about you but about them.

* Ask for feedback. Whenever potential clients "disappear," call them back (e-mail them if you have to, but only as a last resort because dialogue is always better) and simply ask, "Would you please share your feedback with me as to how I can improve for next time? Now that our sales process is over, I'm committed to understanding where I went wrong." This is not being feeble or weak -- it's being humble, which often triggers the truth.

* Don't try to "close" a sale. If your intuition tells you that the sales process isn't going in the direction it should be going - which is always toward greater trust and truth--trust those feeling. Then, make it safe for potential clients to tell you where they stand. It's simple--all you have to say is, "Where do you think we should go from here?" (But be prepared: you might not want to hear the truth of how they're feeling. You can cope with this by keeping your larger goal in mind, which is always to establish that the two of you have a "fit.")

* Give yourself the last word. Eliminate the anxiety of waiting for the final calls that will tell you whether the sale is going to happen--instead, schedule a time for getting back to each other. This eliminates chasing. Simply suggest, "Can we plan to get back to each other on a day and at a time that works for you--not to close the sale, but to simply bring closure regardless of what you decide. I'm okay either way, and that'll save us from having to chase each other."

You'll find that these suggestions make selling much less painful because you learn to focus on the truth instead of the sale.

With a Masters Degree in Instructional Design and over a decade of experience creating breakthrough sales strategies for global companies such as UPS and QUALCOMM, Ari Galper discovered the missing link that people who sell have been seeking for years.

His profound discovery of shifting one's mindset to a place of complete integrity, based on new words and phrases grounded in sincerity, has earned him distinction as the world's leading authority on how to build trust in the world of selling.

Leading companies such as Gateway, Clear Channel Communications, Brother International and Fidelity National Mortgage have called on Ari to keep them on the leading edge of sales performance

10 Ways To Improve Your Sales

2008-06-13T21:33:00.003-07:00

1. Determine your current situation. How are you currently positioned in the market? How do you compare to the competition? Where would you like to be in a Year or in five years and how would you like to get there? Or more appropriately how can you get there, as it is not always the way that you want that works. Planning requires that you understand how you currently stand.

2. Calculate your operational budget and determine how much you can afford to spend on an Ad campaign. Also, this is the stage to decide your campaign mediums and the effectiveness of different mediums of advertising as it applies to the specific nature of your product and or services. It also helps to retain a percentage of your earnings towards future Ad campaign on an ongoing basis.

3. Since customers are the life-blood of any business, be sure to develop a good rapport with your customers. To keep your customers visiting, buying and begging for more; let them know how much you appreciate their business. Do not spare any personal touch you can invest in the relationship. It will pay for your time and effort tenfold. Create an Ezine to communicate with your customers and to generate new leads. This can be achieved by offering an opportunity to your visitors to subscribe to your ezine from your website or purchasing leads from a leads company.

4. Now, depending on your current position, you may not even have customers yet. If you are starting from scratch, your first order of business would be to start growing a customer base within your budget of course. Create or have a Strong Sales Copy done for your promotions. Consider targeted Ad campaigns through Google or other search engines. You may also consider some of the other 'Viral' marketing Traffic Exchanges out there. Online campaigns consist of generating traffic to your website as this would improve your ranking with the traffic exchanges. Your ultimate goal is to generate free traffic which comes from a high ranking in the traffic exchanges. In other words, you need to generate traffic first and then you can work on converting the traffic into buying customers or better yet, return customers.

5. Hire, rent, or buy a coach/mentor; and if you can not afford one, get some of the informative ebooks and magazines out there. Your decision making prowess would be much better with this kind of backbone. Take note that even with all the information you may acquire from books and magazines, nothing compares to experience. Now, if you have to go on your experience then you are setting yourself up to learn the hard and costly way.

