On a typical selling day, anything can happen. We live in a world that provides us the unexpected every day both good and bad. Obviously it is easy to finish out the day when the unexpected is a favorable event but what do we do when the unexpected brings us a great letdown... hmm.
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With less face to face conversations occurring there are less chances to influence people. Influence relates to the focus on content, your choice of words and key points, and also the way in which you deliver those points. Having influence over people is crucial in a sales role as clients now buy you rather than your product or service because competition is so fierce.
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As we arrived at Belfast City Airport, the microphone announced, "You're very welcome to Belfast". What a lovely greeting which is fully expected when visiting Ireland, North or South, it makes no difference. I often talk about mixing with people will make you become like these people and every time I go to Ireland I become more up-beat, positive, smile more and generally chat plenty too.
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The self help gurus are the best at teaching, "You are what you believe. Your thoughts determine your outcomes and actions. And what you think about most will manifest in your life." These guru's are right and many salespeople and sale managers still subscribing to old beliefs and ways of selling do not serve them well in the information age.
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many companies are looking to improve sales in the present economic climate. What better way than to invest in training sales staff to improve their performance and deliver better results.
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Professional habits do not come to certain people; they will need guidance and training to learn them. With today's technology, there is no reason why employees would not be properly trained. Making training videos are a quick way to teach useful skills and tips.
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Think of writing a business letter as if you are having a conversation with the other person. In other words, write your business letter in a conversational style. And, while keeping it in this type of style, make sure that your letter is as specific as possible -- typed and both free of spelling errors and incorrect grammar.
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The word "image" may bring many different meanings to your mind. The image I will be presenting to you is about the image we present to the public that most of us serve and from whom we get our livelihood. What kind of image does your public see? There is a bit of magic in creating of a good public image. Let me show you some of this magic.
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No one will buy from you unless they see a need fulfilled. It is your job to convince them they have a need, or problem, and your product will solve it. So how do you do that? This article shows you how to maximise your selling benefits, even using your CEO to make key customers feel they have chosen wisely in having you as their supplier.
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This article discusses a proven method for selling products and services - The F. A. B. Method. Any seasoned sales representative will tell you that there are many components to the sales process.
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Before you try to sell your products to a customer you must understand what problem the customer thinks they are trying to solve by meeting you. If they don't have a need, you are not going to make the sale! Trying to sell to others can be very stressful. Here is a process that takes all the pressure off you, enabling the customer to sell to themselves as you make them realise the personal consequences of not solving their needs and problems.
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It is very important when you meet a customer to create the right impression. You only get one chance to make a good impression! People make up their minds on someone in seconds so here are essential ways you can create a great first impression from which you can build a very positive customer relationship:
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Many sales people never ask for an order. This is very unprofessional as the customer expects you to ask. Otherwise why are you there talking to them! How are you going to increase sales if you never ask for an order? This article shows you how to ask for the order to increase sales.
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It is important when you meet a customer that you find out as much about them and their needs as possible. You cannot resolve their problems and increase sales with your product until you understand their needs and motivations. This article is about a very effective technique for understanding what a customer needs and wants.
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One of the techniques you must learn as a sales coach is cold calling. When we hear the term cold calling, there may be a lot of apprehension and reluctance involved, but with the right sales training coaching and a well written script you'll be eager to go on your first call. Real estate and other markets that involve sales have been in need of sales training coaching.
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In today's economy, relationships are everything. Now more than ever you need a CRM, a customer relationship management system. Why? The quality of relationships you have with your clients and your prospects is directly related to the success of your business -- directly related. If you want to win in this economy, then focusing your time and energy on developing healthy, high-quality relationships needs to be your priority in 2012. CRMs are one of the most effective tools you have to make that happen.
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Sales training is the key to winning in sales, and when you win in market share and sales, you also win in business. Far too many companies think that if they hire top sales people with great experience and resumes that their job is over - wrong! A salesperson may have worked at great companies, but been washed out, or even fired for fraudulent activity, or promising things he or she wasn't supposed too.
