Problem Solving Is The Bedrock Of Successful Selling

Writen by Jonathan Farrington

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

For"foolish consistency" read "dull routine". Routine – doing things by habit, subconsciously, without thinking – is the enemy of success.

The human mind is a computer. You programme your computer by the input you feed into it: learning, knowledge, experience and so on. If you programme your mind with images of failure, you will fail. If you build a bank of success images, your computer will direct you to success.

How do you build and input images of success into your computer?

By creativity…by thinking.

The fruit of thinking is knowledge; and knowledge is the medium from which skills are built.

In skills learning, there are four steps:

Step One:

The Unconscious Incompetent. They don't know that they don't know. The salesperson that is making mistakes, but is not aware of them.

Step Two:

The Conscious Incompetent. They know that they don't know. This is the beginning of wisdom. The salesperson that is aware they are not cashing in on their full potential and wants to learn how to improve.

Step Three:

The Conscious Competent. They have learned and are aware of what they have learned – and they use it! They know why! The salesperson who knows how to make a successful approach call and can programme and execute their presentation to achieve their objectives.

Step Four:

The Unconscious Competent. They have learned so well that they use their knowledge with a semi-automatic skill. Their skills have reached a level where they are no longer self-centred. They are free to devote their efforts to the needs of others. The professional salesperson who does the right things to get results, but functions without conscious attention to what they are dong or why.

Note that I say semi-automatic. Even the Unconscious Competent should have the ability and the sharpness to call forth self-awareness.

Purposeful self-awareness, plus a knowing application of skill, generates maximum personal horsepower.

The handmaiden of creativity is Imagination. Imagination is the well that brings forth the new ideas that are essential to your growing success.

Brainstorming is the way to keep imagination active, fresh and alive.

These are the rules of brainstorming new ideas:

• Quantity: Numbers; the more ideas, the greater percentage of success

• No criticism: Don't pre-judge any idea until you have a basketful to pick from. This is the key. Judgment tends to inhibit imagination

• Free-wheeling: Don't reject an idea because it is unusual or "off the wall"

• Combinations: Combine ideas and see what kind of offspring they produce.

Only after you've exhausted all possible ideas do you start the process of selecting and evaluating.

The aim of creativity is problem solving. That's the essence of successful selling.

The foremost function of the mind is problem solving, we solve problems with our imagination and imagination is a function of our creative ability. A creative salesperson is a problem-solver.

The basics of the selling process:

• Determine desire

• Present the product to satisfy desire

• Help the prospect find the right reasons for a favourable decision

Selling is nothing more than an exercise in problem solving. By constantly keeping your imagination and creativity at work, you will develop the best attitude for problem solving. You will build an unending source of ideas. You will become an idea producer and this will be your source of "value add" that will differentiate you from your competitor.

Differentiate Between Activity and Accomplishment

Activity relates to being busy but accomplishment equates to getting meaningful things done. It takes energy to fail. The successful salesperson channels their energy into creative, productive channels leading to pre-defined goals.

Accomplishment is measured by the amount of creativity involved.

And Finally: Value Added Asks:

"What service or benefit can I add to what I give my customer, other than my product?"

Not just service in the sense of speedy delivery, prompt follow-up and personal attention, which are normal adjuncts of any real sale…but a real plus idea, something extra of value to him beyond the immediate transaction…that goes beyond the nine dots of your job…

Value Add, through idea giving, is the ingredient that earns you the right to ask for the order, and to expect it!

Copyright © 2006 Jonathan Farrington. All rights reserved

Jonathan Farrington is the Managing Partner of The jfa Group. To find out more about the author or to subscribe to his newsletter for dedicated sales professionals, visit: http://www.jonathanfarrington.com

Three Reasons Why People Wont Buy And Three Ways To Fix It

Writen by Aubrey Richardson

Most of us at some point in our career have experienced the frustration of being unable to "close the deal"! We've walked away wondering what else could have been said, shown or done in order to GTC (Get The Check).

Well, I'm here to suggest to you that sometimes it's simply not the right time for the prospect to "get in", "do the deal" or "sign up". For some unknown (or known) reason, the timing just doesn't seem to fit their lifestyle right now. We've all heard the expression, No doesn't mean NO … it just means, not right now!

I submit to you that people don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care! It is up to you (the seller) to communicate to your prospect with every means of communication you have, to become their friend. That's right … their friend!! No one wants to buy from a stranger; everyone prefers to buy from someone they know, someone they feel they can trust. It's our job to get from stranger to friend as quickly as possible.

Three reasons why people won't buy:

1 – No Money
2 – No Need
3 – No Trust

When responding to someone's interest, we must first determine at what "level" his or her interest lies. Simply put, there's a big difference in someone who is just "interested" as opposed to someone who is "committed" .If you are working over the phone or through email, the following three questions may help you in determining a person's interest level and assist you with qualifying your prospect.

You may open up your memo or conversation with …"I'm responding to your request for more information about the ecommerce opportunity found on our website".

1 – What kind of work are you in now?

You are wanting them to say (or write) something to the effect of "… they are tired of what they are doing or looking for some sort of change …" Most likely if they are not unhappy with what they are presenting involved in, there may not be enough motivation to commit to another opportunity. They at least need to want to supplement what they are currently doing with an additional plan.