6. I hope you are getting warmed up by now. This one is a must-do for all Internet marketers. I am talking about Forum participation and membership. In fact, this whole article could have been written around link promotion, and only one other means compares to Forums when it comes to promoting your link/website and increasing your ranking. Join a Forum that concerns your line of business. The Forum would promote your link as a result of your participation in discussions and postings. The flip side is that it also provides you for free, knowledge base that compares to hiring a mentor.

7. Position your business to benefit from other webmasters traffic. There are several ways to achieve this. The most prominent is link exchanges with other websites that are similar or complementary in nature to your business. You can do this by writing to the owner or webmaster of other sites, you can buy a link exchange program or join a link exchange. Most are free to join and some charge very minimal fees.

8. As your customer base grows and you start to reap the benefits of your actions. Be sure to acquire an Auto-responder to manage email campaigns and Ezine delivery. By now, your actions should start to show returns and you can complement your campaigns by purchasing a leads building campaign if you do not have one in place from the start. It is common knowledge among the big hitters that a lot of sales come from email campaigns. Use your Sales copy Ad to develop an email campaign, and stay in touch with your existing customers. This can also be used to sell new subscribers you generated using step#3.

9. Is your head spinning yet? Well if it is, you are on the right track for success and should now learn to relax and balance work and social responsibilities. This is a very crucial step to achieving anything in life. We all need to step back a little, so we can see more, refresh and increase performance. Everything contained here would be useless if you can not find balance. As you find relaxation, in whatever way you choose, remember to build a support system and share your experiences with acquaintances. You just might increase your network while doing something that relaxes you. The country club offers recreation and relaxation but, it also comes with networking opportunities.

10. At this point you should evaluate your performance and how much you are on Target or off. Go back to step #1 and reinvent the wheel again. By now you have some experience with your business and know what works best for your business. If at any point you find yourself too comfortable, go over your business plans with a fine toothcomb until you experience a little discomfort. This step would always keep you sharp, focused, and abreast of what needs improvement and adjustment. Remember, your goal is to increase sales and not to get too comfortable. Stay motivated and fairly dissatisfied.

By Robert Kempster

Increase Your Sales in 5 Minutes

2008-06-13T21:33:00.001-07:00

Increase your sales-in five minutes. This article is the third in a series of five articles probing the five critical points influencing how you find a steady stream of customer for your business.

Customers Buy Benefits

You want more sales? Customers buy for one reason. They buy because your product or service has a benefit they want. Telling your customer your product has a 10 year warranty is a product feature. Telling them that in over 400 roofing jobs last year, there were no leaks, no call backs and no broken tile is selling the benefits your customer wants. Sell customer benefits and you will increase your sales.

Why You Sell Features

Bottom line, selling features is easier. Features are the visible things you see about products and services. Features are the things you see, touch, feel and smell.

Selling features is your self-interest. The products and services are your life-blood. You live with them every day. You know them inside and out. You love talking about them!

Identifying the benefits each customer wants it tough work. Customers are unique. Each buys for his or her own reason. It is easier to talk about common product features rather than uncover unique customer benefits.

Your Five Minute Exercise to More Sales!

The five minute exercise is called "SO WHAT." When you complete this exercise, you will change your from selling product features to selling customer benefits. Remember, customer benefits are what sell! Here is how it works.

You create a five minute dialogue between a pretend customer and yourself. It's important to speak this conversation out loud. Start with one of your most popular business features. Explain the feature to your pretend customer. Then listen as the customer says, "so what?" Now answer the customer's so what question. Then listen as the customer says, "so what?" to your response. Again answer the customer's so what question. The customer again responds with a "so what" question. Keep doing this dialogue until the customer no longer asks you a "so what?" question.

Now, you have identified a customer benefit!

Check Out This Example

This is how an insurance agent used the exercise. I asked him, "What distinguishes you from other agents?" He told me, "I find the cheapest and best policy for my customers." I responded, "So what?"

He said, "Well, unlike other agents, I customize each policy for my customer." I said, "So what".

