"Sharon Drew." If the woman chose to use my name at every possible juncture, at least she could get my name right, especially after having been corrected twice already. FAULTY ASSUMPTIONS What, exactly, was that? This woman was using an age-old sales ploy: send something so I am familiar with her, then call me on a 'warm' cold call, and then lure me in on the strength of the offering... not to mention the old Dale Carnegie ploy of using the person's name a lot. This makes a few serious assumptions: "No,Cheap Torry Holt Jersey, I'm not calling to hire you." [Note: this woman was SO out of control on this call.] [Note: for those of you who study Buying Facilitation® I suggest you begin calls with strangers by giving your own name, saying it's a 'sales call' and then asking who you are speaking with, even though you may have a name in front of you.] "I think we should end this call." "No, Sharon, you don't." "Is this a sales call, or are you calling to hire me?" "What card? I only open cards from folks I know cuz they often contain viruses. Do I know you?" We have nothing to sell if the prospect has nothing to buy. Stop selling, and help your buyers get buy-in for change. Then you can send all the cards you want. "I'm selling cards for you to send to your clients to helps you build a relationship with them." [Did she not see the humor here? She sent me a card to build a relationship, and I didn't open it, and it harmed the relationship.] When sellers push a solution into a 'closed system' that is happy the way it is (whether or not you believe it's possible for them to be even more successful with your solution), you face rejection: the system doesn't want to change and will reject, out of hand, anything pushing in. No matter what your solution, or how great the problem, begin all interactions by helping buyers recognize where they are, and what they would need to address if they wanted to expand possibilities. And then lead them to figure out how to get buy-in for change. Do you get the point here? Just because you have a great product doesn't mean the buyer knows how to buy it. Here is how a Buying Facilitation® conversation between us could have started like - without her having to send a card. The woman then proceeded to get herself into very hot water."I've read one or two of your books, Sharon,Cheap Ryan Clark Jersey, and appreciate them. I am wondering..." 'Interesting. OK, Sharon Drew. I'm selling a relationship management solution. How are you currently going about making and maintaining prospect and client relationships?' "Hello. My name is ____. This is a sales call. Who am I speaking with?" As a prospect, me understanding what your solution is makes no sense if I like what I'm already doing and don't know how to operate,Cheap Philip Rivers Jersey, as a person or as a company, with the addition of something new. It goes back to one of my tag lines: Would you rather sell? Or have someone buy. That I opened the card. That I liked the card. That I knew what to do with the card. That I was looking to build relationships with prospects. That I thought that using an email card would build a relationship. That I thought that her card would build the sort of relationship I wanted to have. That the card she sent - even if I opened it - would have created a relationship. From there, she could lead me through my current choices, and determine how I might add another possibility to what I was already doing. She might even have sold me. "Sharon Drew. I call myself Sharon Drew, and use both names." I was still patient but getting less so. Etc. "You call yourself both names? Ok. I can do that. Did you get my card last month? The card I sent you?" "Ok. So this is a sales call. What are you selling." "Um, I don't use those sorts of ploys to help my buyers make buying decisions. Are you sure you've read any of my books?" Sharon Drew - and that's my first name. And what are you selling? "Ah, yes. Sharon Drew. I sent you a card to look at."

