How To Leverage Your Influence

Writen by Shamus Brown

Why do we get into sales? Typically it is two reasons for most people. One is to make money, and the other is often that we like working with other people.

Yes, there are good reasons to be in sales. To be highly effective and win on a consistent basis, we must remember that sales is a team effort. Its great to have a big ego (of course you would here this from me). A big ego will carry you far. A big ego is also a strong ego in my world. A strong ego is someone who knows when and how to put him or herself aside, and bring whole team along.

There are two sales then that we must constantly win to be effective in sales. The first is the one that we talk about all of the time - selling to our prospects and customers. This is where we spend most of our time.

The other is the internal sale. To be effective, everyone who supports us in our jobs has to believe that we are as great as our customers think we are (and we that we are). Top salespeople know this. They make sure that their sales consultants, sales engineers, financing specialists, product support personnel, contract administrators, office managers, administrative assistants and receptionists absolutely love them.

This is an important way to achieve real influence. When your internal team loves you, you are a force to be reckoned with. You can call resources to bear when you need them most. When a big deal comes up, and you need the extra help for the fight, the support staff will want to give it to you because they like you.

Salespeople that behave like raging assholes around their support staff don't get a lot of help when they are in a bind and really need it. Sure, you can have their boss order them to do it. Then their boss will dislike you too. And the first time you stumble, people will be line up to pile on you. And in today's less than certain economic environment, you'll be on high on their hit list.

Having been in sales for a long time myself, I admit that there have been times where I have been less than wonderful to some of my support people. Since I've been there, I know how it happens. You're under a lot of pressure. You've got a quota that you gotta make. Maybe you don't know everyone well because you are new. You are not so certain that you are going to get the help that you need before either losing the sale or being fired.

The common reaction for some people is to become a little Hitler. We have all this work that has to get done. It has to get done now. There's not enough time in the day or in the week. Yet these people that work with us, they don't seem to share our commitment to doing whatever it takes to getting the job done. Doing whatever it takes to win the deal.

So we get strident with them, speaking in stressed out voices with wrinkled faces, repeating over and over just how urgent things are and that they must get done now.

Well, these people that work with us and support us, don't for the most part have the financial incentives that we do. They aren't the risk takers that we are. If they were, then they would be in sales too.

This is the source then of the stress that comes up at times between salespeople and our support staffs. We have different incentives towards the same common business goals of selling products and acquiring new customers.

To be a leader then, one must have perspective. One must remember that while we may be in a risky business, the potential rewards are why we are here. Our support staff do not share the same rewards as we do, nor the same risks.

It is unreasonable then to expect our support people to "do whatever it takes" without having a reason for such a commitment.

You must become the reason.

When you do, you will feel your influence increasing and your power multiplying.

We want to sell and influence our support people just as we sell and influence our customers. That is, first get to know them individually. Find out what their wants, desires, and pains are. See how you can make their job easier and more enjoyable while working together to make more sales. Everybody wants to enjoy their work and to get some fulfillment from it. They will enjoy working with you, and will want to help you.

Doing this will help you to get what you want out of sales - to make money and to enjoy working with people.

© 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.

Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/

Salespeople Should Say I Could Be Wrong

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

They say the mark of a reasonable person is he is free from his own concepts.

For example, he might believe in extraterrestrials, but then again, he's open to correction.

He appreciates the difference between beliefs about reality, and reality, itself. Illiberal people, and this is nothing to do with politics, merge the two, and insist that their view is correct.

They're like the hospital inmate who says: Support mental health or I'll kill you!

Anyway, it's tough to have meaningful, empathic conversations with psychotics. It's even dangerous to try.

This is why it's so refreshing when we encounter anyone in business that seems reasonable, flexible.

For instance, I tried to reach this watermark of tranquility the other day. Sitting in a meeting where the topic was sales coaching, two of the five honchos in the room tried to wangle me into saying, unequivocally, how many sales we could expect to produce from a new tele-sales unit.

I replied, "There are some things I know, and some things I don't know," and went on to provide a known number of appointments that can be set by phone folks in an hour.

But, I just don't know how much business we'll do selling your product. We'll do some, but how profitable we'll be is an open question. Sorry, I can't be more specific.

Instead of resenting this explanation, they smiled, knowing no one can predict something like this with any degree of accuracy.

You pay your money and take your chances, as they say.

I think salespeople should try this tack more often. They'd be surprised to find out that they just may seem more credible, than less, for leaving the bombast and boasting behind.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

Using Seminars To Bump Up Sales

Writen by Kirstin Carey

Many of my clients are turning to speaking at chambers and other networking organizations to generate business. This is a wonderful method of building credibility and gaining free advertising, especially when you are in a creative business that often needs examples and samples to get people to hire you.

Seminars are a great way for potential clients to "test drive" your services with out fully hiring you. Often, once a potential client sees you during a seminar, they are so impressed and convinced that you are the perfect person to hire, they can't wait to hand you a check.

Wedding Planners could do seminars for couples or brides on how to plan the perfect wedding.

Interior decorators could present a program on window treatments and decorating accessories.

Artists can do programs on painting murals in theme rooms for children.

Web designers could promote a seminar on creating websites that turning visitors into customers.

Graphic artists could present on branding for businesses.

Sadly, however, having a great topic and getting lots of people to your program isn't enough and many people don't utilize this golden opportunity well enough to actually turn attendees into clients.

Here are several ways to increase your attendee to client ratio after your next speaking engagement.

GET INVOLVED WITH THE MARKETING

Find out ahead of time how the organization plans to market the program and get involved with the marketing.

Offer to write articles for their website or newsletter.

Write a program description filled with BENEFITS of what the attendee will get by attending the program.

Send a notice to your contact list inviting them to the program.

Add information about the program to your website.

Use this as an opportunity to invite potential clients as your personal guest to see you in action.

Encourage the organization to mail at least one printed item about the program to its membership, in addition to their on line marketing efforts.

MARKET THE WHOLE TIME

There is a big difference between delivering an infomercial and subtlety marketing from the platform. Be sure not to blatantly deliver a sales pitch during your program. You still need to provide VALUE to the attendees.

Be sure your contact information - including website and phone number - is on every handout and every piece of information given to attendees.

During seminar, give examples by telling stories of other projects you've done. Of course, you don't have to disclose sensitive details about your clients, but real life examples not only help the audience to learn, but it helps them understand the types of products and/or services you offer.

PLAN FOLLOW UP

Encourage the organization to do a post program mailing - even if it is via email - with an article written by you that helps tie your seminar up and gives additional VALUE to attendees.

Mention during the program that you are willing to send attendees information on a specific portion of the program if they give you their card. Tell them to write YES on the back if they want the additional information and to be added to your mailing list. Tell them to write YES/NO if they want the info, but don't want to be added to your mailing list.

Send the promised information within 48 hours of the program.

Call any attendee who requested information or spoke with you after the program who seems like a potential client and invite them out for coffee to learn more about their business.

By putting more thought and effort into these no-fee speaking gigs, you will maximize the number of attendees you turn into clients and help make these engagements more profitable. Now get out there and make some money!

About The Author
Kirstin Carey is the author of "Starving Artist No More: Hearty Business Strategies for Creative Folks." Kirstin knows how much most creative people hate sales, contracts, and discussing money and she consults creative people on the business side of creativity so they make more money, get better clients, and still love what they do. She put together a resource full of proven strategies and insider secrets guaranteed to help creative types get the business help they need so they don't have to starve anymore! Go to www.MyCreativeBiz.com.

Stay In Touch And Make The Future Sale

Writen by Lance Winslow

If you are in sales it makes sense to stay in touch with all your sales contacts and keep doors open. If you blow smoke, lack integrity, pitch too hard then you are liable to piss off your prospect and potential customer and end up losing in the future any sale you might have had.

Some sales people will feel once someone says NO that that is a forever thing. Often as an owner of a company when I said NO, it was a forever situation, yet I always kept the brochures, sales information and filed it away somewhere.

In fact most companies do file sales information from various companies and this is something that makes sense. Make sure that your sales information is kept and make certain that you leave the door open and do not let it get slammed in your face with the "Forever NO" because once this happens you have burnt territory.

Not only for you, but for future salespeople in your company as you move up the food chain to larger account sales, larger territories or a new sales career somewhere else.

You must understand that it is widely known that sales people move around and sometimes a bad salesperson who is too abrasive will end up pissing off the prospect and close their door, but not necessarily your door.

You can reopen this door slowly and just introduce yourself, find out what went wrong, listen and work on ways to better service the client and bring your ideas forth each time, further opening the door. Some day that client may call you with a new problem to solve knowing you will work hard to get it done. Consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Perfecting The Art Of Closing

Writen by Kurt Mortensen

In sales, this process is referred to as "closing." Since "closing skills" derive themselves directly from the sales industry, I'm going to discuss them within a sales context, but bear in mind that these skills are universal in their application and value.