He answered, "As part of my program, I promise to keep my customer informed about any policies changes that may benefit them in the future. " I asked "So what".

He responded, "The customer has the security of knowing that they have the best program and best costs for their insurance." I said, "So you are guaranteeing me that I can go to bed at night and not worry that I am paying too much for my insurance?"

"Exactly," he exclaimed, "That is the security I provide each customer with my insurance program!"

By using the SO WHAT exercise, the agent moved from selling the "cheapest rates" (business feature) to providing the customer the security of knowing he will always have the best rates (customer benefit).

Which agent would you buy from; the one with the cheapest rate or the one that provided you with security about your rate and policy?

Conclusion

Now, you have a simple way to make more money by improving your sales at no additional costs! Use the SO WHAT dialogue with each of your business features and start selling customer benefits. For a special report that shows how the five critical pieces work together in getting more customers for your business, Send an email to al@hanzal.com with subject line, "Special Report."

By Al Hanzal

Generate Sales with Lead Generation Marketing Tools

2008-06-13T21:31:00.005-07:00

One of the best projects to undertake as an online marketer is to master the art of generating sales from your warm market contacts. A warm market is simply people who have already been exposed to your business and marketing plan. It can be described as "breaking the ice" with your potential customers. The best way to generate a warm market is with lead generation marketing tools.

A marketing tool is a tool that people use to create what we call lead prosperity. If you are not in lead prosperity, you are not making money with your online business. With lead generation marketing tools you may decide to create several lead capture pages which are designed to generate interest from prospects on your business. The pages will contain a place to enter their contact information i.e. (name, telephone number, and email). This is also called a lead capture form.

After the information is filled out on the lead capture form, the individual is redirected to a URL that contains your main site. This sounds very easy to do, and it is, however when marketing online, most opportunities have a lack of effective lead capture systems and worse, a lack of professional presentations.

The goal is to seek powerful lead generation marketing tools and presentations that capture leads and allow proper follow-up no matter the opportunity presented. Seek out professional designers and ad copy writing services that can create professional lead capture pages and the software to manage it all. Also conduct follow-up marketing with the Auto responder systems that follows up with every lead that fills out your capture page. Next, search for a robust prospect manager to properly manage your hot-response leads.

Remember, your warm market is created as soon as the prospect enters their information on your lead generation page. You should experience an increase in sales from using this marketing approach.

About The Author

By Erick Shipmon

Invite Questions to Boost Your Sales

2008-06-13T21:31:00.003-07:00

Do you invite your prospective customers to ask questions ...or do you try to avoid getting questions from them? You're walking away from a lot of easy sales if you don't encourage prospects to ask questions.

1. Prospects Who Ask Questions Are Usually Ready To Buy

Prospective customers who take the time to ask questions usually have a high level of interest in your product or service. By asking questions they identify themselves as likely buyers.

A prompt and complete answer to their question along with a gentle reminder of the benefits they will get is usually all it takes to close the sale.

Tip: Make it easy for prospects to ask questions when they are at your web site or in other selling situations where there is no personal contact. For example, list your phone number or an email address they can use for questions.

2. Set up A Procedure for Managing Questions

Answering questions from prospects does not have to take a lot of your time. Many of the same questions will be repeated over and over again. But you only have to answer each question once ...if you save the answer to each question to a permanent file.

Every time you get the same question again, just copy the answer from your saved file into your reply - and customize it appropriately. You will be able to answer questions quickly. And you will impress prospects with your promptness and personal attention.

3. Always Reply Promptly

Answer questions promptly. Your prospect's level of interest and your chances of getting the sale will decline as time passes without a reply. Prospects are also likely to judge your commitment to serving customers by how long they waited to get the answer to their question.

Tip: If you find yourself personally answering a lot of questions, add a Questions and Answers page to your web site - or to your printed sales material. Include the answers to your most frequently asked questions. This reduces the number of questions you have to answer individually.

