Wednesday
Wintertime is sales time
love playing golf? On a crisp summer’s morning, do you find great pleasure in chasing a three dollar golf ball around for a couple of hours prior to starting your day? This leisurely activity is made possible by the long hours spent selling your backside off during the other months. Now is the perfect time to put your head down and recommit yourself to a schedule that includes little time for anything but selling. The work you do now will affect your sales three to six months from now. Do you want to have a great summer? Sell hard now!
Monday
Are you waiting on Santa?
So many of us (that dont work retail) look at the holidays as a slow time. We attend office parties, or work on projects thinking that December is going to be slow.
If you think this way it will be a self fulfilling prophecy.
You might not get a lot of sales, but how does your sales pipeline look right now? Super full? Ready to explode with great business right from the start of January? This is one of the easiest times to use "the guy next door" method
see - for details (http://thegreatsellers.com/?p=14)
I was just visiting my client X next door and I realized I have never stopped in here.
Since no one else is out, the people are not as ready to toss you to the curb. Heck, i have been offered Hot Chocolate before from an office I had never been in before.
Enjoy this season, and remember that you miss every shot you don't take (Paraphrasing Michael Jordan). If you chose to stay inside or not pick up the phone then you are choosing to have a bad month. Not to mention a bad January to boot.
Selling isnt rocket science nor providing world peace, but to not study or believe in what youre doing is asking for someone to tell you what you do isnt rocket science or making world peace
If you think this way it will be a self fulfilling prophecy.
You might not get a lot of sales, but how does your sales pipeline look right now? Super full? Ready to explode with great business right from the start of January? This is one of the easiest times to use "the guy next door" method
see - for details (http://thegreatsellers.com/?p=14)
I was just visiting my client X next door and I realized I have never stopped in here.
Since no one else is out, the people are not as ready to toss you to the curb. Heck, i have been offered Hot Chocolate before from an office I had never been in before.
Enjoy this season, and remember that you miss every shot you don't take (Paraphrasing Michael Jordan). If you chose to stay inside or not pick up the phone then you are choosing to have a bad month. Not to mention a bad January to boot.
Selling isnt rocket science nor providing world peace, but to not study or believe in what youre doing is asking for someone to tell you what you do isnt rocket science or making world peace
Sunday
What "The Office" has do do with real life sales
So i was watching this weeks episode of "the office" and saw that one of the salesmen was having a great sales streak. He then went to the accounting group to see what his latest "big sale" was going to net him in commission. he found out that his company had put in a commission cap and that his sales for the rest of the year will earn him $0.
1st, if you have any influence over a commission or bonus structure, which i am guessing most of us, including me, do not, but if you do, make it a formula you would be gitty to pay a salesperson $1,000,000 in bonus or commission. Aka make it where it makes sense no matter how much you pay out.
Now, to those of us who have seen our commissions/bonuses reduced, eliminated, or delayed for this year etc, you need to find alternate motivation. I know easier said then done. I personally have found by doing some customized rankings that I have some competition in sales volume with a few others and now am focusing on staying number one for the year. Number 1 doesnt matter, but if you find yourself in the middle of the pack, pick out a name or two close to you and just work on beating them.
Sales managers - again, i have no control over the incentive plan at my company so for those who dont have one right now (all of us) i am working really hard to provide extra training (class, one on one, or in the field), afternoons/mornings off, flexible schedules, and preparing the best year end reviews I can for my top people so that if/when, there are merit raises i am well prepared to go to battle for my people. We cannot afford to lose our best people so this is an opportunity for us to become better bosses.
If you are not a boss and your boss isnt helping the motivation factors much, then you need to look for competition, or ways of getting more job satisfaction that doesnt involve cash. Keep up with your sales numbers and other projects you have been involved with so that you can be well prepared for your year end evaluation. If you are at the top, you can ask for the things i mentioned above, or if you have a particularly good sale or week, then maybe then too.
If, in these times, you can find job satisfaction by helping your clients achieve more, your people grow/learn more, or prepare yourself for the coming year better, then you will be using this time to the best.
Happy Sales to all, and to all a good night
1st, if you have any influence over a commission or bonus structure, which i am guessing most of us, including me, do not, but if you do, make it a formula you would be gitty to pay a salesperson $1,000,000 in bonus or commission. Aka make it where it makes sense no matter how much you pay out.
Now, to those of us who have seen our commissions/bonuses reduced, eliminated, or delayed for this year etc, you need to find alternate motivation. I know easier said then done. I personally have found by doing some customized rankings that I have some competition in sales volume with a few others and now am focusing on staying number one for the year. Number 1 doesnt matter, but if you find yourself in the middle of the pack, pick out a name or two close to you and just work on beating them.
Sales managers - again, i have no control over the incentive plan at my company so for those who dont have one right now (all of us) i am working really hard to provide extra training (class, one on one, or in the field), afternoons/mornings off, flexible schedules, and preparing the best year end reviews I can for my top people so that if/when, there are merit raises i am well prepared to go to battle for my people. We cannot afford to lose our best people so this is an opportunity for us to become better bosses.
If you are not a boss and your boss isnt helping the motivation factors much, then you need to look for competition, or ways of getting more job satisfaction that doesnt involve cash. Keep up with your sales numbers and other projects you have been involved with so that you can be well prepared for your year end evaluation. If you are at the top, you can ask for the things i mentioned above, or if you have a particularly good sale or week, then maybe then too.
If, in these times, you can find job satisfaction by helping your clients achieve more, your people grow/learn more, or prepare yourself for the coming year better, then you will be using this time to the best.
Happy Sales to all, and to all a good night
Monday
great simple idea that has nothing to do with sales
I saw tis today on one of my favorite sites, lifehacker.com and thought you guys might enjoy it as well. I like things like this
One of the things I discovered during my uncluttering process is that silver wrapping paper works for every gift-giving occasion — weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, baby showers, housewarming, etc. — and when you only have a few tubes of wrapping paper to store, it takes up very little space in a closet. A simple wrapping storage solution can easily handle all of our paper and supplies.
Before using silver paper, I’d been trying to use brown butcher paper for all my wrapping. However, I felt the brown paper was too casual for some occasions, like weddings and anniversaries. I ended up buying small batches of wrapping paper whenever a more formal gift-giving experience arose. The same was true for using fabric bags, and fabric puts a storage burden on the person receiving the gift. I also like the idea of reusable gift bags, but these only work on gifts that coordinate in size to the bags, so you have to store multiple sizes of bags for all different types of situations. Plus, reusable gift bags can be significantly more expensive than wrapping paper and after a couple uses start to show signs of wear. Silver wrapping paper doesn’t have any of these disadvantages — it’s inexpensive, always appropriate, fits all different sizes of gifts, can be recycled, and it doesn’t put a storage burden on the gift recipient or the gift giver.
Silver wrapping paper is in stores in abundance this time of year, and is when I typically stock up my wrapping supplies for the next 12 months. (For some reason, silver paper is much more difficult to find at other times of the year.) Before children, my husband and I could usually survive on two tubes of silver wrapping paper a year. Now that we have a son, we’ve decided to pump that number up to four.
The best deal we’ve found this year is at Ikea. Their SNÖVITA gift wrap (available only in stores) is just $1.99 a roll for 2 ¼ yards:
If you can’t find silver wrapping in your area, a white or a gold wrapping paper might also be a signature wrapping that could work in all situations the way silver does. Whatever style you decide to use, consider a method that will help to keep your wrapping paper clutter to a minimum in your home.
Posted by Erin on Nov 15, 2010
Wrap it up in silver
One of the things I discovered during my uncluttering process is that silver wrapping paper works for every gift-giving occasion — weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, baby showers, housewarming, etc. — and when you only have a few tubes of wrapping paper to store, it takes up very little space in a closet. A simple wrapping storage solution can easily handle all of our paper and supplies.
Before using silver paper, I’d been trying to use brown butcher paper for all my wrapping. However, I felt the brown paper was too casual for some occasions, like weddings and anniversaries. I ended up buying small batches of wrapping paper whenever a more formal gift-giving experience arose. The same was true for using fabric bags, and fabric puts a storage burden on the person receiving the gift. I also like the idea of reusable gift bags, but these only work on gifts that coordinate in size to the bags, so you have to store multiple sizes of bags for all different types of situations. Plus, reusable gift bags can be significantly more expensive than wrapping paper and after a couple uses start to show signs of wear. Silver wrapping paper doesn’t have any of these disadvantages — it’s inexpensive, always appropriate, fits all different sizes of gifts, can be recycled, and it doesn’t put a storage burden on the gift recipient or the gift giver.
Silver wrapping paper is in stores in abundance this time of year, and is when I typically stock up my wrapping supplies for the next 12 months. (For some reason, silver paper is much more difficult to find at other times of the year.) Before children, my husband and I could usually survive on two tubes of silver wrapping paper a year. Now that we have a son, we’ve decided to pump that number up to four.
The best deal we’ve found this year is at Ikea. Their SNÖVITA gift wrap (available only in stores) is just $1.99 a roll for 2 ¼ yards:
If you can’t find silver wrapping in your area, a white or a gold wrapping paper might also be a signature wrapping that could work in all situations the way silver does. Whatever style you decide to use, consider a method that will help to keep your wrapping paper clutter to a minimum in your home.
Posted by Erin on Nov 15, 2010
The home stretch?
I am not sure what product or service you sell, but in most there is a seasonality to it. In mine, there isnt, but the holiday season makes things a lot different just in the schedules and thought processes of the people involved. In either case you have a period of time that is basically the last real opportunity to earn new business for the year. For me the year is pretty even outside the holidays, but in the past the holidays were the peak season and the holidays is why I was there.
How you prepare for the pick up or slow down is important. Plan it out even if that means a 1/2 piece of paper jotting the known factors down. Get your team invovled. During the slow down portion, I like to make sure that my team knows that NOONE else will be out selling during this time which makes it easier to get in. The sales cycle might be a bit longer, but the lack of competition is nice. Also, this is a great time to touch base with your current clients to thank them for their business.
If its your peak time then you need to plan out your attack. what are the main obstacles you will have in making this a great sales season? If youre in consumer sales will it be the flow of inventory? Or will pricing be a problem? Do you have a list of top clients or people you could call when the "hot" item comes in?
Think this way, if I were a high volume buyer what would be really good customer service to me? If you have people who spend a lot on your products throughout the year, call them and ask if they have a holiday list they are working on. If they do, then you can see what you can cross off for them, or you can tell them where the good deals are, or will be.
Be proactive. Slow times, or peek times are areas of opportunity for Great Sellers.
How you prepare for the pick up or slow down is important. Plan it out even if that means a 1/2 piece of paper jotting the known factors down. Get your team invovled. During the slow down portion, I like to make sure that my team knows that NOONE else will be out selling during this time which makes it easier to get in. The sales cycle might be a bit longer, but the lack of competition is nice. Also, this is a great time to touch base with your current clients to thank them for their business.
If its your peak time then you need to plan out your attack. what are the main obstacles you will have in making this a great sales season? If youre in consumer sales will it be the flow of inventory? Or will pricing be a problem? Do you have a list of top clients or people you could call when the "hot" item comes in?
Think this way, if I were a high volume buyer what would be really good customer service to me? If you have people who spend a lot on your products throughout the year, call them and ask if they have a holiday list they are working on. If they do, then you can see what you can cross off for them, or you can tell them where the good deals are, or will be.
Be proactive. Slow times, or peek times are areas of opportunity for Great Sellers.
Friday
The basic on what to do
Saw this article and thought it brought up some good, basic tips.
Being a sales rep is a challenge for many of us. There's lots of competition and loads of choice for customers. So how do you become better at sales to achieve higher success? Here are some tips that will help you to get better results faster!
1. Solidify your character. Becoming good at sales rests upon one main key. A trustworthy character. If you've got the ability to build trust and reliability with a customer then you've got a good chance of developing a long term sales relationship. A strong character is built by doing the things you say you'll do, and being the kind of person who provides more value than they consume. A good person in all areas of their life.
2. Teach what you know to others. If you can become a good teacher, you'll build respect earn the level of authority you need to be considered an expert in your trade. Teaching others is a great way to solidify your own skills and make sure you know them inside out. You'll even learn more about yourself and others as you teach!
3. Always seek to improve yourself. Self improvement is the key to long term growth. Keep reading and learning about more and more as you go. It's a never ending process!
4. Become an advocate of your product or service. Only sell and promote products or services you can back up 100%. The key to being able to make good sales is to sell good products and services!
5. Train your communication skills daily. Communication skills are the cornerstone of all sales interactions. Learn about body language and emotional triggers. The better you can communicate, the more people you'll be able to relate to and the more sales you'll make.
6. Read all the books you can get your hands on about sales and marketing. Reading more and more books means getting better variety and flexibility in the way you communicate. More flexibility means you'll be able to relate to a larger variety of customers.
7. Ask good questions. Qualify your customers and make sure you ask questions that will encourage conversation.
8. Listen well. One of the main keys to communication is being able to ask good questions, and listen to the answers. Being a good listener will mean people will want to talk to you. This is great, as they'll be telling your their needs and wants so you can sell them products.
by Dave Vower
Being a sales rep is a challenge for many of us. There's lots of competition and loads of choice for customers. So how do you become better at sales to achieve higher success? Here are some tips that will help you to get better results faster!
