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Archive for the 'Sales Training' Category
Sunday, September 7th, 2008
I know this sounds sort of redundant, but it is true and, sadly, many sales people dont know it.
I was working with a salesman this week who has had a rather slow start with his company. He is selling a specialty product line for the company and he has some unique customer requirements. As a result, he has not had the recent success that some of the other new salesmen have had.
But he has been grinding away as we have instructed him and persisting in his Prospecting efforts. Now he is getting lots of RFQs and orders. He is reaping the benefits of Persistence. He is continuing with his Prospecting efforts.
I have mentioned this before and I will refer to it often. Persistence in prospecting is probably the single most important factor for success.
The more Prospecting you do, the better you get at it. The better you get at it, the more successful you will be. But, you have to actually DO IT!
This young man is really doing all that needs to be done with his Prospecting efforts. He is making his BLITZ CALLs, most of which are on the phone and he is following up in a timely manner.
We make references to famous athletes all the time. Larry Byrd used to stay around after practice and shoot 300 shots on the court after everyone else had gone home. That is why he is one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
My favorite is Walter Payton, the fabulous running back for the Chicago Bears who unfortunately died at a very young age from a rare liver disease. During his career he performed miraculously on the football field. During the NFL players strike in 1982 a news crew followed some of the players to see what they were doing during the strike.
When they got to Payton, he was hopping up sand dunes with his ankles taped together, then hopping down and up again. ( If you think this is easy, give it a try. I did it on the steps of a football stadium a few times, it is a killer! ) The reporter was baffled as to why since Payton was already one of the best players in the game.
Then it became clear. The reason Payton was so good is that he did the basics really, really well. The first thing he did was get himself in the best physical condition he could achieve. By doing this, he was able to have tremendous freedom on the playing field, because he was always strong and able to do anything asked of him, even in the 4th quarter.
The reporter noted that during their research, they interviewed many of the NFL players who said they were staying in shape, but Payton was the only one they actually saw training and training very hard.
Both Byrd and Payton achieved success by hard work - working harder than other great athletes.
And the same holds true for sales people. Look at the superstars. These are the folks who do the basics over and over, which is the simple definition of Persistence. That means they actually DO the things necessary for success. They dont talk about doing them, they just DO them!
And Prospecting is one of the most important basics for the sales professional.
So, when you determine that you want to break away from the crowd and shoot for superstar success, realize that Persistence means that you really have to Persist.
Persistent Prospecting will make your life a lot more fun and successful.
Sell well and often!
Copyright, 2006, WJ Truax
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bill Truax
http://www.BlitzCall.com
Bill@BlitzCall.com
800-253-1214
Bill is a Sales Management and Field Operations Consultant based in Cleveland, OH. He has 3 books and 2 CDs on prospecting, he also trains managers, conducts seminars and workshops, and makes calls in the field with sales professionals all detailed on is website http://www.BlitzCall.com
Real Estate Agents - Day Timers and Prospecting
This is the time of year to start working on your business plan.I have laid out a guideline for my team to follow and I believe if they work on these simple steps, success is all but guaranteed.The first step is to block out your calender, with your ... Prospecting Success
I spent my formative years in ballet class. While other kids went out to play, I went to ballet class. In high school while others attended after-school activities or hung out together, I went to ballet class. By my mid-teens I was taking class five... Telephone Prospecting The Easy Way - How To Warm Call
We all know that prospecting for buyers and sellers is essential to the success of any good salesperson, the problem is that we all seem to chase the same carrot. I believe that there are easy ways to go about this sometimes daunting task, and there... Sales Techniques to Help the Customer to Buy
Three times I have revisited Turkey after living in the country for two years in the
1970s. How could I ever forget? Salespeople everywhere can glean some wisdom
about the unique sales approach by walking through the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.
A... When Do You Quit?
Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul. Douglas MacArthur, U.S. GeneralWhen prospecting, when is enough, enough? Do you try to contact a potential client one, three, ten or one hundred times? When do you quit?Do you believe?Do you really b... The 16 Biggest Mistakes New Salespeople Make
There are only three ways to sell more. Do more right. Do less wrong. Do both.Here is a list I have compiled during my 35 year sales training career. that will help you understand the most frequent mistakes new salespeople make.Selling can be a dif... Same Stuff - Different Day?
Any time is a good time to sell creatively. Uncertain economic times are an excellent time to sell creatively. And, poor economic times require that salespeople sell creatively. What exactly do I mean when I say sell creatively? When you look at t... Names Of Cell Numbers - How To Find Out The Names Of Cell Numbers
You're looking for a name behind a cell number? Maybe you suspect your spouse is cheating or you've been bothered by harassing calls and want to find out who it is? This article will show you some methods on how to perform a reverse cell phone lookup... Loan Officer Training - Train Yourself How To Bring In More Mortgage Business
A lot of Loan Officers struggle with one aspect of our business, prospecting. It can also be termed as finding clients, brining borrowers in, getting new business, etc. You get the picture.The issue sometimes isn't really why the business isn't com... Effortless Prospecting-Understanding the "Process"
The Payoff in the ProcessThe true value in becoming a millionaire is not the money. Its in who you become in the process.
- Mark RichardsonLife is a process. Success is a process. When I was 6 years old my Father took the training wheels off my bicy...
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Saturday, September 6th, 2008
Presenting to a group can be a daunting prospect can it is easy to be intimated when having to do it. These nerves can cause us to make basic mistakes when presenting. Im sure that you had had the misfortune to sit in on some quite terrible presentations over the years and hopefully also had an opportunity to see some great presentations.