Reason #2: Goal setting and achievement works when written, aligned and yours In June of 2010 I received a notice from Sylvia Rosen of the Buyer Zone that my relatively new sales blog (established in February 2010) has been included in the 20 great sales blogs. What an honor and it is very much appreciated for these three reasons: Increase traffic by at least 20% over the previous year. This goal has been achieved every month since the debut of my blog. Achieve an Alexa ranking of under 300,000 by September of 2010. This happened in May 19, 2010. Sales Training Coaching Tip: Alexa.com is a trending tool as is Compete.com Achieve 150 unique visitors per day by September of 2010 (currently at 130 unique visitors per day) Achieve Alexa ranking of under 200,000 by December 31, 2010 Achieve 500 unique visitors per day by December 31, 2010 Achieve Alexa ranking of under 100,000 by December 31, 2011 Achieve 1,000 unique visitors per day by December 31, 2011 In the sales process, many marketing and selling actions are the result of good intentions. However they fail to deliver the desired results of more customers and increase sales. This outcome can be changed when goals are part of the overall sales process. Sales Training Coaching Tip: If you have not followed up on all sales leads but you want to this is an example of having good intentions while traveling the road to Hades. In late April of 2010, I added another target and that was to be included in the top 100 sales blogs by 12/31/2010. Recently due to the achievement of some of the above goals, I just added this goal, secure $1,000 in passive income by 12/31/2010. To achieve this new objective means including some relevant advertisements be them Google Adwords or from other sources such as Reach Sales. Some say the road to Hades is paved or littered with good intentions. I always thought that to be true because there was no predetermined destination. With so many in selling not achieving their sales quotas according to a CSO Insight survey in early 2010, this old adage appears to still be true. There is tremendous power for any one in sales who combines intentional thoughts with WAY SMART goals. Just make sure you keep track of all those targets achieved so when you hit a bump in the road your thoughts will stay incredibly intentional. When I began my sales blog, I committed these goals to writing: I have always been a big believer in SMART goals. As I grew older I revised the goal achievement criteria from SMART goals to WAY SMART goals. Over the course of time, my personal action plan became more standardized and was then put onto one format for easier review. Transitioning into my consulting and sales coaching practice,Cheap Falcons Jerseys, I then created a series of one-page action plans beginning with an overall business action plan. Sales Training Coaching Tip: W is for Written; A is for Aligned and Y is for Yours. Reason #3: Intentional thoughts (positive thinking) are necessary for success Everyone likes to be acknowledged for a job well done. When this recognition comes from a totally unbiased and unexpected source, it has even more meaning. Henry Ford I believe said it best "Whether you think you can or you think you cannot,Cheap Cleveland Browns Jerseys, either way you are right." Positive intentional thoughts must be present if you truly want the sales success you deserve in sales. One of my colleagues, Laura Novakowski of Positive Power Strategies,Cheap Joseph Addai Jersey, Inc. is writing a series of articles on this very subject in her blog. Reason #1: Outside acknowledgment validates the quality of your writing and thinking efforts From these written statements, my thoughts are very intentional and directed to achieving these desired results. My belief right or wrong is if I had not committed these dreams to writing, my thoughts would not be as clear and clarity of thought is required unless you like selling or living in a fog. Sales Training Coaching Tip: Louie Armstrong is quoted as saying: "Goals are dreams with endings."

1. Keep your salon clean at all times! Hygiene means a lot to many people. The last thing you want is for a client to come back saying they got a fungal infection from a comb, razor or improperly washed basin. Clean and sterilize everything once you're done with one client, before you move onto on the next one. Give each client a new towel and cape to wear to ensure that you're bases are covered. Also ensure you keep your bathroom clean and well stocked. Assign someone to ensure that there is enough toilet paper and paper towels. Pamper your clients so they keep coming back! 5. Treat your customers well at all times! Regardless of your mood, you have to always greet your customers with a smile. A genuine smile and honest conversation keeps people coming back to see you. Give each customer your undivided attention when it comes to their time in the chair. That personal contact and genuine interest in them,Cheap Isaac Sopoaga Jersey, will speak volumes - not only in the amount of referrals you'll gain from them, but also in your profits! 4. Always offer directions on how to get to your salon, along with your working hours and parking situation. This reduces the amount of calls for this information, giving you more time to focus on your existing clients. If you follow these 5 steps, you're sure to see a boost in your salon profits and customers! Today I'm going to share 5 unique ways that you can boost your salon profits without spending a dime! So, are you ready! You have employees to manage, customers to greet and tend to, and then you have the administrative aspects like accounting and scheduling. These are just a few of the time consuming processes that salon owners have to deal with on a daily basis. There's a lot of money that goes out the door, but is there enough coming in? 2. Offer snacks or refreshments. Often times clients are visiting your salon after work or school and sometimes may be beat at the end of the day. A courteous greeting and kind offer of a drink or snack can be that little extra pick me up that they need. Treating your clients kindly also helps in increasing the tip you receive. 3. In the entrance way or at the desk of your salon,Cheap Dan Marino Jersey, display awards, testimonials,St. Louis Rams Jerseys, articles from the media or any other achievement that your salon has received. This not only gains you respect, but it also increases your credibility. Usually stylists who are well-respected, gain more attention and can charge more for their expertise. If you offer excellent service, you're clients will not mind paying you that little extra that you so well deserve.