1. Solidify your character. Becoming good at sales rests upon one main key. A trustworthy character. If you've got the ability to build trust and reliability with a customer then you've got a good chance of developing a long term sales relationship. A strong character is built by doing the things you say you'll do, and being the kind of person who provides more value than they consume. A good person in all areas of their life.
2. Teach what you know to others. If you can become a good teacher, you'll build respect earn the level of authority you need to be considered an expert in your trade. Teaching others is a great way to solidify your own skills and make sure you know them inside out. You'll even learn more about yourself and others as you teach!
3. Always seek to improve yourself. Self improvement is the key to long term growth. Keep reading and learning about more and more as you go. It's a never ending process!
4. Become an advocate of your product or service. Only sell and promote products or services you can back up 100%. The key to being able to make good sales is to sell good products and services!
5. Train your communication skills daily. Communication skills are the cornerstone of all sales interactions. Learn about body language and emotional triggers. The better you can communicate, the more people you'll be able to relate to and the more sales you'll make.
6. Read all the books you can get your hands on about sales and marketing. Reading more and more books means getting better variety and flexibility in the way you communicate. More flexibility means you'll be able to relate to a larger variety of customers.
7. Ask good questions. Qualify your customers and make sure you ask questions that will encourage conversation.
8. Listen well. One of the main keys to communication is being able to ask good questions, and listen to the answers. Being a good listener will mean people will want to talk to you. This is great, as they'll be telling your their needs and wants so you can sell them products.
by Dave Vower
Wednesday
overcoming objections
I'd like to take just a couple of moments to hit this important topic. No matter what you are selling, you will get an objection. I am not going to try and go over all the possibilities as we will never get them all and most come down to some simple points.
1. most of the time an objection is indicative of a problem with the previous information. either you havent answered a question they have or they are unclear. if they have decided not to use your product they will tell you.
2. an objection is mainly a time to learn. if you use the objection as a place for you to gain understanding of the desires of the prospect you will do a far better job in actually closing the sale
3. you know the most common objections you are likely to encounter. Either by yourself or with a coworker practice the process of answering the objections. Make them hard, do give yourself an easy time because the prospect wont. If you run into price as a problem for you, you better have a good response (value of some other nature)
If you dont take the time to work through common objections away from your client you will learn by trial and error with your prospects and lose sales because of it.
Role playing is a dying artform, but make no mistake, it's a valuable artform.
1. most of the time an objection is indicative of a problem with the previous information. either you havent answered a question they have or they are unclear. if they have decided not to use your product they will tell you.
2. an objection is mainly a time to learn. if you use the objection as a place for you to gain understanding of the desires of the prospect you will do a far better job in actually closing the sale
3. you know the most common objections you are likely to encounter. Either by yourself or with a coworker practice the process of answering the objections. Make them hard, do give yourself an easy time because the prospect wont. If you run into price as a problem for you, you better have a good response (value of some other nature)
If you dont take the time to work through common objections away from your client you will learn by trial and error with your prospects and lose sales because of it.
Role playing is a dying artform, but make no mistake, it's a valuable artform.
What can Billy Mays teach us about selling?
What can Billy Mays teach you about the art of selling? In a word - lots! He was called the King of infomercials. Why? Because he was the King!
He sold more than $1 billion of products at an average price of $19.95 which means he sold more than 50 million products.
While most salespeople seem to blend in with their competitive crowd, Billy Mays stood out from other corporate "Spokesmen" and "Pitchmen."
When I watch the Billy Mays commercials I see salesmanship on steroids.
He possessed some very unique qualities, which everyone in sales, should take a closer look at.
Billy Mays died suddenly June 28, 2009 of apparent heart failure. His commercials are still running which says an awful lot about his sales effectiveness.
Here's what Billy Mays can teach you about the art of selling:
1. He worked hard to develop a personal brand which included always wearing a blue shirt with khaki pants. Don't under estimate the value of your personal brand.
2. His personal branding included a black beard, his unique voice and a boisterous presentation.
3. He was passionate about his work - he really loved what he was doing. You can't fake this, and that's why it's so important for you to love the work you doing.
4. He exuded enthusiasm, energy and was extremely animated during his infomercials. Sure he annoyed some people with his exuberant selling style - but don't forget his sales topped $1 billion.
5. He was a master at selling benefits for all the products he sold. For example when talking about the "Quick Chop" he said, "It has the power to chop nuts, which you can use for toppings on ice cream Sundays."
I know for a fact most salespeople sell features not benefits. If you watched 10 Billy Mays commercials you would learn all you need to learn about selling your product's benefits.
6. Amazingly he did all of his selling within a 1.5 minute and 2 minute timeframe.
7. The price was always an affordable $19.95 or $19.99.
8. He always included a special bonus product to motivate people to buy right now. How are you using special bonuses and incentives to motivate your sales prospects and customers to buy your products and services?
9. He did something else that was pure selling genius. He always explains and shows what the product does and how it works - leaving nothing to your imagination.
He used simple language and always seemed to talk directly to the people watching his infomercials.
10. He was the PT Barnum of infomercials.
Why settle for mediocrity when you can become a selling superstar. You don't have to do everything Billy Mays did but you'd be foolish, in my opinion, to ignore everything he did.
Usually people don't buy because they get excited about the products you're selling, people buy because the sales person is excited about the products he's selling.
This excitement is contagious. And your excitement creates an advantage for you and oftentimes your excitement is all the advantage you need to make a difference and close more sales.
Simply stated, Billy Mays made buying his products a no-brainer for his customers.
He made things, everything, easier for his customers - and you can too.
After reading about Billy Mays, are you motivated to make some changes in your selling style?
Now's the time! The economy might be on the uptick and it's the perfect time to consider doing the following:
Reinventing yourself, rebuid, reshape, rework, renew, refresh and reconsider how you're selling.
If you're committed to making changes I might be able to help you.
I'll give you 57 sales tips to reinvent and distinguish yourself from your competition that you can use to rework and revitalize your sales effort.
You don't have to spend any time wondering what you can do - I've done all the work for you.
Now you can read or listen to my 57 sales tips, cherry pick the ones you like, and start using them tomorrow. Now of course this isn't for the doubting Thomas's and the Nervous Nellies in the world.
Here's the problem for many salespeople. Let's say you've been selling for 12 years. Let's also say you fall into the trap of believing that your 12 years add up to a lot of sales experience.
Here's another way of looking at it. You might have one year of experience that's been repeated 12 times. That's a scary thought - isn't it?
Unless you're a master of change and constantly chipping away at all the things that don't work and are constantly on the lookout for new sales tips, new selling ideas, and new selling strategies that you can adapt and adopt - you just might not make it to the top of the sales ladder you're climbing.
Billy Mays did it and I'm still a work in progress - and how about you?
Take a look at this if you're serious about jumpstarting your sales career and want to put a saddle on this turning economy and ride it all the way back up again.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Meisenheimer
He sold more than $1 billion of products at an average price of $19.95 which means he sold more than 50 million products.
While most salespeople seem to blend in with their competitive crowd, Billy Mays stood out from other corporate "Spokesmen" and "Pitchmen."
When I watch the Billy Mays commercials I see salesmanship on steroids.
He possessed some very unique qualities, which everyone in sales, should take a closer look at.
Billy Mays died suddenly June 28, 2009 of apparent heart failure. His commercials are still running which says an awful lot about his sales effectiveness.
Here's what Billy Mays can teach you about the art of selling:
1. He worked hard to develop a personal brand which included always wearing a blue shirt with khaki pants. Don't under estimate the value of your personal brand.
2. His personal branding included a black beard, his unique voice and a boisterous presentation.
3. He was passionate about his work - he really loved what he was doing. You can't fake this, and that's why it's so important for you to love the work you doing.
4. He exuded enthusiasm, energy and was extremely animated during his infomercials. Sure he annoyed some people with his exuberant selling style - but don't forget his sales topped $1 billion.
5. He was a master at selling benefits for all the products he sold. For example when talking about the "Quick Chop" he said, "It has the power to chop nuts, which you can use for toppings on ice cream Sundays."
I know for a fact most salespeople sell features not benefits. If you watched 10 Billy Mays commercials you would learn all you need to learn about selling your product's benefits.
6. Amazingly he did all of his selling within a 1.5 minute and 2 minute timeframe.
7. The price was always an affordable $19.95 or $19.99.
8. He always included a special bonus product to motivate people to buy right now. How are you using special bonuses and incentives to motivate your sales prospects and customers to buy your products and services?
9. He did something else that was pure selling genius. He always explains and shows what the product does and how it works - leaving nothing to your imagination.
He used simple language and always seemed to talk directly to the people watching his infomercials.
10. He was the PT Barnum of infomercials.
Why settle for mediocrity when you can become a selling superstar. You don't have to do everything Billy Mays did but you'd be foolish, in my opinion, to ignore everything he did.
Usually people don't buy because they get excited about the products you're selling, people buy because the sales person is excited about the products he's selling.
This excitement is contagious. And your excitement creates an advantage for you and oftentimes your excitement is all the advantage you need to make a difference and close more sales.
Simply stated, Billy Mays made buying his products a no-brainer for his customers.
He made things, everything, easier for his customers - and you can too.
After reading about Billy Mays, are you motivated to make some changes in your selling style?
Now's the time! The economy might be on the uptick and it's the perfect time to consider doing the following:
Reinventing yourself, rebuid, reshape, rework, renew, refresh and reconsider how you're selling.
If you're committed to making changes I might be able to help you.
I'll give you 57 sales tips to reinvent and distinguish yourself from your competition that you can use to rework and revitalize your sales effort.
You don't have to spend any time wondering what you can do - I've done all the work for you.
Now you can read or listen to my 57 sales tips, cherry pick the ones you like, and start using them tomorrow. Now of course this isn't for the doubting Thomas's and the Nervous Nellies in the world.
Here's the problem for many salespeople. Let's say you've been selling for 12 years. Let's also say you fall into the trap of believing that your 12 years add up to a lot of sales experience.
Here's another way of looking at it. You might have one year of experience that's been repeated 12 times. That's a scary thought - isn't it?
Unless you're a master of change and constantly chipping away at all the things that don't work and are constantly on the lookout for new sales tips, new selling ideas, and new selling strategies that you can adapt and adopt - you just might not make it to the top of the sales ladder you're climbing.
Billy Mays did it and I'm still a work in progress - and how about you?
Take a look at this if you're serious about jumpstarting your sales career and want to put a saddle on this turning economy and ride it all the way back up again.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Meisenheimer
Friday
SHUT UP - round 2
A little while ago I wrote SHUTUP - a basic guide to letting the prospect do most of the talking.
Today, we will go more internal with our worlds.
So, youre doing well. You want to make sure your boss and other important people know about it. This is a tricky place to be, because you dont want to be a braggart and at the same time a little recognition would be nice.
Best case is that your boss notices and says something to you.
2nd is that your boss notices, but doesn't say anything to you.
3rd best case is a peer notices and points it out to everyone.
You will notice there wasnt a "you run and tell your boss how great you are"
There is a difference between sharing a big win and summarizing your wonderfulness, and i would even suggest that if you have a big win, that its going to get noticed when the reports come out anyway, so why not let choice 1 happen?
Patience is still a virtue.
The words you don't say have more impact than the ones you do.
Today, we will go more internal with our worlds.
The less people speak of their greatness, the more we think of it.
- Lord Bacon
So, youre doing well. You want to make sure your boss and other important people know about it. This is a tricky place to be, because you dont want to be a braggart and at the same time a little recognition would be nice.
Best case is that your boss notices and says something to you.
2nd is that your boss notices, but doesn't say anything to you.
3rd best case is a peer notices and points it out to everyone.
You will notice there wasnt a "you run and tell your boss how great you are"
There is a difference between sharing a big win and summarizing your wonderfulness, and i would even suggest that if you have a big win, that its going to get noticed when the reports come out anyway, so why not let choice 1 happen?
Patience is still a virtue.
The words you don't say have more impact than the ones you do.
Thursday
The Brochure - of death
Everything sounds more dangerous when you put "of death" at the end of it. Ever notice how magicians, or jugglers use that? but i digress.
For all things good, please stop selling, anything, by brining out your brochure and walking a prospect through it.
You're better than this, but if not, you will be now.
Ever been on a conference call or in a meeting where you get read to? Did you like it? me either. Why in the world would a prospect like it? YOu could have just mailed it to them and then called to make sure they got it.
Your sales call needs to have at least one story. One that resonates with prospects. Preferably one around how your product or service really helped out another person. Practice telling your story. My personal favorite is the self-deprecating story which takes them off guard, in that, most "sales people" don't act human or fallible. I am not perfect but I will work harder for you and you're more important to me than you are to the other guy.
People remember stories a lot longer than they will remember your soon-to-be-trash-can-fodder brochure.
For all things good, please stop selling, anything, by brining out your brochure and walking a prospect through it.
You're better than this, but if not, you will be now.
Ever been on a conference call or in a meeting where you get read to? Did you like it? me either. Why in the world would a prospect like it? YOu could have just mailed it to them and then called to make sure they got it.
Your sales call needs to have at least one story. One that resonates with prospects. Preferably one around how your product or service really helped out another person. Practice telling your story. My personal favorite is the self-deprecating story which takes them off guard, in that, most "sales people" don't act human or fallible. I am not perfect but I will work harder for you and you're more important to me than you are to the other guy.
People remember stories a lot longer than they will remember your soon-to-be-trash-can-fodder brochure.
Wednesday
How to get and give business cards
I thought this was basic, and then i got to thinking about how many times i have seen people screw this up. So here is a great article based on one by Emjae Johnson
Question: So do you give a card to everyone? or hold out on them like their made of gold?
