Selling The New Rules How To Get The Business And Keep It

Writen by Diana Horner

Find your inner salesperson.
Most women are natural communicators, but we seem to assume that the brash, masculine, hard close approach is required to get new business. Rethink your approach and attract business, instead of chasing it.

The Badger, Ruth Badger that is, from the last series of the Apprentice was renowned for her sales technique, closing more individual deals than any candidate in task after task. Fellow finalist, Michelle Dewberry has a softer style, but was equally tenacious and ultimately, came out on top. If you are keen to attract new business, you need to identify your own selling style. Changing personality when you walk into a sales meeting, or a networking event, will not work. A confident manner is the result of preparation, combined with focus on the customer or potential customer.

If you know you have a strong personality and tend to lead in conversation, or perhaps dominate:
Practice active listening – hear what people are saying to you and pause before responding. Become conscious of how many times you hear yourself saying "I" in any exchange, and find ways to replace it with "you".

If you feel uncomfortable imposing yourself in a social and a business setting.
Practice selling conversations with someone you trust to give you honest feedback. Let them take the role of indecisive client/prospective client, and maintain a conversation that leads to you asking for and getting an order, or a meeting to discuss opportunities to help them.

Be charming, use your personality to sell, but be effective at the same time. Many a friendly female has come out of a sales pitch asking saying to herself "Well that was all very pleasant, but did I achieve anything?" A successful sales person is anyone who can have a series of conversations which result in a resolution of a problem with a solution.

The other key factor, is the importance of completing the process in an efficient manner. This means keeping the client in touch with progress and dealing with admin quickly. You can make a sale, or land a new client, and then ruin a relationship very quickly, by failing to maintain your initial enthusiasm throughout.

Get ready to act
Focus your efforts on making you and your business known, in order for potential clients to seek you out, and to think of you first when they are in a buying mood. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, including advertising, networking and PR.

Sahar Hashemi from Coffee Republic has spoken at high profile events, co-authored a book about Coffee Republic with her brother Bobby, making sure that her name, and therefore her brand, is well recognised, and remembered. Become an expert in your field. Volunteer to take workshops, dispense free advice, write press releases responding to news stories in your sector etc.

Helen Agutter, Chartered Accountant, based in Brighton, sends out an email periodically to her mailing list, which talks in a very easy to understand way – about financial issues that affect businesses and individuals. I may not always need to know about the specific legislation mentioned, but I always think of Helen first when someone needs accountancy advice.

Be Prepared. For all opportunities to talk about your business, if someone expresses an interest. However, don't be tempted to go on about it all times - I know one new business owner who took this principle a little too far at times, spreading her business cards around at family gatherings, and generally boring for England on the subject.

Imagine yourself in unexpected conversation with your ideal new client. Can you talk about your business easily and succinctly, or is it likely that you might ramble on. What do you do? Who do you work with? How can you be contacted? Smile, slow down and speak clearly. All good rules for life, but essential for creating the right impression in business!

About the Author Diana Horner has been interested in helping women run successful businesses since she started her first business in 1999. As well as establishing a highly successful woman's networking group and organising a series of events aimed at women in business, Diana now runs Enterprising Woman - an online magazine aimed at helping and motivating women starting and running their own businesses. Enterprising Woman is a growing community for finding information, sharing experiences and collecting tips from other women entrepreneurs. To read the latest issue of Enterprising Woman, packed with interesting articles and practical tips, visit http://www.enterprisingwoman.co.uk!

Building A Strong Business Relationship

Writen by Jay Conners

When it comes to business and sales, building a strong relationship is critical. The stronger your relationship is with your customer, the more likely they will be to refer you business.

Every day, make an attempt to build on the relationships you have with your customer. Don't just say hi as they walk in and goodbye as they leave.

The last thing you want to do is make your customer feel like a statistic.

Let them know that their business with you is appreciated. Talk to them, strike up a non-business conversation with them. It could involve just about anything, such as the weather, sports, a movie, pets, etc.

Non-business conversation puts your customer at ease and gets them talking. The more they talk to you, the more they will open up to you, opening the door for more sales opportunities.

Or, you can keep it simple. For starters, get to know you customers by name, than address them by name. Say things such as, "how's it going today?" Or "how was your weekend?" Or "is there anything I can help you with today?" Make your presence known and felt.

Your customer wants to be appreciated, so take a few minutes of your time to show them that you care about them as a customer.

Another way to strengthen your relationship with your customer is to keep a Rolodex handy with a list of all of your customers birthday's, anniversaries, and special events. Keep your eyes and ears open for when customers talk about up coming events in their lives. Such as children's birthdays and graduations.

When the appropriate date approaches, send your customer a card, wether it is a holiday card, a birthday card, a graduation card, or a congratulatory card. Just send it.

Your customers will appreciate the fact that you remembered them on their special day. This will only strengthen the relationship you already have with them.

There are many reasons to build a strong relationship with your customer, but two of the reasons remain to be key.

One main reason is that customers value and appreciate good customer service. They want the piece of mind of knowing that if something ever happened with their product or service, that they would have you to turn to as their go to person.

This is extremely important because your customer will have this in mind when your competition moves in to take them away.

And believe me, your competition will try to take them away. As long as you provide excellent customer service, your customer will stick with you. There is no substitute for excellent customer service.

Customer service is the most important thing to a customer, even more important than fees'.

The second reason building relationships are so important is because of the referral process.

A customer that is treated with respect and provided excellent customer service will most assuredly refer their family and friends to you. Why wouldn't they?

Your most important asset is your customer, so build and strengthen the foundations you have with them. Buy building strong relationships, you will be building your sales. Good luck.

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

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.

Business Sales Leads

Writen by Ken Marlborough

When talking about business sales leads, it is important to understand the buyer, and to create a customer through this understanding. Buyer behavior studies can play a pivotal part in this regard. A lot of time and effort have been spent on this relatively new discipline. And every buyer-study has unfolded some new dimension of this discipline. The subject has been approached and analyzed from different angles and under different premises. Different inferences have been formulated. But the subject, too complex to beat, still remains a theorem without a proof.

What motivates the buyer? What induces him to buy? Why does he buy a specific brand from a particular shop? Why does he shift his preferences from one shop to another or from one brand to another? How does he react to a new product introduced to the market, or a piece of information addressed to him? What are the stages he travels through before he makes the decision to buy?

These are some of the questions that are of perennial interest to business firms regarding the sale of their products. It is around these questions that the product and promotion strategies of the business firm ultimately revolve. In all of their strategies and plans, firms make assumptions as to how the buyers would behave and respond to marketing programs. Knowledge of the buyer and his buying motives and habits is thus a fundamental necessity for getting business sales leads.

It needs to be emphasized at the very outset that there is no unified, well-defined, tested and universally established theory of buyer behavior. What we have, today, are certain ideas on buyer behavior. Some of these ideas have taken their cue from economics, others from psychology and yet others have drawn cues from several of the social sciences simultaneously.

Business Leads provides detailed information on Business Lead Lists, Business Leads, Business Sales Leads, Free Business Leads and more. Business Leads is affiliated with Sales Lead Management.

How To Get Your Calls Returned By Becoming An Industry Expert

Writen by Mark Satterfield

Mary Haven, who is a top rainmaker for her company believes that she gets her calls returned because her clients know that she has a wealth of knowledge about what's going on in her industry. She can discuss business trends as well as who's been promoted, demoted or changed jobs. This type of industry knowledge, or gossip, is very enticing. Taking a telephone call from Mary is really an opportunity to get updated on trends and who's doing what in her industry.

Mary supplements her reputation by writing frequently for an industry trade publication and speaking at conferences, meetings and symposiums. She uses her speeches as a tool for staying in touch by calling existing and prospective clients and encouraging them to attend. Writing articles both enhances Mary's credibility and provides her with a variety of excuses for staying in touch with her clients, both when she is researching the article and after it is published.

Focus is an important component in developing your reputation for expertise. Most people define their focus by industry. Others define it by function or by what department typically buys their services. Finally, others may have a geographical focus. Naturally, focus can be some combination of these three. It's important to have a focus, otherwise it's very hard to become an expert. If you don't, it's a little like saying let's go eat American food. It just doesn't limit your choices significantly in order to target your efforts.

Joining What Your Prospects Join

Once you've determined where to focus the next step is to join the group that caters to that industry or function. If you're unclear on what association serves these groups, the answer is as near as your computer. Go on-line and access Google. Type in the industry or function you want, followed by the word, association. In a matter of moments you'll see a vast list of potential groups that cater to your search criteria. It will probably take you a little bit of time to investigate the various sites that are listed, and it's likely you will run down a few blind alleys.

However, with a modicum of effort you should be able come up with multiple associations that are worth investigating. Another benefit of this search process is that you will uncover special, one-time events that you might want to attend. I'd encourage you to get on-line with Google right now and see what your research turns up!

Reading What Your Prospects Read

The second strategy of successful rainmakers was that they read what their targeted group of prospects read.

Once you've determined where to focus the next step is to join the group that caters to that industry or function. If you're unclear on what association serves these groups, the answer is as near as your computer. Also pay attention to what magazines are lying around in the reception area the next time you call on your client. This not only gives you information about what your clients read but who else sells to this group of prospects.