While most would say that some of us are natural in these situations and therefore find it easier there are some guidelines to making the task more enjoyable and stimulating for all concerned.
All of us get nervous before the event so we need to be aware of how this nervousness can surface as part of the task at hand. Lets start before the event itself, usually we will have a chance to prepare, and this is crucial particularly if presenting is not one of our strengths. You have an opportunity to find out what will be important to those attending and can tailor your structure and content accordingly. It also gives you an opportunity to have a dry run. Get there early so that you have a chance to set up and familiarise yourself with the layout and structure of the room.
When you are introduced, slow down the process, in other words take more time to remember each persons name. One of reasons that we dont remember people names is that we rush through the initial introduction. Before you start ensure by checking that you are audible and that equipment can be seen. I always like to stand when there are three people or more. Speak more slowly than you would with your friends in the pub but remember to mix up the speed and tone of your voice accordingly.
Introduce the topics and running order of the presentation proper. In a group situation I will only spend a little time on rapport building. During the presentation play to your strengths, dont try to be a comedian unless you are genuinely funny.
Unfortunately most of us still depend on power point as information tool, the big problem with power point is that it is one-dimensional and non interactive so it is up to the presenter to compensate for these limitations. No one wants to hear power points slides being read word for word unless they have trouble sleeping so my suggestion is to only use it as a guide and to use your own words to communicate your pitch relaying real life examples of situations to demonstrate the benefits of your product.
Make sure that you move around. A moving person is a much more stimulating picture to our eyes and will hold our attention more than a stationary person. Be aware of both your own body language and of those attending. Try to involve the prospects in the process and take care not to single some one out as the main decision maker and focus all your attention on them. Encourage and stimulate questions and in a situation where you dont have the answer at hand, take a note and ensure them that you will get back to them.
In the unusual situation where one person is overly difficult or using a disruption behaviour pattern, agree to meet or talk to them one to one to resolve their concerns and relay the solution back to the entire group at a later.
Before you leave agree a next or serious of next steps tying in a time frame to carry out any objectives. Thank everyone for their input and shake hands with all present.
During the presentation if there is a disruption, someone needs to leave etc, stop presenting unless told otherwise and then highlight any points missed with the person when they return to the room.
Presentations to groups need not be the daunting experience that we sometimes think. It is hugely important that we inject our own personality into the task and do not depend solely on ill equipped tools such as power point. You never know, you might start to enjoy it.
Niall Devitt is a Sales Training Consultant with Real World Sales Training based in Ireland web: http://www.realworld.ie
The Truth in E-learning
What is e-learning? According to Cari Mathwig, interactive team leader and Instructional Designer at The AVS Group, Maybe the question should be, What is not e-learning?According to the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), e-learning... What You Need To Do To Setup Your Own Meditation Group
Having your own meditation group is a great way to meet new people but it is also a great way to learn new meditation techniques. As you begin your meditation journey you will find new ways to meditate and everyone will have their own ideas and a med... Want Better Performing Teams?
One of the topics I am asked to deliver frequently for my clients is how to get people who come from different areas of the organization to work together effectively. These people also may have different education levels, experience, agendas, time wi... Condominium Living - Purchasing Group Insurance Coverage for Your Condo
"As the proud owner of a condominium, you are well aware that you do not own the actual structure when you buy a condo. Rather, you just buy the unit in which you live. Therefore, obtaining the proper coverage to keep your condominium and the entir... Paid Surveys From Home
Many market research companies offer paid surveys from home and you can participate in such surveys if you meet the specific criteria for the survey. Throughout the globe manufacturers take the feedback from people so that the necessary modifications... The 10-80-10 Selling Rule
Mike came to my office one day looking very discouraged. He had been selling for about two months. He was doing significantly above average so his discouraged look surprised me.I asked him what was wrong and he said, I dont understand it. With my las... Cutting the Root of Suffering and Obstacles
This is my 18th year of teaching trainings four per year! One of the best things about teaching this course is that I always present something I never have presented before. It may be a new idea altogether, or a core concept that I have presented ma... Paid Surveys Etc - The 4 Ways to Maximize Paid Survey Profit
When you first start out making money from paid surveys there are a number of different options you can go down in order to make money. One of the most common ways is by signing up with a paid survey site and take the surveys from their. When signing... Effective Sales Training Sessions
Sales training programs should be designed to achieve maximum participation on the part of the audience. It has been proven time and again that audience participation in sales training is one of the most effective methods of developing both an attitu... Advice about Paid Surveys on the Internet
The opportunities to take paid surveys on the Internet are staggering. Countless websites offer people cash, products, or gift certificates for their opinions. Many of these surveys are legitimate offers that actually provide the rewards promised, ...
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Saturday, September 6th, 2008
When making your living in the sales industry, and working with people, it is important to not only get your point across verbally, but you want to allow for your body language to send a clear message as well.
Your body language consists of many key ingredients, but here are the five that are considered to be the most important, along with a description and a few tips to improve your skills.
1. Eye Contact
When you are speaking with a customer, or potential customer, look them in the eye, it will show that you are a confident person, and that you are confident in the product you are selling.
2. Hand Shake
When you shake someones hand, grasp it firmly, and give no less than three good pumps. This will once again give your customer the indication that you are a confident person, and that you are genuinely glad to meet them, or see them.
A limp hand shake, better known as the dead fish is a way of telling your customer that you are not interested, it is a major turn off!
3. Appearance is key, and many studies have confirmed this. People prefer to deal with sales people who present themselves well in appearance. The mind set of the customer is, if this person doesnt take care of himself, how can I expect them to take care of me?