Answer: Pass your business cards out only to those who ask you for one. how? you get them to ask you for yours by asking for one of their business cards first.
Here's How:
- When you meet someone, at a network gathering, business meeting, social gathering, or on the street; after you say hello and engage in little conversation, always ask them for their business card. They will be delighted that you asked and proud to give it to you. After this it will be very natural for them to ask you for yours, but if they do not ask, never offer it. When you think about it, putting your card in the face of someone who did not ask would be perceived as being a little pushy at this point. But not to worry, you still have their card and so you can still stay in contact with them.
- When you receive their card, always thank them for it. Read over what it says front and back. Ask them any questions that genuinely interests you about them or their business after you have looked over their card. Make sure all the contact information is there: name, business name, phone number, address, and email. If there is a piece of information that is missing, ask them for it so that you can add it to the card.
- Ask them for their permission to contact them. It is good professional manners to ask their permission, even though it is assumed that they would want you to contact them. It is a way of being respectful and you will be remembered for it.
- When and if they ask you for your card, politely hand them one of yours and be ready to respond to any questions that they may have. If you have coined your own "opener" then this might be a good time to use it. However, never try to sell them anything at this point unless they flat out tell you they want to buy something from you. Remember, the reason why they asked you for your card was probably more out of politeness because you had asked for theirs. There is no need to go into selling mode here, you really only want to connect with the person at this point.
- Within 24-48 hours send them a note. Always have on hand some blank note cards. These are available almost anywhere they sell cards at and they are sold by the box. If you want to have one with a design on it, that's o.k., but make sure that it is a neutral design. Inside the card handwrite a short note to them stating that you appreciated having made their acquaintance. If you can recall something from the conversation this will help to personalize it even more.
- Place your business card inside the note card, hand-address the envelope using the information from their business card and drop it in the mailbox. The person on the receiving end will be very honored that you thought of them enough to take the time to handwrite a card and "mail" it instead of "emailing" it. Also, people love to receive cards and they can tell that it is a card even before they open it by the size and feel of the envelope. Don't be surprised if they contact you back with a thank you!
- Keep their card in an organized file for future reference. If your contacts are also organized in an address book kept on your computer, then also add their information there. If they do contact you back to thank you for the card you sent, if it is appropriate, ask them if you can add them to your email list. Always ask permission, not only because it is respectful to do so, but also because with emails you don't want to be accused of spamming. If they give their permission, do not abuse this privilege. Send only emails that are short and informative to them.
Parapharased from: http://sales.about.com/od/leadgeneration/ht/howbizcards.htm
Tuesday
You're not selling world peace
Unless you are Gandhi, you are probably not selling world peace. So unless you are selling the cure for a major disease, lighten up.
Please, would you want to do business with a stiff? (no funeral industry jokes here)
I wouldnt either. Its okay to lighten things up and have a little fun. If you are a sales manager, have fun with your team, and if your a sales person one of the best things you can do for rapport is to have a laugh with a client/prospect.
If you take yourself too seriously, no one else will.
Enjoy your day and enjoy what you do. You might not be selling world peace, but you can enjoy the day and and have a little fun along the way.
Please, would you want to do business with a stiff? (no funeral industry jokes here)
I wouldnt either. Its okay to lighten things up and have a little fun. If you are a sales manager, have fun with your team, and if your a sales person one of the best things you can do for rapport is to have a laugh with a client/prospect.
If you take yourself too seriously, no one else will.
Enjoy your day and enjoy what you do. You might not be selling world peace, but you can enjoy the day and and have a little fun along the way.
Friday
Don't send December-ish holiday cards!
How many greeting cards do you get around the holidays?
This year, take notice of the ones that come in with gold embossed stamps on them. How personal! I’d rather get nothing than one of those. That says, “You are one of a thousand people in on a list.”
Want to be different?
Send a Thanksgiving card instead. Thanksgiving is the last great American holiday. It is non-denominational, festive, and evokes thoughts of Norman Rockwell. It also puts you ahead of all other year end greetings.
Try it.
*from the good folks at http://www.printtec.com/
This year, take notice of the ones that come in with gold embossed stamps on them. How personal! I’d rather get nothing than one of those. That says, “You are one of a thousand people in on a list.”
Want to be different?
Send a Thanksgiving card instead. Thanksgiving is the last great American holiday. It is non-denominational, festive, and evokes thoughts of Norman Rockwell. It also puts you ahead of all other year end greetings.
Try it.
*from the good folks at http://www.printtec.com/
Thursday
Love the one you're with
Thank you Stephen Stills for inspiring todays thought on sales.
Lets use another, more sales direct quote to get the point across better though.
Jeffery Gitomer, best selling author said this, “To make the most of a networking event, spend 75% of your time with people you don’t know”.
So either a networking event, or at other events, do you spend most of your time around the people you know? What about the majority of your normal work day?
You need to meet people that you dont already know. I know, sales people, youre saying, I already cold call, or cold walk prospecting people i dont know. Yep, and thats the problem.
Your intention is to sell that new person something. A wise person once said, "Everyone loves to buy, but no one likes being sold" and back to Gitomer, “If you make a sale you can earn a commission, if you make a friend, you can earn a fortune”.
So is your goal to sell one thing to one person? If you sell items that need to be purchased over and over again, you see the direct relation, but what about those who sell big ticket items or items only bought 1 or 2 times ever? (real estate, airplanes, large manufacturing equipment) You have to create the friend for referrals. If one or two sales a year is your thing, then you need to keep an impeccable reputation.
So love the person you are around. Treat them how you would like to be treated. Keep your eyes on the (longterm) prize. You might even get a long term friend in the deal too.
Great Sellers share their knowledge with others.
Lets use another, more sales direct quote to get the point across better though.
Jeffery Gitomer, best selling author said this, “To make the most of a networking event, spend 75% of your time with people you don’t know”.
So either a networking event, or at other events, do you spend most of your time around the people you know? What about the majority of your normal work day?
You need to meet people that you dont already know. I know, sales people, youre saying, I already cold call, or cold walk prospecting people i dont know. Yep, and thats the problem.
Your intention is to sell that new person something. A wise person once said, "Everyone loves to buy, but no one likes being sold" and back to Gitomer, “If you make a sale you can earn a commission, if you make a friend, you can earn a fortune”.
So is your goal to sell one thing to one person? If you sell items that need to be purchased over and over again, you see the direct relation, but what about those who sell big ticket items or items only bought 1 or 2 times ever? (real estate, airplanes, large manufacturing equipment) You have to create the friend for referrals. If one or two sales a year is your thing, then you need to keep an impeccable reputation.
So love the person you are around. Treat them how you would like to be treated. Keep your eyes on the (longterm) prize. You might even get a long term friend in the deal too.
Great Sellers share their knowledge with others.
Tuesday
Failure
Mary Pickford:
You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.
Mary, one of the original founders of the academy of motion pictures, didn't intend to make this quote about sales, but it sure does fit. This isnt designed to tell you all to be stalkers to your prospects, but more to keep trying to find new clients and new ways to help existing ones.
I read recently a thought that basically no one reads books about attitude and its probably the most important skill or trait a salesperson has. Attitude is as simple as getting up in the morning and saying, "i'm going to have a good day" and trying to achieve it. Its cliche and its overdone, but you can really guarantee a bad day if you think youre going to have one.
So today, just today, set a positive goal for you and/or your team to achieve. It can be a simple as making a certain number of calls or contacts, greeting everyone that comes in your store like they matter, or visit 2 current clients that are important but havent seen you in a while.
You will be amazed at how just a little positive makes a big difference. With positive you will see that what you used to think of as failure is just a bump in the road.
Attitude is a sales technique
Monday
What Sunday football can teach us about sales
Time management, figuring out how to get closer to your objective while there are gatekeepers in your way, hoping your teams prework and research was enough to win the day, evaluation of what went right and wrong.
yeah, perhaps i watch too much Sunday football, or am just looking for something to write, but how often do we do the task at the end? Fortunately, most of us dont have newspapers, tvs, and radios discussing every little detail of the game. We dont have the advantage of game film, but we should go back through and recap what went well and what did not. What did the prospect say, what seemed to keep him going, what seemed to stop the conversation. Did you talk too much. Did you get the sale? Did you get the next meeting? Did you get a referral? Did you get shot down? Why?
League MVP's down to practice squad rookie spend hours reviewing their prior performances to help understand themselves. What are you doing to help you prepare for the next sale?
When was the last time you role played a sale, or did that for someone else?
Insanity, is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result according to Mr. Einstein. Are you insane?
yeah, perhaps i watch too much Sunday football, or am just looking for something to write, but how often do we do the task at the end? Fortunately, most of us dont have newspapers, tvs, and radios discussing every little detail of the game. We dont have the advantage of game film, but we should go back through and recap what went well and what did not. What did the prospect say, what seemed to keep him going, what seemed to stop the conversation. Did you talk too much. Did you get the sale? Did you get the next meeting? Did you get a referral? Did you get shot down? Why?
League MVP's down to practice squad rookie spend hours reviewing their prior performances to help understand themselves. What are you doing to help you prepare for the next sale?
When was the last time you role played a sale, or did that for someone else?
Insanity, is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result according to Mr. Einstein. Are you insane?
Friday
Do the right thing Sales Managers
It's Friday, and if you're a sales manager you have your work cut out for you. How do you keep your people engaged when all they want to do is leave for the day? I had someone mention to me yesterday a good reminder of a very important truth.
When respect is given,respect will be returned.
When you leave early, when you go to an "appointment" late on a friday and don't come back into the office, when you show up a little late, when you take an extra lunch you may think you are taking the privileges that come from being the boss, but what you are really doing is setting the example that its okay to do something as long as you can get away with it. I would think this is a bad message to send to your staff.
If youre a sales person and someone around you or even your boss is doing it, do not take it that it's okay for you to. If you are always doing the right thing and a place comes along that there is a grey area, or someone has to make a judgement call, you will get the benefit of the doubt because you are beyond reproach in your ethics on a day to day basis.
This translates into sales too. You dont take the easy way out when its convienent and you wont do that with a client either. You're a professional, act like it.
TGS
for some levity -
knock knock
(who's there)
interrupting cow
(interrupt....)
MOOOOOO
- for those that have kids
When respect is given,respect will be returned.
When you leave early, when you go to an "appointment" late on a friday and don't come back into the office, when you show up a little late, when you take an extra lunch you may think you are taking the privileges that come from being the boss, but what you are really doing is setting the example that its okay to do something as long as you can get away with it. I would think this is a bad message to send to your staff.
If youre a sales person and someone around you or even your boss is doing it, do not take it that it's okay for you to. If you are always doing the right thing and a place comes along that there is a grey area, or someone has to make a judgement call, you will get the benefit of the doubt because you are beyond reproach in your ethics on a day to day basis.
This translates into sales too. You dont take the easy way out when its convienent and you wont do that with a client either. You're a professional, act like it.
TGS
for some levity -
knock knock
(who's there)
interrupting cow
(interrupt....)
MOOOOOO
- for those that have kids
Thursday
Selling on Price Alone
You have the lowest price in the market
or
You dont.
So if you dont then you actually have to sell something other than price. Price is a funny thing. why pay more for the exact same thing? You shouldnt, Thats why you have to make sure you are selling value vs price. If you have the best rates, or the lowest prices your job is to convince the buyer that there is no significant difference in the good or service you are selling from the higher priced versions.
The question is, are you or are you not the lowest price? Do you know? If you dont, it's time to do some research. If you think your product is unique, its probably not in your customers eyes. Ever had someone tell you that a particular mobile phone was FAR AND AWAY the best thing ever, and you couldn't really see why you'd care? Why would you pay more for the NBT (next big thing) if you cannot see the value.
I used to buy and sell grain as my first job out of college. The definition of not being different is a commodity. Specifically I dealt in corn, soybeans, and wheat. Price and the distance you had to travel should have been the only difference. However there was one thing i could offer that was different. Advice. I advised farmers on when to sell and at what month on the market. The value wasnt in the actual price, although I couldnt be too far off, but the farmers valued the advice and the small difference in price if i wasnt the best, was worth the knowledge.
Do your clients value your opinion? They need to so that you have something to overcome the price issue.
Wednesday
Your favorite close
Several weeks ago, I was speaking with Jay Hellwig. Jay is a top sales professional. Jay said, “Zig Ziglar’s CD’s on ‘Secrets of Closing the Sale‘ are my favorite CD’s.” Since there are over 50 specific closing techniques in this CD set, I asked Jay what was his favorite technique.Jay thought for a moment and said, “Oh, I don’t have a favorite close.” I asked, “Then how can it be your favorite sales training set?” Jay said, “That’s easy. Zig didn’t teach me a closing technique as much as he taught me a closing ATTITUDE! The attitude helps me close more sales than the techniques do.”
A closing attitude. Now, that’s powerful.
Have you thought about your CLOSING ATTITUDE lately? Do you have closing attitude? And if you do, what type attitude is it?
Jay is right. The way you feel about closing the order is oftentimes more important than the technique you use. You probably have a number of strong closes. However, if you lack a strong closing attitude, you will never use those closing techniques.
What is your attitude about closing? Selling is what we do WITH your prospect, not something we do TO your prospect. Closing should be the logical conclusion to your selling activities. It should not be the stage of the sales process that is adversarial between the seller and the buyer. The buyer should be as eager for this stage as the seller is.