When you're reading these magazines or trade journals you'll want to make sure that you're reading them from a marketer's perspective. How can what I'm reading help me build my business? An interesting point of fact is that few people who are mentioned in the press are ever contacted by individuals seeking their business.

This point was driven home a few days ago. I was in a local bookstore and happened to browse the magazine rack. I picked up a copy of the Harvard Business Review and noticed that there was an article in it by an old colleague of mine. Of course I was thoroughly impressed to know someone who was published in such a prestigious magazine, and took it upon myself to give this person a call a few days later. I knew that the magazine had been on the racks for the better part of a month, so I was interested in how many other people had called the author to congratulate him or to seek his business. I wasn't terribly surprised when in response to my question the author replied, "How many people have contacted me? You mean aside from my mother? Just you." The point is that hardly anyone contacts people who appear in print, and that's a shame. It's easy to write the author of an article you're impressed with a short note, and if you don't know the address, you can send it to them in care of the publication. It's an easy and highly productive method to establish contact with people who would be difficult to get in touch with by other means.

Along these same lines it's helpful to establish relationships with the business reporters who cover your industry. For example, since a lot of my work is with technology companies and consulting firms, I've made it a point to get to know the reporters who cover these areas. By being a source to them I've been able to establish relationships that are mutually beneficial. They get quotes and insights into the goings-on in these industries, and I get tips about personnel changes, mergers and relocations. I'm a little surprised that none of my competitors have tried to strike up similar relationships with these reporters.

Something else you'll want to pay attention to as you're perusing the trade publications is who is advertising? Again this is an often- overlooked area of opportunity.

I do a fair amount of business with one of the largest technology consulting firms in the country largely because they happened to run an advertisement in a trade journal. This particular ad listed the name of the regional VP and gave his phone number. That prompted me to give this person a call in which I referenced the ad and how effective I thought it was. This initial call ultimately resulted in an introduction to their national head of training. Today, this consulting firm is a valued client of my firm.

I used to think that if I actually contacted people who were quoted in the press or wrote articles they would think I was a pest. I incorrectly assumed that they got bombarded with telephone calls. Ironically, the exact opposite is true. Moreover, when you introduce yourself and say that you really enjoyed their article, it's a very positive way to begin a business relationship.

Mark Satterfield is the creator of the Gentle Rain Marketing System: How to Generate a Consistent Flow of New Clients. Quickly & Easily. With No Cold Calling. Find out more: http://www.gentlerainmarketing.com

Prospecting The Real Deal When It Comes To More Sales

Writen by William Stewart

We all know that selling involves finding and closing new clients. But where do you find them?

Below is a list of 19 places where you can look. Print these off and have a think about where you can find your best clients and start prospecting.

Not all of these 19 will be right for you. But, with a little imagination I am sure you'll find out exactly where to find new sales. New sales this month and each month you keep looking. The business is out there, the sales are waiting for you so go out and get more sales.

1. Yellow Pages. An excellent source but widely used. Try starting from the back to the front as most sales people who use the Yellow Pages go from the beginning to the end. Or you can access Yellow Pages for any city on the Internet.

2. Trade Shows. As you will find a lot of customers all under one roof this is an excellent place to meet new prospects. Where is your next trade show?

3. Newspapers. Review the, want ads, business section and business articles to get company names and ideas as to whom you might want to approach. Also, look for corporate announcements as well. The newspaper can provide lots of ideas

4. Industry Associations. Find out the companies and individuals who belong to specific associations—legal, medical, engineering, and so on. Consider offering yourself as a keynote speaker at their next meeting. They are always looking for ways to spice up their meetings—maybe you're the answer. Lots of leads can be had here especially if you know your stuff.

5. Use your local library. Look in the current business publications, annual reports, and an archive of newspaper articles on micro-fiche. Make a copy of relevant articles, announcements, and want ads.

6. The Internet. If it's not on the Net, it hasn't been thought of or invented yet. Use it to retrieve valuable information about a specific industry, investigate new technologies related to your field, subscribe to mailing lists, tap into a newsgroup, and so on. As it is so vast make sure you use your time wisely here though. Don't waste selling time here.

8. Breakfast Clubs. Consider joining a relevant one that helps you network. They are always looking new members. Alternatively, offer yourself as a speaker—they often look for interesting people to feature as a keynote.

9. Friends and Allies. Remember the old saying its not what you know it's who you know. Who do you know who can help you? Ask about. Sometimes your friend will help you just because you asked.

10. Previous files. Take a look through old files in the office. I'm sure you'll find some orphan accounts—perhaps even some potential born-again accounts.

11. Business Magazines and Clubs. Join the relevant ones and keep track of who's doing what.

12. You Own Internal Customers. Think of the non-sales employees that you work with. This can be a great place to get leads.

13. Referrals. Perhaps the best place to get new client introductions. Simply because you should have done a good job for your client. So who do they know that could do with you doing a good job for them. Have you asked all your clients?

14. Target a Vertical Markets. Pursue a specific profession and learn what you can about it. For example, it might be the legal or the medical profession. Get to know it inside out and be the authority in your chosen field. You will soon get known as the guy who knows the most.

15. General Observation. Keep your eyes and ears open. We are bombarded daily with thousands of messages—billboards, radio, advertisements, banners, TV, and so on. Whats new within or around your territory—construction, an information sign on a building, or remodeling in progress. Take an unfamiliar route to your existing customer to see what's going on in and around your territory. Don't drive by and wonder—stop in and find out.

16. Acquisitions and Mergers. Read the business section of your local newspaper and watch for any announcements of acquisitions and/or mergers. Your favorite account could triple in size overnight and open up an opportunity to pursue new business—real growth. Armed with an endorsement as an incumbent, your chances of success within the new company are excellent.

17. Social Contacts. Go outside your immediate circle of friends and family to include neighbors, members of social, community and religious organizations; former classmates and any other group whose members might buy the type of product or service that you offer. Sometimes social events are an opportunity to meet new and interesting people. However, be tactful when pursuing these contacts.

18. Social Clubs. Consider joining a social club or a service club such as a Rotary Club, Lions Club, or The Chamber of Commerce. It not only gives you an opportunity to volunteer for a worthy cause, it is a great avenue for networking.

19. And now….Cold Calling. The dreaded cold call. Lets face it, we all have to do it so make your mind up to just do it. This really is the backbone to good prospecting. So make a point of learning from an authority on the subject. Your sales and you bank balance will benefit.

About the Author

Billy Stewart has been a top performing sales person, manager, coach and author for the last 18 years. He writes for the web site http://www.sellingskills.info.

Here you can find useful help, articles and products to increase your selling skills

Selling Skills Presentation Techniques

Writen by David Zahn

As an entrepreneur it is entirely possible that you have never had to make public presentations and improbable that the receptivity to your previous presentations would decide if you were going to get paid or not. Certainly, the pressure of having to present to people who will decide your fate is a bit daunting at first blush. The thought of having to do that is enough to quicken many a heartbeat and increase the flow of perspiration in even the most stalwart among us if they have never had to do that. In fact, it has been reported that people fear going to the dentist and making a presentation even ahead of dying!

To provide some relief for you on your first few times through this process though, I would suggest you remember the following:
1. You have been asked to present because you know something of value that the people you are presenting to want to know. The only way you get to presentation stage with a prospect is if you have demonstrated at least a preliminary understanding of what the prospect is interested in achieving. So, relax and share what you know.

2. Of course, that causes some people to fast forward ahead and begin to think of all the ways they will embarrass themselves:

a. They will stutter and stammer

b. They will not know the answer to something

c. They will fear that they will spill something on themselves or a whole host of other horrific events.

The truth is that the more one focuses on these things, the more likely they are to occur, but even accepting that, there are still the fears and anxieties associated with presenting. The good presenters have managed to use a healthy dose of humor, self deprecation, and an ability to recognize that even if the absolute worst thing that could happen does in fact occur; that their life does not come to an end. Each of the previous things may happen from time to time – but remember that you are also presenting to people that are equally fearful of being held up to ridicule themselves and very often will relate to you and your troubles and be very understanding.

3. Given that you will likely be super-prepared for the presentation and will likely try to anticipate every possible question or objection to your presentation, chances are that there will be little that you have not worked through in your mind by the time of the presentation. However, should a question arise that you are unprepared for, do not be afraid to say something to the effect of, "I will get back to you with the answer to that question. I would rather not try to respond with an answer that is off the cuff and risk being wrong." Then, make sure you do respond later.

4. The last thing to remember is that the participants do not know what you intended to say, they only hear what you did say. So, since they did not know that you missed a point or shared the third point before the second one, they are unaware that you skipped a line in your mental script. You know better than they do about what you wanted to say, so don't stress about how you botched the presentation, only you will know what it should have been.

If all else fails, remember the Cindy Brady trick of imagining the participants to your presentation in their underwear and smirk to yourself. Laughter is always a tension reliever!