Would you buy a food product, or utensil off of a person with grimy fingernails? It sounds kind of harsh, but it is the truth.
4. Smiling
Smiling, the easiest thing to do in the world! Smiling is contagious, and it puts your customer at ease, and puts a nice upbeat inflection in your voice.
5. Good Posture
Good posture also shows the customer that you have confidence in yourself and the products that you sell. It also speaks volumes about your personality. Anything less, such as slouching, makes you look like a slacker, and will give your customer the indication that you dont believe in your product, and that you would prefer to be somewhere else, and doing something else.
These are the five main ingredients to having good body language, and it isnt very hard to master these skills. In fact you can practice on your friends and family without them even knowing it.
Once you master these skills, they will begin to come effortlessly, and before you know it, they will be second nature to you, and your sales will ultimately increase. Good Luck!
Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.
Is your Holiday Home Insurance Policy Written in a Language that you can Understand?
You have just purchased that dream holiday home property and one issue that needs to be sorted out prior to the completion is the property insurance.Imagine if that property was in France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Denmark, Germany or Italy. Do you sp... Battle Blemishes
Every individual has different skin needs. But what doesnt differ is that everyones skin needs to be cleaned to remove excess dirt brought about by the outside environment. Gentle cleansing is the first place to start.Use a water-soluble cleanser:Wat... Tips to Follow While Buying HGH
The HGH industry has expanded a lot over the period of time but one thing that one would know is industry is full of fraud and low quality products which can be harmful for our health and can steal you with good amount of money.There are sum tips we ... Energy Boosting Supplements
Are you looking for an easy way to boost your energy throughout the day? Adding a couple of supplements to your diet is an easy way to get added energy levels throughout the day. There are tons of products on the market today for you to choose from. ... Herbal Acne Remedies
Remember the angst ridden acne years of your youth? Or perhaps you are still a youth. By youth, I mean either adolescent or teenaged. So many people today suffer from teenage and adult acne. The effect acne has on your self esteem can be devastat... 4 Tips to Choosing the Right Supplement
In today's competitive supplement market, the question is not to convince someone to take a supplement, but rather to convince them to take your supplement. With that in mind, many people don't know where to start to determine which supplements they... Acne Symptoms Got You Down?
Products on the market that claim to make acne go away may do the trick but they contain many harsh ingredients, such as alcohol, that strip the oils of your skin. Some of these acne treatments and cleansers may cause the skin to become dry in areas... Advice for Future Salesmen
So many salespeople go into selling without understanding the fundamentals and how they are to be used to build business relationships. Often, the hard sell strategies end up doing just the opposite, sometimes without even realizing it. This is why I... Liquid Vitamins Contain Enzymes Because?
The more advanced liquid vitamin supplements today are starting to incorporate enzymes in the ingredients. Why do vitamin supplements need to supplement enzymes? This is a very good question. In order to answer this question, the need to familiarize ... How to Sell a Feeling
To be totally in tune with the needs of your customers or prospective customers you have to listen to them. Listen to them it sounds easy enough to do but not everybody gets it right. What you must always bear in mind when you are selling something ...
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Saturday, September 6th, 2008
I ran across a very insightful article in CLO Magazine today written by Tina Teodorescu (I had to cut and paste that one!). The article, How Effective is Your Sales Training Program? talks about the unique challenges of developing an effective training program for people that fund your payroll.
Tina brings light to the fact that weve come to rely on Sales Managers, who were in many cases top performers themselves, to develop their teams talent. The problem is these people were promoted because of their excellent sales skills, not their employee development skills. In other cases we rely on HR or T&D to develop these programs when they dont have a sufficient understanding of the dynamics of sales to do so.
The article mentions using your top performers actual day to day tasks and activity (if I am reading correctly) as the basis for your training program instead of skills and competencies. This is where our opinions start to differ.
I have always been a believer in benchmarking your top performing sales people and developing toward that baseline. I also agree that competencies and skills are very difficult to measure in such a subjective process as sales. However I dont feel that duplicating an activity pattern alone is going to get you where you need to be.
If you have a salesperson who is a terrible communicator, do you really want them speaking to an extra 20 prospects a day? If a salesperson cant close deals, do you really want them working more of them?
It reminds me of the old seminar joke - dont send idiots to motivational seminars because you only end up with highly motivated idiots.
While I think most of Tinas thoughts are solid, I really feel that there needs to be a balance between process and execution. I personally wouldnt want certain salespeople doing certain tasks - like writing a blog for example - It may be your top performers key to success, but the dynamic of that persons abilities cannot be mirrored in process alone. Communication, comprehension, confidence and expertise are all skills that must coexist with activity.
Let your sales managers help benchmark top performers on both activity and skill, and leverage T&D to figure out how to translate that into a program that can be coached to and measured.
I just dont know if I would worry so much about mirroring activity. Sales Managers have every metric and dashboard you could think of for that stuff already.