4. Take Advantage of the Selling Opportunity

People tend to pay close attention to what you say when you answer a specific question they asked. Take advantage of this. Don't just answer their question. Include a reason for them to buy as part of your answer.

For example, a typical question may be whether or not your product or service applies to the questioner's situation. If it does, expand your answer to remind them of the specific benefits they will get. Then tell them exactly how to order it so they can get those benefits immediately.

Remember, prospective customers who ask questions are usually close to buying. A gentle nudge from you will often get them to take action. Provide that nudge when you answer their question.

Many businesses try to avoid questions from their prospects and customers. They are making an expensive mistake. Answering questions from prospects and customers is a highly effective and very low-cost way to boost sales.

By Bob Leduc

Sales Lessons from Bob Vila

2008-06-13T21:31:00.001-07:00

There's more to what he does than meets the eye

With so many different programs, and reruns and re-packaging of older programs, we can assume there are few people on the planet who do not know about Bob Vila. Starting with the original "This Ol' House" programs on PBS in 1979, Bob Vila and his empire, have grown into a major force in the Home Improvement Television genre.

The professional salesperson can learn a whole lot more from Bob Vila than how to screet concrete or put mud on the drywall.

Bob Vila is a study in brand awareness. Bob is the brand. The challenge was getting people to recognize, and ultimately respect Bob Vila, as THE home improvement expert. Whatever he did before that first TV program is inconsequential as is whether or not he can saw a board of drive a nail (something he does verl little of on his show).

Bob Vila became a household name. Brand awareness to the highest degree. So high in fact that Sears asked him to be a spokesperson and that killed his deal with PBS (his first network gig). Now Bob has "Home Again with Bob Vila", "Bob Vila's Guide to Historic Homes" and others plus specials, books and tapes and even "Bob Vila's Home Design" series on two CD's (handsomely packaged, of course). They are recycling the first PBS shows and calling them "This Ol' House Classics". Bob is a TV pitchman, too. He sells credit card debt reduction and every product Sears can come up with, plus a closet full of books and videos.

This didn't happen by accident, but by clever design. The design element continues today, every time you see him on the tube. How did he do it? Simple, all he did was tell all the people on TV to call him by name, over and over. A lot like subliminal advertising. You don't realize you are getting the message. A typical segment of any of his programs, past or present, might go like this:

Bob: Today on our show, Fred Murtz is going to show us how to cut a board with a handsaw. Welcome to our show Fred.

Fred: Thanks, Bob, glad to be here.

Bob: You've been cutting boards for a long time

Fred: I sure have Bob. I got my first hand saw at age seven, from my grandpa. I brought several saws to show you, Bob.

Bob: Show us how to use that saw (pointing)

Fred: That is a crosscut saw, Bob. It is the mainstay in most basic construction. Bob, this is the easiest of all saws to use. You hold it like this, Bob. And when you begin the movement up and down, you put your index finger along the side here, can you see that, Bob? That's how you cut straighter Bob, with that little finger pointing the way.

(and so on.) catching on? Everyone Bob talks with uses his name repeatedly. If you look at it apart from the program, you can see that people don't really talk that way. Could all his guests be instructed to use his name in every sentence possible? Bob never uses their name after the introduction until the end bit when he thanks the guest, by name.

So who's name do we hear, hundreds of times in a program? Bob Vila! It didn't take long for him to be recognized as consummate hammer and nails guru. Better yet, he doesn't do any of the work on his shows, he just gets people to use his name while they do it all.

How does this relate to sales you ask? Easy, you can use the Bob Vila approach on your customers. Use their name at every opportunity. Practice until you can use it in every third sentence. It will create an instant rapport. The more you can use the customer's name, the more you can build trust and confidence with that person.

Think about the many times you have watched Bob on TV and not noticed how the guests use his name over and over. The majority of people don't see it until someone (like me in this article) points it out. Most folks never see the hidden meaning there, or recognize the unusual sentence structure. You can use name-infected sentences in any conversation, to your advantage, every time. They work, beautifully. And they never offend ("Hey, Fred, would you mind not using my name so much, I'm sorta sensitive!").