David Zahn is a two-time author addressing the issues of entrepreneurship and consulting ("How To Succeed As An Independent Consultant, 4th Ed." and "The Quntessential Guide To Using Consultants") as well as being a frequent interviewee and contributor to articles in publications like, "BusinessWeekOnline, Entrepreneur, BrandWeek, Training & Development, CTPostOnline, and others. For a free "business readiness assessment," please click on http://www.startupbuilder.com.

Dollar Store Setup Tips From Leading Retail Fixture Supplier

Writen by Scott Kolbe

It's no secret why people love to shop at a dollar store. The idea of walking in with ten bucks, and knowing you can buy ten different items is admittedly fascinating to many consumers. But value alone is not enough to bring customers in to the store, and keep them coming back.

So what is the secret ingredient? Why do some dollar stores thrive with repeat customers and high average sales, while others struggle to make ends meet? You might be surprised to know it has less to do with merchandise, and more to do with the setup and layout of the store.

Whether it is a dollar store, a grocery store or a high end department store, it is important for retailers to offer more than brand names or amazing prices. While those baits might get them in the store, they aren't able to create a positive overall experience for the shopper by themselves. It is important to create an environment that is comfortable for your customer on every visit.

Here are three valuable tips to help dollar store owners maximize their profit potential with store setup:

Think Like the Customer: Setup the store with their values in mind. If it means losing an aisle to make the store easier to get around in, it may be worth it. After all, are 15 aisles better than 14 if no one is shopping at the dollar store? Don't overstuff your shelves with products, because it will overwhelm your customer. Avoid clutter and make sure all paths through the store are open and easy to navigate.

Follow the Leader: Giant retail chains have spent millions of dollars on research to determine the best way to layout their stores. Look no further than their aisles for the keys to setting up a dollar store. Visit a few existing local retailers and take notes. This isn't the time to be creative and try something new. In an effort to create a unique experience for customers, you will confuse them and cause them to either stay longer than they want, or leave out of frustration. Once you've got some ideas, find a dollar store supply center to get your supplies.

Mind your End Caps: Product suppliers have been known to get into fierce competition over aisle end cap placement, and there's a reason for it. Aisle ends offer premium product visibility. Stock impulse buy items at the end of the aisle, and it will likely pay off. Unsure which products will work best in an end cap? Try a variety and monitor the results.

Success in the dollar store retail segment is largely up to the retailer. With the popularity of dollar stores, you have a lot of opportunity to build upon. Taking the time to think about customers in the setup process, will ensure they think about your dollar store for years to come. For a wide variety of fixtures, supplies and ideas, visit www.nu-era.com.

Nu-Era and nu-era.com are services of The Nu-Era Group, LLC -the industry leader in store fixtures, supplies, and fulfillment. Nu-Era has been providing its customers with competitively priced quality products with customer-oriented service since 1949. For more information, visit them online at http://www.nu-era.com

How To Boost Sales Channel Performance

Writen by Andrew Rowe

Let's talk about how many companies use third party distribution channels to leverage their overall organizational resources to increase sales. In today's day and age, a lot of companies are using third party channels for reselling and supporting their products. Those channels include OEMs, system integrators, value added resellers, manufactures reps, agents, and distributors, among others. And they are used both domestically as well as internationally to push product out through multiple channels to their target markets. Yet many companies view this channel activity as being something that's free and easy to attain and don't necessarily focus the right resources on really developing and managing the right channels that would optimize their sales performance.

We see a lot of companies that set up and sign up third party resellers for their products, but gain very, very little actual sales performance from them. The reason for this is really twofold. First of all, without a very rigorous selection process, signing up a third party channel doesn't necessarily lead you to success, just like hiring a poor sales person doesn't necessarily mean you're going to sell more. Number two, once signed up, many companies make the mistake of thinking third party channels will sustain themselves on their own, with very little support.

So, we're going to talk a little bit about channel selection, and channel management to optimize sales performance in the next two discussions. The key here, though, is to remember that third party channels can be a very powerful sales tool and a very powerful mechanism for getting your products to market faster and at lower fixed costs, that going through direct sales channels and have the potential to extend you into markets that you could not otherwise reach on your own, by virtue of the specialization and the location of different resellers in your target markets. So gaining market coverage through third party channels is a very compelling argument. The issue is, making sure that you're not just setting up channels that are full of empty promises and not actually capable of delivering sales for your company.

About Cube Management

Cube Management delivers sales acceleration services to emerging growth and mid-market companies. The experts at Cube Management work across the entire spectrum of marketing, sales and business development to provide customized solutions (whether recruiting, interim management or consulting) that drive revenue and profit growth. Cube Management combines Strategy, Process & People to produce winning results. Download the Cube Management Inside Sales Guide and the Cube Management Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Guide.

The History Of Cigars

Writen by Rachna Agarwal

No doubt, cigar smoking is a pleasure. Over the period, it is considered as the symbol of status of wealth and class. But, do you wonder from where this fashion of cigar smoking came into limelight and who started this? According to research, cigars have been around for over 1,000 years. It was started by the original native population of the islands in the Caribbean as well as the rest of Mesoamerica in as early as 900 AD. In fact, a ceramic vessel at a Mayan dig site in Uaxactun, Guatemala have been found, which was painted with the likeness of a man smoking a cigar that's says the glowing past of cigars.

Later Genoese explorer Christopher Columbus had introduced the smoking to Europe. With two of his colleagues Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, Columbus had taken puffs of tobacco wrapped in maize husks, thus becoming the first European cigar smokers.

During 19th century, the popularity of cigars was on its heights. In fact, all the states of United States had a cigar factory. Cigars were more popular than cigarettes making almost everyone a smoker, or lived with one. Later, in the early part of the 20th century, cigar sales were at its peak. According to a report, the weight of tobacco sold in the United States alone in one year would equal the weight of the entire population of 10 states combined. Found everywhere in the united states, cigars were priced as per the size of the pocket of the general population as earlier Americans were not allowed to buy the Cuban cigars.

Online Cigars Market
The passion of smoking cigars increased with the time. There has been a tremendous rise in the number of cigar smokers now in comparison of past years. Order whether an oscuro cigar, the black one or choose the claro, light brown cigar, make sure you get the right cigar to enjoy that unforgettable experience that lasts forever. By buying cigars online, you can also protect yourself from the duplicate cigars that are common these days. In fact, it also gives you the facility to get cigars at your doorsteps too, no matters you are the resident of any corner of the world.

Cigars are the ultimate experience of smoking. From last 1000 years, the fashion of cigar smoking is in practice and still alluring many aficionados to carry on this great passion.

For more information on buy cigars online visit http://www.selective-cigars.com.

Author is a cigar industry expert.

Saluting The Squawkers Complaints Often Key To Improving Sales Retention And Loyalty

Writen by Craig Harrison

It's said nobody likes a complainer. I beg to differ. In customer service a complainer is doing you a favor. They are the extension of your research, testing and quality assurance departments. Although essentially unpaid, they're providing you with invaluable, often real-time feedback on what isn't working in your business or your relationship with them. Try to put a price tag on that!

We know from surveys that most unhappy customers voice their displeasure with their feet Ñ they just walk. They simply go away. No fanfare, no pronouncements. One day they're disgruntled, the next they disappear.

You belatedly discern they've left — but why? What happened? By then, it's probably too late. So let's celebrate the complainers. Let's salute the squeakers. The data they provide make improvement possible. Their feedback gives you end-user validation of your processes and procedures, your product lines and service levels.

Since most customers are convinced you either don't care or won't change, those that care to share should be valued and rewarded. Be open to their feedback. See the long term value of fixing a problem this customer has experienced. For each customer who complains many more may have already moved away, or will soon if you don't fix your problem.

Make it easy for customers to give you feedback and listen generously when they do come forth. Telling a customer "nobody else has complained" misses the point. Consider the following action steps to leverage complaints into constructive improvement:

Thank customers for taking the time to let you know of their less than stellar experiences.

Honor their courage in speaking up

Reward their input in little yet meaningful ways: complimentary items, discounts, future preferential treatment, etc.

When you act on their complaint let them know you've done so. They'll feel their power and your responsiveness will strengthen the bond between you and them.

In its own way a complaint is a compliment — they cared enough to let you fix the problem. They think you're capable of doing so and will be delighted when you do. They're a customer worth saving!

Book Craig's LISTENING presentation for your company, association or workgroup: http://www.ExpressionsOfExcellence.com/listen.html Buy and license Craig's LISTENING -- THE FORGOTTEN COMMUNICATION SKILL class and workbook: http://www.ExpressionsOfExcellence.com/prod_workplace.html#Listening

What Is Referral Lead Generation

Writen by Diana D'Itri

Referrals aren't generated, they just happen, right? While many businesses believe this, it is a common marketing myth. Most businesses assume that referrals just happen by chance when someone tells another person about their experience with the products or services they've received. While word-of-mouth has always been an obscure concept and certainly unpredictable, new Internet technologies are making it easier than ever to nudge along and follow its momentum.