Read more on this topic by visiting the Learning Management 2.0 Blog
Justyn Howard is the author of Learning Management 2.0 (http://www.lms20.com)
Sales Training - Making It Stick
Communication is often touted as the most important aspect of sales training, but the most important thing about sales training is whether or not it brings about results. Why is it that when you simply repeat your requests in memo after memo or yell ... Negotiation Skills Training - How to Double Dose the Sense of Urgency
As Jakes prospects were leaving Eric the sales manager over heard Jake say to them, Dont forget the big sale is over this Saturday. The prospects were all smiles as they left without the new car.As Jake slowly walked back to his desk he looked a litt... Real Estate Sales Training
In real estate sales training, sales forecasting is very important. Sales forecasting is the task of projecting the future sales of a firm. The sales forecast indicates how much of a product is likely to be sold during a specified future period in a ... Sharpening Your Sales Skills
Making a living in sales can be very rewarding, however, it can also be tough at times. That is why it is very important to stay on top of your game at all times.Making a sale doesnt happen by accident or by luck, the sale is made because the person ... Bike Shop Sales Training
Most bike shop sales people are there because they love bicycles and this indeed helps them answer all the questions that a rider might have and yet this is not the only thing that a bicycle shop sales person needs. You see, they also need good sales... Sales Training
Formulating sales policies is the key task in sales training. Sales policies cover a wide range of areas including which products should find a place in the product line; whether some of the existing products should be dropped; whether any new produc... Winners Are Made With Sales Training
Whether youre a zero or hero in your own company you can always improve as a salesperson. Becoming a good salesperson is a skill that really reflects who you are as a person. Almost anyone can memorize specifications of different items but it takes a... Sales Training at Car Dealerships Is the Key
For those who run the sales departments at automotive car dealerships they know that the more money they spend in training their sales force the more sales the dealership will accrue. Most sales training includes positive feedback and motivational sp... Effective Sales Training Begins By Defining Your Desired Results
Are you unhappy with your sales training? Possibly, you are not getting the results that you want because you failed to define those before you began? Read why this should be your first step if you desire effective sales training that delivers a pos... Sales Training Starts with Fundamentals
Many in sales training are of the opinion and I am too; that good sales training starts with the fundamentals. Such as verifying that the prospect is truly interested, understands what your product or service can do and is qualified and able to buy t...
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Saturday, September 6th, 2008
In sales, as in life, we control very little. The good news is — those things that we can influence are under our direct control.
There are only five things in this universe that we can control as sales professionals–or as people for that matter.
In my previous position as an advertising sales manager for a team of print sales professionals operating in five nations across four continents, I encouraged my people to spend their time, energies and brain power on the things they could control.
If they were spinning their wheels on matters over which they wielded no influence, it was wasted time and effort. Lets take a look at the laundry list of matters over which we exercise little to no control.
I had to remind them that they had no control over the state of the economy in the nation in which they were selling. So dont waste time worrying about it. Yes, pick up the daily paper and read about it so as to be well informed, but dont waste time focusing on the matters beyond our control.
I would stress to them that they had no impact on how well their prospects company was performing. The company was either profitable or not. We could not change that. We could, however, ensure that we spent more time researching the companies available to us in the marketplace and direct our energies toward the more profitable enterprises. But we could not influence whatsoever the fiscal health of our prospects.
The price of our ad space and the readership of our media were out of our control, too. The prices came from on high and the readership was in the hands of an entirely other group of people. The product and price were what they were and we had to sell what we had.
We could not leverage our power over the person on the other end of the phone when we rang them for an appointment. We had no control over what was going on in that persons life at that moment. We might have reached them on an up day or a down day. All we could do is pick up the phone and call them with a pleasant, sincere and professional demeanor.
We could not determine if the prospect accepted our invitation to join the many other sponsors of our advertorial reports, but we most definitely were the ones who decided whether or not we asked them to do so.
We could not influence the traffic, the geo-political situation, the competition, the nations telephone system, the local currencys exchange rate to the US dollar, the prospects familiarity with our media prior to our contacting them, the level of that companys involvement in the country where the paper was published, the prospects reaction to our proposal, nor the weather of the day.
In other words we controlled nearly nothing. And neither do you.
Do not despair! Because, the good news is: We control the things that we have direct influence over. If of sound mind and body, all people control five things.
We can determine what we do with our hands.
We decide in which direction we place our feet and walk.
We exercise control over the words we allow to escape from our mouths.
We choose the objects upon which we rest our eyes.
And we can have direct influence over what thoughts we entertain and nurture in our minds.
Aside from these five things, we control absolutely nothing in this great universe.
We can pick up the phone and dial. We cant control what mood the person on the other end will have.
We can choose sincere, professional and compassionate words when that person answers, hence altering for better their mood, but we cant guarantee that. We can only choose our words wisely.
We cant control the fiscal well being of the prospects, but we can place our feet in the direction of the local chamber of commerce and conduct in-depth research on the top companies in the country.
We cant influence all the bad we see in the news but we can divert our eyes to rest upon the beautiful and wondrous things that exist in this universe. We can focus our eyes on a good book or a peaceful landscape instead of a trashy TV program.
And we can foster wrong, defeatist, negative attitudes, or we can choose to develop new thinking and fill our minds with positive, loving and hopeful ruminations.
We have no control over most everything in this universe. But we can control what we do today.
Steve Parkins is President of PICKS Training & Consulting and helps companies to sell, lead and communicate in the global village. An accomplished sales leader and a published journalist and writer, Steve is a 20-year veteran of global sales and marketing, leadership and communications training.
He has lived in Asia and Europe and worked in over 40 nations on six continents, bringing a unique international awareness to his training. He has conducted direct sales to C-level executives in over 2000 organizations around the globe and has trained hundreds of others in the arts and sciences of direct sales, leadership and communications.
His extensive experience in selling to C-level executives in virtually every industry provides clients a senior level, dynamic, energetic, humorous and worldly training consultant with broad commercial awareness and executive presence.
Steve continues to consult companies on selling, marketing and managing global sales teams while providing formal corporate sales, leadership and communications training.
Forex Trading - How Exactly Does the Forex Market Work?