It is typical for a novice persuader to encounter resistance. There are as many different reasons for resistance as there are personalities, so the trick lies in knowing which closing skill to use for which person. A crucial closing concept to learn as soon as possible is that you should actually employ closing strategies throughout your entire presentation. Most people think of the close as the final wrap-up. While this is the sales point where the deal is formally and openly acknowledged as "let's do it" or "thanks, but no thanks," the masterful persuader builds the close in stages throughout the entire sales process. The last phase of the selling exchange is only the culminating step of several deliberate but less evident steps that have taken place beforehand. It is crucial, not only for your own good but also for your prospects' good, to help them through this process. Incrementally moving them closer and closer to agreement is much more effective than springing it on them at the end. There is nothing worse than seeing a shocked prospect with her/his mouth wide open following the close. Waiting to lunge with your close until the very end of your sales presentation could be compared to plunging unprepared into the deep end of the pool versus wading comfortably from the shallow end to the deep end only as you feel well prepared, well informed and well instructed to do so.

The incremental close helps avoid the old hard-close approach of the past. Remember the hard close? Old tactics used such strategies as bullying, pressuring or forcing your prospect into a decision. We've all experienced the hard close at one time or another. Unfortunately, some "persuaders" still employ the hard-close strategy, but when they do, they're really not persuading at all. Even if a prospect succumbs to one of these sales tactics, it is likely with resentment, buyer's remorse and discontinued business in the future. What's more, you can rest assured that unbeknownst to the offending salesperson, a prospect who is bullied into a sale will deter all her/his friends and family from patronizing the business where s/he endured such treatment.

Since studies show that how you open a sale is more important than how you close it, think of starting your close earlier on in the persuasive process. Let's call this "collecting yeses." We'll discuss this concept more in-depth later on, but for the time being, what it basically means is that you concern yourself with drawing in your prospects early on. That is, you warm them up in stages until the ultimate conclusion is obvious to them and they decide for themselves exactly what you were hoping they'd decide in the first place.

Because you're going to focus on closing as a process that begins early on in your presentation, it is important to consider the messages you are broadcasting right from the beginning. Superficial or not, people are going to draw conclusions from their earliest interactions with you, and those first impressions tend to be the longest lasting, too. It is said that the first and most lasting impression is made in about the first four minutes of a first encounter. Hence, be sure those first four minutes are positive ones because the cement dries fast! It is extremely difficult to overcome a bad first impression. Even if you try to make up for it later on, that first impression will linger. The most obvious advice is to be sure you look professional and well groomed in any persuasive situation. In other words, dress appropriately for the setting. Next, exude confidence that is not arrogant but rather is upbeat, positive and encouraging. This positivity in your demeanor will allow your prospects, who hardly know you, to take comfort in your ability to educate them about the product or service they are investigating. Direct eye contact and a sincere smile accompanied by a firm handshake and addressing your prospects by name always help.

I have identified what I call the "Three Rs" for solid closing. After the first impression, your next focus is to effectively weave your close throughout the entire presentation. That is, the three Rs are at work throughout your presentation, aiding your prospect in becoming more and more inclined to buy. These three Rs are reason, resources and representative. Let's look at the first R. "Reason" must be viewed from two different angles—first, from your prospect's and then from your own. Early on in the persuasive setting, seek to understand exactly what your prospects' needs are. That is, determine what their reason is for coming to you or listening to you in the first place. Then, you have to give them the reason to buy. Essentially, their problem and your solution match. Do not fall into the trap that many rookie salesmen do of spouting off a laundry list of features, benefits or all the reasons why you think they should buy. This sales strategy is useless because your prospects have come to you with their own reasons for buying already in mind. If you talk too much about what you think the reasons are to buy, you're going to talk your bewildered prospects right out of the sale. When the sales representative talks too much, s/he sucks the emotion right out of the sale. It is draining and frustrating for prospects to hear a salesperson's incessant babble about all of a product's bells and whistles when they just want their own key questions answered.

There is a great story that illustrates the importance of your reason to buy ringing true with your prospects' reasons to buy. A gentleman by the name of Airman Jones was assigned to the induction center, where he advised new recruits about their governmental benefits, especially their GI insurance. It wasn't long before Captain Smith noticed that Airman Jones had an extremely high success rate, selling insurance to nearly 100 percent of the recruits he advised. Rather than asking him about his successful track record, the Captain stood at the back of the room during one of Jones's presentations and listened to Jones's sales pitch. As he presented, Jones explained the basics of GI insurance to the new recruits and then said, "If you are killed in a battle and have GI insurance, the government has to pay $200,000 to your beneficiaries. But if you don't have GI insurance and get killed on the battlefield, the government only has to pay a maximum of $6,000. Now," he concluded, "which group do you think they are going to send into battle first?" The resounding secret to his sales success was that Airman Jones gave the new recruits a compelling reason to buy.

The second R of solid closing is "resources." Resources cover all those things that factor in to whether or not your product is appropriate for your prospect. Resources would include time availability, financial backing, support from family, physical ability, etc. For example, investing vast amounts of time and energy into selling annual ski passes to nursing home residents would not really be giving wise consideration to such prospects' resources.

The third R of solid closing is the "representative." This is where you, as a person, factor into the selling equation. How readily can your prospect feel a strong rapport with you? Is there an instinctive sense of trust? Does your style rub this person the wrong way? Whether you realize it or not, you are a part of the selling package. There have been many times when a prospect walked away from a sale, not because of the product—in fact, the product might have been just what s/he was looking for—but because of the rep s/he had to deal with. Be sure you conduct yourself in such a way that your prospect can like you. People buy from people they like. They don't buy from people they don't like. It's that simple.

Kurt Mortensen teaches over a hundred techniques to give you the ability to effectively work with every customer that walks in your door. He teaches that sales have changed and the consumer has become exponentially more skeptical and cynical within the last five years. Most persuaders are using only 2 or 3 persuasion techniques when there are actually 120 available! Where do you rank nationally against other persuaders? Take your persuasion iq test at http://www.prewealth.com/iq to find out today!

Mortgage Refinance Leads

Writen by Jay Conners

If you are a loan officer or mortgage broker and you are on the market for refinance leads, you definitely want to buy them fresh or in "real time."

Here are a few suggestions for deciding which mortgage lead company you would like to go with.

Like I mentioned in the above paragraph, you want your refinance leads to be fresh. It is pointless to buy a refinance lead that is weeks or months old. The person has more than likely refinanced already.

Don't you just love it when you call someone about a mortgage and they tell you they closed on it last week or last month.

Check out mortgage lead company's web sites and read them thoroughly and call and speak with someone in their customer service department.

Find out how the lead company obtains their leads. You want to make sure the mortgage lead company is obtaining their leads through sites they own and operate.

If the mortgage lead company is not generating leads on their own, than they are purchasing them from a third party and recycling them. These leads are basically junk.

The problem here is that you don't know how many times that third party sold the leads to other mortgage lead companies.

When researching mortgage lead companies, customer service says a lot. If you are not happy with customer service or not satisfied with the answers to your questions, than it is more than likely you will not be happy with the leads.

Also, look for companies that have low minimum deposits and ones without any commitments. Such as having to buy a certain amount of leads and extra fees for filters.

And of course, it never hurts to ask for a free lead.

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. You can also check out his blog at http://wwwmortgagespot.blogspot.com for more articles

Models Of Selling Enterprise Vs Transactional

Writen by Andrew Rowe

Let's talk about different types of selling models and sales processes as they relate to different businesses in the "B to B" sector. First of all, let's talk about the enterprise selling model. The enterprise selling model is characterized by high level of complexity. Typically, decision making cycles are long, there are multiple constituents involved in multiple locations at multiple levels of the organization. This means that deploying a sales organization in order to meet the needs of the enterprise selling model are complex, expensive, and require a heavy level of investment.

If your company is considering selling to the largest enterprises, you're going to need to organize your sales force around this reality and make the necessary investments and have the long term perspective that's required in order to be successful in this arena. Many companies make the mistake of trying to target the largest enterprises when they don't truly have the resources necessary in order to build a sustainable and repeatable sales process that will allow them to penetrate large enterprise accounts and win over the long term. Enterprise selling model requires deploying a multi-tiered sales force, including inside sales, field sales, as well as major account personnel who are stationed close to or can get themselves close to the various constituents throughout the targeted enterprise that need to be approached and developed in order to maximize account penetration in the large enterprise account.

In an enterprise selling model, it's a very consultative approach where advanced needs analysis is being done throughout the organization in order to truly adapt and design the sales process around the account objective. Many companies don't have the capabilities to go this deep into the selling process in order to have a chance at success and they often end up frustrated and don't achieve their sales objectives as a result despite multiple attempts to gain access to the enterprise.