What is your attitude toward closing? Why do you ask people to buy from you? You ask people to buy from you so that you can feed your family… not your ego. If you don’t want to bruise your ego, you may be hesitant to ask for the order. However, if you do that enough times, you are not putting bread on your family’s table.
What happens when you ask for the order and you get it? You win! But, what happens when you ask for the order and you don’t get it? Well, you don’t lose! You break even! That’s right … you break even. You can’t lose by doing your job.
Your job is to ask people to exchange money for your services. When you do your job correctly you have every right to ask the business owner to buy from you.
When you ask the prospect to purchase from you today, the buyer wants to know that you believe his/her decision is a solid one. You can assist with this if you have a positive closing attitude. You need to exhibit confidence during this stage of the process. If you do, you will be able to expect sales success, not hope for sales success.
Jay Hellwig is right. The closing attitude will close more sales than the techniques!
Good luck and good selling!
__________
Bryan Flanagan is a nationally renowned speaker, author and sales trainer. A performance consultant and coach for dozens of corporations, Bryan knows and communicates the techniques that help people become better performers! Visit him at www.FlanaganTraining.com
Tuesday
The art of how to not to get to any decision maker
If you consider yourself a professional sales representative or executive you have undoubtedly worked very hard to overcome the stigma sales professionals have faced over the years.For this reason I was very disappointed to read a newsletter written by a major international sales training firm entitled: “The Art Of How To Get To Any Decision Maker”.
I thought I would write about it this month in a newsletter that I will call: “The Art Of How Not To Get To Any Decision Maker”.
The author, president of a major international sales training company, offered claims and advice to get past any gatekeeper/assistant. He asserted: “I’ve been able to get in front of the CEO and CFO of “so and so” (name dropping a Fortune 500 company). Seeking to share his pearls of wisdom, the author offered suggestions as to how you too, can do it. He advised:
* “Don’t be charming to the assistant because it’s a dead giveaway you are selling something.”
* “Tell the assistant what to do – don’t ask them.”
* “The other secret to getting that top executive on the telephone is to send the gatekeeper back as many times as you can, each time giving very little information.”
* “You must lead the conversation at all times.”
* “The biggest tip is that your voice has to sound like you’re important.” To the author’s credit he states: “Never give false information.” He then, however, follows up with,”That doesn’t mean you tell the whole truth.”
The author also advises to keep assistants “off-guard and off balance” by not telling them what your reason is for the call. He advocates sending the gatekeeper back so many times that the CEO finally gets fed up and tells her to put the call through. This sales trainer suggests making a contest out of your efforts: “Let’s see how many times you can send the gatekeeper back to that CEO.” This role play was suggested in the article:
You: Hi.This is Bill Johnston. I’m calling for Carl. Is he in?
Assistant: Can I ask what this call is in reference to?
You: Just tell him it’s Bill Johnston.
Assistant: Carl did not recognize your name, what is this in reference to?
You: Did you tell him it’s Bill Johnston?
Assistant: Yes. He didn’t seem to know you.
You: Hmm. Just tell him I’m from XYZ Company. That might jog his memory.
Assistant: I’m sorry. Mr. Johnston, but the company name didn’t ring any bells. Can you please tell me what this is in reference to?
You: Who am I speaking to?
Assistant: This is his assistant.
You: Are you his regular assistant?
Assistant: Yes.
You: What’s your name?
Assistant: Shirley.
You [tone of authority]: Shirley, if you tell Carl that I’m following up on some correspondence sent to him that should be enough.
I imagine you feel as shocked at this manipulative and deceitful behavior as I do. The next logical question is, if you are a TRUE SALES PROFESSIONAL how DO you get access to key decision makers? The simple answer to this complex question is that you earn it through trust.
How do you do that? Don’t cold call! Work to get a referral from an existing satisfied client or someone else in their organization. Either way you must do your homework! Research the target company and your senior executive contact. Your goal is to know more about your clients than they know about themselves. Online tools now make this possible. You must be able to tie your solution to one of the top three key pain, challenges, issues or opportunities that they are facing.
When you do reach out to the administrator, follow these four steps as you introduce yourself:
1. “I have done an extensive amount of research analyzing your company.” (I am not cold calling);
2. “As a result of my research I know your: pain, challenges, issues or opportunities. I think your major areas of concern are…”;
3. “We have helped other companies in your industry solve the exact same issue with excellent results. Here is how we helped them…”;
4. “What is the best way for me to share this information with Sharon (the administrator’s boss)?”.
Here is an example of how it would sound:
“Hi Margaret,This is Dan with A&A. Over the past two months I have been researching your firm and have uncovered a strong focus on cost reduction through supply chain integration. We are working with X and Y in your industry to solve this very same challenge. I believe that Sharon would be very interested in hearing what we have be able to accomplish for that client. What is the best way for me to share this information with her?”
Instead of viewing your “gate-keeper” as an obstacle, you have professionally justified your reason for seeking access to her company’s executive. It is not advisable to keep anyone “off-guard and off balance”. After all, it is your objective to provide professional and consultative service to your clients, and this introductory call will start you off on the right foot.
Good Luck, and Close ‘Em,
Dan Adams
______________
Dan Adams is a popular professional speaker, author, and consultant who draws upon more than 25 years of experience in the field of sales and marketing. Having honed his sales skills selling multimillion dollar solutions for Fortune 500 and high technology companies over the past 25 years, he founded a sales consulting company called Adams & Associates. Visit him at TrustTriangleSelling.com. Dan is the author of: Building Trust, Growing Sales
: How to Master Complex, High-End Sales Using the Principles of Trust Triangle Selling.
Monday
Your product or service
If you sell a product or service, of the most important this is that you understand how it works through the eyes of your customer. Do you use your own product or service?
Why or why not?
This will give you a lot of insight as to the mindset of your prospects and help with service to the current clients
Why or why not?
This will give you a lot of insight as to the mindset of your prospects and help with service to the current clients
Friday
Rapport Building
Rapport Building
Rapport building is an art. If you are having trouble building rapport it’s probably because you are asking the wrong questions
Rapport is personal. Many salespeople make the mistake of trying to build rapport around non personal things like the news, the economy, or the weather. The difference between these subjects and rapport is that rapport is about the commonality you have with the person. In short, it’s personal. Easy examples of this would be children, went to the same college, or share a hobby.
Where do I start if I don’t know them? The easiest place to start is in their office. Take a look around and see what they have hung up or put out on their desk. Do they have a trophy, an award, or pictures of their family? An easy question to ask is “how old are you kids? Pictures are usually a few years old and it starts a nice conversation.
Rapport Building. An aspect of report building that is often overlooked is that rapport is the prospect qualifying you as a provider of service. Relationship selling is very difficult if you don’t build the relationship. Winning on price alone is not selling nor will it last. There is no secret to rapport building other than to ask. Once you find a link the relationship deepens and trust begins for mutual understanding.
Now what?
You need to transition from rapport to business conversation. Start with a career question – length of tenure, biggest accomplishment, how they got there etc. Then mention something about your career. At this point its time to get to the point, “The reason I asked for this meeting was to find out…” You will notice it does not say, “I’d like to tell you about…” it’s a subtle change but an important one.
What rapport is.
• Rapport is delicate, and must be professionally understood before you can be personally engaging.
• Rapport is exchanging information of personal value.
• Rapport is gaining insight into the person and their personality.
• Rapport is gaining an understanding of the other person.
• Rapport is the ability to begin the engagement process.
• Rapport is a learning time about them, not a bragging time about you.
• Rapport is asking – then creating dialog around the answer.
• Rapport is permission to smile, even laugh, without doing so at someone's expense.
• Rapport is your opportunity to establish yourself as someone they would like to get to know better, and maybe even do business with.
Rapport building is an art. If you are having trouble building rapport it’s probably because you are asking the wrong questions
Rapport is personal. Many salespeople make the mistake of trying to build rapport around non personal things like the news, the economy, or the weather. The difference between these subjects and rapport is that rapport is about the commonality you have with the person. In short, it’s personal. Easy examples of this would be children, went to the same college, or share a hobby.
Where do I start if I don’t know them? The easiest place to start is in their office. Take a look around and see what they have hung up or put out on their desk. Do they have a trophy, an award, or pictures of their family? An easy question to ask is “how old are you kids? Pictures are usually a few years old and it starts a nice conversation.
Rapport Building. An aspect of report building that is often overlooked is that rapport is the prospect qualifying you as a provider of service. Relationship selling is very difficult if you don’t build the relationship. Winning on price alone is not selling nor will it last. There is no secret to rapport building other than to ask. Once you find a link the relationship deepens and trust begins for mutual understanding.
Now what?
You need to transition from rapport to business conversation. Start with a career question – length of tenure, biggest accomplishment, how they got there etc. Then mention something about your career. At this point its time to get to the point, “The reason I asked for this meeting was to find out…” You will notice it does not say, “I’d like to tell you about…” it’s a subtle change but an important one.
What rapport is.
• Rapport is delicate, and must be professionally understood before you can be personally engaging.
• Rapport is exchanging information of personal value.
• Rapport is gaining insight into the person and their personality.
• Rapport is gaining an understanding of the other person.
• Rapport is the ability to begin the engagement process.
• Rapport is a learning time about them, not a bragging time about you.
• Rapport is asking – then creating dialog around the answer.
• Rapport is permission to smile, even laugh, without doing so at someone's expense.
• Rapport is your opportunity to establish yourself as someone they would like to get to know better, and maybe even do business with.
Wednesday
Tough
I saw a quote yesterday, it said, "Times are Tough, we're Tougher". I sent it to my team. Things may be tough in the economy but that is no excuse for things to be tough for you. You may need to adapt. Best way to get more business in a tough economy, really anytime, but especially in a tough economy, is to help your clients/prospects get what they need.
Facilitate sales. Put your clients together. Help them get business and they will help you. When you put people together you become a business broker. And if youre into success, being a business power broker is where the top dogs are. The clients will never leave the person who brings them business. You might be outpriced by a competitor, but if they think they might lose your influence to bring in other clients, then they will let a lot of price happen before they are willing to lose you.
Be tough, and let the others whine about the economy.
Facilitate sales. Put your clients together. Help them get business and they will help you. When you put people together you become a business broker. And if youre into success, being a business power broker is where the top dogs are. The clients will never leave the person who brings them business. You might be outpriced by a competitor, but if they think they might lose your influence to bring in other clients, then they will let a lot of price happen before they are willing to lose you.
Be tough, and let the others whine about the economy.
Monday
Elevator speech
I know, I know, you've heard no less than 1000 times how important it is to have a good 30 sec commercial right? I just saw a short video on the topic and it reminded me that I havent practiced mine in a little while.
Then I thought, wait, I don't think my speech is as polished as I thought it might be.
RIGHT NOW - say your 30 sec speech.
How'd that go? Need a little work? perfect?
Just your sales thought for the day.
Then I thought, wait, I don't think my speech is as polished as I thought it might be.
RIGHT NOW - say your 30 sec speech.
How'd that go? Need a little work? perfect?
Just your sales thought for the day.
Saturday
Building Referral Business
7 Sure-Fire Ways to Build Your Referral Business
1. Set A Target: In business, measure the results to improve performance. Set a clear goal with a time line. Example, 10% increase in referral business over the next 10 weeks.
2. Timing: Conventional sales wisdom claims the best time to ask for the referral is immediately after the close. This tactic is far too aggressive. Give your clients time to experience your service or product before asking for a referral. Ask for the referral at close only if your client is already delighted with your business.
3. Top 20: Not all customers are referral candidates. Find the top 20% that are ecstatic about your business and ask them for referrals. Make sure their network is the type of client you want.
4. Give and You'll Receive: Give your clients extra service and follow-up support before asking for referrals. When you give willingly to your customers, they will return the favor.
5. Type of Customer: Inform your referring clients of the type of customers you can help. Provide a clear picture of the customer demographics will help your referral marketing.
6. Rewards Program: Provide special rewards to your referring customers on a regular basis. If a customer provides you with 5 sales, offer them something special, e.g. discounts.
7. Thank-You: Lisa A. Maini, President of my Marketing Manager, recommends businesses need to establish trust to build referrals. Lisa says, "Create a basic thank you letter that can be personalized and sent to each referral you receive. Treat your referral sources with the utmost of care and you will not only build a foundation of trust but keep hot prospects coming to your door."
These tips are simple but when executed on a regular basis they can drive your referral business and build sales revenue. Start today and watch your referrals grow.
Thursday
Talk about them, not you
Well, you might think that the title gives it all away, and frankly, it does. Simply, asking a business owner how they got started will get the ball rolling well. What's the old quote? You have two ears and one mouth and that is the right ratio of their use. People like to talk about themselves not hear you talk about you or your company.
Ever met someone and thought that they were really nice and you thought they were a good person, but then realized that you know almost nothing about them because you did all the talking?
Get them to talk about them. Look around their office you will find something to start the conversation. Get them comfortable with you. Then you can ask the good questions without seeming like a super ego.
Great Sellers listen.
Ever met someone and thought that they were really nice and you thought they were a good person, but then realized that you know almost nothing about them because you did all the talking?
Get them to talk about them. Look around their office you will find something to start the conversation. Get them comfortable with you. Then you can ask the good questions without seeming like a super ego.
Great Sellers listen.
Wednesday
Stalker
So you wont take "no" for an answer and you have almost gotten a restraining order placed on you by prospects. how well is that working out for you? Image being your prospect, you are getting harassed by this salesperson everywhere you turn or every time you pick up the phone. would you want to develop a long term relationship with that person? me either.