The forex market is like an onion. It has many layers. These layers are hidden by the layers above it. Let's peel the onion and see what we find.The top layer is the retail trader. That's you and me. We're the surface. When you look at the forex mark... Access Control Security Systems
An access control system provides a high level of security in your homes and offices. An access control system keeps restricted areas protected from intruders and permits access only to authorized personnel. An access control system even records the... Protect Your Home from Cooking Disasters
Cooking is a past time enjoyed by many people. Cooking is even a profession for some people. To these people, theres nothing more satisfying that getting their hands dirty in the ingredients of a favorite dish, the delicious smell of an even more d... Four Ways to Tame Lions - for Salespeople
Youve managed to get an appointment with the big boss, the top dog, the big cheese, the head honcho and you are a little nervous about how you will deal with somebody so important and powerful.Here are four ideas;#1 Ask How did you get started in th... Control Pimples - Natural Ways To Cure Acne
Blackheads, zits, blemishes, bumps, pimples, whatever you are dealing with can be cured no matter how many other products you've used that failed to work.Let's be honest, it's hard to control pimples. Acne is something that not only teenagers deal w... Take a Candid: Await the Response
There are times when you try to take a candid photo of someone that you dont know, that you get that cold look. A look of defiance and unrest. You have been caught. That person has noticed that you are trying to snap them and they just dont like it. ... Meditation: The Ideal Stress Therapy
We live in a very stressful world today that would be the understatement of the year! The day I decided to write this article, the world once again was hit by the threat of yet another act of terrorism. Not only do we have the general day to day s... Learn to Control Your Brainwaves Through Meditation
Control your brainwaves and you control your state of mind. By raising or slowing our brainwaves, we can altar how we think, feel and act. Meditation is the process of slowing our waking beta brainwaves to the slower states of alpha and theta. By l... How to Stop Playing Phone Tag and Close More Sales
Few things can be more frustrating for the sales professional than the proverbial game of phone tag with prospects. You know the drillyou call and leave a message, the prospect calls back and leaves a message, you call back, and on and on and on. T... Wellness Achieved Through Meditation
The process of mediation used to calm your mind and lead to inner-peace is centuries old. The driving force behind meditation is that if one can attain a peaceful mind, they will be free from anxiety, worries and negative forces. Ideally, they will...
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Friday, September 5th, 2008
From a customers perception, its easy for a salesperson to come across as a predator. If the customer views you as the predator, he probably sees himself as the prey. Your initial impression will greatly influence if there is going to be a lasting relationship.
In a recent survey conducted by Target Marketing Systems, Inc. they listed fourteen criteria that indicate how effective a first meeting is likely to be. Here are four of the factors, not in order of priority, with some of my observations.
Listens before giving solutions - If youre not listening carefully, youre probably not asking good questions. Some salespeople have all the answers before they ask the questions. Avoid the trap of talking too much, especially during first call. Try to get the customer talking for at least 75% of the time you spend together during the first call. Dont talk about your products before your customer talks about his business.
Has knowledge of industry - Do your homework before you make the sales call. Its never been easier and quicker to do homework. Using the internet makes this not only a practical step but an easy one. If you dont want to come across as a master of nothing, dont skip the homework.
Communicates value - Consider this. If youre not communicating value, you be communicating something else. Daaaaaa! Probably the wrong stuff. Be wary of aggressive gruffiness. Dont come on too strong. If your selling
style happens to be direct, be careful its not interpreted as in your face. Avoid being too loud, inarticulate, rambling, and closing too early and too often. Sometimes, the best way to communicate value is to take a genuine interest in the customer and his business.
Structures agenda for meeting - Every sales call warrants specific objectives. Having a purpose for the call sends a powerful message to the potential customer. Organization is a small thing if you have it. Its a big thing if you dont and youre disorganized. Make sure your briefcase can pass muster. Your notebook can signal professional or shout amateur depending how it looks and how you use it. Rehearsing your opening approach can really be a confidence booster.
If your potential customer sees you as a predator its because youre missing the qualities that professionals rely on. Haste not only makes waste, it creates the wrong image for you. If youre prepared, personable, punctual, and professional, youll never be mistaken for a predator.
Your potential customers dont want to be preyed upon, they want to be helped and will be if you offer the professional touch on every sales call.
Jim Meisenheimer is the creator of No-Brainer Sales Training. His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by visiting his website: http://www.meisenheimer.com
Knowing The Ins And Outs Of Sales Is Crucial To Your Success!
Most sales people seem to be in one of two categories. They are either rather new to sales and looking for information to help them along or they are seasoned professionals who have made great money and have had lots of success. The mediocre seem to ... 2007 Sales Training Tips From the Real World
It is widely known in MBA circles that a highly trained sales force is up to five times as effect is as a sales force which is not properly trained. Sometimes the sales profession is given a bad name, but in reality a highly trained and sales profess... Sales Training Tip #07; Ask Questions of the Prospect
If you are a sales training professional you need to make sure your salespeople understand that it is important to ask questions of the Prospect during cold calling and during sales interviews. The best way to do this is to have the salesman ask very... Effective Sales Training Begins By Defining Your Desired Results
Are you unhappy with your sales training? Possibly, you are not getting the results that you want because you failed to define those before you began? Read why this should be your first step if you desire effective sales training that delivers a pos... Selling Styles - Men Vs Women
In my years of recruiting, training, and managing sales teams I was fortunate to have worked in both male and female dominated sales organizations. This article was written to identify the best of both styles and more importantly - the benefit of in... Real Estate Sales Training
In real estate sales training, sales forecasting is very important. Sales forecasting is the task of projecting the future sales of a firm. The sales forecast indicates how much of a product is likely to be sold during a specified future period in a ... Sales Skills are Life Skills
I love the art of selling. LOVE IT. When I first entered the field of sales, the one thing I quickly grew to appreciate was the fact that anything I did to increase my ability in selling also increased my ability in life. Sales skills are life skills... Pre Assessment Prior to Sales Training
The fastest way to de-motivate your very best sales people is to sit them in a room and go over inane things that they already know and could probably teach better in your industry sub-sector than the outside sales trainer that you brought in.Sure re... Improve the Efficiency of Your Business with Sales Training Programs
Proper sales training is crucial for the success of any business! The efficiency of your sales depends on various interrelated factors such as the efficiency and the skills of your business members, the ability of your company to create and explore n... The Renegade Salesperson Can Ruin Your Company
All companies need sales people and those who are good in sales indeed have their pick of the best companies to work for. But beware if you run a company with a large sales force because salespeople are generally very independent folks and often step...