Companies that succeed at the enterprise selling model are those that have truly a national, if not global reach, and have the resources deployed and targeting the different areas of the enterprise prospect in order to be able to maximize their account penetration. Account coordination and sales management is extremely important in the enterprise selling model since the coordination of multiple constituencies in the organization in order to orchestrate as a sales process is what's required. We've seen many companies, particularly startups, that target the enterprise and have a product that is best suited for the enterprise but don't have the staying power or the resources to fully maximize their coverage of their target major accounts and as a result, they run out of money before they actually have a chance of penetrating those accounts.

By contrast, many companies choose a transactional selling model, which is quite different from the enterprise model. Whereas, enterprise is multi tiered, multi-locational and very consultative and strategic in approach, transactional selling model lends itself towards commodities products, where the buyer is not nearly as sophisticated, the decision making cycle is not nearly as long, and the sales cycle, as a result, can go very, very fast. Companies that are involved in a transactional selling model include everything from companies that are doing telesales and closing deals over the phone, such as shrink wrapped software companies, through to purveyors of commodities services, where going for the close on the first or the second call is easy.

Transactional selling model is very good if you're product is well understood by your target audience, already in demand, is purchased by a large percentage of your target, and where the decision making and sales cycle and switching costs in order to purchase your products are relatively low. Typically, a transactional based selling model does not require a sophisticated sales organization, in the sense of it's location, it's mix of field and inside a major account, sales people - it typically lends itself towards a telesales model or a straight field sales or a hybrid model, where there is no hand off between in side and outside sales, between lead generation from the telemarketing perspective and inside sales.

So, many companies choose a transactional selling model when they're in a very competitive market and the sales cycle are short, the average selling price of the product is low, and the actual sales process is simplified down to its lowest common denominator.

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 Secret Of Stories

Writen by Kurt Mortensen

Stories draw your audience in and they help an audience understand and appreciate your message. We can all think of a time when we were in an audience where we were not paying attention to the speaker. We were off in our own world when, all of a sudden, we perked up and started to listen because the speaker had shifted to telling a story.

If you stop and think about it, the best persuaders are the best storytellers. When we hear a story, we automatically tune in and want to know what happens next. Why do stories have this effect on us? Why are stories more engaging than facts, figures and statistics? Let's find out why.

One of my first sales jobs was in telemarketing. My office was in a typical tele-sales room with small stalls and a room full of high-energy closers. My mindset going into the job was: How hard can this be? I can talk to people on the phone. I thought, I'm a people person and I'll have fantastic results. In the past, I had been told time and time again that I was a people person who could talk to anyone. I was quickly served a large piece of humble pie as I tried to sell products to customers over the phone. The way this room worked was simple. The phone would ring and as you picked up your receiver, the operator would tell you a number. Each number represented a different product. We would sell real estate, weight loss products, stock market advice and other products.

One day, my phone rang and I was tired of not getting the sale. This time I was going to make it happen, I thought as I picked up the receiver. The operator told me the number and I looked it up. Weight loss was my assigned product. I was connecting well with the prospect, when I asked him about his target weight. Then there was a long pause. He finally opened up and told me about all the diets that had not worked and his frustration with his weight. I thought I was finally getting somewhere. After about ten minutes of conversation, the prospect finally asked, "What does my weight loss have to do with real estate investing?"

Sure, I could have told you that you need to know your audience before you try to persuade. I could have also told you that being in sales isn't the easiest profession. Instead, I told a story to capture your attention. By spicing it up with a little humor, I was better able to get my point across.

In this chapter, I want to talk about those key elements that make story selling so effective. When you understand what those essential story selling components are, and how to use them, you will be able to influence and touch people's hearts with the messages you powerfully convey. The first, and probably the most powerful, element of a good story is that it should engage the emotions. Facts and figures alone are much less likely to strike a chord with your audience than they are when coupled with relevant, powerful stories. When an individual's emotions are engaged, s/he will be more inclined to connect to you and your message. The more common ground you can establish, the more sense of connectivity you can create and the more attentive and receptive your prospects will be. Effective story selling is the difference between communicating and convincing, presenting and persuading, lecturing and touching their hearts.

A big part of whether or not your message is persuasive is whether or not the audience can believe in you. When you don't always have an opportunity to build rapport and trust with every individual in your audience on a one-on-one basis, stories can answer their questions about who you are, what you represent and what you want from them. If you don't answer these questions for them, they will draw their own conclusions. Why take the chance that they might conclude incorrectly? Use story selling to build rapport with your prospects. Do you want them to view you as funny, honest or down-to-earth? Identify the main points you want to get across and select your stories accordingly. Hearing your story might be as close as your prospect will ever get to a firsthand experience with you.

Meaningful stories inspire listeners to reach the same conclusion you have reached. People value their own conclusions more highly than yours, so if you can make your story their story, you will be that much more persuasive. Human beings are drawn to anything that gives us "answers." Use stories to help your audience answer some of their own questions. If you are successful in doing this, your message will grow and develop in your prospects' minds and hearts. If they remember nothing else about your presentation, your story and its underlying message will always get played over and over again in your listeners' minds.

Positively engaging your prospects' emotions is one way in which story selling is especially effective when trying to make a point to an audience that might otherwise put up resistance. Stories are less prone to make others feel defensive or like you are critiquing or making demands of them. Instead of bluntly presenting your objections or differing opinions, bypass resistance and large egos by presenting your point of view in a non-threatening, even entertaining, way. Often people staunchly defend their positions not because they are so committed to those positions themselves but more often because they simply must protect both their need to be right and their embarrassment of being wrong. If you can avoid triggering this emotional defense mechanism, you will be amazed at how much more open your prospects are to considering your ideas.

Throughout the remainder of this chapter, I'm going to guide you through the crucial steps of effective story selling. To be a successful persuader, you must know which types of stories to use and how to implement them. In our next section, we'll explore different types of stories and their uses.

Learning how to persuade and influence will make the difference between hoping for a better income and having a better income. Beware of the common mistakes presenters and persuaders commit that cause them to lose the deal. Get your free report 10 Mistakes That Continue Costing You Thousands and explode your income today.

Conclusion

Persuasion is the missing puzzle piece that will crack the code to dramatically increase your income, improve your relationships, and help you get what you want, when you want, and win friends for life. Ask yourself how much money and income you have lost because of your inability to persuade and influence. Think about it. Sure you've seen some success, but think of the times you couldn't get it done. Has there ever been a time when you did not get your point across? Were you unable to convince someone to do something? Have you reached your full potential? Are you able to motivate yourself and others to achieve more and accomplish their goals? What about your relationships? Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, know what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feel more confident in your ability to persuade. Professional success, personal happiness, leadership potential, and income depend on the ability to persuade, influence, and motivate others.

Kurt Mortensen's trademark is Magnetic Persuasion; rather than convincing others, he teaches that you should attract them, just like a magnet attracts metal filings. He teaches that sales have changed and the consumer has become exponentially more skeptical and cynical within the last five years. Most persuaders are using only 2 or 3 persuasion techniques when there are actually 120 available! His message and program has helped thousands and will help you achieve unprecedented success in both your business and personal life. If you are ready to claim your success and learn what only the ultra-prosperous know, begin by going to http://www.PreWealth.com and getting my free report "10 Mistakes That Continue Costing You Thousands." After reading my free report, go to http://www.PreWealth.com/IQ and take the free Persuasion IQ analysis to determine where you rank and what area of the sales cycle you need to improve in order to close every sale!

Success Strategies To Reach More Customers

Writen by Steve Martinez

Success Strategies to Reach More Customers Reaching customers isn't as easy as it was twenty years ago. Twenty years ago, there were three ways to reach a customer.

1. US Postal Mail - Send customers a note or a letter.
2. Telephone - Call customers.
3. Sales Calls - Visit customers in their offices.

The Internet and digital technology changed business communications by adding the fourth method of communications.

1. Email Communications - Emails and text messages to customers

The Internet and digital technology changed the business world. The first introduction came with the Fax machine. The Fax machine did for communications what microwaves did for meal time. Everything became instant.

Unfortunately, many business owners and salespeople haven't adjusted to the changes in communications. Twenty years ago it was an era when most business people went out for errands, and driving somewhere took only a few minutes. Today, we have a major shift in our business culture. Many business people don't leave their offices during the day and many of them don't return phone calls.

Adjusting to Customer Communication Trends We must adjust our communications to match customers and prospects preferences. Some customers will not return a telephone call but will answer an email in minutes. Most businesses don't send letters anymore which was popular a few decades ago and the dominant communication method.