The Difference Between Referrals and Word-of-Mouth

Before you begin a word-of-mouth or referral advertising campaign, you should understand the difference between the two. While referrals and word-of-mouth (WOM) can both help to promote business, referrals go further, allowing customers to actually participate in the sales process. This participation may include a face-to-face, telephone or email introduction. And although a referral begins with word-of-mouth, word-of-mouth does not always generate a referral.

Successful referral lead generation starts when a marketer or business owner adopts a new mindset about referrals, recognizing the sales potential available through a warm market. A warm market includes those customers, vendors or other businesses that have worked with you in the past or have purchased your products or services, and had a good experience. Utilizing this warm market, plus integrating some kind of a customer relations referral system, promotes successful lead generation and keeps your business on track.

Cold Leads or Warm Referrals?

Many businesses are just too busy pursuing customers to take time and learn how to get customers to pursue them. They say people change for one of two reasons; pleasure or pain. Unless the pain is painful enough, many businesses would rather continue pumping money into ineffective advertising outlets or purchasing leads from brokers.

This is especially true for certain industries like the mortgage industry where lead purchasing is a mainstay. A cold lead is an individual or contact that is not familiar with your business, and has never purchased your products or services before. These leads demand the longest buying process and reaching them is challenging because it requires repeated message saturation to achieve optimal results or client conversion.

Today, higher advertising costs, increased competition, an overly-saturated consumer marketplace, and lower ROI are making business owners and marketers alike take a second look at referral marketing as an alternative to standard advertising methods that just don't seem to bring in the results they used to. Which sounds better, a cold lead or a warm referral? When statistics show that up to 45% of most businesses are chosen based on the recommendations of others, why do businesses and marketers still continue to throw their hard earned marketing dollars at a cold market?

The Internet offers hope through interactivity, affordability and accessibility. New technological resources are readily available to us, to help support referral generating efforts and make it easier to spread word of mouth. Unlike rising gas prices, we can actually fight back against rising ad cost by using the Internet to improve customer retention and facilitate in the referral generating process. Satisfied customer advocates are our best selling asset and they're also the best defense against rising advertising costs.

Some ways in which technology can be used to grow referrals and save ad spend:

· Permission Based Emails – a vehicle to "get the word out" · Refer a Friend links – makes it easier to forward information to others · e-Newsletters – simple and low cost way to stay top of mind · Audio and Video Testimonials – increases credibility and trust · Electronic gift cards – low cost, efficient way to send and track rewards · Affiliate Web Links – added exposure with reciprocal referral partnerships

Diana D'Itri is the Exec VP of Ravebiz, a leading referral marketing and technology company. She's a key driving force behind educating clients on how to generate more quality referred customers through practical applications and an automated, web based system called the Rave APG eReferral. For a free download "31 tips for boosting referral business" go to http://www.ravebiz.com Diana can be reached at (866) 284-3020 or email her at diana@ravebiz.com.

Sell Feelings Not Facts

Writen by Alan Fairweather

I've been hearing for years that a successful business needs to have a USP (unique sales point). The problem is that most businesses find difficulty in identifying what their USP is. And even if they have a USP, eventually they find their competitors doing the same thing.

So instead of losing sleep wondering what your USP could be, far better to think about what your ESP (emotional sales point), could be.

Your ESP is about how your customers feel when they deal with you. How they feel when they use your product or service.

A USP could be - "We have a 24 hour delivery service" The ESP would be - "You'll be enjoying our product the day after ordering it"

A USP - "Our prices are very competitive" The ESP - "You'll feel you've received value for money if you buy this"

As all good sales people know, we don't sell a feature (USP) we sell a benefit (ESP).

Customers don't buy Nike clothing because there made from quality materials, they buy Nike because they want to feel like Tiger Woods on the Golf course or Andre Aggasi on the tennis court.

They don't buy Microsoft products because of all the research they've done, they buy them because they feel good about them.

Start to think what your ESP is. What does your product or service do that makes your customers feel secure, comfortable, acceptable to others, admired, stylish, wealthy, important, happy, relaxed or sexy.

For those of you selling engineering or technical products and think this isn't for you - think again.

Some years ago I worked as a Sales Engineer for Loctite industrial adhesives. On several occasions I proved to engineers through numerous tests, how my product could save time and money over the assembly methods they were using.

Many engineers agreed with all the test results however they often rejected the product on the basis that it didn't FEEL right for them. I realised then that I needed an ESP to overcome this resistance.

So there you have it - always remember that a customer will make an emotional decision before a logical one, whatever they're buying - so what's your ESP?

Discover how you can generate more business without having to cold call! Alan Fairweather -"The Motivation Doctor" - is the author of "How to get More Sales Without Selling" To receive your free newsletter and free e-books, visit the Motivation Doctor

Top 20 Sales Club How To Plan Your Way Into The Top 20 Club Of Service Professionals

Writen by Cheryl Clausen

Bill Gates has a plan, why don't you? Bill Gates is moving away from direct involvement in the operations of Microsoft to spend more time on the other things in life that he values. The most successful people don't get where they are going without a plan and neither will you. Frequently professional service providers don't think of themselves as independent business owners, but you are. The sooner you realize that you are an independent business owner and begin to conduct your business as a business the sooner you will begin to make progress toward the top.

Having goals is not the same thing as having a plan. Many of you have short and long term goals, but goals themselves are not an overall plan for your future. They are an element of your plan. Frequently your goals are vague and not very motivating, and as a consequence you don't achieve them. A plan is a bigger picture view of your future. Well defined goals move you closer to the attainment of that future.

Are you focused on your career goals at the expense of the other aspects of your life? When you place all your emphasis on just one aspect of your life you get out of balance and decrease your overall likelihood for success. You feel overworked, stressed out, and cheated. When you are working that hard you expect to see super results, but they just don't seem to fall in line like you expect that they will. You are looking at life through a magnifying glass and fail to notice the world around you and the opportunities that exist right under your very nose.

Without a clear vision you're like Alice in Wonderland and any path will do. Alice didn't know where she was going so it didn't much matter which path she chose. You know that if you want to travel to a specific destination that you will get there faster and with less problems if you use a road map or GPS system than if you just hop in the car and start driving. Yet everyday you hop in your car and start driving and you don't even know where you want to go. That's because for the most part you don't think in any detail much beyond today, this week, this month, or perhaps this year.

The first step to a better future is to create it through planning. Many of you have never put together a strategic plan for your business let alone for your life. You have to know what you are working toward in order to identify the critical success factors that must be accomplished to have your ideal future become a reality. These are the key areas of accomplishment that are both necessary and sufficient for the accomplishment of your vision of your ideal future. From the identification of these critical success factors you are then able to break these areas down into specific goals and action steps that you must take to have this ideal future become a reality.

Balance is necessary for fulfillment, but balance isn't the same for everyone. Having balance between your personal life and your professional life will enable you to lead a more fulfilling and pleasurable life. People who have balance in their lives tend to be more successful in business as well. Realize that balance is relative and determine what balance means to you. For example, I like coffee but a perfect cup of coffee for me isn't made up of 1/3 coffee + 1/3 sugar + 1/3 cream. How you portion out your life will be unique to you and should be based on your values and purpose.

There is a chasm as large as the Grand Canyon between goal setting and goal getting. Which side of the canyon are you on? Do you set a lot of goals and get very few? Well if that is you it is time to cross the Colorado River over to the goal getting side. First, realize that goal getting is not an academic exercise or something you do to please someone else. Make your goals as specific as possible so there is no doubt in your mind where you are in your progress toward the accomplishment of the goal. Identify the true driver for why this goal is important to you so that you will be self-motivated to work toward its accomplishment in spite of having to do things you don't want or like to do.

"I've tried planning before and it just took up a lot of time that I don't have and I didn't really see the benefit", you say. That's part of your list of excuses for not planning. You think you don't have time to plan, but if you did a better job of planning you would use your time better and have more time. More than likely when you did this planning it was really for something pretty short term and when that was done so were you with the planning process. You haven't made the connection in your mind yet, if you do a good job of planning your future for the long haul you will be able to take charge of your life rather than allowing life to happen to you. You may also feel a little uncertain or uncomfortable about doing something like this because you have never done it before. Well everything in your life was a first at some point and that hasn't stopped you from getting where you are today! So take the plunge and experience the difference a little planning can make in your life!

Effective planning can help you to join the elite group of the most successful people who enjoy both personal and professional success. Start today with a little dreaming about what your life would look like if you were able to live your vision of the ideal future. Take those dreams a little closer to reality by creating a vision for your future. Make your vision long-term and then ask yourself what you can do in the next year to move yourself closer to that vision. This becomes your mission. Break that mission all the way down into the action steps that you will need to take to achieve your mission. Be specific, be realistic, hold yourself accountable, make sure it's what you truly want; schedule the action steps in your planning system, and monitor your progress. The river is rough for the unprepared so make your plans to cross the river over to the goal getting side where dreams turn into reality through your conviction and purpose that comes from well laid plans.

Cheryl Clausen is a business coach specializing in working with professional service providers such as financial planners, insurance agents, and realtors, and small business owners. To contact her call 402-926-1134 or visit the Measured Success Inc. website at http://www.measuredsuccessinc.com and sign up for her ezine "Short Notes."