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Friday, September 5th, 2008
So many salespeople go into selling without understanding the fundamentals and how they are to be used to build business relationships. Often, the hard sell strategies end up doing just the opposite, sometimes without even realizing it. This is why I had always recommended to your Blitz Marketing Sales Teams to learn more about the subject and go out a make sales yes, of course, but to make friends too.
Sometimes something very subtle, a small mistake can turn off a client and cause negative thoughts and attitudes. So, I would like to recommend a couple of books on the subject of sales for you to read, which in a way compliment each other and also conflict. But I believe there is a philosophy that can be gained from such reading:
“Winning Moves - The Body Language of Selling” by Ken Delmar - 1984.
The book has a little subtitle of interest; “the keys, strategies, moves, gestures, expressions, style and aura that work for winners.” The author suggests that religious leaders, politicians, actors, top trail lawyers and top sales people all have these abilities in common. He further suggests that we can all do this, if we learn how - and that is exactly what this book explains how to do.
Amongst the topics are how to maintain compose, sense of trust, limit stress, look relaxed, self-assured and confident. Imagine disarming prospects, improving your voice and allowing hostile people to backtrack with proper body language and adequate tone. Learn to look alive on camera, command a room, quell anger emotions, its all here and more, this is a great book.
“How to Master the Art of Selling Real Estate” by Tom Hopkins - 1986.
Mr. Hopkins starts this book by explaining what society expects a real-estate salesperson to look like and act like. How to maintain a professional attitude - then he gets into prospecting, qualifying, verbal techniques, telephone sales, open house techniques, asking for commitment or offers, and how to close the sale - next how to present the proposal and how to maintain a referral network from happy customers and their friends as well. There is also a section on staying organized, scheduling and planning. The final chapter is how to keep a score card of your successes; tracking sales, money made, net-worth and goal setting.
Once you are done reading these two books, I guarantee it will help you increase sales, more importantly, it will help you be a better you and make more friends in the process.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
FOREX Trading Advice - The Good News Is That You Can Get Great Advice For FREE
All the forex advice you need to become a successful trader is available on the internet for free.Here we will show you where to get the best forex advice for free and turn you into a profitable trader.A common errorA common error made by many novice... Home-Security Some Simple Tasks
You might not have realised it, but there are so many things you can do to stop yourself from getting burgled. Generally, its a simple matter of locking the right things. Burglars are opportunists once you take away the easy opportunities for them t... FOREX Advice Should You Buy It? Read This First
Should you by FOREX advice from a guru or mentor?Many novice traders think they should do this and it's easy to make money but you need to be very careful of the FOREX advice you buy as, 99% of advice sold on the net won't give you profits.Here are s... Three Excellent Was to Turbo-Charge Your Sales Presentations
As a Clinical Hypnotherapist, I have helped many salesmen go from average to excellent. Sales is all about the subconscious mind. When I was in high school, I sold Kirby vacuum cleaners door to door, and I noticed something very interesting: everyone... What If No One Ever Wrote A Book On How To Sell?
What if no one ever wrote a book on how to sell things? What if no one ever did a sales seminar or produced training videos or cassette tapes teaching people how to sell? What then? Would less items and services be sold? Yes, probably, we can deduce ... How Can You Improve Your Photography?
Many photographers reach a stage in their hobby where they feel that they are unable to progress further without a bit of help. How can you improve yourself?There are many ways in which you can gain extra valuable experience, help and advice. The cho... Help! I Need Acne Skin Care Products!
If you suffer from acne, you may need acne skin care products. There are lots of acne skin care products on the market. Which acne skin care products are best? The following list was put together by Teen Advice:Acne skin care products #1 choice: A... FOREX Trading Advice Which Is Best To Make Big Profits?
Many new traders want to take FOREX Trading advice to give them success, but what should they look for from an advisory service?How do you pick FOREX trading advice that can make you profits?Lets find out.Here some of the things you should look for i... Train Your Sales People to Be Organized
If you are in sales training you know how salesmen and women can often be. When I was younger I ran a mobile car wash company and would go clean cars at the office complexes and often we would wash and vacuum cars for sales people who wanted to have ... Choosing the Perfect Wedding Anniversary Gifts
Each and every tie we have in our life creates a noteworthy remembrance and several peculiar affairs. They can be celebrated during anniversaries and birthdays.Anniversaries, in particular, are the time to recall all the joyful times you enjoyed. You...
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Thursday, September 4th, 2008
Have you noticed that many prospects are perfectly willing to string you along for as long as you are willing to let them? Have you noticed how many would rather stand you up than say no? Whats a sales professional to do? Just keep plugging away, call back and reschedule, etc., right? Absolutely not! While this will go against what many sales experts will tell you, I beg to differ. It is time that you recognize that your time and effort is valuable and conduct your business in a manner that reflects that. After all, if you dont value your time and effort, how can you possibly expect your prospects to?