Why telephone someone who won't return your telephone call? Write them an email and get the results you want. Instead of emailing some customers, send them a letter. A letter is a great method of reaching new prospects and a special way to thank clients for their business.

This article was written by Steve Martinez, Founder of Selling Magic. If you want to make selling easy, visit his website for selling tips and tricks. http://www.sellingmagic.com

When No Doesnt Mean No In Sales

Writen by Steve Martinez

When a prospect says NO, don't jump to the conclusion it means never. The answer could mean "Not Now"! It does mean that you should back off and evaluate the situation carefully. The prospect could be telling you they are not ready right now. When a salesperson accepts the NO as a permanent decision and never contacts the prospect again, it is a mistake.

Rejection is a common occurrence in outside sales and we should accept it gracefully when it happens. If we were a child at the checkout counter of a grocery store and asked a parent for a candy bar, would it be the last time we asked if they said no? We would simply accept no as a defeat of the moment, not as a permanent answer. When the next occasion developed, we would probably ask again and again, right.

Now, I 'm not suggesting that we take the child at the counter attitude and close our prospects each time, over and over again. What I am suggesting is that perhaps the prospect was not ready to say yes. Maybe they didn't have enough money. Maybe they weren't ready for our product or service yet. Maybe they didn't understand how our product could make a difference. Maybe they hadn't heard enough about us quite yet.

Yes! I'm Ready Now! The important thing is to be around when the prospect comes around. If we prepared our sales research before closing, we would know if the prospect needed our product or service before we pitched it. If this is the case, why would we accept defeat so quickly and not be around when the prospect comes around.

Salespeople lose 60% of their potential business because they lose track of time. Time when a suspected prospect ripens to the point they need our services. If we don't have a system in place that keeps us in contact with prospects that aren't ready, we lose deals to competition simply because we aren't around. Do you have a sales system that pro actively contacts prospects that aren't ready? If you do, you will get calls from these prospects telling you, I'm ready now!

Steve Martinez implements sales management strategies with a focus on automating sales for printing organizations. Selling Magic teaches businesses how to automate and customize ACT or Outlook with the best practices of sales management while integrating email marketing and technology for greater profits. http://www.sellingmagic.com

Make Your First Contact Count

Writen by Dominic Rubino

I still remember what it feels like. You're all excited about your new product, and you can't wait to pitch it to someone. But no-one will give you the time of day. You make 30 calls to try to get an appointment, or you say "Hi" to dozens of customers as they come through the door, and not a single one of them want to hear what you have to say.

Let's take a closer look at 'First Contact.' For some of us it means working the phone, trying to make an appointment to see a decision maker. For others it means engaging a walk-in customer in a showroom or other brick-and-mortar location. Regardless of where your first contact takes place, you have to keep in mind a few very important points:

The customer is concerned with only one thing

The customer has no idea who you are

The customer WILL say "NO" before they say "YES."

Scary list. You're thinking, "No wonder it seems impossible to sell sometimes." It's not impossible; it just requires that you follow a formula that will give you a better chance of success.

For starters, let's tackle the first point:

The customer is concerned with only one thing

I have said this before, in many different ways, but what I mean is this: When it comes right down to it, the customer is too busy listening to Radio Station WII FM, the station with one program, called: "What's in it for me?" Since this is the case, you have a very short amount of time to communicate value to the customer. Let me highlight this with an example. In this one, we'll use a car dealership (but it could be appliances, furniture, tractors, a real estate open house... you get the idea).

A guy walks into your showroom, and starts peeking into the window of the cars. The classic approach would be to greet him with a smile and ask him if he needs any help. But he shrugs you off, and peers closer into one of the car windows. As a persistent pro, you tell him about the new satellite GPS feature that now comes standard. He looks mildly impressed, mostly to amuse you, but he's bored now; so he's on the way out. What went wrong? And what could be done differently?

Let's start again from the beginning. He walks in, and starts kicking tires. You, the Sales Superhero, do a quick scan of your customer. Mid 30's, male, alone. That's about all the data you need to continue. He leans in closer to the window of one of the cars, and you take action. "Hi I'm Joe. You've got to see this. It's like the Bat-Mobile! Have you ever seen one of these?" You open the passenger door, and invite him to sit in the driver's side, and then you start your fancy GPS system demo.

This is just an example, and a risky one at that. But there is immeasurable value in making that initial contact. It gets you one step closer to establishing a RELATIONSHIP, which as I have said time and time again, is one of the four essential ingredients to any sale.

The customer has no idea who you are

If the example were to continue, you would continue to ask questions about what he's looking for, and for when, and for how much. But that's a discussion for another day. The important thing is that you communicated excitement to the customer, and inferred that he would be as fascinated as you were with the new feature. If your little scheme worked, you will have engaged him.

The customer WILL say "NO" before they say "YES."

In this example (which I am now officially beating to death) the worst that could happen is that the customer turns down your invitation to sit down. If he doesn't do it on his own, ask him what he came in looking for. Before you know it, you're in a conversation with the customer about what matters to him. This statement, 'The customer will always say NO' also refers to objections, a topic we have covered here before, and will surely return to.

A word or two about appointment setting:

Not all Salespeople have the luxury of walk-in traffic. They have to book an appointment on the phone to make a sales presentation. When you are doing this, concentrate on your goal: To book the appointment. Not to sell the product, but to book the appointment.

First you've got to be sure you are speaking directly with the decision maker, and as always you have to concentrate on What's In It For Them. If you're having a challenge getting past a gatekeeper, let them know about the benefits that you can bring to the decision maker. "I have something that she has to see. It could save her a lot of money. Does she have more time earlier in the week or towards the end?" - just as an example. Remember, you are only appointment setting, not selling... so just concentrate on setting the appointment. You will surely have your own unique approach to making first contact, and it will undoubtedly change depending on who your customer is. (If it doesn't, it certainly SHOULD) In fact, I would love to hear your suggestions. Email me, and tell me what works in YOUR industry. What are your best lines?

The key is to focus on what the customer wants. What problem do they need solved? What do they desire? What are they really buying? In the case of our car guy, he might be buying an easier commute to work, or a status symbol to impress his friends. Perhaps he's buying security for a soon-to-be growing family. He is most certainly NOT buying two tons worth of steel with leather seats and air conditioning.

Dominic Rubino is the Owner and President of Ultimate Sales Meetings. They provide sales tips and training to help today's Sales Professional become a Sales Superhero. http://www.ultimatesalesmeetings.com

The Most Important Word In A Business Letter

Writen by Rix Quinn

What do you think it is? Many experts insist it's the word "you." Why?

When most of us read anything, we're looking for something that interests us. What do we need at that moment? What will we need tomorrow? Why should we bother to read this story?

Self-interest is what motivates us to comb our hair, brush our teeth, and seek that new job promotion. It's what makes us change college majors, change careers, or move to a different city.

Yet many sales letters – many of which cross my desk – neglect to personalize the message by using the critical word "you." That's tragic, because "you" is rated one of the English language's most powerful motivators.

A few years ago, it's reported that a major university conducted a study to find the most persuasive words. "You" topped the list, followed by the words money, save, new, and results.

So, how can you work this wonderful word into more of your writing? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Find a way to use the word "you" in the headline. Headlines are reportedly read four times more often than the rest of the story.

2. If your letter doesn't have a headline, can you work "you" into the first sentence?

3. Consider putting the word "you" into each paragraph.

4. Use "you" as a way to convert features into customer benefits. Example: "Our new fabric keeps your shirt looking fresh. And our new spring line offers you five vibrant solid colors."

5. It's said that the second best-read part of a business letter is the P.S. Therefore, you should probably consider using "you" there, too.

Final question: If "you" is the most important word in the English language, should you consider using it more?

Rix Quinn's new book "Words That Stick" offers lots of writing ideas for both students and professionals. You can find it at your local bookstore, or http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580085768/qid/

Rix Quinn's new book "Words That Stick" offers lots of writing ideas for both students and professionals. You can find it at your local bookstore, or http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580085768/qid/

Flea Marketing Lessons

Writen by David Leonhardt

A few days ago, I was signing copies of my book – Climb Your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness – at the flea market. Nobody expects an author to sign books at a flea market. Some people sell a few worn-over books, but authors just don't do book signings at flea markets. Especially not books about finding happiness.

I've never been afraid to be different, to take the road less traveled, to wander off the beaten path and run gleefully right over a cliff. Fortunately for me, the flea market is on low ground and I had the chance to learn a few things just watching people.

Pop Quiz: Is it best to wedge your booth between other booths piled with junk, where nobody even notices you are there? Or is it better to have a booth out in the open away from the clutter, where people can easily see you and get to your booth?

I learned the hard way. My booth was out in the open away from the clutter, where people could easily pick up speed and zoom right past. (But I was right next to a support beam, so at least I knew the roof wouldn't cave in on me.)