The fear of getting caught is pretty natural when you start doing this, but nobody will ever catch you. Once you develop rapport, and you've chit chatted about various things,Cheap Kerry Collins Jersey, then you can start with your sales presentation. Give it about five minutes or so to really sink it. You'll find that this will give a great advantage over the old way of doing things. To begin with, what exactly is rapport? It's one of those things that you know what it is when you have it, but you can't really describe what it is exactly. When you are with somebody that you feel comfortable with, that you know you can trust, then you are in rapport. If you see an old friend that you haven't seen in many years, you will quickly fall into rapport. However, when meeting somebody for the first time, it can be difficult to create it right away. The longer you do this, of course, the more effect it will have. One way to notice this in other people is to look around next time you're out and about and check couples who are sitting in coffee shops or what not. If their body language is matched pretty well, they are getting along fine. If their body language is completely mismatched,Cheap Scott Fujita Jersey, then they aren't getting along very well at the moment. And when you start using this in your sales, you will notice a dramatic increase in your income. People who have been in sales for any amount of time know how incredibly important they are for your business as well as for your personal income. Regardless of the size of your company, whether it's a huge multi billion dollar operation, or a home based business that is just getting started, sales is absolutely vital to your companies success. In this article you'll learn a powerful trick that will dramatically increase the amount of sales you make. It's easy, and you can start doing it as soon as you finish this article. The name of this technique is rapport. The best way to create rapport is to simply match their body language. This is pretty easy to do, and you'll almost never get caught. Just match how they are sitting or standing. Cross your legs if they've got theirs crossed, cross your arms if they've got theirs crossed and so on. If they reach back to scratch their head, wait a few seconds and then do the same. The question is, how do you create this with somebody you've just met, know little about, and is already being defensive, since you are obviously going to try and sell them something? You can try traditional methods,Cheap Michael Irvin Jersey, like asking about their hobbies, and saying how great they are, but the truth is those methods are shallow and superficial, and won't get you very far. You've got to develop true, unconscious rapport.

3. Limited time offer. Buyers, for some reasons, love it when they only have limited time to make a purchase. Somehow,Cheap Michael Crabtree Jersey, this creates a sudden rush of adrenalin. Put your products on sale for like 1-2 days and expect that people will flock your store in no time. 2. Freebies and discounts. If you don't want your prospects to waste a single second, I recommend that you offer them something for free to entice them to purchase ASAP. You can offer them with free product sample or items that compliment the products that they would like to buy. For example, if you are offering a kitchen appliance,Cheap Dave Casper Jersey, you can throw in silverware. Here's how you can convert your prospects to buying clients in a heartbeat: 3. Offer money back guarantee. You know, the only reason why buyers do not make a purchase right away is that they calculate the risk that comes with the purchase. Get them to buy quickly by removing the risk! You can do this by offering a money back guarantee where your customers can get a full refund if they are not 100% satisfied with your products. You don't need to worry if you are confident that you offerings will deliver. 1. Build a great reputation online. Here's the truth; buyers only do business with people who are proven to be trustworthy. Thus,Cheap Jamaal Anderson Jersey, it's important that you invest time and energy to be known as someone who's worthy of trust before you offer your products to your prospects. You can do this by getting industry leaders and your previous customers to recommend you.