Is This The End Of The Sales Letter

Writen by Barry McDonald

For a while everyone used to talk about sales letters, you could buy a pack of sales letter or get sales letter software to help you out. But things have started to change, I don't know if people have gotten more sense or maybe the penny has finally dropped?

But, every where you look now everyone seems to be talking about building mailing lists and profiting from them. I've even noticed that there has been an increase in the free e-books in circulation about mailing lists. Is this the end of the sales letter?

When you look at it even with a very good sales letter the response rate can be only 2-3%, but by building and maintaining a good mailing list the response rate can be 10% and more. The problem with a sales letter is that the prospect only usually comes to it once has a quick look decides "Yes" or "No" to themselves and off the go. So with a 2-3% response rate you lose out on the other 98% of your customers. Some of the "experts" claim that the main reason for having a website is to collect e-mail address and nothing else. Once you have the e-mail address you can follow up on your prospect as often as you want until they either buy something off you or unsubscribe.

So where does that leave you, should you pull down that sales letter and put your copywriting books away?

Well no, but you should consider building an opt in web page as your first point of contact with your prospect. Give something of value away or get them to sign up to an e-mail course you've put together, so now you have an excuse to contact them over a period of time and build up a relationship. When they start to get to know you and trust you, you'll start to see your sales letter conversion rate start to climb and once they've bought off you its easier to sell to them again and again.

Remember the money is in the list BUT only if its done properly. Click here to receive a FREE copy of "Instant List Profits" and get started on the right path first time.

The Problem With Technology At The Point Of Sale In Financial Services

Writen by Frank Salisbury

Background

There's a conundrum that currently exists between the customer and the seller in financial services. The customer buys and the seller sells. The customer is focused on their wants as much as needs, and whilst the seller often says they are focused on the customer's needs, all too often the focus is on products and profit. Indeed a wider examination of the decline in customer service might also do well to address the issue of remuneration systems which reward sales but not customer service. This latter practice merely confirms the customer's suspicion that the seller has more to gain from any advice or transaction than the buyer. Included in the mix is regulation. Regulation was meant to assist and protect the consumer. Instead, we have witnessed a massive exodus from providing advice whilst compliance costs rocket skywards. The continuation of bad press on sales practices; fines of major firms; and the inability of the industry to speak with one voice leads many to believe that protection for the consumer is a by-product not an aim. In addition the customer is now faced with an overloading of the sales or customer relationship process with paper, which include endless questions to complete even the simplest transaction and massive fact finds covering every conceivable piece of information imaginable. Rather than act as a comfort to customers these processes have merely heightened their suspicions. Yet insofar as technology is concerned, whilst the customer trusts the technology, they do not trust the person operating the technology.

Point of Sale systems

In this scenario it is hardly surprising that Point of Sale systems continually fail to pay back the investment. In most cases it's not that the system doesn't work, it's just that working the system requires different skill-sets and a realisation that the customer is wary of being asked questions. These are behavioural issues and yet whilst Point of Sale systems by design are based upon a customer's past buying behaviours and potential future buying propensity they tend to lack an appreciation of: - a) The reluctance of the seller to use technology at the point of sale b) The physical environment in which customer interactions take place c) The amount of time it takes to learn to operate new technology with confidence in front of a customer

Reluctance of sellers to use technology at the point of sale

Many experienced and qualified advisers now rely heavily on technology. This explosion of the use of technology has led all software and hardware suppliers and IT departments to believe that the future is bright, the future is technology. In the rush to design and implement systems however, some basics have been overlooked:

a) Sellers are as opposed to sales processes as are customers

b) Introducing technology at the point of sale involves a significant change of behaviour on the part of the seller

c) Sellers experience great difficultly in changing their behaviour

d) Most sellers in the type of financial services organisations that can afford to buy Point of Sale systems are junior front-line staff with the consequence that

- their feedback on the reality of using these systems in front of customers is often ignored

- where they provide feedback it is often guarded

- pilot launches are always used with 'champions' who provide a minute insight into the difficulties which will be faced when launching the system to a wider audience. In addition many of the results of pilots are widely exaggerated in order to bolster the confidence of those who have already embarked upon considerable expenditure and of those who will continue to be used as champions

e) The ability of sellers to convince managers that the system is being used when it is not (this in itself is one of the main reasons for Point of Sale systems not realising any return on investment)

f) The ability of sellers to convince managers that customers do not like the new system whereas the opposite is almost always the case. What customers do not like is the behaviour they experience from the seller. Clearly if the seller is reluctant to use the system they will adopt a less than enthusiastic set of behaviours in front of the customer

g) The ability of sellers to convince managers that changes should be made to the system in order to make the customer feel more comfortable

The physical environment

Most Point of Sale systems are information hungry and therefore the programme requires the seller to either input or to read a significant amount of data. This results in the seller and customer seating positions being such that almost always exclude the customer from seeing what is going on. The customer becomes wary. The seller senses the discomfort of the seller and reacts accordingly. The customer senses the discomfort of the seller – and so the cycle continues.

Time to learn

In all cases, the time estimated and used to teach sellers the new system is inadequate. By the time sellers return to the workplace most will have forgotten 90% of the details of the system. This then requires them to teach themselves how the system works during lulls in normal customer interactions. This fragmentation of learning takes place without reinforcement or feedback and certainly without the practice of using the system in front of a customer. Within a very short time-scale sellers have taught themselves to use the system without the customer being present. When the opportunity then presents itself to use the system live with a customer the leap from theory to practice is too daunting and therefore delayed until the seller feels more confident. This simply never happens.

The solution

In an environment where the cost of Point of Sale is significant the solution is simple but unpalatable – it requires more time and resource.

DESIGN OF THE CUSTOMER INTERFACE

The system has to be designed with the customer in mind not the seller. The customer has to see what is happening and in this way can be encouraged to take part in the exploration of their needs and wants

DESIGN OF THE TRAINING

The first step for sellers is the need to convince them that the system will work in front of a customer. They have to be shown how it will work. The second step is to convince the user how much effort is required to learn how to use the system in front of a customer. The third step is to provide sufficient time and to ensure that the design of the training balances technical knowledge with physical selling skills

FIELD IMPLEMENTATION

The most critical aspect of field implementing is often overlooked – the involvement of the line manager. The manager must act as a coach which means they have to be trained to use the system – but do not need to become experts. They need to experience the learning. In this way they will be able to gauge when sellers are resisting because of learning difficulties or emotional difficulties. They need to taught how to recognise the difference and how to behave accordingly. Coaches need to be taught how to transfer training to the field and the crucial element – how to improve performance. The whole point of Point of Sale is to improve performance.

Frank Salisbury has worked on a number of successful point of sale implementation projects. If you want to find out how he can help you make a success of your project contact him at: Business & Training Solutions Ltd, 28 Rye Close, Banbury, Oxfordshire. OX16 1XG. Telephone 01295 250 247; Mobile - 07836 267039 frank@btsolutions.ie

Everyones A Facilitator

Writen by Bill James-Wallace

It used to be "Everyone's a Salesperson" and maybe it's still true but the more I read and the more I learn about customer buying habits, it's less about sales and more about facilitation.

Sales is about influencing, about convincing someone they need what you have. Others may have it too but they should get it from you because ... rattle off a list of reasons.

Unfortunately, everyone is doing the same thing.

I talk with a lot of people who are in very competitive fields - mortgage broking, banking and finance, floristry (diverse, huh?) - and they are all looking at delivering the same thing - their product + personal service.

I ask every client/prospect the question: "What will you do that will be different?"

The response is always the same: "I'll offer dedicated personal service."

And without being unkind, I have to respond: "Yes, you and everyone else."

Personal service is a commodity. Everyone is doing it to varying degrees of success.

If you are exceptional, it can be your point of difference. However, exceptional people, by definition, are rare! They are the - exception.

So what does this have to do with being a facilitator?

Well, my background is in training and development and during my "training to be a trainer" I learned the Latin for facilitator is 'facile'.

Facile means to make easy or simple. (In our darker moments we will admit to knowing people who are facile - simple.)

But in business, making things easy for a client may be the key point you are looking for.

* Can you imagine your clients raving about you because you made complex matters - easy.

* Maybe you simplified the process.

* Maybe the transaction went through like a breeze.

Case in Point: The Test of Good IT Sales

I've worked with a lot of IT people and I have a friend who makes IT easy for me. I like him for that and I recommend people to him because of that particular quality.

But as Albert Einstein said, "Things should be as simple as possible, but not simpler."

I didn't quite get that at first but you can also oversimplify things - critical factors begin to fall through the cracks. So we can't afford to go overboard.

There is still work involved

This is THE crucial point. To make life easier for your clients, we have to do some work.

1. We have to work out what the process is

2. We have to identify the pitfalls ahead of time, not just fix them when they occur

3. We have to keep the client informed in line with a pre-defined path

4. We have shield the client from problems they don't need to worry about

5. We have to be responsible for all actions, (sometimes even those outside our control)

The point of all this is that the client thinks we're amazing. It was just so easy. In Australia we might say "Too easy."

So while many of us are in sales, we are really facilitators of someone else's goal, dream, lifestyle.