The next time you talk with a customer, remember what Bob Vila did and you, too, can be the most respected person in your field.

For another article about business, get "Voice Mail Can Be Your Buddy"

By BIG Mike McDaniel

10 Boundless Ways To Anchor Down More Sales

2008-06-13T21:30:00.003-07:00

1. Multiply your marketing and advertising efforts on the Internet. You can accomplish this by starting an affiliate program or using viral marketing.

2. I.ncrease your ratio of visitors that purchase your product(s). You could change your headline, o.ffer a stronger g.uarantee, add testimonials, etc.

3. Find out who are your strongest leads for buying your product by offering a f.ree ezine. The visitors that are very interested will subscribe to it.

4. Team up with your competition by starting an association for your specific industry. It could lead to a profitable partnership with them.

5. Publish an e-zine for your employees. This could motivate them to do a better job or fill them in on were your business is headed

6. Search for your business' name in newsgroups and discussion boards. Some of the comments you find could help you improve your business

7. Attract people to link to your web site. You could o.ffer them a discount on the products you sell or give them f.ree stuff for linking.

8. Develop y.our own o.pt in email l.ist by giving your visitors a reason to give you their e-mail address. Allow them sign up to f.ree stuff and contests.

9. Create a "PR" web page for your business. L.ist information that could be considered newsworthy for e-zines, newspapers, magazines, etc.

10. Give your business and products credibility by linking to web sites that have written positive stories about your business.

Quote of the Day:

"...if the next generation is to face the future with zest and self-confidence, we must educate them to be original as well as competent." -- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Warm regards,

By Janet Money

Essential Training Skills for Managers

2008-06-13T21:30:00.001-07:00

Today's manager lives in a world where change has attained Mach speeds. What holds good when you go home may not apply when you return in the morning to work place. Such a tremendous pace of change takes a heavy toll in terms of a dispirited and de energized workforce.

World class products and services can only be produced by workforce which is highly energized. And a high level of energy is derived by a skilled and knowledgeable workforce with the right attitude.

In this scenario keeping pace with the knowledge and skills for himself and of his people is the key to managerial success. An ongoing training is the answer. Each manager must ensure the up gradation of knowledge and skills at his level rather than wait for the elaborate process of need identification, evaluation and availability of trainer and schedules before any training can be implemented. Basic training skills are an essential repertoire of a successful manager.

So how does one get started?

The first step in any training process is your own Need Analysis.

Who better than you as a manager of your department or team to identify the needs and plug the gaps. The needs analysis can broadly focus on three areas.

1. Knowledge
2. Skills
3. Attitudes

Make a list of what is urgently required in any of the three areas listed above by your direct reports. The check list can clearly tell you what can be handled quickly at your end and what requires more specialized training by external sources.

Identify major gaps in skills and knowledge that can be handled by you without outside help. Attitudinal areas may be more difficult to handle at your end and more specialized intervention might be required. Skill areas may be tackled easily by yourself or one of your team members who are skilled in the desired area.

Your job is not to become a trainer full time. Look at problems which need immediate correction and focus only on them. For the more complex and long term change requirements go to your training department.

Prepare a short one or two hours a week training program to correct the gaps.

That is all it requires. You are on as a trainer.

A manager as a trainer has the distinct advantage of not having to wait for the elaborate process of identifying training needs, setting up a training calendar and selecting the trainer etc.

A quick intervention at your level can make a major difference to your productivity levels. Above all a good leader needs to be a good teacher and a trainer.

By R.G. Srinivasan

Sales Techniques to Help the Customer to Buy

2008-06-13T21:29:00.001-07:00

Three times I have revisited Turkey after living in the country for two years in the 1970's. How could I ever forget? Salespeople everywhere can glean some wisdom about the unique sales approach by walking through the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. At least three unmistakable key sales components are apparent: ask questions, be persistent and appeal to emotions.