The thing to remember is that selling isn't a magic bullet but, rather, a process. That means you need to put in planning and effort in order to improve your efficiency. It isn't about putting more pressure on clients or customers to get the sale. Instead, you need to be more customer-centric and offer them a solution to their problem and a real return on their investment. In a tight market it is critical to listen to your customers - if you talk twice as much as them, you will probably lose the sale. This is because selling is not a one-way but a two-way process: you need to go round to the customer's side of the table and see things from their point of view. One of the ways to take pressure off the sale is to make sure that you have enough leads in the first place. If you don't have enough leads, you will be tempted to push, but if you have 10 leads then it is not such a big deal. You shouldn't care about any one particular deal but about your overall targets and you should care about the client and about being professional. One piece of advice I'd give you would be to try to make selling a habit so that you create a continual stream of leads and sales activity. Otherwise, you could be drawn into a boom and bust sales cycle. That leads to businesses being forced to discount to win business at any cost and customers, sensing your desperation, fishing for further discounts. Another thing to do is to diversify your sales strategy. Just relying on cold calls, advertising or the Yellow Pages is dangerous. Finally, before you rush off to secure dozens of meetings with potential customers, it is worth remembering that your current customers are likely to turn out to be your most profitable customers. Not only might you be able to sell more to them - but also they might well be able to introduce you to other sales opportunities. Anyway, here are my top tips: A lot of companies are scared of investing or making moves into a new market, in case it backfires. But if you are bold and invest in your marketing and promotion then you will,Cheap Rodgers-Cromartie Jersey, I believe, see the rewards. But, even if you are committed to your sales program, what is the best way to sell in today's climate? Once we have made our plan and started to implement it,Cheap Haloti Ngata Jersey, we need to make sure that it is working and that it can be improved as necessary. To do this properly, we need to 'track the response', keep records and evaluate the effectiveness of what we are doing. Do these things and you will remain in control. o Objective: To generate 'store traffic' (potential customers) for your antiques market/gallery/boutique. o Strategy: To encourage people to 'sample' what you have to offer - getting them through the door the first time is the key, and if they like what they find they will come back. o Tactics: A complimentary glass of champagne during your opening few days, and generous discounts during the first week or month of opening. News of your opening/discount offer can be promoted via the local papers (which are usually very happy to run this kind of story, especially if there is a special discount for the paper's readers) and via leaflets put through letterboxes in the surrounding area. It is very tempting when things appear gloomy to feel that there is nothing much one can do. Since Christmas, I have been giving seminars up and down the country to the owners of small- and medium-size businesses who want to boost their sales and marketing. The first point I always make is that in these testing times it is important to stay positive and focus on your customers and selling techniques. I also urge them to increase rather than cut their marketing spend. The credit crunch and the recession have created an opportunity. But remember that, whatever activity you undertake, be it advertising and marketing or making a sales call, it will work best when it is part of a properly developed and cost plan - you should not think about it in isolation. You need to have well-defined objectives, a realistic strategy for achieving them and a sensible number of 'tactical campaign activities'. Let's take an example: o Start with your own attitude: believe in your abilities and believe in your product or service. o Make sure you are well educated not only about your own product but also about your competitors' products. o Up-sell or cross-sell to your existing customers first and ask them for referrals. o Then, check your customer database for lapsed customers and get in touch with them. o Start contacting potential customers in your market only when you have optimized the sales value of your existing customers. o Measure your sales efforts, so you can see what is working and what isn't. o Be proactive. Follow up leaflets and mailings with phone calls,Cheap Fran Tarkenton Jersey, meetings and then an email. o Understand your customers' problems. Only then can you give them a compelling reason to buy from you.