Make it easier for them and you'll make it easier for you.

Bill James-Wallace helps his clients grow their business through better and more strategic customer relationships. Drawing on his 18 years experience in the financial industry as a Sales Manager and Manager of Training & Development, he helps business owners play on the same field as corporates.

Bill can be contacted at bill@resultdrivensolutions.com.

Sales Jobs Or Management Jobs Which Are Better

Writen by Tino Buntic

Are you starting a career and must decide whether to choose between a sales job or a management job? Are you at a point in your career where you have the option to get into a sales field or a management field? Here are my reasons why sales jobs are more rewarding, better paying, and more captivating and why I would recommend them over management jobs:

1. With sales jobs your remuneration is higher and the potential for higher pay is directly related to your performance. Sales jobs typically pay commissions, bonuses, or a hybrid of salary plus commission. So if you want to earn more you can and it's totally up to you. Your work directly affects how much you get paid so the motivation to work, and work hard, will always be there. This is not so with management jobs. Managers tend to earn a set salary so no matter what they do they will earn the same. So there's no monetary motivation to do a better job.

2. Sales jobs are the most important jobs in any organization. Sales drive a company's revenue and growth. Without a sales department there would be no revenue. With no revenue there would be no company and, hence, no managers.

3. Salespeople are the first point of contact for clients. So they hear directly from them what they respond to and what's not working for them. This also gives salespeople an advantage to alter their pitch as opposed to Managers who advise of the big picture administrative objectives . Sales jobs, naturally, permit salespeople to perform market research through client interactions allowing them to pass on that information to management; managers end up relying on salespeople for information. Your role is a salesperson is more powerful than you think when it comes to your organization's ultimate decisions and strategies.

4. Through sales prospecting, meeting with decision makers from other companies, meeting customers, and traveling sales work, especially outside sales jobs, deliver substantially more variety in your day-to-day activities. Salespeople are always doing something different, with different people, in different places. Managers commute to the same place every day, do the same things, with the same people. This tediousness often leads to boredom and an unsatisfying work life.

5. If you ever plan to start your own business in the future, sales experience will help you succeed more than would management experience. If you can sell you will be successful anywhere. You cannot learn to sell because that can only come with experience. Nobody can pick up and read a sales book and instantly become a top performer. Management is more about administrative and diplomatic duties. While important, this does not make or break how successful a business becomes and is more easily learned than it is to learn how to sell.

So, I would just like to say, if you are starting a career or if you find yourself at a crossroad and need to decide between a sales job and a management job, choose the sales job, that is, if you're looking for higher pay and a more rewarding work experience.

Tino Buntic is a lifelong salesperson and is helping other business professionals generate sales leads with his website, TradePals.

Selling Skills Where Do I Find Customers

Writen by David Zahn

Perhaps the most difficult part of the sales job is to locate customers. After all, they rarely introduce or announce themselves to you as potential customers without your having prompted the discussion in some way.

The first thing to do is to separate out how to classify or categorize customers so that we can begin to understand how to approach them:

• First level of identification is SUSPECT. A suspect is someone who shares common characteristics with your target customer group, or perhaps existing customers. So, if you sold something that was well received by one particular kind of customer, say, for instance a physician bought your billing software – then you might consider all physicians or medical providers as suspects. The other medical practitioners have expressed no interest in you or your product or service, but you suspect they might have use for what you sell if you could just get in front of them. The best way to approach these people is through:

1. Advertising in specific journals or websites or other media where you know they are likely to see it.
2. Website or email campaigns if appropriate based on the product or service and direct mail in other instances.
3. Writing articles in those same publications.
4. Attending trade shows if that is practical.
5. Ask current satisfied customers for introductions to others in same industry.

• The next level of identification is a PROSPECT. A prospect is someone who has responded back to you with interest in your company's capabilities or products and services. The best way to approach them is through:

1. Telephone contact to follow up on what their needs and objectives are in pursuing the product or service.
2. Face to face meeting to accomplish the same thing if either local or a big enough deal to warrant the expense of a face to face visit.
3. Email, though if it is truly a prospect with interest, this is a rather tepid response back that does not demonstrate much interest in pursuing the prospect's business.
4. Direct mail or website contact highlighting specific points of interest to the prospect, but here too, this seems less engaging than a more personal contact.

• The level after that is CUSTOMER. This is someone who recently or is currently buying from your company and the best way to maintain that relationship is through constant contact of telephone, email, face to face, sending of articles of interest from newspapers or journals, etc.

• The last level is FORMER CUSTOMER and represents those that previously bought from you but no longer do. Using your rolodex or list of customers that you collected when they were doing business with you, and you did remember to collect their contact information when you worked with them – connect with them again to inquire what has changed, what new needs they have, why they no longer buy your product or service and try to re-engage with them again. Use any or all of the following methods to do that:

1. Email
2. Telephone
3. Face-to-face contact
4. Direct mail or website surveys

With a little planning and some forethought, potential customers are all around you as an entrepreneur; your task is to lasso them into becoming current customers for you and your company.

David Zahn is a two-time author addressing the issues of entrepreneurship and consulting ("How To Succeed As An Independent Consultant, 4th Ed." and "The Quntessential Guide To Using Consultants") as well as being a frequent interviewee and contributor to articles in publications like, "BusinessWeekOnline, Entrepreneur, BrandWeek, Training & Development, CTPostOnline, and others. For a free "business readiness assessment," please click on http://www.startupbuilder.com.

How Much Incentive Do You Need To Give Your Prospects For Them To Respond

Writen by John Manley

Daily, we see all sort of special discounts or bonuses being offered. Whether it's on the fast-growing web or at the grocery store's frozen food section - we're bombarded with some type of incentive to get us to try a new product or service.

I'm not 100% convinced this is an effective means of generating sales. Especially long-term sales. Here's why…

What type of people do you attract by dropping your price? Price-shoppers looking for a discount? Or future clients seeking quality?

They switch to your product or service to save $5 or $25…then switch back to your competition when the sale is over.

But for the sake of this short article, let us assume that dropping prices is a good way to win customers.

How much should you drop it?

The best way to know is to test. You may find the results interesting.

Many studies have shown that anything beyond a $5 incentive has little effect on response. For example, let's say a postcard campaign is receiving a 10% response rate with a $5 discount. Next run, you try a $25 or $50 discount, but only receive a 12% return. (Hard compensation for an extra $20-$45 profit loss.)

Why is this happening?

My experience is that certain people are moved by a discount (no matter what size). They simply like discounts.

While there are other types of customers who require other motivations to convince them to buy, in fact, discounts may well be a turn-off for them.

Either way, testing and finding out how much of a discount your product requires to significantly affect results can save you $10, $20, $100 on each sale.

Let's try to save a little more…

Here's another method you can test that has been proven to produce the same results as offering a discount.

Expose your audience to your sales message repeatedly – whether it's via a letter, postcard or a magazine advertorial. Continue until it is no longer proving profitable.

For example, let's say an email auto-responder with a $5 discount is earning you a 5% response rate. Without the discount, you're only earning 1%.

Now, try taking away the discount. Mail three to seven different versions of that email, one week apart. You may easily hit the 5%.

Now, emails are virtually free to distribute. But, depending on your medium, repeated exposure might cost more than simply offering a discount. For instance, direct mail might cost you $50-$100 per 100 mailed.

You don't want to spend $200 to save $20?

Or do you?

This is where long-term tracking can become an extremely valuable asset to your business. Again, what kind of client responds to the $5 discount?

You may find that the price-shopper who likes discounts never purchases from you again. But the prospect that did not need a discount places steady orders for the next twelve months.

Let's say you sell a $50 book on home remedies for cats and dogs. Plus you sell other pet products as backend. In this case, you lose $5 with the discount, and maybe another $25 paying for the mailing. The book cost you $20 to produce. So you've broken even.

But then that customer never buys from you again.

On the other hand, if you use repeated mailings…you may lose $50 to $100 on that first order. But then that customer purchases cat food from you on a monthly basis. By the end of the year, you have grossed $3,000 from that one $100 sacrifice.

The point here: track the 12-month results. Not the immediate pay-off. You may very well be losing where you think you are gaining.

John's Natural-Persuasion Ezine is delivered weekly. It shows you the secrets to generating rising sales through "natural-persuasion" marketing methods. Indirectly persuade your prospects to purchase without sales-hype or budget-draining branding.

Subscribe for free at: http://www.natural-persuasionEzine.com

For non-hype copy that wins ideal customers visit http://www.natural-persuasionCopy.com

Mortgage Leads

Writen by Alison Cole

There are literally hundreds of websites that sell mortgage leads online. You purchase these leads and track your conversions, funded loans and profits including the referrals that are a result from the leads

Similar to other types of marketing campaigns, like direct mail, radio, television, etc., you won't score with everyone on the list, but if you work the lead list continuously, you'll find people who will do business with you. Eventually, you filter out your most promising mortgage customers and continue to make regular contact with them.