ASKING QUESTIONS

As you revel at the array of products lining the street in the Bazaar, you hear someone say, "We have a great deal on leather coats today. How would you like to buy one?" On it's own merit a question is one of the best ways to begin a relationship with a new customer. Questions early on show interest and allow you to gather information. However, at the beginning of getting to know someone, you want to use what I call high fat questions. High fat questions will usually get more than a one word response from someone. This question, "How would you like to buy one?" is headed for either a "sure," or more likely "no" answer. Now a follow on question, "But, why?" is high fat. Sure, you could answer it with one word like, "because." More likely you will begin to explain why you are not interested or say what you are really doing is just browsing. Try using "How come?" in place of "why;" it does the same to inquire in a less heated way.

Questions give the asker power. You can better control the direction of the conversation. Regardless of how a customer responds to a question you gather relevant information when you listen. This merchant is going to help one of us buy.

BE PERSISTENT

As a salesperson masters the art of questions, it's easier for that steadfastness of purpose you need to help the customer buy. When you ask questions, you nurture persistence. It becomes pleasing to discover more about your customer.

Most salespeople give up way too soon. Brian Tracy, master sales trainer, states a statistic that 80% of salespeople quit just at the time when most of the sales are made. Consider persistence a necessity. You can't drive a nail into a block of wood with one try can you? Sometimes it takes more than one try to have your message take hold.

If you sense your prospect feels pressure or keeps coming up with excuses, then tone things down. But at least, either state or agree on the next step, even if it means then the customer says no. Put energy into finding out what your customer needs and presenting what you have in a way it will satisfy those needs. One merchant knows that my son is going to buy a Turkish drum and he keeps helping him to decide which one.

PEOPLE BUY ON EMOTION

Get the customer involved. By engaging your customer you get to the emotion of how a product or service will make them feel. Their face shows it; their voice lets you hear it. At a more subtle level, even their breathing lets you know they are a buyer. The merchants in the Grand Bazaar of Turkey wisely and easily do this. Not only are you intrigued by their fondling of some products, you want to feel the silk as well. Between your fingers, on your face, you love the luxurious softness. People don't buy a car because of logic. They buy it because it makes they'll look prestigious driving in it. Or they love the sound of the stereo. Or they love the way the leather feels. Create situations so your customer can feel the emotion of wanting want you have. After tapping several different size drums my son begins to negotiate for the best price on the drum he's decided on. His emotion helps him to want to take this memory home with him.

Whether you sell shoes or insurance, whether your products are tangible or intangible, and no matter if what you sell takes a minute or a year, its questions, persistence and getting the customer involved that move sales results from fiction to fact.

By Patricia Weber

Assumptions - The Hidden Sales Killer

2008-06-13T21:27:00.001-07:00

Assumptions can kill a sale. In my sales training workshops, I frequently discuss the importance of not making assumptions about a person before, during, or after the sales process. Participants frequently nod and tell me that they NEVER make assumptions. One person (Doug Maquire, www.MaquireMarketing.com) sent me this story of a situation that occurred in a department store he worked in many years ago.

"I was the 'young kid' who had signed on to take the 9 month Management Training course for a department store chain. Sales people were generally assigned specific areas to cover within the store but being a 'management trainee' I had to learn all departments."

One day, a rough looking middle aged fellow entered the store. He was dressed in well-worn workpants, work boots, and a soiled red and black plaid shirt just like you'd expect a lumberjack to wear. No one approached him (I guess he didn't look like a good sales prospect) and he didn't move from the front entrance; he just stood there surveying the store from left to right. I walked up to him and asked if I could help. He said, "I need a pair of wool socks. No nylon, no cotton, just wool socks." We went to the Menswear Department and both watched as the sales person assigned to that department walked away from us so he wouldn't have to waste his time going through the full selection of hosiery just to find a single pair of wool socks."