Apparently, the sales process at the flea market works like this:

Step one, some fool actually stops to look at a toaster-oven with only three coils missing, partially blocking the aisle.

Step two, a traffic jam ensues as more people come along and completely block the aisle.

Step three, to relieve their boredom, they buy "treasures" they would gladly have passed by if they could just have picked up enough momentum to keep walking. Isn't that a lot like how "gurus" sell stuff on the Internet?

Step four, they go home and brag about their great "find" and how it cost them almost 14 cents less than any of the other "Happiness is surviving your own cooking" commemorative plaques in their collection.

I leaned my second lesson. To sell anything, you have to slow people down. So I stood in front of my booth.

"Free bookmark, sir?"

Sir hesitates, then takes the bookmark.

"It features the nine habits of maximum happiness."

Sir studies the bookmark.

"Same habits as in my book right here."

Sir looks up at the display for a moment. Then he starts moving again, staring down at the bookmark, mumbling something under his breath and BANG! hits the support beam. "Ooh," I thought. "A few thousand more times and that beam might not hold. That could be dangerous."

Fortunately, I decided to relocate, standing with my back to the beam so people would pass safely to one side. Don't kill your customers: a brilliant idea whose time had come. I learned my third lesson after running through just 34 first aid kits.

I went through the same routine with Broad-eyed Lady and her husband, except that she missed the beam. She continued walking as she read the 9 habits of happiness on the bookmark, then suddenly slapped it against her husband's chest. "Here. Read this," she commanded.

Ouch. That's gotta hurt. Good thing I was giving away bookmarks and not paperweights.

I thought Broad-eyed Lady was a unique character, until Hunched Old Lady did the same thing. And so did Spunky Crew-cut Girl. And Grizzly Guy, too. I guess it's easy to expect others to change, rather than ourselves.

In fairness, few people used my happiness bookmark as a domestic weapon, a fact the judge took into consideration later that day. He even commended me for not giving away paperweights.

But he did order me to recount, without looking at my notes, the lessons I had learned watching people at the flea market. Let's see ...

Slow down, or you'll never spend your kids' inheritance on priceless knick knacks.

Grab people's attention or they will just whiz by.

Don't kill your customers

Don't expect people to change for you, even if you do wield a loaded bookmark.

About The Author

The author is David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy. To receive his satirical happiness column weekly in your inbox, sign up at http://TheHappyGuy.com/positive-thinking-free-ezine.html or read more columns at http://TheHappyGuy.com/self-actualization-articles.html. Visit his home page "Finding Happiness and Self-actualization" at http://TheHappyGuy.com.

Info@TheHappyGuy.com

The Perfect Salesman

Writen by Jeffrey Hauser

Finding one would be a really tall order. I was a salesman for over 30 years and so I'm speaking from experience. I was pretty good but nowhere near perfect. I could imagine what it would take, though. He or she would have to have certain qualities, which I will list. Then I'll tell you how to find one. They should be:

(1) Very knowledgeable about the product or service.

(2) Able to explain all the features/benefits whenever consulted.

(3) Professional and believable.

(4) Loyal and trustworthy.

(5) Willing to work 24/7, 365 days a year.

(6) Able to work for a reasonable wage.

(7) Willing to compete on a level playing field for business.

(8) Capable of changing with the business demands, as needed.

(9) Able to sell without feeling stressed or worry about the process.

(10) Illness free, without missing work for sick days.

(11) Not requiring any additional benefits, like health or pension plans.

(12) Able to work without constant supervision.

(13) Available to the customer whenever they are needed.

(14) Able to present clear, concise, and reliable information.

(15) Selling without complaining about the company or conditions.

(16) Willing to stay with the company until they are no longer required.

(17) One with a proven track record of excellent service over a long period.

Imagine such a sales person that could be retained for a nominal fee and never ask for a raise, other than to match the cost of living. Where do you begin to track that perfect salesperson down? You already have. They actually live inside every person's home or office.

You know that reference directory with all the listings for local businesses in the area: the one printed on the yellow paper? Ah, by now, you've guessed who they are. Maybe you'll appreciate one the next time you read a Yellow Page ad, the 'perfect' salesman.

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree from Monmouth University. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, "Pursuit of the Phoenix," available at amazon.com. His latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages." Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.

The Sales Solution Emcsup2

Writen by Clayton Shold

Albert Einstein is best known for his theory of relativity. Every school kid knows his famous equation E=mc². This brilliant physicist was also widely quoted on a variety of topics. While not recognized at all as a salesperson, Mr. Einstein was always promoting ideas and concepts, attempting to gain acceptance for them from a sceptical audience. Sounds like sales to me!

I would be surprised if you have not heard his famous line, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Do you find yourself doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results? Maybe it is cold calling, maybe its networking, or perhaps it is your "pat" sales presentation. "I've always done it this way."

When was the last time you heard someone say "I'm in a rut and don't know how to get out." When I hear this statement, my diagnostic skills usually uncover the fact the person is doing what they previously found successful, but their process no longer works. Amazingly, they continue to follow their process. This could be called Sales Insanity!

Think about it. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. The world is changing and regrettably, many are not changing with it. You may be old enough to remember the term "bait and switch" where a customer was sold something, only to be convinced shortly after to switch to a usually more expensive product. Thankfully, those in the sales profession have bumped up their ethical standards considerably. They have had to. Consumers have become better informed, thanks in part to the Internet opening up a vast repository of information.

One of Albert's lesser-known quotes is "Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." Wow, talk about a man ahead of his time! Think about it, this fellow is regarded at the most important scientist of the 20th century. Apply his concept to sales and most would agree this is the mantra for sales professionals today. Adding value is what a sales person's role is. We no longer "sell" anything. Our responsibility is to help the consumer make an informed purchasing decision. My how times have changed!

Mr. Einstein also professed, "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere." I like to interpret this quote to mean that what you envision can become your reality. I work with an extremely talented behavioral psychologist who has spent many years working with top sales people. Dr. Thane Crossley will tell you that what you see in your mind's eye becomes your reality. In other words, your mindset is critical to your success.

Those with a positive outlook, laser like focus, and strong disciplines typically define success. Call it motivation, call it what you will, the best of the best are always looking for ways to improve their performance. They know a changing market place requires them to change their sales process, or risk "Sales Insanity".

One last Einstein quote for you that may shed a new perspective on your personal development moving forward, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."

Dare to work "outside the box". Achieve new levels of achievement by re-inventing your process to stay in tune with today's reality. Challenge yourself to break out of the once comfortable world where repetitive behavior worked all too well. Visualize yourself as successful, become your own Einstein, a brilliant visionary who had a tough sales job. Why not adopt E=mc² to mean "Excellence Equals My Commitment ... squared!"

Clayton Shold shares his experience at SalesDialogue Systems Inc. a company committed to assisting sales professionals better understand how their internal conversations affects sales success. Learn more at http://www.salesdialogue.com

The Importance Of Good Sales Leads

Writen by Ryan Joseph

An important part of your business plan should be to generate a steady stream of qualified leads. Making sure that leads flow into your "pipeline" will be one of the most vital aspects of your overall business. This will be particularly true if your business is network marketing. You need an abundance of leads constantly flowing in because sales and recruiting is mostly a "numbers game". There are plenty of ways to obtain new leads, depending on your time and resources. Perhaps the most simple method is to buy a list of leads that pertains to your niche. Many firms in fact provide this service, and you can acquire leads pertaining to nearly any topic under the sun, from pets to sports.

Make absolutely certain that you choose a firm with integrity. Make sure you can always call them on the phone. Each individual lead typically costs between 1 and 5 dollars each, depending on variables like freshness of the lead and how many customers are allowed to communicate with the lead. It is possible to buy exclusive leads but they are obviously more expensive and you may be on a budget. Leads will come with a broad spectrum of data for the most part like name, postal address, telephone number (sometimes they provide more than 1 contact number), email address, investment they are willing to spend and their interest level.

A key is to make certain that your leads are from a solid source. Sometimes leads acquired from the world wide web are inferior if there is an incentive of some kind to fill out the form such as a free prize of some sort or the other. This can be the wrong motivation to fill out such a survey and therefore the leads are less than ideal. Their only motivation should be interest in being matched with a home-based business. In addition, note that internet forms are sometimes filled out by children for kicks. This is in fact a severe problem so always find out precisely how the leads are generated. Be certain you know how fresh the leads really are and if you will have exclusive rights to them. Generally a lead should be sold to no more than three other people.

Another option in leads generation is simply networking. Numerous business networking groups and/or organizations exist in just about every major US city. Whether it be through your city or state economic development departments, Chamber of Commerces or private initiatives, the structure is already set in place. And also many local newspapers publish meeting dates for the different interest groups.