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We all go through ups and downs in our business and our careers. When we experience the down side it is best that we are prepared and that we have enough set aside for our future.Sales people have the potential to earn very well during the span of their career. Some may expect up to a six figure salary even during the first few years of the start of their career.
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We all know of someone who excels in areas that we don't and we can be left with curiosity or even awe at how they do it. On a sales floor for example, you will find the predictable mix of your struggling & demotivated group, your steady, plugging away group and your super top performing group. If you were leading that floor, the value of knowing what is,and wherein lies, the difference between those groups can make a pretty big difference to your bottom line.
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One of the joys of selling is that you are constantly meeting new people. However, you need their commitment as well as their attention, and making appointments is vital if you are going to meet your targets.
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Most entrepreneurs are great at allowing people to sample what they have to offer. Maybe you give away a free e-book, CD or free session. You do this so customers can sample what you do. They get a taste of your services and you do this in hopes they will buy.
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Sales professionals who want to experience greater success, need to embrace the idea that learning can never stop, especially learning connected with understanding how to connect more effectively with others. New technologies are available to enhance the sales process, yet technology will never trump the necessary people skills of a good sales person. The key to all this social media is still connecting the dots of what people need and how to meet those needs.
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While body language is 60-70% of your sales message, you still need to develop strong verbal skills. One useful skill is learning to listen to the verbal cues your customers send you. When you do this, it helps your customers relax and feel comfortable with you.
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The Five-Point Close is a very basic but dynamic sales technique with proven results. Yet when salespeople (even the very sophisticated salesperson) first see it and sometimes even after being trained on this process they don't get it. Why is that?
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It is 1:00 in the afternoon. The guy who phone interviewed you, and now wants to hire you, walks into the room. You think you remember, then like a flash it's gone. His name might be Mark, but what if you're wrong? Are you sick of feeling sick about not remembering names? There's more to it than remembering their name.
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Salesmanship may have begun in the Garden of Eden. Satan, in snakeskin clothing, convinced Eve that she had a need and that need was the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He sold her on the benefits if she ate the fruit of that tree. The fruit was good to eat, pleasant to look at and she should desire it because it would make her wise. This scenario may also be the beginning of network marketing. Eve immediately sold the product to Adam, probably using the same technique that her "up-line", Satan, had taught her. Satan created a need where none existed --he sold Eve a bill of goods..
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Listening is ranked as one of the most important skills in sales, particularly if you really want to know what your clients want or need. In theory it is an easy thing to do - you just ask a question (make it an open one for maximum results), zip the lips and listen. But in practice are you really, truly hearing what the client is saying?
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Great communicators are able to speak the language of the people they are talking to. If you want to build a quick rapport with clients, you need to learn how to speak their language. With NLP, you can become a master communicator.
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It's that time of the year when people set New Year's resolutions and goals. Setting goals really boils down to making new and better choices. It's as much about what you are going to start doing as it is about what you are going to stop doing.
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From time to time we all have clients that wear their emotions on their sleeve. Before we can even begin our sales pitch, they begin telling us all about themselves, their family and their needs. If we listen closely enough, they will tell us everything we need to know in order to make the sale.
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Are you tired of trying to sell and going no where fast? You need a plan and a checklist. Try using a Next Move Tactical Checklist to land your next big sale!
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From time to time we are lucky enough to get a call or e-mail from a prospective client that is super fun loving! These clients can be some of the easiest to make connections with. These personal connections then become the quickest way to bond and making the sale.
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Great instructional design attracts learners to the content, to the performance ideal, and to the change process. This attraction is essential for changing behavior.
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Great instructional design can only come from a designer who understands your learners and your business. If you want great instructional design, look for a designer who is also a writer.
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The most important thing that should happen at your team meeting is fun. Running your meetings with a theme will generate fun and keep your direct sales team consultants coming back for more.
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From time to time we all have a bit of trouble making that initial connection with our prospective clients. This article will hopefully get you headed in the right direction.