You need to understand that you have missed something along the way and that is why the prospect isnt closing with you. My guess is that the "other guy" is in the way. The other guy is your competition or the person who has the deal already and you haven't done enough to get passed that persons position of incumbent.
You need to back up and understand what the clients needs are, but more importantly the client needs to discover, for themselves, how the current provider is failing them.
You also dont want to be bashing the competition because it makes you look pathetic and thats why they have to figure it out.
I owuld highly recommend reading the book by Randy Schwantz called "How to Get Your Competition Fired (without saying a bad word about them)"
This book does a great job of helping you put a wedge between the client and the current provider so that you can help break them apart and put you in their place.
Great sellers know they need to read on how to do their job better. Sales tips are one thing, but just short items, reading a philosophy of sales will help you develop your own.
You need to understand that you have missed something along the way and that is why the prospect isnt closing with you. My guess is that the "other guy" is in the way. The other guy is your competition or the person who has the deal already and you haven't done enough to get passed that persons position of incumbent.
You need to back up and understand what the clients needs are, but more importantly the client needs to discover, for themselves, how the current provider is failing them.
You also dont want to be bashing the competition because it makes you look pathetic and thats why they have to figure it out.
I owuld highly recommend reading the book by Randy Schwantz called "How to Get Your Competition Fired (without saying a bad word about them)"
This book does a great job of helping you put a wedge between the client and the current provider so that you can help break them apart and put you in their place.
Great sellers know they need to read on how to do their job better. Sales tips are one thing, but just short items, reading a philosophy of sales will help you develop your own.
Tuesday
What is a referral?
Below is a great article by Paul McCord on the difference between getting a name and number and getting a true lead via an introduction. When read this i knew you all had to read it too.
"Referrals" Are a Waste – Introductions are Gold
Paul McCord on Referral Selling
Referrals get your calls answered and open otherwise closed doors, right? Not really. Find out what you really need to make referrals work.
Rick's client was somewhat uncomfortable with his request. The sale had gone well enough--everything considered. But this last question about referrals was a little uncomfortable. His client was completely caught off guard. He wasn't the least prepared to give a referral and wasn't comfortable giving one. But Rick asked and stood his ground until his client coughed up the name and phone number of one of his vendors that might be able to use Rick's services.
Rick was excited; as the referral he received was to a company he had wanted to get into for quite a while. Better yet, it was a referral to Nadia, the company's COO, the exact person he had been wanting to reach. He quickly thanked his client and headed to his office to call his new prospect.
As soon as he was in his office, he picked up the phone, called Nadia, and got her assistant who, despite Rick's insistence that one of the Nadia's clients had asked him to call her, refused to put him through. Instead, the assistant insisted that Rick leave his name and number, and she would pass the information along to Nadia who would call if she were interested.
Rick tried several more times to reach Nadia. He called and left messages. He took the liberty of emailing her. He sent two letters. Finally, after months of trying, he gave up.
Unfortunately, this scenario is played out thousands of times a day. Salespeople get "referrals," thank their client, rush off to call the prospect, and never have the opportunity to make contact.
Why is this such a prevalent result of "referrals?"
Because Rick didn't get a referral. He simply got a name and phone number. For Rick, and most other salespeople, a name and phone number and the permission from the client to use the client's name as the referring party are considered a referral. In reality, it is nothing but a name and phone number.
By simply getting the name and phone number and running off to make the phone call, Rick committed the most common error salespeople make when they get a referral. He failed to capitalize on the power of the referral and instead turned it into a warm call.
The power of a referral is its potential to open doors, generate interest, and get an appointment. Seldom can a referral sell for you. That's not the goal of a referral. The goal is to open a door and, hopefully, begin the relationship from a position of strength and trust.
When you receive a referral, you are hoping to build a relationship with the referred prospect based on his trust and respect of your client. If the prospect trusts and respects your client, a portion of the trust and respect he has for your client is imbued to you because someone he trusts referred you.
However, that trust is useless if you fail to set an appointment with the prospect. In many cases, the fact someone he trusts gave you the prospect's name and phone number is not enough by itself to convince him to meet with you. You need something stronger than just your client's name to open the door.
That extra push is a direct introduction from your client to the prospect. A direct introduction is powerful for several reasons:
A call using the client's name doesn't have the power of an introduction and gives the prospect an easy out––he simply doesn't accept your call or declines a meeting. After all, the client wasn't really involved––you simply used the client's name.
On the other hand, a properly executed introduction virtually guarantees a meeting.
In most instances, you have three introduction methods at your disposal:
A letter of introduction written by you for your client's signature
A letter from the client to the prospect is the most basic form of introduction. Rather than asking the client to write the letter, write it for him on his letterhead for his signature. Let the prospect know what you accomplished for the client; let him know why the client referred you; give a specific time and date to expect your call; and have the client ask the prospect to let him know his impression of you and your company after you have met.
Mail the letter and then a day or two after the prospect should have received it, give him a call. Don't introduce yourself first. Rather, introduce the letter and client first, then move to asking for the appointment.
A phone call from your client to the prospect
A phone call is stronger than a letter and almost guarantees an appointment as it is very difficult for the prospect to say no to your appointment request while the client is on the line. The call gives the opportunity for the prospect to ask specific questions of your client and to get detailed information. Do not have your client call unless you are present––you want to know exactly what was said.
A lunch meeting with your client, the prospect, and yourself
A stronger method than either a letter or a call, a lunch meeting allows you to get to know the prospect as a friend before you get to know him as a salesperson. Like a phone call, it virtually guarantees a private meeting. Also, in a lunch meeting, your client becomes your salesperson and you're there as the consultant. Although a very powerful introduction format, most clients will only agree to do one, maybe two at the most, so use judiciously.
If you want to turn your "referrals" into real referrals, don't settle for just getting names and phone numbers. Learn how to turn those names and phone numbers into real referrals through a direct introduction to the prospect. Not only will the number of appointments you set go up––your sales will increase, your income will increase, and you'll find selling to be a lot easier.
Paul McCord is a leading authority on prospecting, referral selling, and personal marketing. He is president of McCord and Associates, a Houston, Texas based sales training, coaching, and consulting company. His first book, Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals (John Wiley and Sons, 2007), is an Amazon and Barnes and Noble best-seller and is quickly becoming recognized as the authoritative work on referral selling. His second book, SuperStar Selling: 12 Keys to Becoming a Sales SuperStar will be released in February, 2008. He may be reached at PMcCord@MCcordAndAssociates.com or visitwww.PowerReferralSelling.com.
"Referrals" Are a Waste – Introductions are Gold
Paul McCord on Referral Selling
Referrals get your calls answered and open otherwise closed doors, right? Not really. Find out what you really need to make referrals work.
Rick's client was somewhat uncomfortable with his request. The sale had gone well enough--everything considered. But this last question about referrals was a little uncomfortable. His client was completely caught off guard. He wasn't the least prepared to give a referral and wasn't comfortable giving one. But Rick asked and stood his ground until his client coughed up the name and phone number of one of his vendors that might be able to use Rick's services.
Rick was excited; as the referral he received was to a company he had wanted to get into for quite a while. Better yet, it was a referral to Nadia, the company's COO, the exact person he had been wanting to reach. He quickly thanked his client and headed to his office to call his new prospect.
As soon as he was in his office, he picked up the phone, called Nadia, and got her assistant who, despite Rick's insistence that one of the Nadia's clients had asked him to call her, refused to put him through. Instead, the assistant insisted that Rick leave his name and number, and she would pass the information along to Nadia who would call if she were interested.
Rick tried several more times to reach Nadia. He called and left messages. He took the liberty of emailing her. He sent two letters. Finally, after months of trying, he gave up.
Unfortunately, this scenario is played out thousands of times a day. Salespeople get "referrals," thank their client, rush off to call the prospect, and never have the opportunity to make contact.
Why is this such a prevalent result of "referrals?"
Because Rick didn't get a referral. He simply got a name and phone number. For Rick, and most other salespeople, a name and phone number and the permission from the client to use the client's name as the referring party are considered a referral. In reality, it is nothing but a name and phone number.
By simply getting the name and phone number and running off to make the phone call, Rick committed the most common error salespeople make when they get a referral. He failed to capitalize on the power of the referral and instead turned it into a warm call.
The power of a referral is its potential to open doors, generate interest, and get an appointment. Seldom can a referral sell for you. That's not the goal of a referral. The goal is to open a door and, hopefully, begin the relationship from a position of strength and trust.
When you receive a referral, you are hoping to build a relationship with the referred prospect based on his trust and respect of your client. If the prospect trusts and respects your client, a portion of the trust and respect he has for your client is imbued to you because someone he trusts referred you.
However, that trust is useless if you fail to set an appointment with the prospect. In many cases, the fact someone he trusts gave you the prospect's name and phone number is not enough by itself to convince him to meet with you. You need something stronger than just your client's name to open the door.
That extra push is a direct introduction from your client to the prospect. A direct introduction is powerful for several reasons:
- It is unusual. It isn't often that someone is personally asked by someone he trusts to meet a salesperson. The act itself places you in a different category than other salespeople.
- It demonstrates trust. A direct introduction demonstrates a high level of trust. Most people will not go to the trouble of taking the time and effort to give a direct introduction unless they have a high degree of trust and respect for the person they are introducing.
- It makes it difficult for the prospect to decline a meeting. There is implied pressure on the prospect to meet with you since he doesn't want to offend the client.
A call using the client's name doesn't have the power of an introduction and gives the prospect an easy out––he simply doesn't accept your call or declines a meeting. After all, the client wasn't really involved––you simply used the client's name.
On the other hand, a properly executed introduction virtually guarantees a meeting.
In most instances, you have three introduction methods at your disposal:
A letter of introduction written by you for your client's signature
A letter from the client to the prospect is the most basic form of introduction. Rather than asking the client to write the letter, write it for him on his letterhead for his signature. Let the prospect know what you accomplished for the client; let him know why the client referred you; give a specific time and date to expect your call; and have the client ask the prospect to let him know his impression of you and your company after you have met.
Mail the letter and then a day or two after the prospect should have received it, give him a call. Don't introduce yourself first. Rather, introduce the letter and client first, then move to asking for the appointment.
A phone call from your client to the prospect
A phone call is stronger than a letter and almost guarantees an appointment as it is very difficult for the prospect to say no to your appointment request while the client is on the line. The call gives the opportunity for the prospect to ask specific questions of your client and to get detailed information. Do not have your client call unless you are present––you want to know exactly what was said.
A lunch meeting with your client, the prospect, and yourself
A stronger method than either a letter or a call, a lunch meeting allows you to get to know the prospect as a friend before you get to know him as a salesperson. Like a phone call, it virtually guarantees a private meeting. Also, in a lunch meeting, your client becomes your salesperson and you're there as the consultant. Although a very powerful introduction format, most clients will only agree to do one, maybe two at the most, so use judiciously.
If you want to turn your "referrals" into real referrals, don't settle for just getting names and phone numbers. Learn how to turn those names and phone numbers into real referrals through a direct introduction to the prospect. Not only will the number of appointments you set go up––your sales will increase, your income will increase, and you'll find selling to be a lot easier.
Paul McCord is a leading authority on prospecting, referral selling, and personal marketing. He is president of McCord and Associates, a Houston, Texas based sales training, coaching, and consulting company. His first book, Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals (John Wiley and Sons, 2007), is an Amazon and Barnes and Noble best-seller and is quickly becoming recognized as the authoritative work on referral selling. His second book, SuperStar Selling: 12 Keys to Becoming a Sales SuperStar will be released in February, 2008. He may be reached at PMcCord@MCcordAndAssociates.com or visitwww.PowerReferralSelling.com.
Friday
Bumps
Yep, you have had them and so have I. Bumps in the personal life that effect you in your sales life. The question is how quickly can you move past the thing or things going on at home to get back to doing your job.
1st it depends on the severity. If your dealing with a death in the family you have options. some people need to stay home and be with those close, some need to go to work to see some stability and not have to deal with the reality at home. Outside of the big things in life, you need to be able to set things aside. One strategy, is to vent with a friend and then move on. the other, dont mention it at all and get on with life.
If youre having an argument with a significant other, you cannot bring that into work. Your work will suffer and so will the work of those around you.
So unless its one of the big ones, get over it and move on.
your sage advice for today
1st it depends on the severity. If your dealing with a death in the family you have options. some people need to stay home and be with those close, some need to go to work to see some stability and not have to deal with the reality at home. Outside of the big things in life, you need to be able to set things aside. One strategy, is to vent with a friend and then move on. the other, dont mention it at all and get on with life.
If youre having an argument with a significant other, you cannot bring that into work. Your work will suffer and so will the work of those around you.
So unless its one of the big ones, get over it and move on.
your sage advice for today
Thursday
How to sell value
by Peggy Carlaw
A mentor once told me that she never buys from someone who doesn’t ask for the sale. It was an off-the-cuff remark, but it turned into a powerful lesson for me. At the time, I was just learning how to make sales calls—and how to overcome the associated nervousness. This casual comment somehow bolstered my confidence; the notion of “asking for the sale” seemed to indicate competence and expertise. It has informed my selling—and buying—ever since.
Asking for the sale represents a pivotal moment in the relationship between buyer and seller. When I facilitate sales training I emphasize that asking for the sale shifts the ownership of the situation to the buyer and empowers her or him with the responsibility to say yes or to give a good reason for saying “no.” In both cases, this results in a valuable experience for the salesperson—either a successful close or insight into what else a buyer might need before making the decision to buy.