You really should be an active participant in these meetings as they can truly help your business. Although networking can really take place anywhere, certain environments are better for building a productive network. Business meetings fall into this category. It may sound like a bit of cliche, but the key with leads is in the follow up and follow thru. Bear in mind that you might need to follow up more than once or twice before closing the deal. After making your initial sales presentation, you need to follow up to answer any questions or objections, then you will be ready to close the deal.

For further information go to Home Business Articles and discover more about sales lead generation and other related topics in the free-reprint original home business article archive.

Ryan Joseph is a writer/researcher. For more info. visit http://www.aaronsfreebies.com/

The Effective Way To Deal With Objections

Writen by Jonathan Farrington

An objection can be looked upon as sales resistance, and without it you cannot expect to make a sale – just as in electricity, you cannot expect to have current flowing from one end of a conducter to the other without resistance.

Making a sale is like driving a car from A to B, where you accelerate and decelerate according to the road conditions. If the car were lifted, the wheels would not touch the ground, it would not have resistance, and without friction you won't be able to move forward, no matter how fast the wheels are spinning.

Objections can arise from the buyer wanting:

- Doubts clarified

- Further information

- Reassurance on certain points

They may be:

- Openly expressed

- Implied

- Hidden

And if they are hidden, it is the salesperson's job to smoke them out, for an objection that is not discovered and dealt with is a lost sale.

Objections can be rational or irrational. In face-to-face selling, most objections come from the buyer – but an inexperienced salesperson could provoke some objections himself if he or she is not vigilant.

Dealing with Objections:

Either:

- Pre-empt the objection – kill it off before the buyer thinks of it, or

- Answer it immediately

If you tell the buyer you will deal with the objection later, then forget about it, or worse,ignore it, you will risk the buyer thinking you are either hedging or ignorant of the answers. In either case the sale could be threatened then or later.

Unprofessional or inexperienced salespeople do not know how to recognise an objection and deal with it, and disregard what the buyer has said. They carry on regardless and hence lose the sale. Salespeople who do a wishy-washy job when selling, by not confronting objections and dealing with them in the right manner will always come out with sob stories to defend their poor selling abilities. Their excuse for losing the sale will be that the buyer gave them a tough time and complained about the product, service or idea. This is not so. What the buyer is telling the seller is that, based on their perceptions of the product, service or idea being offered and what the seller has told them during the sales presentation is that the buyer could not make a decision.

Objection handling to the seller therefore takes place as a prelude to closing and it is in that context that objections must be viewed rather than suspecting the buyer of throwing in a red herring in order to escape giving the seller a decision, or put him or her off course.

When multiple objections are expressed by the buyer, the seller can treat all of them as one and ask, 'Apart from these objections is there anything else that concerns you?' if not, the seller then says, 'If I could provide you with a solution or a valid explanation to those objections you would be prepared to go ahead, wouldn't you?' The answer to this must naturally be 'Yes' so you deal with them by isolating each objection, writing them down on a piece of paper in the presence of the buyer, answering them to the point, getting agreement with the buyer that each one has been answered to their satisfaction and crossing them out as you proceed, until the sale is made. This technique is called the final objection closing technique.

It is very easy for a seller to confuse an Excuse with a genuine Objection. An excuse is where a buyer is deliberately trying to avoid making a decision. An objection is a concrete opportunity for you to find a way of dealing with whatever is troubling the buyer, and close the sale.

When the buyer starts to make excuses you start to manipulate them subtly, letting him or her know that you have gauged their game and are aware that they are prevaricating. Be careful, though – you risk making the buyer angry if you use intimidating behaviour and you might reach the stage where you have to withdraw from the meeting. You then allow a cooling-off period, and may then contact the buyer again, apologizing for your supposed 'mistake'. This should pave the way for a fresh selling start.

Objections can be based on the following factors:

You, your company, product, service or idea

Rumour or hearsay

Cost (the amount of money required to run something) or price (the amount of money you would have to pay to own it)

Quality

Reliability

Durability

Packaging

Competitive advantages or disadvantages

Size

Shape

Colour

Function ability

Weight

Chemical composition

Suitability

Reputation

Past performance

Lack of desire to change

Seasonal demand

Fear, guilt, jealousy, anger

Future growth potential (continued)

Product, service or idea does not satisfy need

Unwillingness to take risks

Lack of urgency

Cultural differences

The professional salesperson should meet these objections head on, and defuse them just like a bomb disposal officer would neutralize a bomb, rendering it harmless.

Copyright © 2006 Jonathan Farrington. All rights reserved

Jonathan Farrington is the Managing Partner of The jfa Group To find out more about the author, read his latest articles or to subscribe to his newsletter for dedicated sales professionals, visit http://www.jonathanfarrington.com You can also now visit Jonathan's Blog at http://www.thejfblogit.co.uk

Zig Ziglar Does Mankind A Big Favor

Writen by Lance Winslow

Zig Ziglar the famous motivational speaker, author and audio tape expert on selling has changed the way we think. You know Ziggy is cool, I have read many of his books as well and listened to hundreds of tapes, even though I am not a salesman. Interesting stuff and he does do those in sales a favor as he says; "Nothing Happens Until Someone Sells Something." A more true statement about how products and economics work in Capitalistic Societies could not have been spoken.

Too often sales people get a bad rap and yet without them, nothing would happen. So for every negative experience or degrading comment about sales folks which are made a 100 go un-noticed and that is a shame for them.

You know come to think of it, I guess we all sell something no matter who we are. We sell our selves at parties and social events, we sell our opinions, our thoughts, etc. No matter what everyone is kind of selling something really; Interesting thoughts indeed.

Zig Ziglar has made his career noble by bring this to the World's attention and for that he has changed the way we think, act and view those who sell. Good stuff. Our nation and the business world owes a lot to Zig Ziglar and perhaps we should think on this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Crm Secrets Winning Strategies To Beat Your Competition

Writen by David Cowgill

Winning accounts and gaining customers is a natural part of running an organization, but, without the proper tools, it is sometimes difficult to know how you compare with your competitors.

Keeping track of your competition's products, sales literature, and marketing methods can help you get ahead in the market.

Most CRM systems have a "competitor win loss" report, so you can create a catalog of competitor products and sales literature that offers your organization insight into the competitor's world of marketing and sales. This insight can help your organization develop winning strategies.

In another area of CRM systems, most commonly called the "products area", you can enter products and sales literature that you have in common with the competition. This data can show what the competition is selling, for how much, and potentially, how often. While these pieces of information are extremely valuable, knowing what the competition has that you don't is also important. Creating custom views and catalogs will show you what the competition is doing and how it is affecting your organization in terms of sales, marketing, and ultimately, making money.

You can run the "competitor win loss" report in either the reports area. You can filter the report before you run it, so that you receive only the data that you need. When using filters, you can usually choose to view only one item, such as competitors or opportunities, or you can choose many different areas to filter on.

Because this type of report uses so many different areas of information, we recommend that as you create your competitors in your CRM system, you enter all possible details. Later when you run the report, you will have all the necessary information to accurately evaluate in what areas your organization is losing to the competition and where it is winning. For example, the sales team and sales managers in your organization can use this report to discover which competitors are giving the most challenges.

CRM is becoming a required technology in businesses of all sizes. Most people first need to understand what CRM really means before buying into the technology. There seems to be a lack of CRM information and most CRM companies are assuming visitors already know what it is. Their assumption is wrong. Start with the basics and then allow the prospect to dig deeper.

With this winning strategy, your organization can broaden its awareness of the competition as well as develop new strategies in sales and marketing.

David Cowgill is an avid CRM writer and blogger.

For further information please visit: CRM Blog

Take The Contract With You

Writen by Wendy Weiss

I learned something very interesting this week. Thankfully, what I learned was really at no one's expense. What I learned is that when you are on a sales call and you believe there is a possibility (even a remote one) that you may close, always take your contract or letter of agreement with you! This does not apply if your contracts are so complex that it takes a team of attorneys to sort through it. If, however, your contract or letter of agreement is one or two pages long… take it with you.

The above rule is something I've known for a long time. I have to admit I haven't always followed it. Many times I've met with prospects and sometimes, being lazy and having forgotten to bring along the letter of agreement, I would tell them that I would email or snail mail or fax the agreement later. Invariably it would take a long time to come back with a signature.

Two weeks ago I had a meeting with the President of a Speakers Bureau. He was eager to represent me and I am always looking for new opportunity. This Bureau has good credentials and they represent good speakers. I liked Mike, the President of the company, with whom I would be working. It's an absolute win-win, no-risk opportunity for me. Speakers Bureaus only get paid when they book speaking engagements. No engagements—no fee.