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Keeping communication open between you and your prospects and your customers can become a frustrating experience if you fail to understand and apply the basic principles of keeping all business communication positive. The following four steps will empower you to keep your frustration low and make your experiences a positive one.
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The modern sales department knows that improving the skill set of its salespeople will allow them to generate more sales and work more effectively in their relationship with clients. In order to ensure that they are operating at their full potential, learning effective selling techniques should be encouraged for all levels of sales staff, from the junior to sales management. Many companies try to offer sales management training, and particular selling skills, but they will often rely upon traditional techniques and skills which are less relevant in the modern workplace.
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In the modern world, selling your product on the public market requires an intense amount of selling skills. There are more demands on the modern salesperson, as people access the internet and are determined to search for the best price or quality for the item they need. This can sometimes make the potential customer more wary of personal interaction with sales people.
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Maintaining the proper emotional distance from prospects and not clouding your judgement with trying to over-sale can put the sales call in whole new perspective. Learn how to approach sales calls with clearer judgement and understanding.
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When most people sit down to play a game, they don't stop to think about the incredible benefits that game can have on different aspects of their lifestyle and career. In fact, the US military actually used videogames to train their troops for combat, according to Neal Ungerleider, a journalist and reporter for Fast Company. Training troops via a real-life simulation was a less costly way of teaching soldiers how to defuse bombs, rather than replacing damaged equipment after training sessions whenever mistakes were made.
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This article is the last one of my four posts about what you have to do to become a Business Builder. Remember the previous three where I explained that "You have to become a Level One Business Builder First", then you need to "Move to Level Two", then you have to reach "Level Three Business Builder: The Master Marketer". Once you have completed your Level Three and once you have become a Master Marketer, you are ready to reach the LEVEL FOUR BUSINESS BUILDER: THE HOLY GRAIL.
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In my previous article called "Moving to Level Two Business Builder", I explained the difference between level one and level two, and I told you how important it is to work on your self-development. This post is about level 3 business builder: The Master Marketer. So... Let us move on.
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Understanding the issues affecting you, your salespeople or team should be the first step in improving performance. By correctly understanding the problems, you can direct your efforts to improve those results faster and more effectively.
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Remember my previous article: once you have completed your training, acquired all necessary skills and practiced enough to become a MASTER PROSPECTOR and a MASTER RECRUITER, you are getting leads on regular basis. You are now an accomplished Level One Business Builder and it is time to for you to be MOVING TO LEVEL TWO BUSINESS BUILDER.
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In the "What Can a Powerful USP Do For Your Business?" article I have explained the power and benefit to any organisation of having a strong USP. Once you have yours, the next crucial step is to communicate it to your target market.
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Some people believe that creating a truly stand-out USP is impossible or just not worth the time. Well, the benefits of a strong USP are clear and demonstrable.
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There are essentially four levels in network marketing that you have to learn and carry out before you become successful and make real money. In this article, I explain why you must become a level one business builder first!
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Let's face it...we've all been there. We've asked the right selling questions, identified the customer need, clarified the product benefits,asked for the order and they say: "It's too expensive" Well....time for a quick reality check...despite what customers say it is actually rarely just about price alone.
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Your sales prospects know when you are relying too much on a script. Your interaction becomes stilted when the prospect asks an unexpected question. If your standardized presentation isn't flexible enough to have anticipated that question, you can start to stumble. The prospect starts to suspect that you have an agenda. While you may succeed in closing some sales like that, you are likely to lose more sales that way.
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Any large or small business owner will tell you that the success of their business is directly connected by the employees they hire. That success is also determined by the right training their employees receive so that they can perform their work correctly. As an owner it is important that you make sure your employees receive the right training so that your business has the opportunity to be successful.
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As the global economy is heading for yet another financial crunch, companies have already started to look for ways aimed at cutting their overall operational costs. The austerity measures being taken by companies not only include cutting down on the expenses of the support functions, but also include pink slips to various employees. Now, if you are in the sales team of your company, unless you are one of the best performers, your name could very well be on the next pink slip released by your company.
