aspirational selling

When selling, to only look at what problems the buyer or prospect has is only really looking at half of the equation. If you, like me, have been taught the consultive approach, you look for the pain and try to fix it.

Now if you also included where the prospect/buyer wanted to go you would be forward looking and perhaps increase the sale or the likelihood of success.

So ask questions like:
so what do you want to accomplish in the next year?
What stretch goals have been set?
What would need to happen to make those goals happen?

You still need to uncover the pain and try and fix it, but having the buyer also looking bigger picture will make sure you are uncovering all the opportunity.

your job is alive

Thats right, your job is alive. Its a creature that loves new people. Why? Because it loves the energy and new ideas new people bring to it. So if you look up at your ceiling and ask "job, what should i do today?" it will answer you with an answer that will get you fired.

Thats right, your job wants to fire you. So what can you do about it?

You need to plan. You need to write down your goals for the day and then either cross them off as they get done or write down the result.


If you plan you will win, if you let your job do it for you, it will get a new fresh full of ideas body soon.

Sales people read

So how much do you read every day, week, month? You need to read about sales, sales management, and life often. Recently i had been going through some blahhhs. I realized that i was uninspired and my coworkers had even pointed out that I had lost a little of that spark they depended on for their inspiration. They also mentioned that I had not posted on here in a while. So I took their thoughts and reflections of my own to heart and asked, "what changed?" The answer is i stopped reading the ezines, books, and articles i was used to reading. I stopped getting new ideas. I stopped new opportunities and challenges from coming my way. In short, my brain got bored. Honestly, sales is pretty much the samething everyday with new people. If you sit back and say, its the same thing everyday then you will get bored like I did.

I started reading. I signed up for new sales ezines and newsletters, i met back with a sales networking team i hadnt been to in a month or two. I brought back out a book or two i had enjoyed and reread them.

I started seeing answers to questions and I started inspiring my mind, and it was ready.

Yours is ready too. Start reading.

In case youre wondering which two books i reread they were "GO for NO" and "Switch"

Joint Calls

Nope I'm not selling drugs. Today, I want to talk about the benefits of a joint call. Call one of your coworkers and setup a trade. You go on one of their calls with them and they go one with you. You will find that the feedback you get is very valuable. If your boss currently goes on a call or two with you its not the same thing, because there is less pressure if you mess up.

The partner helps with the sale where appropriate but basically is a good listen during the sale. Then they will give feedback on where they thought things could have gone better and where you did really well.

Try this and I think you will find you improve quickly and you will develop a nice working relationship with that coworker built on honest feedback.

Go sell great today

Should I stay or should I go?

This is straight from Mr. Inside Sales, Mike Brooks.

So, you have a prospect who wont answer you and you want to have them *** or get off the pot.

Here is the email you send. I have used 2 or 3 times in the last month with amazing, 1 to 2 hour returns when its been weeks or months.

enjoy.

Subject of your email: "Should I stay or Should I go?"

"_________ While I've tried to reach you, I haven't heard back from you and that tells me one of three things:

1) You've already chosen another company for this and if that's the case please let me know so can I stop bothering you,

2) You're still interested but haven't had the time to get back to me yet

3) You've fallen and can't get up and in that case please let me know and I'll call 911 for you...

Please let me know which one it is because I'm starting to worry...

Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing back from you."
I have used the and it works great.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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:

1. 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.


2. 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.


3. 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.


4. 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.


5. 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.


6. 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!


7. 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Building Referral Business

From Darrell Zahorsky

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.

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.

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.

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:

• 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.

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

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