Because there are so many mortgage lead tools available online, there is really no other way to go. Mortgage lead companies usually generate leads for you using search engines, banner ads, cost per click paid search advertisement, affiliate marketing, natural search ranking and US based telemarketing. Most online mortgage lead companies interact with other websites in order to instantly send loan requests from databases that match criteria to request. You generate the list you need by selecting a state, the type of home loan leads you want and the property you are looking for. Service fees for these sites usually start at $500. Of course the more criteria you enter, the higher the fee. However, these sites generate leads within hours and could save you thousands of dollars on marketing campaigns. These sites provide you the tools that will help you become a financial success in the mortgage business. You can sign up online and get started immediately. Most of the websites accept all major credit cards, online checks and PayPal through a third party merchant to guarantee that your credit card transactions are secure.

Leads provides detailed information on Leads, Mortgage Leads, Insurance Leads, Life Insurance Leads and more. Leads is affiliated with Mortgage Lead Generation.

Listen How To Sell More By Listening More

Writen by Gavin Ingham

In my opinion, one of the biggest skills of being able to sell well is developing your listening skills. Most sales companies and sales people talk about being consultative but they don't really know what consulting is! No-one can consult if they cannot listen first. You cannot sit around a table with your fellow sales people and decide what consulting services you are going to offer to a client - it doesn't work like that. Yes, you need a clear picture of what your services are but consulting services require you to listen to the client.

Now I guess most people think they can listen well, don't you! Wrong! 90% of people have appalling listening skills and even those who know how to listen don't a lot of the time. Think about it! When you are in a conversation and someone is saying something to be able to understand it you are constantly translating their words into your own experiences and your own words. Its the way our brains are wired - you make sense of other peoples' words by interpreting them into what you think they mean!!!

How many times have you been in a conversation and before the other person has finished you ard thinkng, "I know what he/she means here, I can sort this out." And the first thing out of your mouth is, "I know what you mean exactly, its just like when I......" Get it?

So here are 10 Levels of Listening. Read through them carefully and think about where you are on the scale. Your will probably be at different levels at different times and in differing circumstanced dependant upon your mood, the environment, how stressed you are, how interested you are etc etc. Note your level and try to remember to concentrate on moving up the levels.

Warning: Trying this is not easy - it breaks most of what we know and the benefits when you have done it will not just be in your business life. Your partner or your mother might just say to you, "You know I think you really understand me!" Got it now!

LEVELS OF LISTENING

Which level of listening are you at?

1. Not there physically (You didn't show up!)
2. There physically, but not mentally. (Not paying attention at all)
3. Hearing the speaker but doing something else at the same time (such as watching elsewhere, reading, or thinking about a different matter.)
4. Interrupting speaker early and frequently.
5. Interrupting speaker later and less often.
6. Allowing speaker to finish, but meanwhile intensely thinking of a counter argument or response.
7. Allowing speaker to finish while earnestly trying to understand what is being said, and then replying immediately.
8. Allowing speaker to finish, pausing, thoughtfully considering what has been said, and then replying.
9. Allowing speaker to finish, pausing, summarising what you think you heard, and only then replying.
10. Allowing speaker to finish, summarising what you've heard, and then honing in on 'limiting beliefs'(e.g. I must/should/ought to, I can't), unuseful assumptions and generalisations' (e.g. People are....., women can't... nothing ever....), and unuseful connections (e.g. I'm too old, I won't get another job)

Enjoy working with your listening skills!

Watch out for a further listening skills article coming soon...

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

Visit http://www.gaviningham.net now to join Gavin's free monthly newsletter packed full of sales secrets, strategies and tactics. Join now and get Gavin's ground-breaking 9-part objection handling course absolutely free.

Distorted Thinking Blocks Sales Success How To Change Your Mind For Great Success

Writen by Dr. Iris Fanning

Distorted thinking is so common in our thought processes that you might even say it was "normal." Distorted thinking is screening reality through a negative filter so that most events can seem negative. We think many thousands of thoughts a day and the average person has about 75-90% of their thoughts focused on: Repetitive thoughts (the same thoughts day after day) and distorted or negative thoughts. Whether it's our culture, our early childhood training or traumatic events that bring us into a negative state: this negative state can be broken.

It takes discipline, discovery and self nurturing to turn your thoughts into a more positive framework, but it can be done! Distorted thinking styles was first written about by Dr. Albert Ellis. Look at the list below and see how you distort your thinking.

DICHOTOMOUS THINKING - Also known as Polarized, All-or-Nothing or Black-&-White Thinking. Thinking in extremes, it's either right or wrong, with no possibility of any grey areas in between.

Filtering. Focusing on the negative details and ignoring the positive. As well as magnifying the negative aspects. In situations that involve both positive and negative elements, you dwell on the latter.

DISCOUNTING - Downplaying and disregarding the positive. Phrases like: 'That doesn't count,' 'That wasn't good enough,' or 'Anyone could have done it.' Sometimes humor or sarcasm is used to downplay what one feels uncomfortable about.

CATAZTROPHIZING - Awfulizing or Magnification. Expecting disaster... 'what if this happens or that happens' and expecting the worst possible outcome. Exaggerating the importance of problems, shortcomings, and minor annoyances. Something minor goes wrong and the assumption is that it is a major problem. Tendency to expect the worst possible scenario.

MIND READING - Assuming you know what the other person is thinking and feeling about you or your situation. As well as reading into their motivation and intention.

Emotional Reasoning. Believing that what you feel is the way things really are.. automatically. Assuming that because you feel a certain way, that is the truth. 'I feel stupid, boring.. so I am stupid or boring.'

"SHOULDING" ON YOURSELF - A list of rules that everyone in the world and their families should live according to. Also statements with 'must' 'ought to' and 'have to' You feel enraged when others break those rules.

In order to change the outcome you must change your thinking. Both "positive" and "negative" events happen daily. It's your choice about what you perceive about the event. The outcome is dramatically different based on your thinking.

There are a variety of ways to incorporate more positive ways of thinking into your daily life. Here are just a few.

1. Create a baseline of your thoughts. Over the course of one day, create a tally of every time you think, say to someone else or participate in a conversation that is positive. Also, create a tally each of the times you think, say to someone else or participate in a conversation that is negative.

2. Now, every time you think or say something negative, place a mental stop sign up. Stop what you are thinking or saying. Re-phrase or re-frame it into a positive statement. If you can't make it positive, simply internally tell yourself to stop and then move on.

3. If there is a particular negative focus i.e. weight, money, health, relationships. Write positive affirmations for that area of your life.

4. Observe people who seem to be happy a great deal. Listen to what they say to others and about themselves. Model their behavior and also say those great things to yourself.

6. Have a one or two word mantra that you can repeat easily i.e. peace, love, breathe, acceptance, life or other words.

7. Write down what you are grateful for every morning or every evening.

8. Recognize your own magnificence.

9. Congratulate yourself for small changes.

10. Write affirmations and place those on your dashboard, mirror, or jewelry box.

Free Newsletter: http://www.irisfanning.com

Dr. Iris Fanning is a Nationally recognized Success Coach. Dr. Fanning is a graduate of Coach University, Honorary Doctorate in Divinity, M.A. degree in Psychology, Counseling & Guidance and a B.S. degree in Psychology. Additionally Iris is the self published author of "Change Your Life Right Now" c 2006 and "Do What You Love & Get Rich" c 2006. Dr. Fanning is also an in demand public speaker. Individual and group coaching is also available. Contact: coachiris@hotmail.com Please place Coaching in the subject line.

Selling Amp The Art Of The Bonsai Tree

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

A Japanese bonsai tree is a true marvel.

It is a tree, to be sure, but it has been cultivated to be a perfect dwarf, a miniature embodiment of the whole of nature.

So, when you perceive it, you don't see what's missing. You're treated to what's there, which is very little, but still, it's infinite.

Quite a trick, and that's what makes it both a tree, and art at the same time.

Selling, that is, thoroughly enjoyable and successful selling; consists of communicative bonsai trees, little gems of give and take.

For example, imagine this scenario.

A customer gives you an objection, but instead of answering it at length, you simply respond with one word: "Really?"

In that second, that miniature of expression, you'd be doing several things:

(1) Expressing curiosity instead of condescension or hostility, which are defensive and alienating replies to objections;

(2) You'd be conveying the idea that the person is off the mark; and

(3) You'd entreat the prospect to elaborate, which might make him aware of his folly and provide you with more information that could assist you in intelligently replying to his concern or mistaken perception.

One tiny word can do all of that?

You might think that's hard to believe, or that one word can't be so all-powerful.

Really?

Best-selling author of 12 books and more than 750 articles, Dr. Gary S. Goodman is considered a foremost expert in telephone effectiveness, customer service, and sales development. A top-rated speaker, seminar leader, and consultant, his clients extend across the organizational spectrum, from the Fortune 1000 to small businesses. He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Convince Yourself That Youre Worth Selling

Writen by Jennifer Koretsky

"Selling" is often considered a dirty word in the world of ADD Coaching. Many people associate sales with smarmy guys in cheap suits who see dollar signs instead of people.

But selling is not about deceiving people, and it's not about taking advantage of them, either. Selling your ADD Coaching services is not unethical. Selling in ADD Coaching is about communicating to your potential clients how you can help, and why you're the right coach.