I then started asking questions about style, colour, size, price range, etc., to help narrow down exactly what the customer needed. "It don't matter." he replied, "Just wool socks. I work back in the bush and we only come to town every three weeks. Nylon makes my feet sweat. Cotton's okay but it don't last long. I need socks I can wear at work everyday and that's wool."

So, I checked the content label of every style and colour of sock that we had in stock and eventually found a pair of 100% wool socks. "Good", he said, and we walked up the checkout counter to ring in the $3.95 pair of wool socks. The man left and I got a bit of ribbing from the sales person in the Menswear Department about my 'big sale of the day' and how 'not to spend my commission all in one place!'"

Three weeks later the customer returned. He then walked over to me and said, "I need more wool socks like that last pair". This time he decided that he'd take 6 pair. We took the socks up to the checkout counter and rang in the six pair of $3.95 socks. The customer paid cash, said thanks, and walked away with his purchase. This time I didn't get quite as much ribbing from the sales person in the Menswear Department.

Exactly three weeks later the customer came back. He walked through the front door and made a beeline for me. "I need more of them wool socks", he said. "The boys at camp want to know where I got them and want some too. How many have you got?" I checked the display area, the stockroom, and our new stock shipment and told him I had 58 pair. He paid cash and bought them all.

I never found out exactly how many people he worked with, but every three weeks he'd show up at the store and ask what I had in the way of tee-shirts, long johns, plaid wool shirts, work boots, gloves, caps, toques, coveralls, work jackets, etc., and each time he arrived, he'd walk right up to me for service and we'd both go to the proper department and select what he needed for himself and for the guys he worked with. He always paid cash and always thanked me for my help."

If Doug had made the mistake of following his coworker's footsteps and made the same assumptions about the customer, he would have lost thousands of dollars in sales.

It is easy to make assumptions about our customers and prospects. A person's appearance, age, gender, nationality, or role within the company, often influences us. I have made this mistake when speaking to companies in the past. Upon learning that they only had a few salespeople, I made the assumptions they would not be willing to pay my standard fee. I later learned that this assumption was completely inaccurate and that they were fully prepared to invest in their teams' development. As a consumer, I have often noticed that most sales people will approach well-dressed customers before they talk to people who are attired in jeans or casual clothing. Avoid this fatal mistake and go into every sales interaction with an open and clear mind. This will definitely have a positive impact on your sales.

By Kelley Robertson

The 6 Secrets To Sales Success

2008-06-13T21:21:00.001-07:00

There is no magic pill, trick, teqnique, system or secret to success. However there are many beliefs and habits that will bring you the desired results that you wish to have. It is your choice to develop the appropriate beliefs and habits that produce the results that you wish to have. If you honestly are not happy with the results that you are having then you must change the actions, which are producing those results. The following are 6 of the habits, which I have found will rapidly accelerate your sales and income to heights, which only you will limit.

The number one "secret" in order to boost you sales is Activity. There are 3 ways to increase your income in sales 1. Activity, 2. Closing ratio, and 3. Average job size. The easiest of these three ways is to increase your activity. You cannot sell jobs if you are not consistently delivering written Quotes and asking for the order. Many salespeople pre-judge, and pre-qualify (or disqualify) their prospects and never deliver the proposal, which will solve their potential clients needs. Many salespeople also deliver the proposal but then fail to ask for the order and close.

The second "secret" is your Belief. You must have positive beliefs, and thoughts at all time. These beliefs will create the proper actions and habits. As Mike Litman (author of Conversations With Millionaires) says people form habits and habits form futures.

The third "secret" thing you need to do is be Committed. You have to be committed to yourself, your product or service, your company, and above all your beliefs. If you choose to believe you can or believe you cannot, you are correct in both instances. You must be committed to consistently deliver a predetermined number of proposals each day, week, month, and year. Your number of sales will increase indirect proportion to the number of proposals you deliver. This must be done with what I call absolute "No Option Behavior". You must be committed 100% to deliver a proposal to every prospect you sit with and also to ask for the order from every prospect you give a proposal too.