To me, asking for the sale is a hallmark of a confident, proactive, and professional salesperson. This direct approach is so much more effective than the hemming and hawing I’ve so often encountered among the salespeople with whom I’ve worked over the years. It’s establishes an open, honest tone of “Hey, you have a need; I have a solution. Let’s do business together.”
As a customer, I constantly use this criterion in my buying decisions. If someone doesn’t ask for the sale, I get to wondering why, and I usually ascribe it to one of three reasons:
• The salesperson lacks confidence in the value of the product.
• The salesperson lacks the requisite knowledge of how and when to ask for the sale.
• The salesperson doesn’t really care whether or not I buy.
In each case, I tend to lose my interest. Is it too discerning to prefer doing business with a confident, knowledgeable and caring salesperson? I don’t think so.
Try this out for yourself … For the next week or two, keep track of every purchase you make and count the number of times the salesperson actually asks you for the sale. With small purchases like your daily latte and groceries this expectation might be overkill, but you can certainly track it for clothes, services, gadgets, gifts, and big-ticket items (not to mention cookies or anything else being sold by a youth group on your doorstep). Make them sell before you buy! This will ensure that you’ve had a chance to understand the value of the product before you buy; it will also help hone the skills of the people doing the selling.
What to do when you’re the one doing the selling? Here are some things to keep in mind to help you remember the importance of asking for the sale:
• If you’ve done a good job explaining the benefits of your product or service, you have every right to ask the prospect if they’d like the opportunity to enjoy those benefits by purchasing what you’re selling.
• People aren’t naïve; they know when someone’s trying to sell them something. It’s both odd and even a little rude when a salesperson makes a pitch and doesn’t follow through by asking for the business. The customer can be left wondering “What’s the point of this? Does this salesperson really think I have nothing better to do with my time than hearing about this product?”
• Asking for the sale is the efficient thing to do. If you truly believe in what you’re selling, you’ll want to successfully meet the needs of as many prospects and customers as possible. Asking for the sale helps you do this by encountering any concerns or objections to overcome in this sale, or by giving the customer the right to say “no” and letting you move on to the next potential customer.
Remember, selling is a process of matching the needs of your customer with the benefits of your product. That process isn’t finished until you ask for the sale.
originally posted on eyesonsales.com
A mentor once told me that she never buys from someone who doesn’t ask for the sale. It was an off-the-cuff remark, but it turned into a powerful lesson for me. At the time, I was just learning how to make sales calls—and how to overcome the associated nervousness. This casual comment somehow bolstered my confidence; the notion of “asking for the sale” seemed to indicate competence and expertise. It has informed my selling—and buying—ever since.
Asking for the sale represents a pivotal moment in the relationship between buyer and seller. When I facilitate sales training I emphasize that asking for the sale shifts the ownership of the situation to the buyer and empowers her or him with the responsibility to say yes or to give a good reason for saying “no.” In both cases, this results in a valuable experience for the salesperson—either a successful close or insight into what else a buyer might need before making the decision to buy.
To me, asking for the sale is a hallmark of a confident, proactive, and professional salesperson. This direct approach is so much more effective than the hemming and hawing I’ve so often encountered among the salespeople with whom I’ve worked over the years. It’s establishes an open, honest tone of “Hey, you have a need; I have a solution. Let’s do business together.”
As a customer, I constantly use this criterion in my buying decisions. If someone doesn’t ask for the sale, I get to wondering why, and I usually ascribe it to one of three reasons:
• The salesperson lacks confidence in the value of the product.
• The salesperson lacks the requisite knowledge of how and when to ask for the sale.
• The salesperson doesn’t really care whether or not I buy.
In each case, I tend to lose my interest. Is it too discerning to prefer doing business with a confident, knowledgeable and caring salesperson? I don’t think so.
Try this out for yourself … For the next week or two, keep track of every purchase you make and count the number of times the salesperson actually asks you for the sale. With small purchases like your daily latte and groceries this expectation might be overkill, but you can certainly track it for clothes, services, gadgets, gifts, and big-ticket items (not to mention cookies or anything else being sold by a youth group on your doorstep). Make them sell before you buy! This will ensure that you’ve had a chance to understand the value of the product before you buy; it will also help hone the skills of the people doing the selling.
What to do when you’re the one doing the selling? Here are some things to keep in mind to help you remember the importance of asking for the sale:
• If you’ve done a good job explaining the benefits of your product or service, you have every right to ask the prospect if they’d like the opportunity to enjoy those benefits by purchasing what you’re selling.
• People aren’t naïve; they know when someone’s trying to sell them something. It’s both odd and even a little rude when a salesperson makes a pitch and doesn’t follow through by asking for the business. The customer can be left wondering “What’s the point of this? Does this salesperson really think I have nothing better to do with my time than hearing about this product?”
• Asking for the sale is the efficient thing to do. If you truly believe in what you’re selling, you’ll want to successfully meet the needs of as many prospects and customers as possible. Asking for the sale helps you do this by encountering any concerns or objections to overcome in this sale, or by giving the customer the right to say “no” and letting you move on to the next potential customer.
Remember, selling is a process of matching the needs of your customer with the benefits of your product. That process isn’t finished until you ask for the sale.
originally posted on eyesonsales.com
Tuesday
Handwritten notes
by Tim Wackel
Remember the last time you received a personal note? Did the handwritten envelope catch your eye and pique your interest? It's probably a safe bet that you opened and read that piece of mail almost immediately. Doesn't matter who the note is from - people are just more easily engaged by this personalized approach and level of attention.
Handwritten notes are one of the least expensive, most effective and largely ignored tools in your sales and marketing arsenal today. For less than a dollar and some change you can find your way to the top of someone's in-box.
If you use professional quality stationary and know how to craft a tight message, odds are great that your note will be read. Can you say that about the last email you pushed into cyberspace?
Very few people take the time to send handwritten notes because they believe it's boring - especially in today's age of high tech (and low touch) communication. There's nothing new or exciting about putting pen to paper. Writing a personal note takes a little more time and can actually bring back painful memories for some of you. This is the stuff Mom used to make you do...UGHHH!
But this is where the simple brilliance lies. Here is a communication vehicle that doesn't cost much, it grabs the attention of the recipient and is incredibly underutilized. People who send personal notes are thought to be considerate, creative, gracious, well mannered, mindful and a "cut above the rest." Not a bad return on stationary, a stamp and five minutes of writing!
Want to make handwritten notes one of your personal success habits? Here are five quick but powerful ideas to get you kick started today!
1. Have some personal note cards professionally printed and keep a stack on your desk. Challenge yourself to write one note every day thanking a client, prospect, business partner, colleague or co-worker. This will force you to start looking at life through a "glass half full" lens...an exercise in itself that will pay dividends to you and those you come in contact with.
2. Do you have a valuable idea (not a sales pitch) that someone needs to know about? Send a handful of personal notes inviting people to breakfast or lunch and let them know you have an idea that you believe could have value for them. Not everyone will take you up on your offer but the ones who do could turn out to be tomorrow's best client. This also forces you to start communicating value (not features) in a very concise manner - a skill that most sales reps never seem to master.
3. How many birthday cards do you receive from people outside of your family? Sending a personal note on a birthday communicates that you care enough to know AND remember that person's birthday. Find a card that reflects your personality and that you enjoy sending. Take time to write a short personal message and then watch as you begin to light up your contact database one birthday at a time.
4. Send an article or newspaper clipping to someone about an interest of theirs and attach a personal note. Internet search tools like Google Alerts provide an endless supply of new and relevant information that you can quickly print and mail. Figure out what is important to others and then show them that you care. People like to work with people who are willing to do the little things. If you do the little things well, others will believe that you can handle the big things (projects, commitments, orders, deadlines, promises) just as easily.
5. Send something to make someone smile. A funny news story, witty cartoon or amusing personal experience with your note can help transform relationships and break down icy barriers.
Sending a handwritten note is one of the simplest and most underutilized tools in today's busy world. Every sales professional claims that they want to be different than everyone else. Here is a great opportunity to do just that. Find some time to slow down, take a deep breath, pick up pen and paper and watch the magic begin.
This article was originally posted on SalesDog.com
Remember the last time you received a personal note? Did the handwritten envelope catch your eye and pique your interest? It's probably a safe bet that you opened and read that piece of mail almost immediately. Doesn't matter who the note is from - people are just more easily engaged by this personalized approach and level of attention.
Handwritten notes are one of the least expensive, most effective and largely ignored tools in your sales and marketing arsenal today. For less than a dollar and some change you can find your way to the top of someone's in-box.
If you use professional quality stationary and know how to craft a tight message, odds are great that your note will be read. Can you say that about the last email you pushed into cyberspace?
Very few people take the time to send handwritten notes because they believe it's boring - especially in today's age of high tech (and low touch) communication. There's nothing new or exciting about putting pen to paper. Writing a personal note takes a little more time and can actually bring back painful memories for some of you. This is the stuff Mom used to make you do...UGHHH!
But this is where the simple brilliance lies. Here is a communication vehicle that doesn't cost much, it grabs the attention of the recipient and is incredibly underutilized. People who send personal notes are thought to be considerate, creative, gracious, well mannered, mindful and a "cut above the rest." Not a bad return on stationary, a stamp and five minutes of writing!
Want to make handwritten notes one of your personal success habits? Here are five quick but powerful ideas to get you kick started today!
1. Have some personal note cards professionally printed and keep a stack on your desk. Challenge yourself to write one note every day thanking a client, prospect, business partner, colleague or co-worker. This will force you to start looking at life through a "glass half full" lens...an exercise in itself that will pay dividends to you and those you come in contact with.
2. Do you have a valuable idea (not a sales pitch) that someone needs to know about? Send a handful of personal notes inviting people to breakfast or lunch and let them know you have an idea that you believe could have value for them. Not everyone will take you up on your offer but the ones who do could turn out to be tomorrow's best client. This also forces you to start communicating value (not features) in a very concise manner - a skill that most sales reps never seem to master.
3. How many birthday cards do you receive from people outside of your family? Sending a personal note on a birthday communicates that you care enough to know AND remember that person's birthday. Find a card that reflects your personality and that you enjoy sending. Take time to write a short personal message and then watch as you begin to light up your contact database one birthday at a time.
4. Send an article or newspaper clipping to someone about an interest of theirs and attach a personal note. Internet search tools like Google Alerts provide an endless supply of new and relevant information that you can quickly print and mail. Figure out what is important to others and then show them that you care. People like to work with people who are willing to do the little things. If you do the little things well, others will believe that you can handle the big things (projects, commitments, orders, deadlines, promises) just as easily.
5. Send something to make someone smile. A funny news story, witty cartoon or amusing personal experience with your note can help transform relationships and break down icy barriers.
Sending a handwritten note is one of the simplest and most underutilized tools in today's busy world. Every sales professional claims that they want to be different than everyone else. Here is a great opportunity to do just that. Find some time to slow down, take a deep breath, pick up pen and paper and watch the magic begin.
This article was originally posted on SalesDog.com
Monday
Dress
Make sure you are dressed appropriately for the work you do. Now in the office everyone might be in business casual, but if your clients are not, then you're not. The rule of thumb i tell my staff is accurate for all business occasions, internal or external. Be one step up from those around you. If everyone is wearing slacks and a polo, the be in a button down. if they are in a button down, throw on a jacket or tie. now if everyone is in a nice suit and tie, you dont need to go to tux, but maybe 3 piece? Outside of the tux, its hard to go too high, but very easy to go too low.
dress for the part you want is a good internal meeting thought process. if you see that at business casual meetings that the vp's are wearing a jacket, next time, wear a jacket.
you get the idea.
Sales is more than just pushing product. its selling yourself too.
dress for the part you want is a good internal meeting thought process. if you see that at business casual meetings that the vp's are wearing a jacket, next time, wear a jacket.
you get the idea.
Sales is more than just pushing product. its selling yourself too.
Friday
YOU SUCK
Okay, that might be a bit dramatic, but one of my old bosses used to say that. Now he didnt mean it in an ugly way. My team and I were doing very well and getting great internal publicity for our results. His point? Don't read your own press clippings. You will only go backwards if you rest on your results and take a breath. YOu have to push yourself.
My teams expectations were to beat our goal at 2/3rds of the day through everyday. why? because we could see we were hitting our daily goals without effort so we pushed ourselves. we motivated ourselves. we set a new standard when the corporate one didnt fit.
Are you a great seller? Do you have GREAT numbers for the month, quarter, or year so far?
YOU SUCK!!!!!
My teams expectations were to beat our goal at 2/3rds of the day through everyday. why? because we could see we were hitting our daily goals without effort so we pushed ourselves. we motivated ourselves. we set a new standard when the corporate one didnt fit.
Are you a great seller? Do you have GREAT numbers for the month, quarter, or year so far?
YOU SUCK!!!!!
Thursday
Contact sport
Sales is a contact sport
I am sure we have all heard this before, “In sales, you must contact as many people as possible to be successful.” This is certainly important, but part of that mantra is contacting the right people, the other part is knowing what you are going to say. Is the call looking to cold call and sell something or is it the kind that is going to concentrate on deepening a relationship? Both have their places.
Developing the relationship
If you are developing a relationship, make sure you call or email and mention nothing about sales most of the time. You will want the impact of you having an idea or desire to sell something not to be the expectation when you call. Your relationship will not blossom if they cringe at the site of your number on their caller ID.