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Sales techniques is a phrase used by nearly everyone in business. No matter whether they have an actual clue about what the term means. Going back to basics let's look at what people mean by this phrase and what they think it includes. Sales techniques are actually a combination of all the different processes and skills that successful sales people use.
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Selling, and the skills that are needed to do well, is rapidly changing. Earlier there was a set method of selling products to clients, but now there are many different ideas about what makes a good sale, and what the seller has to do in order to close the deal and keep the client coming back for more. The modern style of selling is gradually taking over the old method, but many people who are already in the Sales department may need to participate in some sales training programs before they can fully operate as members of a modern selling...
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The modern sales department is under a great deal of pressure to make those all-important sales to large clients, but the methods that are being taught in most companies are outdated and likely to hinder the sales process rather than help it. As the modern business tries to rise above its competitors and achieve profits, so the sales department also has to move away from the old methods of doing business, and start taking on board some of the new ways that are changing how sales are seen right across the company. By attending some business development skills which teach...
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In today's economic times the media makes it seem like job opportunities are slim to none. The news likes to report on the negatives by only sharing which companies are laying off, who's going out of business or who's moving their home office overseas? And while these things do happen, there are still job opportunities for those willing to work hard, improve their skills and hone their talents.
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If you are questioning the effectiveness of sales training for the sake of it, you will probably never reap the benefits of such activity. You need to believe in their effectiveness to make the most of these trainings.
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I noticed that gas was $3.45 today. Although this is not good news it does make for some opportunities to talk about the value available in trading for a new car.
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As the global economy shows signs of a financial collapse, companies from all parts of the world have become a lot more particular about their workforce. Every now and then we can hear news about mass lay-offs affecting the lives of many of us.
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The ability to sell is fundamental to success in business and the work of the sales team is essential. The sales team brings in the money that pays the wages of everybody in the company from the back office staff to the cleaners. Unless a company can generate sales there is no revenue and there is no business.
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Here is a motto that sales professionals should take heed of: "Seek and you will find." One way of interpreting the meaning of this has to do with the way we program our minds to take in information. Look for how you are demonstrating sales success and you will see how you are succeeding.
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"Behavior, Attitude and Technique" are the three "umbrellas" under which we all may achieve success in sales. I find for myself, and all the folks I've ever worked with, Attitude is the most Important. As a salesperson you much "protect" and develop your Attitude every day! So, here's a check list to see how you're doing at that.
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Passion for success "fuels" commitment. The measure of commitment is in the execution of certain behaviors that sales people may make. Here's a list of behaviors that I suggest for more success in sales.
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If a salesperson doesn't have a healthy self-esteem will he be very effective calling on CEOs, Professional Athletes, Doctors and Celebrities? Conceptually you are a ten on a zero to ten scale - the same as CEOs, Professional Athletes, Doctors and Celebrities. Prospects lie all the time. So, don't buy it and learn skills to get past the "smoke screen" to the truth. How much money you make is more of a conceptual thing than a technical thing. You getting paid exactly what you are worth right now.
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Sales is a profession that offers freedom and an opportunity to make as much money as you want, yet it can lend itself to burnout. Burnout is when a person becomes de-motivated and no longer feels like or enjoys working; selling. It can happen when a person is overwhelmed, not having enough fun, tired, stressed, afraid, working too many hours and a variety of other reasons. "Preventative Maintenance" can insure that you will not experience burnout. Here are some suggestions:
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There are a number of Zen principles that can help in business (without us having to become a monks first), one of which is the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness as a concept is pretty simple. It's the idea of a single-minded focus on the present moment; of being completely present to what you are doing and thinking right now.
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Today we have a more competitive, far more crowded business environment. There are more companies than ever looking for ways to improve their business, so where do they look? The answer to that question is not as complex as it may seem because the first area that more senior supervisors want to improve in their operations is in project management.