I once went to Thailand and boy did I do some shopping while was there. During my stay I bought so much stuff that I need to buy a new suitcase. we went to the department store and spoke with one of the sales reach their, and although he hardly spoke in English, we were able to buy a solution that was just right for us. As soon as he found out that it was a suitcase that were after, he then showed us a number of suitcases and then begun to open them and show us all of the features of each of the particular suitcases we were looking at. He opened absolutely every zip,Cheap Ronnie Lott Jersey, and showed us every little pocket. He even went so far as to jump up and down on one of the suitcases to demonstrate how robust it was. Will your customer be buying the product because they have found the ideal solution to their problem,Cheap Fred Jackson Jersey, because you have given them all the details necessary to them to be able to make the most informed product decision. Or will they have made a decision based primarily on the fact that it's the cheapest of the best value. Every day during my sales career I've heard people talk about product knowledge. There's even praise in the industry about people who can sell anything without even needing to know of the product. But I can tell you right now they may be at a sell it, but more often than not the customer will not have got what they wanted. One of the keys to being able to sell without mentioning price is your product knowledge.knowing everything there is to know about your product or service is essential to being able to show off the parts of the product or service that will inspire your customer by. It's not about how much the product costs. It is about how much your prospect will get out of the end result. At the end of this experience we had not only bought one of the most expensive suitcases that he had on display, but we had never even considered the price. It was simply never mentioned. We did however,Cheap LaRon Landry Jersey, get the best suitcase row needs because we had been shown exactly what it was that we were getting. This little guy knew everything about the suitcases, and he also knew how to sell them.

1. Go For the Low Hanging Fruit - Do you know the top two reasons people don't do more business with you? They don't know what else you offer and you never asked. Selling to your existing clients is one of the easiest ways to recharge your sales strategy. Think about the products and service you offer,Cheap Johnny Unitas Jersey, the variety and the range, and think about how many of those products and services your best clients actually have. The answer is probably not too many. Simply doing a "touch base" call on your existing clients will at minimum ensure you retain them as clients, at maximum gain a stronger client with increased depth of relationship. 2. Double Your Sales Team - In shifting economic times you need to double your sales force! No I didn't mean hire more people, I mean get the people who love you to work for you. Think about your best customers, you best referrals sources, and those clients that have truly benefited from the products and services you offer. Now put together a top ten list, and don't just ask these people for referrals ask them to be your advocates. Take them to lunch, for a round of golf, and let them know the new and exciting things you are doing and that you are looking to take on new clients and grow your business. Give them something to talk about, something to brag about and they'll work harder for you then you do for yourself! Yes, sales isn't easy in this new economy, but it is exciting. It calls us to a higher level, demands more of our performance, and builds the type of relationships with our clients that are rock solid and last a lifetime. If your sales strategy needs a little boost, try these sure fire tips to get yourself motivated, recharged and back out there selling. 5. Go Viral - Are you plugging into the power of connection? To keep up today you need to be networking in person and online. Your clients are active, they are growing businesses and changing their lives. If you really want to know what is going on,Cheap Matthew Stafford Jersey, if you truly want to build a strong relationship than you need to connect in person and online. Programs like Facebook, Twitter and linked in keep you up-to-date of what is happening with your clients and their companies. Change these days is happening at a rapid pace, by connecting online and making daily/weekly quick checks for updates and to weigh in on conversations. You not only have the opportunity to deepen relationships in a matter of seconds, you have the opportunity to hear about the very changes happening in your clients lives that may require your help or support. Double your networking efforts, double your ability to plug into the power of connection, go viral! 4. Think Outside The Box - In fact make sure you don't even know where the box is. In this day-and-age you have to be innovative with your marketing and you need to stand out above the crowd. Traditional sales calls are great, and they are most likely what will close the deal, but ask yourself what are you doing to sell yourself long before you ask for the business? What are you doing to position yourself as a resource or an expert in your field? What are you doing to ensure that you are the go to person in your community for the products and services you offer? Think outside the box. Write articles for the local paper, local blogs, or industry newsletters. Take a leadership position on a non-profit board or community charity and lend your expertise free of charge. Offer to give information only speeches regarding your area of expertise to non-profit charities and organizations. In other words look for and find new and innovative ways for people to "test" you out and "try" you on for size. Once they see what you can do, the knowledge you have, they will be busting down your door to do business with you. 3. Get Skinny - That's right shed the excess weight. You don't have time to be out running around going to every networking event, sitting on every board, and calling on every client. Time is money and you need to make it count. Develop your prospect list, define your target client, and make sure your networking, your volunteer work and your business calls are shooting for that target. If you want to shorten the sales cycle then you need to get skinny and you need to focus. Struggling to find the motivation,Cheap Hines Ward Jersey, energy and passion to get out there and makes sales? In this instant gratification world, riding the wave of today's sales cycle can be more than a little challenging.