I’m calling to sell you something
Make sure you have a connection of some sort to the person you are calling. Try and get a referral. If you are calling dead cold, you need to make an impact in the first 2 sentences or your call is over. You will have to assume what the benefit is for the prospect before the call, so some industry knowledge or research will be important.
It’s not just the phone
You cannot win at the contact sport of sales with just the phone and email. You will need to use your network, both physical network and your virtual one. In person meetings work as well, but don’t forget to embrace the preferences of those you are targeting and adjust accordingly.
How much is enough?
You have to develop your own sales ratio, but if you want a place to start, in his book, “Never Eat Alone”, Keith Ferrazzi says you will not be successful in sales unless you talk to 50 people per day.
Are you talking to enough and is the conversation the best quality it can be?
Remember:
Results = Quantity of contacts x quality of the interactions x the right customer.
Sales is a contact sportI am sure we have all heard this before, “In sales, you must contact as many people as possible to be successful.” This is certainly important, but part of that mantra is contacting the right people, the other part is knowing what you are going to say. Is the call looking to cold call and sell something or is it the kind that is going to concentrate on deepening a relationship? Both have their places. Developing the relationship If you are developing a relationship, make sure you call or email and mention nothing about sales most of the time. You will want the impact of you having an idea or desire to sell something not to be the expectation when you call. Your relationship will not blossom if they cringe at the site of your number on their caller ID.I’m calling to sell you something Make sure you have a connection of some sort to the person you are calling. Try and get a referral. If you are calling dead cold, you need to make an impact in the first 2 sentences or your call is over. You will have to assume what the benefit is for the prospect before the call, so some industry knowledge or research will be important.It’s not just the phone You cannot win at the contact sport of sales with just the phone and email. You will need to use your network, both physical network and your virtual one. In person meetings work as well, but don’t forget to embrace the preferences of those you are targeting and adjust accordingly.How much is enough? You have to develop your own sales ratio, but if you want a place to start, in his book, “Never Eat Alone”, Keith Ferrazzi says you will not be successful in sales unless you talk to 50 people per day.
Are you talking to enough and is the conversation the best quality it can be?Remember:
Results = Quantity of contacts x quality of the interactions x the right customer.
Great sellers know their closing ratio and build relationships.
Wednesday
Let it out
So you're working hard and things are either going your way, or you wish they would go more your way. You need to find a coworker or friend who understands what your doing. talking out what's working and what's not working is important. you will discover the methods or prospects that are working a lot better when you vocalize your thoughts. besides you be more prepared when asked by your boss or a higher up to tell them what you're doing.
Knowing yourself is part of becoming a great seller
Knowing yourself is part of becoming a great seller
Tuesday
Get involved
So you feel like you have cold called called EVERYONE. (thats another problem, but not for today) and you have no idea where a new lead is going to come from. You sit at your desk, or youre in your car and pondering this exact question. Where is the next one going to come from?
I suggest getting involved in the community. Thats right volunteer. It doesn't really matter where as long as you have some connection or tie to it. If your boss works with the boy scouts, but you have zero interest in camping, then pick something else. There are lots of organizations that are looking for reliable help. The jobs are not glamourous, but thats not the point.
You will start mixing in with people you dont normally see. Through the good work you are doing you will develop trust and new relationships. Its amazing the percentage of the time that you will end up finding someone who knows someone and will put you in contact.
I suggest going with something you really believe in, but if you are doing this purely for sales reasons, get on linked-in and find the 2 or 3 people of the targets you want to land, and then see if they list any particular volunteer activities or hobbies. Then by working in that direction, you might find a connection to the individual. Like I said before though, its most likely to benefit you if you are connected to the organization personally vs trying to make it a networking event. People will have a tough time with you if you walk into the orientation meeting for your new volunteer group and hand out cards asking for referrals.
Be sincere and good things will happen, the least of which might be sales.
I suggest getting involved in the community. Thats right volunteer. It doesn't really matter where as long as you have some connection or tie to it. If your boss works with the boy scouts, but you have zero interest in camping, then pick something else. There are lots of organizations that are looking for reliable help. The jobs are not glamourous, but thats not the point.
You will start mixing in with people you dont normally see. Through the good work you are doing you will develop trust and new relationships. Its amazing the percentage of the time that you will end up finding someone who knows someone and will put you in contact.
I suggest going with something you really believe in, but if you are doing this purely for sales reasons, get on linked-in and find the 2 or 3 people of the targets you want to land, and then see if they list any particular volunteer activities or hobbies. Then by working in that direction, you might find a connection to the individual. Like I said before though, its most likely to benefit you if you are connected to the organization personally vs trying to make it a networking event. People will have a tough time with you if you walk into the orientation meeting for your new volunteer group and hand out cards asking for referrals.
Be sincere and good things will happen, the least of which might be sales.
Monday
Quick start
Well, its Monday. How much time will you waste today "getting started"? Sit down, make your plan for the week using all the info you had from last week and your calendar and get going. Got internal meetings today? Make sure youre ready to listen for any good ideas and take them. Some of my best ideas were not my ideas at all. In fact, i'd hate to admit to how many really are mine at all.
Set your plan, and get going. Were you going to try something new for a week? well this is the start of that week. Try it and then evaluate what went well and what didnt.
Change is part of being a great seller.
Set your plan, and get going. Were you going to try something new for a week? well this is the start of that week. Try it and then evaluate what went well and what didnt.
Change is part of being a great seller.
Friday
Its Friday
I know you are all shocked to hear that today is Friday (probably been looking forward to today since Monday). On a personal level I certainly understand, but in a sales persons world Friday can be your greatest day or a complete waste of a day. Your clients are in good moods, or they want to get things done. Prospects, same way. I cannot tell you how easy it is to get an appointment with someone for lunch on a Friday. Why? Cause they feel like you do right now. They want to take it easy and enjoy the day, so free lunch helps.
What are you going to do with Friday? Watch the clock? Talk about the upcoming game this weekend? Plan your evening out? or are you going to make a living?
Great Sellers
What are you going to do with Friday? Watch the clock? Talk about the upcoming game this weekend? Plan your evening out? or are you going to make a living?
Great Sellers
Thursday
Book Review – Go for No
A while back i was given a copy of the book "Go for No". Since then i have given it to many members of my staff and even required one staff to read it. We did a "Ryan's book club" moment on it.
The main point of the book is that being rejected is okay, and in fact, encouraged. Knowing your own personal sales ratio is important to understanding many things in your sales. 1st, you get to understand what is normal for you. 2nd, you can start to decipher if certain approaches, or tactics on your part work better than others. 3rd, you get to discover some internal constitution that you didn't know you had. resiliency is often under appreciated.
The read is not particularly long or expensive, and the book is widely available. below is a link to amazon where i got it for my team. I encourage you to read it and share liberally with others.
The main point of the book is that being rejected is okay, and in fact, encouraged. Knowing your own personal sales ratio is important to understanding many things in your sales. 1st, you get to understand what is normal for you. 2nd, you can start to decipher if certain approaches, or tactics on your part work better than others. 3rd, you get to discover some internal constitution that you didn't know you had. resiliency is often under appreciated.
The read is not particularly long or expensive, and the book is widely available. below is a link to amazon where i got it for my team. I encourage you to read it and share liberally with others.
Book Review - Go for No
A while back i was given a copy of the book "Go for No". Since then i have given it to many members of my staff and even required one staff to read it. We did a "Ryan's book club" moment on it.
The main point of the book is that being rejected is okay, and in fact, encouraged. Knowing your own personal sales ratio is important to understanding many things in your sales. 1st, you get to understand what is normal for you. 2nd, you can start to decipher if certain approaches, or tactics on your part work better than others. 3rd, you get to discover some internal constitution that you didn't know you had. resiliency is often under appreciated.
The read is not particularly long or expensive, and the book is widely available. below is a link to amazon where i got it for my team. I encourage you to read it and share liberally with others.
The main point of the book is that being rejected is okay, and in fact, encouraged. Knowing your own personal sales ratio is important to understanding many things in your sales. 1st, you get to understand what is normal for you. 2nd, you can start to decipher if certain approaches, or tactics on your part work better than others. 3rd, you get to discover some internal constitution that you didn't know you had. resiliency is often under appreciated.
The read is not particularly long or expensive, and the book is widely available. below is a link to amazon where i got it for my team. I encourage you to read it and share liberally with others.
Wednesday
The guy next door
So you just stepped out of an appointment with either a client, or a prospective client and there is another business or 2 in the building, or strip center. You could leave or you could maximize your time by seeing “the guy next door”. How do randomly walk into a business you only know exists because it is next door or near one you just left? Simple. Walk in and say something to the effect of “I was just over at X and noticed your business, what type of business do you do?” Now if it says “Joe’s plumbing” then don’t ask what they do, but ask what they specialize in, business or residential. This very simple technique works to get you in the door and passed the “why are you here” section. You can then start with some of the easy follow up questions such as “are you the owner” or “how long have you been here/ in business?” Now you are in to door. At this point it is up to you based on the way the conversation is going and how well you are connecting with the person in front of you. Sometimes this will turn in to a great bit of small talk as you find something in common, could turn into an opportunity right away, or might just be someone you can say you stopped in on and there was not an opportunity at that time.
The ‘guy next door” might be your next account. Try this out after you next appointment.
The ‘guy next door” might be your next account. Try this out after you next appointment.
Sales tip of the week - The guy next door
So you just stepped out of an appointment with either a client, or a prospective client and there is another business or 2 in the building, or strip center. You could leave or you could maximize your time by seeing “the guy next door”. How do randomly walk into a business you only know exists because it is next door or near one you just left? Simple. Walk in and say something to the effect of “I was just over at X and noticed your business, what type of business do you do?” Now if it says “Joe’s plumbing” then don’t ask what they do, but ask what they specialize in, business or residential. This very simple technique works to get you in the door and passed the “why are you here” section. You can then start with some of the easy follow up questions such as “are you the owner” or “how long have you been here/ in business?” Now you are in to door. At this point it is up to you based on the way the conversation is going and how well you are connecting with the person in front of you. Sometimes this will turn in to a great bit of small talk as you find something in common, could turn into an opportunity right away, or might just be someone you can say you stopped in on and there was not an opportunity at that time.
The ‘guy next door” might be your next account. Try this out after you next appointment.
The ‘guy next door” might be your next account. Try this out after you next appointment.
Tuesday
Normal
Normal -
look at that word, normal. sounds innocent enough. looking it up in the dictionary you will see descriptions of "not different", "usual", "approximately average".
When you look at your sales numbers are they "normal". Normal for who? When people are asked to describe you, do you want one of the descriptions to be "normal"? When you look at the rankings of people who do what you do at your company are you satisfied with being dead center of the list?
I didnt think so.
To paraphrase Forrest Gump, Normal is as Normal does. SO what are the "normal" people doing? Can you do it better or should you be doing something different, "not normal"
I dont know about you but, "normal" is not a compliment to me. Average? no way.
Are you normal?
look at that word, normal. sounds innocent enough. looking it up in the dictionary you will see descriptions of "not different", "usual", "approximately average".
When you look at your sales numbers are they "normal". Normal for who? When people are asked to describe you, do you want one of the descriptions to be "normal"? When you look at the rankings of people who do what you do at your company are you satisfied with being dead center of the list?
I didnt think so.
To paraphrase Forrest Gump, Normal is as Normal does. SO what are the "normal" people doing? Can you do it better or should you be doing something different, "not normal"
I dont know about you but, "normal" is not a compliment to me. Average? no way.
Are you normal?
Sales tip of the day - Normal
Normal -
look at that word, normal. sounds innocent enough. looking it up in the dictionary you will see descriptions of "not different", "usual", "approximately average".
When you look at your sales numbers are they "normal". Normal for who? When people are asked to describe you, do you want one of the descriptions to be "normal"? When you look at the rankings of people who do what you do at your company are you satisfied with being dead center of the list?
I didnt think so.
To paraphrase Forrest Gump, Normal is as Normal does. SO what are the "normal" people doing? Can you do it better or should you be doing something different, "not normal"
I dont know about you but, "normal" is not a compliment to me. Average? no way.
Are you normal?
look at that word, normal. sounds innocent enough. looking it up in the dictionary you will see descriptions of "not different", "usual", "approximately average".
When you look at your sales numbers are they "normal". Normal for who? When people are asked to describe you, do you want one of the descriptions to be "normal"? When you look at the rankings of people who do what you do at your company are you satisfied with being dead center of the list?
I didnt think so.
To paraphrase Forrest Gump, Normal is as Normal does. SO what are the "normal" people doing? Can you do it better or should you be doing something different, "not normal"
I dont know about you but, "normal" is not a compliment to me. Average? no way.
Are you normal?
Monday
Inertia
Today is all about inertia. You remember your HS physics right? Inertia is somethings desire to stay where it is unless acted upon. You need to overcome inertia today. Its Monday and you might settle into the old routine you're used to, but how has that worked for you? if you're doing well, then, by all means, keep it up. if you are looking to make a change, then the week starts now and so does the change.
Great selling starts with becoming a great seller.
Great selling starts with becoming a great seller.
Selling tip of the day - inertia
Today is all about inertia. You remember your HS physics right? Inertia is somethings desire to stay where it is unless acted upon. You need to overcome inertia today. Its Monday and you might settle into the old routine you're used to, but how has that worked for you? if you're doing well, then, by all means, keep it up. if you are looking to make a change, then the week starts now and so does the change.