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Sales Managers execute several roles and wear many hats: manager, trainer and coach. These multiple roles can create challenges for some sales managers. Where should they invest their time? Should it be in attending internal meetings? Analyzing reports? Training and coaching the sales team? If you are serious about hitting and exceeding your revenue goals for 2012, invest your time in training and coaching your sales team. (It makes analyzing reports a whole lot more fun when the numbers are in the black).
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I was having a conversation with a sales manager the other day about how to train and develop his salespeople. After mapping out an effective curriculum, he paused and asked, "This is great for the motivated ones, but what about the people that are just lazy?" It's an interesting question, but in the end it's the wrong one.
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Sales people often are promoted into sales manager positions - primarily based on their sales success. While congratulations certainly are in order, success in these situations raises some unique challenges. Just because a sales people excelled at face-to-face selling doesn't mean they will excel as a sales manager. This article introduces some best practices to increase the probability of a success transition.
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A significant piece of the ultimate success of any training lies in creating an environment that is conducive and supportive for applying and practicing the new skill sets. This articles explores some ideas for getting that done when it comes to sales training.
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I came across an interesting quote the other day from Mark Twain. At first, it seemed just humorous. As I began to ponder it though, I realized it was filled with depths of perspective for the world of selling. Mr. Twain said, "I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn't know."
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What exactly do we mean when we are looking to hire an outbound sales rep? If you think you are one, how exactly would you describe your role within your company? This is my attempt to clarify the role and help you understand exactly what an outbound sales professional is.
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I take pleasure and financial reward from a successful sales call and one thing I always, always, do is to take the time to get to know my customer. Not their job title, not the immediate needs of my product or service, to really get to know them, or as the quotation at the heart of this article suggests, what they aspire to. What do we then mean by aspire?
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How can sales people differentiate themselves from their competitors? We asked some sales managers to share their advice. They shared 8 best practices.
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One implication is - if it is tougher to get in front of customers, you better make extra sure you pursuing the right ones. This means that the spotlight on the age-old topic of lead qualification just got a little brighter. Since lead qualification best practices tend to be somewhat specific to the type of sale, lets focus this discussion on the major B2B sale.
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It is not an accident that the top producers in the world of selling are at the top. It is also true that there are no born sales champions. Yes, some people have more talent then others. But, success in selling comes down to some basic fundamentals. Fundamentals, if taken action on consistently will lead to success. Some people doubt this, but it is true. Let me give you an example from the sports world. I was born and bred in Indiana, so I grew up being an Indiana University basketball fan. Indiana has five national championships in basketball. That is the third most in history. Why? Because they master the fundamentals.
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Sales training companies abound in every city across the world and yet many are not as successful as they had hoped. The truth is that sales training is such a vital part of the success of a company's growth that mistakes can be costly.
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Outcome selling is a relatively new phrase in the sales training world. For so many years now sales training and selling skills in general have been going through a slow evolution. Now in the new economy to be successful the whole sales process needs to be totally reviewed.
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Selling skills to engage customers are what every sales director hopes his sales teams have. Sorry to say this is not always the case. This article explains why and exactly what you can do about it.
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Sales training is vital for the development of any sales team. The better a sales team can sell the more revenue a company can make.Yet many sales training programmes are not as effective as they were. To find out why and what you could do about it read on.
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Are you losing sales because you are a schmoozer? It's possible you think you are a closer, when in reality you are more of a schmoozer in your sales approach.
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I used to think that professional selling was easy, that there was no real process and people were quick to make decisions to purchase. How wrong I was. My career in solution selling started early, working in a retail store selling phone contracts.
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While many entrepreneurs, sales professionals, and direct sales representatives are concerned about not wanting to come across as P-U-S-H-Y, there are respectful ways to make suggestions that may not have been considered. Seizing the opportunity to 'Supersize" orders during the holidays can pay you back handsomely with increased profits.
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Today I want to talk to you about something important you may have heard about, but is worth repeating, it's called working S.M.A.R.T. Understanding this will be important in helping you reach whatever goals you have set for yourself.