Let me give you a real life example. I have a friend (for purposes of this example, well call her Mary) who set an appointment with a potentially valuable prospect (for purposes of this example, well call him Jim) that could have meant well over a thousand dollars in commission. She and her prospect agreed upon meeting at the prospects office at 2:00 on a Wednesday afternoon. The drive Mary to Jims office was well over an hour and having spent several hours prepping for the meeting, she had invested more than five hours in this meeting.
Mary arrived at 1:55 and after having to explain to the receptionist that she had an appointment (red flag) was told have a seat until Jim became available. 2:00 came and went. 2:15 came and went. 2:30 came and went. Finally, Mary inquired of the receptionist when she would be allowed to see Jim. The receptionist promised to check. At 2:45, more than 45 minutes after the scheduled start of the meeting, the receptionist informs Mary that Jim is in another meeting and will not be able to make their scheduled appointment.
Mary, clearly disappointed, left her card and told the receptionist that she would call Jim back in a day or two to reschedule. Would anyone like to guess the response when Mary calls back? Jim is never available and never returns her calls. Unbelievable, but certainly not out of the ordinary these days.
Mary is a victim of bad adviceof the conventional wisdom that says that we as sales professionals need to bow to the needs, wants, and desires of our prospects and accept their rudeness because we need them more than they need us. I disagree completely. Is your time valuable? Is it just as valuable, if not more so than your prospects? I say it is and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you will notice fewer and fewer of the situations like the one I just described.
Mary and I had a long heart to heart about her situation. We put in place a process for each new appointment that while adding several steps to get to the appointment has resulted in a far fewer situations like this one, far less wasted time, a conversion rate more than double her previous rate, and most importantly, a 52% increase in her income.
Take control of your sales process. Your prospect needs to be led. The minute that you let him or her lead the process is the minute that you lose control and your odds of conversion drop dramatically. You are the boss. You have something that your prospect needs and wants. Start acting like it today and watch how much respect you will command and how many prospects will be willing to follow wherever you lead themultimately to a sale that leaves both of you better off than prior to your transaction.
Greg Beverly, CPA, MBA has over 21 years experience helping sales professionals reach goals they never imagined possible. For more information on how you can live your own dreams through sales success, visit http://www.salessuccess.yougethelp.com
How to Stop Playing Phone Tag and Close More Sales
Few things can be more frustrating for the sales professional than the proverbial game of phone tag with prospects. You know the drillyou call and leave a message, the prospect calls back and leaves a message, you call back, and on and on and on. T... Effective Sales Training Begins By Defining Your Desired Results
Are you unhappy with your sales training? Possibly, you are not getting the results that you want because you failed to define those before you began? Read why this should be your first step if you desire effective sales training that delivers a pos... Why Not Teach Your Salespeople This Great Technique?
The critical ingredient in a successful sales outcome is the ability to get adequate and accurate information as early in the sales process as possible. Those of you who have read my books, previous tips, or have attended one of my sales seminars are... 2007 Sales Training Tips From the Real World
It is widely known in MBA circles that a highly trained sales force is up to five times as effect is as a sales force which is not properly trained. Sometimes the sales profession is given a bad name, but in reality a highly trained and sales profess... Selling Styles - Men Vs Women
In my years of recruiting, training, and managing sales teams I was fortunate to have worked in both male and female dominated sales organizations. This article was written to identify the best of both styles and more importantly - the benefit of in... Process Makes Perfect
When I talk about process in selling, I am talking about the process which begins when the dialogue starts and ends, not when the PO is signed, but when the solution is complete. I want to help you develop a method of creating and communicating your ... The 16 Biggest Mistakes New Salespeople Make
There are only three ways to sell more. Do more right. Do less wrong. Do both.Here is a list I have compiled during my 35 year sales training career. that will help you understand the most frequent mistakes new salespeople make.Selling can be a dif... Knowing The Ins And Outs Of Sales Is Crucial To Your Success!
Most sales people seem to be in one of two categories. They are either rather new to sales and looking for information to help them along or they are seasoned professionals who have made great money and have had lots of success. The mediocre seem to ... Sales Philosophy: What You Believe Determines How Well You Sell
I have a simple sales philosophy: provide value first and make a friend at all costs.Now, whats YOURS? Do you believe every word of it? You should, if you want to be a great salesperson.EVERY salesperson should have a sales philosophy that they fir... Sales Training at Car Dealerships Is the Key
For those who run the sales departments at automotive car dealerships they know that the more money they spend in training their sales force the more sales the dealership will accrue. Most sales training includes positive feedback and motivational sp...
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Thursday, September 4th, 2008
What if no one ever wrote a book on how to sell things? What if no one ever did a sales seminar or produced training videos or cassette tapes teaching people how to sell? What then? Would less items and services be sold? Yes, probably, we can deduce that if sales people never learned how to sell that in fact less things would be sold right, I mean that makes sense. Indeed, we can both agree that less items and services would be sold in the market place if salesmen and women were lousy at selling.