Great selling starts with becoming a great seller.
Great selling starts with becoming a great seller.
Saturday
Joint call
I highly recommend setting up a day/week where you both go on a sales call with a successful sales person and then have them go on one with you. The experience, no matter how much experience you have, is a positive one for both of you. Besides gaining a little morale boost from the trust you will share for the sales calls, you will also probably pick up something you can use. It might be something to do, or might be something not to do, but either way you will learn. In addition to learning you can hopefully help the other person learn something too. Do a post sale cool down with the other person after each call. I suggest the person who setup the appointment do a self assessment first and then have the tag-along respond.
What doesnt kill you only makes you a stronger sales person and that makes for great selling.
What doesnt kill you only makes you a stronger sales person and that makes for great selling.
Great Sellers tip of the day - joint call
I highly recommend setting up a day/week where you both go on a sales call with a successful sales person and then have them go on one with you. The experience, no matter how much experience you have, is a positive one for both of you. Besides gaining a little morale boost from the trust you will share for the sales calls, you will also probably pick up something you can use. It might be something to do, or might be something not to do, but either way you will learn. In addition to learning you can hopefully help the other person learn something too. Do a post sale cool down with the other person after each call. I suggest the person who setup the appointment do a self assessment first and then have the tag-along respond.
What doesnt kill you only makes you a stronger sales person and that makes for great selling.
What doesnt kill you only makes you a stronger sales person and that makes for great selling.
Friday
Thank you
When was the last time you sent your good clients a handwritten thank you note? I said, "good" for a reason because you have probably done something for your great clients, but what about your bread and butter clients?
why handwritten? everything from the envelope to the letter inside needs to be handwritten for one reason - it will get read. Thats right, why a pour good, well thought out message just ot have it trashed. how do i know it will end up in the garbage? It will end up there because you do the same thing. remember that birthday card you got form your insurance company? you know the one with a nice message, and maybe signed? did it mean anything to you? nope? me either. However i recently sent a handful of the handwritten thank you notes out to a few clients i see frequently to see if they would notice. 100% of them said something to me in the next 2 weeks about it.
so what did my note say?
each was different, but something to the effect of:
Dear _____ (i used their 1st names)
I just wanted to write to you just to say thank you. Its not often that i take the time just to say thank you to my best clients. So, Thank you for the trust you put in me and the relationship we share.
again, thank you
Ryan
You will notice that i did not put anything in about sending me referrals or that i had some new product to sell them. My message was very clear, that I appreciated their business.
Do your good, or even your great clients know that you appreciate them?
Great selling starts with great sellers who do the things no one else is doing
why handwritten? everything from the envelope to the letter inside needs to be handwritten for one reason - it will get read. Thats right, why a pour good, well thought out message just ot have it trashed. how do i know it will end up in the garbage? It will end up there because you do the same thing. remember that birthday card you got form your insurance company? you know the one with a nice message, and maybe signed? did it mean anything to you? nope? me either. However i recently sent a handful of the handwritten thank you notes out to a few clients i see frequently to see if they would notice. 100% of them said something to me in the next 2 weeks about it.
so what did my note say?
each was different, but something to the effect of:
Dear _____ (i used their 1st names)
I just wanted to write to you just to say thank you. Its not often that i take the time just to say thank you to my best clients. So, Thank you for the trust you put in me and the relationship we share.
again, thank you
Ryan
You will notice that i did not put anything in about sending me referrals or that i had some new product to sell them. My message was very clear, that I appreciated their business.
Do your good, or even your great clients know that you appreciate them?
Great selling starts with great sellers who do the things no one else is doing
Great Sellers tip of the day - Thank you
When was the last time you sent your good clients a handwritten thank you note? I said, "good" for a reason because you have probably done something for your great clients, but what about your bread and butter clients?
why handwritten? everything from the envelope to the letter inside needs to be handwritten for one reason - it will get read. Thats right, why a pour good, well thought out message just ot have it trashed. how do i know it will end up in the garbage? It will end up there because you do the same thing. remember that birthday card you got form your insurance company? you know the one with a nice message, and maybe signed? did it mean anything to you? nope? me either. However i recently sent a handful of the handwritten thank you notes out to a few clients i see frequently to see if they would notice. 100% of them said something to me in the next 2 weeks about it.
so what did my note say?
each was different, but something to the effect of:
Dear _____ (i used their 1st names)
I just wanted to write to you just to say thank you. Its not often that i take the time just to say thank you to my best clients. So, Thank you for the trust you put in me and the relationship we share.
again, thank you
Ryan
You will notice that i did not put anything in about sending me referrals or that i had some new product to sell them. My message was very clear, that I appreciated their business.
Do your good, or even your great clients know that you appreciate them?
Great selling starts with great sellers who do the things no one else is doing
why handwritten? everything from the envelope to the letter inside needs to be handwritten for one reason - it will get read. Thats right, why a pour good, well thought out message just ot have it trashed. how do i know it will end up in the garbage? It will end up there because you do the same thing. remember that birthday card you got form your insurance company? you know the one with a nice message, and maybe signed? did it mean anything to you? nope? me either. However i recently sent a handful of the handwritten thank you notes out to a few clients i see frequently to see if they would notice. 100% of them said something to me in the next 2 weeks about it.
so what did my note say?
each was different, but something to the effect of:
Dear _____ (i used their 1st names)
I just wanted to write to you just to say thank you. Its not often that i take the time just to say thank you to my best clients. So, Thank you for the trust you put in me and the relationship we share.
again, thank you
Ryan
You will notice that i did not put anything in about sending me referrals or that i had some new product to sell them. My message was very clear, that I appreciated their business.
Do your good, or even your great clients know that you appreciate them?
Great selling starts with great sellers who do the things no one else is doing
Wednesday
Elephant Hunting, or know your 3
Know your 3. What I mean is know the 3 big businesses you want to land, the elephants. These will be high impact-to-your-sales-goal type businesses. Of these three you may only get 1 or even none, but if you don’t have targets you don’t know how to aim. So pick 3 businesses you really want to get into and know why you want them. Set a plan on how you will try and contact the owner. The objective in the beginning is to get an appointment with a decision maker. Who do you know that might know the right person? Have you checked reference USA or Linked-in to see if you have any useful information there? Do any of your current clients or networking contacts have a contact to help you? Would anyone mind writing you a business letter of reference to help you establish why they should do business with you? Track your plan and adjust it as necessary. You can land that big client; you just have to make sure it’s not by chance.
You cannot spend all your time elephant hunting, but the 3 you pick should be worth it to you. They can be year long or longer projects. Just getting to the right person is time consuming enough. I know I am making this seem like a huge process but its not. Just identify the target and do a little research. Be prepared for a long journey, but also be just as prepared if someone asks you a closing lead-in question. Is does have to take long, but it probably will.
Great Sellers can sell to top clients, medium clients, and entry level clients.
You cannot spend all your time elephant hunting, but the 3 you pick should be worth it to you. They can be year long or longer projects. Just getting to the right person is time consuming enough. I know I am making this seem like a huge process but its not. Just identify the target and do a little research. Be prepared for a long journey, but also be just as prepared if someone asks you a closing lead-in question. Is does have to take long, but it probably will.
Great Sellers can sell to top clients, medium clients, and entry level clients.
Great Sellers tip of the week - Elephant Hunting, or know your 3
Know your 3. What I mean is know the 3 big businesses you want to land, the elephants. These will be high impact-to-your-sales-goal type businesses. Of these three you may only get 1 or even none, but if you don’t have targets you don’t know how to aim. So pick 3 businesses you really want to get into and know why you want them. Set a plan on how you will try and contact the owner. The objective in the beginning is to get an appointment with a decision maker. Who do you know that might know the right person? Have you checked reference USA or Linked-in to see if you have any useful information there? Do any of your current clients or networking contacts have a contact to help you? Would anyone mind writing you a business letter of reference to help you establish why they should do business with you? Track your plan and adjust it as necessary. You can land that big client; you just have to make sure it’s not by chance.
You cannot spend all your time elephant hunting, but the 3 you pick should be worth it to you. They can be year long or longer projects. Just getting to the right person is time consuming enough. I know I am making this seem like a huge process but its not. Just identify the target and do a little research. Be prepared for a long journey, but also be just as prepared if someone asks you a closing lead-in question. Is does have to take long, but it probably will.
Great Sellers can sell to top clients, medium clients, and entry level clients.
You cannot spend all your time elephant hunting, but the 3 you pick should be worth it to you. They can be year long or longer projects. Just getting to the right person is time consuming enough. I know I am making this seem like a huge process but its not. Just identify the target and do a little research. Be prepared for a long journey, but also be just as prepared if someone asks you a closing lead-in question. Is does have to take long, but it probably will.
Great Sellers can sell to top clients, medium clients, and entry level clients.
Tuesday
SHUTUP
yep, thats right, shut-up. As sales people we tend to be very extroverted, and forget that others have the control. if we are trying to close a sale we need to shut-up for a few seconds to let the prospect answer our questions and to ask their own. I am personally one of these people that cannot stop talking. in meetings i purposly tell myself to shut up. i know the answers to the questions and want to just move things along.
in the sale process the same thing can happen. youre working with a particular person or industry person and you know already, more than likely better than they do, what they need. So, no reason to beat around the bush, just show them how much you know about their job and then close in for the sale right?
wrong
you have to remember that although you sell it all day long the buyer doesnt buy it all day long. The more involved the prospect feels in coming up with the solution (buying what youre selling) the more likely they will actually do it. Kind of like leading your boss to come up with the answer you already had, its much better cause he/she thought of it.
So slow down and shut up. You wont sell more, but you will close more and thats becoming a great seller
in the sale process the same thing can happen. youre working with a particular person or industry person and you know already, more than likely better than they do, what they need. So, no reason to beat around the bush, just show them how much you know about their job and then close in for the sale right?
wrong
you have to remember that although you sell it all day long the buyer doesnt buy it all day long. The more involved the prospect feels in coming up with the solution (buying what youre selling) the more likely they will actually do it. Kind of like leading your boss to come up with the answer you already had, its much better cause he/she thought of it.
So slow down and shut up. You wont sell more, but you will close more and thats becoming a great seller
Great Sellers tip of the day - SHUTUP
yep, thats right, shut-up. As sales people we tend to be very extroverted, and forget that others have the control. if we are trying to close a sale we need to shut-up for a few seconds to let the prospect answer our questions and to ask their own. I am personally one of these people that cannot stop talking. in meetings i purposly tell myself to shut up. i know the answers to the questions and want to just move things along.
in the sale process the same thing can happen. youre working with a particular person or industry person and you know already, more than likely better than they do, what they need. So, no reason to beat around the bush, just show them how much you know about their job and then close in for the sale right?
wrong
you have to remember that although you sell it all day long the buyer doesnt buy it all day long. The more involved the prospect feels in coming up with the solution (buying what youre selling) the more likely they will actually do it. Kind of like leading your boss to come up with the answer you already had, its much better cause he/she thought of it.
So slow down and shut up. You wont sell more, but you will close more and thats becoming a great seller
in the sale process the same thing can happen. youre working with a particular person or industry person and you know already, more than likely better than they do, what they need. So, no reason to beat around the bush, just show them how much you know about their job and then close in for the sale right?
wrong
you have to remember that although you sell it all day long the buyer doesnt buy it all day long. The more involved the prospect feels in coming up with the solution (buying what youre selling) the more likely they will actually do it. Kind of like leading your boss to come up with the answer you already had, its much better cause he/she thought of it.
So slow down and shut up. You wont sell more, but you will close more and thats becoming a great seller
Monday
Sales Tip of the Day – insanity
Paraphrasing Mr Einstein
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.
How does this play into sales? If you are not getting the results you are looking for why do you keep doing the same activities. Make a change, either major or minor, but dont keep doing the same things in the same ways. if you are a route person, go backwards through the route. if you normally call in the mornings, call in the afternoon. If you usually hold your employees one on ones on Friday, make it Wednesday.
Like exercising, you need to change the workout to make it effective.
Do something today, just do it different
Great Sellers are not set in their ways.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.
How does this play into sales? If you are not getting the results you are looking for why do you keep doing the same activities. Make a change, either major or minor, but dont keep doing the same things in the same ways. if you are a route person, go backwards through the route. if you normally call in the mornings, call in the afternoon. If you usually hold your employees one on ones on Friday, make it Wednesday.
Like exercising, you need to change the workout to make it effective.
Do something today, just do it different
Great Sellers are not set in their ways.
quote of the day - insanity
Paraphrasing Mr Einstein
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.
How does this play into sales? If you are not getting the results you are looking for why do you keep doing the same activities. Make a change, either major or minor, but dont keep doing the same things in the same ways. if you are a route person, go backwards through the route. if you normally call in the mornings, call in the afternoon. If you usually hold your employees one on ones on Friday, make it Wednesday.
Like exercising, you need to change the workout to make it effective.
Do something today, just do it different
Great Sellers are not set in their ways.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.
How does this play into sales? If you are not getting the results you are looking for why do you keep doing the same activities. Make a change, either major or minor, but dont keep doing the same things in the same ways. if you are a route person, go backwards through the route. if you normally call in the mornings, call in the afternoon. If you usually hold your employees one on ones on Friday, make it Wednesday.
Like exercising, you need to change the workout to make it effective.
Do something today, just do it different
Great Sellers are not set in their ways.
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