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Becoming a top sales professional - a Rainmaker - is a goal many sales professionals have. Rainmakers know that being at the top of their game builds business, impacts relationships, and generates superior customer loyalty and referral. If you want to make it to the highest level in the sales profession, and enjoy all the benefits that come with it, learn to start thinking the way Rainmakers do.
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People in a business-to-business sales role in today's environment need to be much wiser if they want to succeed. They must develop effective and repeatable consultative selling tools and techniques - whether they are selling products, services or a complicated mixture of the two.
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There are about eight-hundred different reasons we could point to as the reason salespeople fail at phone sales. They might include a poor script, laziness or lack of effort, bad prospect list, and so on. All these things might be true, but usually salespeople fail for other reasons... there are really two big reason we fail selling on the phone.
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Are you the kind of sales person who boxes customers into making decisions? Or are you the kind of sales person who is reticent to push customers into making decisions at all? If you fall at either end of the sales spectrum, you aren't experiencing the level of success you could.
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When it comes to sales prospecting it's all about creativity and discipline. Most salespeople will tell you that this is the part of the job they like the least. The interesting thing about our profession is that sales prospecting is without a doubt the most important part of the job, and as a professional you don't have to like it to do it well. Successful salespeople use some or all of the tips that follow whether they like sales prospecting or not.
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In a recent survey, customers said that the #1 reason they do business with a particular company is because of a relationship with someone within that company. The same survey also showed that 97% of customers did business with a particular salesperson because they liked and trusted that person. Thus, as salespeople, having a strong relationship in which people like and trust us is more important than any other factor in the sales process. It is more important than product performance, service, and even price. That being said, how can we ensure that we are building strong relationships and that we are likeable and trustworthy?
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Successful selling can be broken down into 6 key areas or character traits which in this article we will refer to as the 6 Cs. If you are new to sales, or are struggling a bit, you'll find that by focusing on these 6 keys, sales success will quickly follow. If you are already a highly successful salesperson, refocusing on these 6 factors will make you even more successful.
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Too often, I see sales people get all geared up for the close, as if it were a competition, even a battle. They appear to believe that the more clever the angles they can come up with, the better their chance to close the deal. Unwittingly, and unnecessarily, these sales professionals turn an all-important phase into a battle of wits. Sometimes it simply becomes a competition of who can ask more questions and who can answer each one. Is the last person standing supposed to win?
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What is it that gives some that edge, while others are left complaining about lack of clients, bad pay, and being overwhelmed? I've noticed that there are definite trends. And I am going to be revealing my top 5 business principles at the upcoming free teleseminar. But in the meantime I have a series of questions for you.
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The question of how to overcome objections is a popular topic in any sales training. It's also a subject that can be found in nearly every book written about sales or salespeople. First let's clear up a couple of things. If you Google this topic you'll find about a hundred objections and even more ways to overcome objections. One school of thought is to blow through the first objection like you didn't hear it. In other words, ignore your prospect. This is a mistake. On the other end of the spectrum many salespeople will address the objection aggressively and directly at the time it's stated. This is also a mistake. It makes you appear desperate and argumentative.
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Whether you are a selling professional or the head of a team of sales reps, if you want to consistently meet and exceed sales targets in your organization, there are fundamental business habits that you need to emulate every day. As a seasoned sales trainer and coach, I would like to share with you today one of those key habits, and show you how you can implement it right away in your work.
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Medical device sales people spend months learning about products, anatomy, and how to sell. Then after passing a battery of tests, becoming certified, and getting credentials (REPtrax or similar systems) up-to-date, it's time to sell. Yet, applying what was learned in training - in a physician's office, a lab, or in the OR - is the challenge. Not only must medical device sales people display clinical proficiency, they also must add value to the surgeons, hospital staff, and practice staff - all the while focusing on improving patient outcomes. A tall task for any medical device sales rep, a daunting one for new sales reps. So, what can sales reps do from the onset to differentiate themselves? How can they build credibility? Here's a starter list of 7 ways new medical device sales reps can build success.
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Suggestions and insight on what to do when dialing leads and calling prospects. There is a right way and a wrong way. If you don't follow these suggestions, you're sunk.
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