Believe In Your Product, Believe in Yourself

Any good sales person knows that the first rule of selling is believing in your product. When you believe in the product and you believe that it's a good fit for a person, you sell the product to that person.

In ADD Coaching, you are the product. So if you lack self-esteem or confidence in your coaching, you're in trouble!

Convince Yourself That You're Worth Selling

Rather than weighing yourself down with what you think you're lacking (not enough training or not enough clients), start focusing on what does make you a good ADD Coach.

Make a list. What are your skills in coaching? What coaching experience do you have? (Note: you may have been an ADD Coach your whole life without knowing it!) What life experience do you have that relates to coaching? Who have you helped and how?

Use this list to convince yourself that you and your ADD Coaching services are worth selling! Refer to it often.

Remember, you'll never get all the clients you want if you're unable to communicate how you can help, and why you're the right coach.

Jennifer Koretsky is an ADD Management Coach who helps adults manage their ADD and move forward in life. She publishes The ADD Coaching Business Report, an eNewsletter that helps other coaches succeed in their business and marketing efforts and create viable coaching businesses. Subscribe to The ADD Coaching Business Report at http://www.addmanagement.com/ACBR.htm

Expert Qualities In Sales

Writen by Jay Conners

If you went to see your doctor, and he mentioned a particular over the counter drug to you, or a particular type of food that was healthy, chances are, you would listen to this advice, than go out and buy the product.

Why is it that when a doctor recommends a product, people buy it without any hesitation, without talking it over with their spouse, and without asking any questions.

The main reason being, people respect and trust their doctors, they see them as experts on medical topics, even though they are not authorities on every subject.

The relationship between a doctor and patient is built on trust and developed over time, therefore a doctor doesn't have to sell anything, he simply has to recommend things, and people will buy.

Unfortunately, for sales people, it just isn't that easy. Here are a few ways you can begin to command the respect of your customers so that they will see you as an authority on the products you sell.

1. Gaining trust

Work at getting your customer to trust you. This can be hard in the beginning because you and your customer are meeting for the very first time. Start out by getting to know your customer, look for things that you might have in common. Let them know that building a relationship with them is more important to you than the products you sell.

Listen carefully to them and explain anything and everything in plain English so that they will understand. Don't be pushy, let them go at their own pace, but keep the conversation going. The more time you spend with your customer, the better, because by spending time with them, they will get know you better. When they get to know you better, they begin to trust you.

2. Product knowledge

Know your products, study them inside and out. Your customer is going to want to know what your product can do for them, how it will make their lives easier, and how it can save them money. They are not concerned about your weekly or monthly goals.

If a customer wants to know something about your product, you want to be prepared to answer, so study your products. Would you buy a product from someone who didn't know anything about the product, I wouldn't.

3. Be accessible

Always be available to your customer, give them your cellular phone number as well as your office phone number. By giving them your cell number you have just taken your first step to personalizing your business relationship. Make your customer understand that you are available to answer any questions they may have, or to discuss any concerns they may have.

Keep in mind, by having them become comfortable calling you, you are giving yourself an opportunity to up sell every time they call you. Or you can just simply make them aware of any new products you have, or any new promotions going on.

Remember, building relationships is about trust. If your customers trust you, than they will do business with you. If your customer likes you and trusts you, they will most likely refer their family and friends to you.

Make it a personal goal to get to a point in the relationships you have with your customers to recommend them your products as opposed to selling them. 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.

Incentive Dilemma

Writen by Paul Shearstone

Manufacturers and distributors are rolling out more sales incentive programs for their channel partners than ever before.

Some of these programs are not as successful as they could be, however, because they fail to appreciate fully what motivates salespeople and drives them to overachieve. Read on to learn six key concepts that can make your incentive programs more effective.

The dangling of the proverbial carrot is an ancient art that is commonly understood to be at the heart of human behavior, psychology, motivation, and, in particular, business. Manufacturers and distributors commonly use this technique with their channel partners in an effort to add unique motivational value to move specific products or services. The reason this technique has stood the test of time is because, for the most part, it works! At times, however, elements of the technique are executed improperly. Sales incentive programs under perform or fail as a result.

The monetary values of incentives are often not the critical factor in motivating sales people to succeed. Take my own example. I was fortunate to work in an industry that provided an unending supply of incentives and awards for overachievement. I knew that, if I won every trip, every TV, every incentive offered, the money would come with it! For me, the money and the goodies were not my primary motivation. My philosophy was simple; "If you win all the incentives there are to win, you couldn't help but be at or near the top every time." Corporations use incentive programs to drive behavior and I agreed to play the game and conform to their wishes; what gets rewarded, gets done.

The problem, from the vendors' point of view, is that not all salespeople are motivated the same way. Consequently, not all incentive programs work. Why is that? From my experience, I'll make the following observations:

1) The 80-20 Rule: Twenty percent of the salespeople make eighty percent of the sales and profits. Too often, sales incentives – perhaps in an effort to be fair – are geared to the entire sales force or VAR channel. The risk in a program like this is that the glove that fits everyone, in the end, fits no one. Enlightened marketing strategists know that the top twenty percent are already motivated. Simply put, a strategy that's geared to light a fire under the next twenty percent – the next logical group – doubles the business in a more cost efficient manner.

2) The KISS Theory: Salespeople by nature are like electricity. They naturally take the path of least resistance. That's not to say they are lazy or untoward. In fact, it's just the opposite. Good salespeople look to simplicity to make things happen.

Often, incentive programs fail miserably because of innate complexities either in their recording and reporting systems or in how rewards are won. If you put the salesperson in a position where they are forced to assess "To get this, I first have to sell this, plus these and not these and they must include these," you are creating a recipe for confusion, sales frustration and failure. In the end, the incentive program becomes a disincentive!

The remedy? Manufacturers must keep the program sweet and simple and attainable. There can be no ambiguity. Anything less will result in a lack of interest, as well as a waste of time and money that can sometimes spill over into other departments whose task it is to administer and account.

3) Education: Edison may have invented the light bulb, but it never went anywhere until a salesman understood its benefits and made the first sale… and probably sold a lamp to go with it!

Incentive programs don't just sell themselves. Too often, expensive motivational programs are overlooked in the field because reps either don't understand their value and/or are unsure how to sell them. Many times, good programs are written off as having missed the target, when in reality, they just weren't rolled out and managed properly.

4) Competition: Everyone's heard the expression, "Timing is Everything!" This is particularly important sage advice for the successful incentive program planner. Marketing execs can't know when every competitive incentive program will rear its aggressive head, but they can take strides to ensure their program is given first look.

Any successful salesperson will tell you, "Most sales are made as a result of due diligence on the front end." Simply put, the better the preparation, the more likely the sale. The same can be said for incentive initiatives. Real incentive programs, like new movie releases, are something to be anticipated. The right amount of promotion ensures greater acceptance and interest that often usurps focus on competing programs.

5) Reward: Any reward-value can become an unmotivated anticlimactic activity if the time span between winning and getting, is too long. Successful incentive programs reward immediately! As a rule, the faster the reward is delivered, the greater the enthusiasm for the program.

Although on some levels, salespeople are a complex breed, when it comes to incentives, they are – for the most part – quite predictable. Their nature is to react to excitement or challenge faster then most, and then move on. One way to maximize their natural bent and ensure greater program success is simply to cater to their natural motivators. "Get them their stuff QUICKLY!"

6) Recognition: At the risk of making salespeople appear shallow or monolithic (they are not), recognition amongst their peers is still the quintessential motivator, whether there's an incentive program or not.

The rule again, is, there is no such thing as TOO much recognition! Salespeople by nature gravitate to the limelight much like other performers, and so there should be no shortage of achievement and overachievement recognitions that find their way – in a timely manner – to the public's eye.

Psychological studies have shown that the pursuit of recognition, in and of itself, can make the difference in targeting that critical second twenty percent on the sales achievement ladder. Experts agree that successful sales teams find motivation in their own champions. Beatifying the sales leaders instills excitement and a definable hierarchy that beckons all players to become a part.

Another fact that is frequently overlooked is that recognition, whether part of an incentive or not, is the least expensive means of motivation. In many cases, it's free! Often, shaking the hand of the president in front of the company is all it takes to galvanize the need to overachieve.

The Bottom Line: Manufacturers and Distributors must take greater care when designing motivational incentive programs. Take a page out of the "Sales 101" book that says, "Find out what they want, then, give it to them!" But make sure to keep it simple, keep it clear, promote it properly, reward immediately, don't try to target everybody, and, recognize, recognize… RECOGNIZE!

About The Author

Paul Shearstone aka The 'Pragmatic Persuasionist' is one of North America's foremost experts on Sales and Persuasion. An International Keynote Speaker, Author, Writer, Motivation, Corporate Ethics, / Time & Stress Management Specialist, Paul enlightens and challenges audiences as he informs, motivates and entertains. To comment on this article or to book the Pragmatic Persuasionist for your next successful event we invite to contact Paul Shearstone directly @ 416-728-5556 or 1-866-855-4590 www.success150.com; paul@success150.com