Had Mike had his letter of agreement with him I would have read it and, if there were no issues, signed it on the spot. He did not, however, have the agreement with him, but he promised to email it to me later on. A few days later he did. I printed it out. I put it in a folder. That was three weeks ago.

It's not that I don't want to work with Mike—I do. I simply have not yet had a chance to read over the letter of agreement. I'm busy. I'll get to it eventually. I do want to do it—it's simply not my most pressing concern.

This made me think. How much time have I wasted by waiting to send my letter of agreement? How much time have I wasted waiting for those signed letters of agreement? How much time have you wasted? We should never forget that while waiting… the prospect's situation could change along with the opportunity!

When you are in front of your prospect, you are the most pressing concern—at that moment in time. You cannot sustain that position over time, because other things come along to grab your prospect's attention. Get the contract signed while you are there, in front of your prospect, the prospect's most immediate, pressing concern.

If you find that you must send the contract at a later date, because the contract is complex, or must be reviewed or it must be written or rewritten, set up a time to meet again with that prospect. This might feel like more work; it's actually insurance.

Always have your calendar or palm pilot with you and easily available. When you agree to send your letter of agreement, part of your conversation must be about how and when you will deliver it. Once you have established the time frame for delivery, take out your calendar and say, "Let's pencil in a time for me to come by with it and we'll have a chance to talk as well." Keeping in mind the parameters and time frame that you just discussed offer some choices, "Is early next week good for your or is later in the week better?" This way you are having a conversation about when you will meet not if you will meet! I also like the word "pencil".  It implies that the time can be erased or changed, so the prospect does not feel trapped.

Control the sales process from start to finish. Don't do a terrific job of selling yourself, selling your company, selling your product or service only to have to wait by the mailbox tapping your toes and checking your watch.

© 2004 Wendy Weiss

Wendy Weiss, The Queen of Cold Calling & Selling Success, is a sales trainer, author and sales coach. She is the author of Cold Calling for Women and the recently released Cold Calling College. Get her free e-zine at http://www.wendyweiss.com.

5 Tips To Turn Your Prospects To Loyal Customers

Writen by A. Chandra Shekhar

There is an old saying in Kannada (a South Indian language) which roughly translates to: "It takes a year for the pot maker to make a pot, but hardly takes a minute to break it with a rod". Its so true when it comes to Sales. Getting a customer requires hard work and can take ages, but to lose one you don't have to do much. It's hardly time consuming.

Let's take a look at 5 tips that can help you turn your prospects into loyal customers.

1. Be Professional

Your first impression with your prospective customer is very important. People say the first impression is the best impression. But remember, in sales every meeting you attend demands a professional attitude from your end. Your attire, body posture and effective communication can set yourself apart from your competition. Always keep in mind that you are the face of your company. Anything you do, be it good or bad reflects on your company.

Looks apart, never get personal with people in a meeting. Today we are a global economy, which means we can expect people from different nationalities or languages to be present in a meeting. Even if you happen to meet someone from your country or someone who speaks your mother tongue, refrain from talking in that language. Speak the common language that everyone understands. You are insulting those who do not understand your language if you speak in your language. Unless you know for sure everybody in the meeting room understands your language and they feel comfortable with it, its off your menu.

Never assume that you can get business if you speak your prospect's language. Your presentation and professionalism carry more weight.

2. Do not bombard with calls/emails

Follow-up is essential in sales. No follow-up, no sales whatsoever. But when overdone, it can damage your reputation beyond repair. You can be classified as a spammer and blacklisted.

Always keep in mind that decision makers can take a bit of time before they finalize on something. You are probably not the only one to have submitted a proposal/quote to your prospect. Companies have to weigh the pros and cons of every quotation they receive. Any decision they take can either do good or harm them. So have a bit of patience.

It is perfectly fine to call-up your primary contact to find out about the status of your proposal. But get a timeline from the contact for your next call or email. Remember that the company you are talking to is still a prospect for you.

3. Never criticize your competition

There is always cut throat competition in business. In most cases you may know your competition and their products. It is quite possible that your prospect can bring up a topic about your competitor's product during discussions. You are in the meeting to sell your product, not to criticize someone else.

Comparison between products is fair. After all, each one of us would compare and then buy maybe even for an item like a toothbrush. There is nothing wrong if your prospect tries to compare your product with another one. Take it in the right spirit and point out the positive aspects of your product. If there are any loopholes pointed out, accept it. Tell them you will fix it for them.

4. Do not over commit

To survive in business, you have to close deals. But just to get an order do not promise the moon. If you know very well that you cannot deliver something the way your prospect needs, be frank and tell them that you can't. Saying "NO" at this stage is not going to do any harm to you because you still have the sales channel open. You can always approach the prospect again for some other business. People appreciate if you are honest and frank.

Always remember to state the terms and conditions clearly in your proposal. There could be variations in pricing or delivery schedules between the time you prepared the proposal and the time you actually got the order. Include a proposal validity clause always.

If you happen to over promise or commit and fail to deliver once you close the deal, you can land yourself in serious trouble. Not only are you going to lose the order, you might even end up paying a hefty fine for breach of contract. Do not hand over a good prospect on a platter to your competitor.

5. Communicate and stick to your commitments

You have worked hard to turn your prospect to a new customer. Your journey has just begun. Now you have to work even harder to maintain the new relationship. Communicate; and do it regularly. Show that you are there for them always. It is quite possible that there might be a delay in processing the order or delivering it. You are safe if you have stated the terms and conditions clearly in your proposal. But keep the customer informed.

Deliver your promises. This is essential if you want to get repeat business from your customers. If you are able to get the "Preferred Supplier/Consultant" tag from your customer, then this is your Loyal Customer. You know them better, understand their problems and deliver the right kind of solutions. So you are rewarded by becoming their Preferred Supplier/Consultant.

Having read the above points, your focus now should be to turn each of your Prospects to a Loyal Customer. It is a time consuming process, but your efforts are rewarded by leaps and bounds.

Happy Prospecting!

A. Chandra Shekhar owns Success Planned FZE, a company that develops affordable software products for the small business segment. Check out the website http://www.successplanned.com to know more about the products offered. He can be reached at shekhar@successplanned.com. Copyright © 2006 Success Planned FZE. All rights reserved.

When Running Your Business Or Making A Sale Youre Never Supposed To Let Them See You Sweat

Writen by David Gomm

In business, it's a common saying to "Never Let Them See You Sweat." But sometimes it's just plain hard to keep unemotional as you do business with someone. When you close a big deal, get permission to build a fantastic piece of art and get paid an unreal amount of money for the project, it's pretty hard to maintain professional composure. You want to jump up and down, hug the client and turn cartwheels. But we must maintain our dignity.

Can you imagine the reaction you'd get from the client? They might be horrified. They'd be thinking, "these people are just too excited, this must be the first big job they've ever sold, what have I done, how can I get out of this?"

So we pretend that this is commonplace, that it happens all the time, maybe missing a chance to really experience child-like joy. Then we get home and we can't really talk to friends and neighbors about the joy. We have to keep it safely bottled up, because if we let it out, they'll think we're bragging or gloating or showing off. Besides, they didn't know that we'd been up all night for months, sick with worry, wondering how we were going to make ends meet.

I remember the first time we sold a job and were paid a princely sum. It was a rare occurrence. We usually scratch from one job to the next and here we were facing a client who not only wanted what we could do, they weren't trying to cut our throats in the process. We're usually so used to "starving artists syndrome" that we immediately go into cut our price mode when the subject of cost is raised.

The client handed me a check for 50% of the job as if it were nothing, and maybe to him it was little or nothing. But to me, this was enough operating capital to keep our studio going for the 3 months it would take to build his windows, but it would also allow us to go on another three months. I walked away, electric pulses running through my body, maintaining my composure. But through my head, I kept thinking, "this is enough to buy a car, I could go out and pay cash for a car. He just gave me enough money to run my business and to buy a car!"

I didn't do anything so foolish. There were materials to purchase for the job, inventory to replace, and tooling to maintain. As we got used to the funds, and they began to be used up, my excitement began to cool to a level where it was easy to maintain my composure. But, every now and then, I yearn for the freedom to really enjoy good things, to laugh and dance and express the pure joy of the moment of success.

One thing we have been able to do is thank God for the blessings. We often don't know what we did to gain a particular success. I like to say, "If I knew what I did, I could do it again." But we decieded a few years back, that the Lord was doing a lot in our behalf and we really ought to thank him. So we did, and found that the more we thanked him, the more we saw his hand in our lives.

One day, a client came in while I was teaching a class and we made a deal right then and he paid me and the deal was closed in such a short time during a busy moment that I didn't have time to get excited and be really grateful to the Lord. I figured I could thank him when the day was over and there were fewer people around. But when that time came, I found that the moment had passed. I hadn't taken the time to celebrate, so I missed out on that moment. Maybe that was good, because it taught Jeanne and I that even though we can't always let the world see our excitement, we can sure let God see it, but we can't be bashful about it. Either praise him or don't, but don't figure you can at a later time.