Well it makes sense then that we need sales training materials and we need the videos, tapes and books. Well what if no one ever sold those tapes to sales men because they never read the book on how to do it, then even less would be sold. So it is very good that people are producing sales materials to help people sell. So next time you think about your business or your company you might wish to think about how valuable all this sales material is and you should considering its use so that your sales people can sell more and sell it correctly. By carefully reviewing the material and purchasing the best material to help your team succeed you will be helping your customers get what they want and informing them on why your products or services are superior. Please be thinking here, as the future of your company is at stake.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
The 10-80-10 Selling Rule
Mike came to my office one day looking very discouraged. He had been selling for about two months. He was doing significantly above average so his discouraged look surprised me.I asked him what was wrong and he said, I dont understand it. With my las... No Benefit, No Mission
People love to buy benefits. People do not enjoy buying features. The only thing you have to sell is trust. Trust me; I know what I am talking about. The only thing you have to offer is (Benefits) value. You must sell trust before you offer va... Change How You Think
Three questions should always ask yourself:1. What do you sell to others?2. What do you offer to others?3. What do you get paid to do?The answer to the first question is trust. The only thing you have to sell is trust. Everything else sells itse... What Ever Happened to B&W
...and the turbulent transparency years...If youre an emerging stock photographer and have never entertained the idea of taking a black & white stock photo, Id encourage you to try it. But, fair warning though, itll be more an experience for the soul... Are Your People Busy or Hiding Out?
Over the years, I have observed many salespeople and their routines daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. It is my belief that many salespeople waste a great deal of time. Some of the common time wasters are (there are many others, this is just a quick... 3 Places To Sell Your Digital Photos Online
Have you and your family gone a vacation and taken loads and loads of photos? What did you do with those photos?Are they just sitting on your digital camera still or have you put them on your computer buried deep in a folder somewhere?The reason I as... The Disciplined Trader Developing Winning Attitudes - For Huge Gains!
The above title refers to one of the classic investment books of all time -The Disciplined Trader: Developing Winning Attitudes by Mark Douglas. If you have not heard of this book, then you should get it - it's simply one book every trader should own... Advice for Future Salesmen
So many salespeople go into selling without understanding the fundamentals and how they are to be used to build business relationships. Often, the hard sell strategies end up doing just the opposite, sometimes without even realizing it. This is why I... Make Money Trading - How to Build a Winning Trading Business
Want to make money trading and enjoy financial freedom? Then this is the book for you - It shows you what 95% of traders fail to do treat trading as a long term business that needs a plan by Jean Folger and Lee Leibfarth. Want your own successful tra... Gann What You Can Learn From a Trading Legend
W D Gann is one of the most famous traders of all time and his status is confirmed by a life size portrait you see as you enter the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).He made a fortune of $50 million and his unique methods are used by savvy traders all a...
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Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008
Most sales trade experts will agree that the key to selling is to manage your time properly and concentrate your efforts on those folks, which have an interest in what you and your company can do for them. If the prospect does not have an interest or a desire in what you have to offer then they will not be a buyer of what you were selling. Therefore your salespeople will spend so much time scouting out prospects who need what they are selling.
From a philosophical standpoint this makes sense, as if someone needs what you were selling chances are they may wish to buy it. However, that is not exactly how it works. You see, people only buy what they want and not necessarily what they need. For instance no one needs to put alcohol, which is a poison to the human body in their body.
But they want to do to the fact that it makes them feel a certain way and takes the edge off. People spend money on what they want not what they need. If they needed it bad enough in that event their need is turned into a desire above and beyond their desire for other products or services, which they might use the unit of trade we call a dollar to purchase.
Sales managers should be sure to the salespeople that work under them understand this principle and to be sure to spend their sales time with the clients or prospects who most desire or are more interested in what they sell. If the sales personal wastes time on only goes prospects who are perceived to need what they sell, they simply will not make as many sales. This of course means your company will indeed make less money you see. Consider all those in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
Sales Training
Formulating sales policies is the key task in sales training. Sales policies cover a wide range of areas including which products should find a place in the product line; whether some of the existing products should be dropped; whether any new produc... Sales Training Programmes
Sales training programs help determine the size of the sales force. The size of the sales force has to be fixed at the optimum level. A number of interrelated considerations are involved like the level of sales expected and the number of sales people... Sales Training at Car Dealerships Is the Key
For those who run the sales departments at automotive car dealerships they know that the more money they spend in training their sales force the more sales the dealership will accrue. Most sales training includes positive feedback and motivational sp... Real Estate Sales Training
In real estate sales training, sales forecasting is very important. Sales forecasting is the task of projecting the future sales of a firm. The sales forecast indicates how much of a product is likely to be sold during a specified future period in a ... Bike Shop Sales Training
Most bike shop sales people are there because they love bicycles and this indeed helps them answer all the questions that a rider might have and yet this is not the only thing that a bicycle shop sales person needs. You see, they also need good sales... Effective Sales Training Begins By Defining Your Desired Results
Are you unhappy with your sales training? Possibly, you are not getting the results that you want because you failed to define those before you began? Read why this should be your first step if you desire effective sales training that delivers a pos... Sales Training Starts with Fundamentals
Many in sales training are of the opinion and I am too; that good sales training starts with the fundamentals. Such as verifying that the prospect is truly interested, understands what your product or service can do and is qualified and able to buy t... 2007 Sales Training Tips From the Real World
It is widely known in MBA circles that a highly trained sales force is up to five times as effect is as a sales force which is not properly trained. Sometimes the sales profession is given a bad name, but in reality a highly trained and sales profess... The Renegade Salesperson Can Ruin Your Company
All companies need sales people and those who are good in sales indeed have their pick of the best companies to work for. But beware if you run a company with a large sales force because salespeople are generally very independent folks and often step... Sales Skills are Life Skills
I love the art of selling. LOVE IT. When I first entered the field of sales, the one thing I quickly grew to appreciate was the fact that anything I did to increase my ability in selling also increased my ability in life. Sales skills are life skills...
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