2 – Are you looking for something full-time or part-time?

This will give you a good idea of their commitment level (if any). Everyone has his or her own definition of what part-time means as opposed to full-time. Most would agree that full-time is anything over forty hours in a single week. However, keep in mind that a great number of individuals wind up treating a part-time position as a hobby and therefore, getting paid as if it were a hobby! Someone who is truly hungry for a change in his or her lifestyle may need to under go a complete paradigm shift.

3 – What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

Listen to their answer, it may be a bit undefined but you will sense in their "story" whether or not there's a fit for them in your business.

Begin to tell them a little bit about your business. Give them the "sizzle message" about what's hot with your deal and why they need to be a part of the team. Include several "buzz words" to describe your opportunity and allow them to feel your excitement and level of energy!

Most important! Ask them a direct YES or NO question. Preferably a call to action of some sort, that will enable you to take them to the next step of your system and lock them into a commitment. A question such as "Does that sound like something you would like to hear (or receive) more information about?

A lot of times people want YOU to answer more questions at this time. They may ask you things like:

1 - How much is it?
2 – What do I have to do?

My suggestion is to plug them into a "system" and let the system answer their questions. Even if you know the answers, it's still better to let the system do the work for you. Why? Simply put … it's duplicatable! You may be a super savvy salesperson but your prospect may not have your talent or skill level. Therefore, they think they have to be like you in order to make things work for them. If you have a "system", everyone can do it!! It's the old KISS method, (Keep It Simple Sweetheart).

Become their friend and service them again!

See ya sometime …

Aubrey Richardson is the founder of LogoFax and Clipart247 FREE members.

Sales Promotions And Discounts

Writen by Mary Eule

Sales promotions are designed to have an immediate impact on sales for a predetermined (and limited) period of time. They are used to increase customer demand by stimulating the marketplace, (examples include: coupons, discounts and sales, contest, rebates, etc.) and can be directed to the end user, sales staff or distributor (for example, retailers).

In this article I'll discuss some of the more common types of consumer and trade (targeted to retailers and wholesalers) promotions… ones that are most suitable for small- and medium-sized businesses. A word of caution: Be careful how you use promotions. They can be wonderfully helpful as long as they're not seen as gimmicky… this smacks of hucksterism and you don't want to go there.

Also, promotions are "pricey" (no pun intended!)… That is, they focus on providing cost deals. Therefore, you must use them carefully and not allow price to ever become your chief differentiator. Use them, but use them wisely and intermittently.

Consumer Promotions: Discounts

Sales: The word 'sale' is so overused and abused that it's become almost meaningless to consumers. Many companies use every imaginable occasion to advertise their latest, greatest price cuts in an attempt to lure the unwary consumer. This may work for a while but will hurt your business in the long run.

My advice is simple… if you're going to have a sale make sure it's legitimate and believable. If not, you risk damaging your credibility and reputation. For instance, a Mid-July Summer Sale is pointless. It's best to give the reason for the sale and as many specifics as possible. The following is an example of an effective newspaper ad:

Wednesday's Inventory Clearance Sale Everything is 50% Off!

We'll be closed this Thursday… Why? Because it's our annual inventory day. That means we have to count every single item in our store… And the way we figure it, the less there is to count, the sooner we'll finish… and we know how much you'll love taking advantage of our one-day prices!

Wednesday Only - Closed Thursday

Price Deal/Seasonal Discounts: Temporarily reducing the price during slow times or seasons. A good example of this discount is the ever-popular Happy Hour. Or how about a Maine beach rental in January?

Quantity: These are price cuts given for large buys. The reason behind them is to earn economies of scale and pass some (or all) of these savings onto customers. In some industries, buyer groups and co-ops have formed to take advantage of these discounts. There are two types:

1. Cumulative quantity discounts - Price reductions based on the amount bought over time.

2. Noncumulative quantity discounts- These are price discounts based on the quantity of a single order. The expectation is that they will encourage larger orders, thus reducing billing, order filling, shipping, and sales personnel expenses.

Prompt/Early Payment Discounts: Use these when cash flow is tight and speedy payments mean greater liquidity. Obviously, you can design these promotions to fit your specific needs. Just make sure the prompt payment is worth the discount. For example, let's assume you invoice your customers once a month and agree that payments are due with 30 days. In this case, you might offer a 2% discount if they pay within 10 days.

Promotional Allowances: These are price decreases given to a retailer for performing some promotional activity. They include an 'allowance' (fixed sum of money) for creating and keeping a retail display or co-op advertising.

Trade-Ins: Traditionally associated with the auto industry, an effective trade-in promotion has many advantages. The buyer's price is reduced by the amount offered for the trade-in, encouraging replacement sales without sacrificing perceived value.

And remember, "No one at 57 gets cosmetic deals." :>) (David Gest)

Mary Eule specializes in helping small and medium-sized businesses get and keep profitable customers. Formerly a Fortune 500 marketing executive; founder of two successful small businesses and award-winning speaker, Ms. Eule is President of Strategic Marketing Advisors, LLC. and co-author of a new book, "Mandatory Marketing: Small Business Edition". She holds a master degree in marketing from Johns Hopkins University. Log onto http://www.StrategicMarketingAdvisors.com for free articles, newsletter and helpful tools, tips and templates.