David Gomm started building stained glass windows professionally back in 1983 and has become an expert at many aspects of stained glass building, design and repair. He writes a monthly newsletter at http://www.betterstainedglass.com

He also has a website with many other articles at http://www.gommstudios.com

These articles may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as the entire article, copyright notice, links and this resource box are unchanged, or if using a portion of the article, it points back to one of our pages where the entire article resides. Copyright © David Gomm All Rights Reserved.

Your Future Profits Protect Source With Care

Writen by Don Monteith

At 21 years, just out of Business College, I went into the mail-order business. Spent 4-1/2 years in this venture and learned many valuable lessons about building customer relationships. #1 is TRUST. Folks like to buy from someone who is dependable and responsible.... with integrity.... one who "walks" their "talk".

You'll like our company name – Donna's House of Lustre –"Lustre" is about bright and shiny stuff. We sold silverware, dinnerware and related products. Some products were even imported for us. A great first business experience that has served me well.

Here's my point. We'd send out 50,000 direct mail pieces (cold list) offering a great product and price. 2% response was good. 1,000 sales. 49,000 mailed pieces wasted. 98% waste UNTIL the prospect became a customer AFTER knowing that we over-delivered on our promises.

Next, we would send the 1,000 BUYERS a special offer and get a 10 to 20% return with orders. Why? Their first experience with us was good. Value was received and confidence built in the relationship. The longer we were in business the more valuable each customer was to us as a friend, profits too.

Your best investment with your customer is to "exceed their expectation". Nothing less will satisfy and keep the pipelines filled with new orders. Today, we look for the salesperson to go beyond prior performance, to do more, and more again.

Point is – profits are greatest in repeat business because you eliminate the waste. Many firms lose money on the first sale and make it up in future business AFTER passing the initial test of integrity and good business ethics.

VALUE - UP SELLING

Several opportunities come to mind. Did you offer the "Cadillac" STS or the "low-end" vanilla version in your promotion piece? Can you offer the customer a bonus opportunity to add new features? Better controls? Higher volume? Easier to read directions? Discounts on a second item? Buy two get one free?

Not "bait" and "switch" which is BAD customer service. You should always have in stock the exact item you have featured in your advertising. It is grossly unfair to invite a potential buyer into your store and then be out of stock EXCEPT for a higher priced model.

All of us appreciate knowing that a "better" model is available. It is quite possible that we would prefer the "best" rather than "no" features. Give your customer the option and he or she will be the decision-maker.

Show the benefits of owning each one. Everyone wants to save TIME. Get the job done faster. More features should mean more benefits. Remember, we all want to know WIIFM (what's In It For Me!) Maybe a price concession is currently available.

Always remember the old saying, "nothing ventured, nothing gained". You have to inquire to find the buyers "hot" button. Your job is to meet the needs of the customer.

BACK-end SELLING

In our mail-order days we called it "back-end" selling because it was the sales items that caught a "ride" with the outgoing products. Tag along, hitch a ride for FREE. No cost for advertising pieces except printing. No postage or mailing expense.

At the time, we sold an 8 place setting of stainless silverware (fork, knife and spoon) to the housewife. A super buy! Our "back-end" items were iced teaspoons, gravy ladle, butter knife, serving spoons, grill sets, dishes and all the rest.

Hundreds of our customers purchased everything we offered. It was a good feeling to know we were exceeding their very best expectations. Some bought for other members in their family and recommended us to their friends. Our kind of customer!

Our goal is to exceed your expectations in everything that we do. Any articles that you receive or products that are offered or purchased from us MUST be the highest quality and never fall short of the best.

Risk reversal is the key to success. Your customer should not have to take any kind of personal risk when doing business with you or your company. If your product fails to live up to expectation or to meet a need then a refund is in order.

Action Tip: Greatest profit potential is in future sales AFTER the first. Integrity and trust are KEY to growing your business on or off the Internet. Mail-order sales and Internet sales have much in common. Risk reversal for the customer makes buying our products an easy decision. 100% unconditional guarantee of satisfaction is an Internet imperative.

Don Monteith spent 32 years as co-owner of several franchises and a personnel/staffing business. Every year, his firm placed hundreds of job candidates in their dream job. Today, Don shares his business and career expertise through his newest websites on the Internet. Lots of FREE ideas - suggestions - ready for your perusal and study.

http://www.Career-Coaching-Central.com
http://www.HowToGetYourDreamJob.com

Retail Shopping Basket Provides Advertising Opportunity

Writen by Christopher Weis

Independent retailers are always looking for innovative ways to expand their revenue. At the end of the day, the bottom line is all they have to indicate if they were successful or not. The latest solution is less about the products for sale, and more about the tool customers use to carry products while they're still in the store.

Retail shopping baskets provide a variety of advertising options that will allow retailers to get some extra mileage out of money they've already spent. Most plastic retail shopping baskets have a blank section of solid plastic on each side. Store owners could put that real estate to use, advertising specials in their own store or advertising someone else's business.

While many stores have begun putting ads in shopping carts, the retail shopping baskets are still an untapped opportunity. Here are a few suggestions for getting the most out of your plastic shopping baskets:

Talk to the neighbors: Try to approach neighboring retailers who are non-competitors and see if they would be interested in advertising on the retail shopping baskets. Promote the program as an effective means for attracting customers who are already in the area. It could be just the opportunity they've been looking for to promote their business.

Point-of-Sale Ads: Use the ad space to promote your own products, and special sales. As customers are browsing your store, they will see these messages on their own plastic shopping basket, as well as on the baskets of other shoppers. This will ensure multiple exposures to the message and will help the ad get through to customers, improve the likelihood of success with the product or sale that is being advertised.

Mix it Up: One particular problem with advertising is that people get desensitized to it over time. So it is important to change up the message and appearance of the ad now and then. Recruit multiple advertisers and put them in rotation on the retail shopping baskets. This will keep the messages fresh, and will give the ads a stronger impact.

Part of being successful in retail is being innovative and trying something new. This could be the opportunity to step outside the box and hit a home run. Plastic shopping basket ads are really just the tip of the iceberg. So look around. See opportunities to excel, and go for it.

Christopher Weis is the marketing director for Nu-Era. Nu-Era and http://www.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.

Sales Success Tipstop Whats Not Working

Writen by Greg Beverly

In my day to day training of sales professionals, many who are mediocre at best and failing at worst continue to resist some simple testing and measuring tools for determining what they are doing that is working and what they are doing that is not working. The most common excuse I hear is that they don't have time. However, when the most successful sales professionals in the world subscribe to testing and measuring, I have a lot of difficulty accepting this lame excuse. Making the same mistakes over and over takes infinitely more time than determining what is working and what is not working and adjusting your activities accordingly.

I ran across this little gem this weekend. It really brought into focus how most of us live our lives. The only problem is that many of us are stuck in Chapters, 1,2, and 3, never reaching Chapters 4 and 5. It wasn't very long ago that I could have written this myself. Through trial and error and some incredible mentors, I am now well past this scary scenario. I want you to join me!

Read this short, but powerful lesson and then take action!

AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE CHAPTERS

Chapter 1.

I am on a road There is a deep hole I fall in I am lost. desperate It is not my fault It takes an eternity to find a way out

Chapter 2.

I am on the same road There is a deep hole I pretend not to see it I fall in again I cannot believe I am in the same situation But it is not my fault It takes a long time to find a way out

Chapter 3.

I am on the same road There is a deep hole I see that it is there I fall in again. It is habit My eyes are open I know where I am It is my fault I come out immediately

Chapter 4.

I am on the same road There is a deep hole I walk around it

Chapter 5.

I walk on another road --Rinpoche

Wow. Have you been there? I have. That's why I am So passionate about helping others avoid these costly mistakes.

What do YOU continue to do on daily basis that is producing little or not results, other than frustration?

Certainly, we can all fill in the blank here: Continuing to do what we have always done and expecting a different result is the very definition of _________________.

What skills or knowledge that if you learned or mastered would produce a fantastic result in your career or sales results?

What is holding you back from learning those skills?

What is holding you back and preventing your from moving forward and making a commitment to excellence?

Whatever it is, make a promise right now, this very minute to move past it. Otherwise you wind up in the fill in the blank paragraph earlier.

As we approach the beginning of a brand new year, we really need to pull out ALL the stops and get the results we want.

Listen. Learn. Take action.

Greg Beverly, CPA, MBA has more than 21 years experience working with sales and business professionals, helping them to achieve their professional and personal dreams of success. Visit his website at http://www.salessuccess.yougethelp.com for a free sales success ecourse.