The fourth "secret" is Disipline.You must develop new disciplines, which will then produce new results. This should be done to all aspects of your life social.financial, professional, physical, and spiritual.

The fifth "secret" is Enthusiasm. Always remember that the first thin a prospect must buy is you and that enthusiasm sells. You must avoid negative people, negative habits, and negative thoughts and constantly expose yourself to positive thinking.

The sixth "secret" is Focus. You must have goals (the seventh "secret") and a plan to get there. When you have goals and focus on the little steps (habits and disciplines) you will receive all that you desire. You must focus on the results and outcomes and not on the process, it is just as easy to develop new disciplines and actions one step at a time then it is to continue with your old habits and disciplines that are producing results, which you are unhappy with.

Happy selling!!!

By Tony Pola

Quick Tips to Improve Your Sales

2008-06-06T01:08:00.001-07:00

I'll be brief. If not - I'll negate my own point. Got time to read a 12-page essay on sales improvement? You want to get back to making sales and money. Let's go then.
Less time more pressure.
You prospects have less time and feel more pressure. Just like you, I'm sure. As a sales professional, you need to be sensitive to this. For your own good, have a clear, short and concise benefit statement. Don't waste a prospect's time or yours with lengthy (and boring) introductions. Observe people who go on and on at networking events when asked what they do or introducing themselves to the group. Is that you?
Less resources to get more done.
Your sales increase when you better demonstrate how much 'leverage' your product provides. Have prepared proof of substantial Return On Investment for prospects. The best ROI support is customer testimonials containing real numbers. If you don't have any, use industry data and 3rd party research, or statistics, and proactively collecting your own. Start today.
Less contact more voice mail.
If you don't improve your ability for leaving voice mail messages, then you will continue to face the frustration of getting your calls returned. Most salespeople's ability and confidence with voice mail remains poor. If you can't motivate me to even call you back, how could you possibly motivate me to buy from you? Again, be brief, concise and clear. The most glaring weakness is not letting me know the BENEFIT of calling you back. Get training on how to leave an impactful 30-second message that can't be ignored and pulls response.
Less paper and more email.
Letterhead is hard to find these days. A client of mine, IBM, wanted to send a testimonial letter about a sales seminar I gave. My contact couldn't find letterhead. However, lack of letterhead is no excuse for poor spelling and curt communication. Build relationship through constant and meaningful email contact. Make your emails well-written, focused and brief. You face obstacles, like strict network security and the poor computer skills of your recipients. Take a course on email etiquette and copy writing. Don't send an email with large or too many attachments. Sending paper 'snail-mail' is making a comeback with the current anti-spam and "too-much-email" sentiment.
Less personal presentations and more technology.
Travel and budgets have diminished. Teleconferencing and web-based presentations have grown in their use. Sadly, technology doesn't breed ability. Listen to me. Using a webinar to read a PowerPoint to me over the phone will NOT sell me. Again, build your skill set and improve your presentations or have an expert facilitator do them for you.
Less talk and more listening.
The wisdom of the ages. Cliché really but still ignored and executed poorly in sales. Prospects have little time to listen to your 'sales pitch.' Ironically, they have plenty of time to 'complain.' Perfect. Encourage this and note their problems. Let THEM sell themselves. Let your prospects talk themselves into purchasing and stop interrupting them. Give the occasional prompt and affirmative nod to support their rant. Good sales people sell products. Great sales professionals solve problems.
Less preparation and more action.
More salespeople fail while perfecting their approach instead of actually making contacts. Look. Over-preparing makes you sound robotic and impersonal anyway. It's a procrastinator's crutch and an excuse for those in fear of rejection. Get on the phone and attend networking events now. Improve on the fly. Don't worry. We're all human and generally kind.
Enough said. Time to sell.