It may sound strange to consider that there is 1 great question to help with your sales calls. You might be thinking that it sounds too good to be true, like a "silver bullet" of sales. As you read on you will discover how you can stop people instantly and gain control of the conversation with just 1 question. The answer to this 100% of the time is "yeah,Cheap Dan Fouts Jersey, sure please be direct" or some variation. No one ever says "No thanks, take all day, beat around the bush". Once you have permission to be direct you can launch into your series of questions that will lead the prospect to the logical conclusion of using your product or service. Getting conversion on the phone is not a matter of selling to the prospect. When you are selling to someone the prospect feels pressure and is instantly resistant which decreases your chance of success. If you want to make endless calls to feel good then keep selling to them on the phone, otherwise,Cheap Indianapolis Colts Jerseys, I would invite you to consider a different approach. By asking questions you can NEVER be rejected because you are in control By asking questions you gain authority, just like a Doctor, and people respect Doctors By asking questions you can help them come to the logical conclusion that works for YOU In order to gain this level of control and to eliminate the need to "sell" requires that you put yourself in control from the very beginning. You can use this method on the phone or even in a face-to-face meeting. The question to put yourself in control and getting a "yes" 100% of the time is: The first change in your approach I would have you consider is to STOP sounding like a salesperson. No one really likes sales people, so the less you sound like a salesperson the more money you will make,Cheap Terrelee Pryor Jersey! This means don't start off your phone calls or even in-person meetings talking about your product features, take time to understand their needs and their pain. This doesn't mean "building rapport" by asking about their family, this means asking interest peaking questions about their business, about them, and about their pain. When you ask question after question you get a couple of major benefits. Consider the following benefits of simply asking questions: "Would You Mind If I Am Direct With You?"

Integrity in sales? So, you are thinking; how can you mention the word integrity in the same sentence with selling? I have to admit, the truth is that very few commissioned sales people operate in integrity based selling. Many sales people today have the reputation of a used car salesman. One man asked another; How do you know a sales person is lying? The man answered, it's simple; "his lips are moving." COMMISSIONED SELLING I think commissioned selling is an honorable profession and a great way to make a living,Cheap Mel Blount Jersey, but it needs to be cleaned up. Why is there such a lack of integrity among sales people today? Here is what I have found. Because of the risky nature of commissioned selling, it attracts many people with less than honorable motives. Most commissioned sales people are the driven, type "A" personalities wanting to make a quick buck. Greed and integrity tend to not operate together. Yet, I do know some really trustworthy, honest people who love selling on commission. They enjoy getting paid for what they are worth. Commission selling is one of the greatest measurements of a human being, because if you sell you eat,Cheap Emmanuel Sanders Jersey, if you don't sell, well... THE RISK FACTOR A commission selling job is definitely an adventure in risk taking, yet it is the greatest opportunity to make great money with so little up front investment! Commissioned selling is also a great place to learn critical business skills. Just check out The Donald on "The Apprentice." He is primarily teaching his young disciples how to sell and negotiate, which are basic business skills. Commissioned selling is also one of the fastest ways to get you out of debt and into financial success, because you are in charge of your income. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MONEY! We who are in sales need to realize that is not just all about the money but about integrity. Integrity based selling is about creating "win - win" situations for customers. The company wins because they made a profit and the customer wins because he or she got a great product or service at fair market value. When we commit to creating "Win - win" situations for our customers or clients,Cheap Shaun Rogers Jersey, integrity can be used in the same sentence with selling!

As you create your sales plan for the new month, consider how you can utilize mutual relationships,Cheap Buccaneers Jerseys, your hobbies and interests to help you build credibility. You are certainly more likely to find a warm response! You call a prospect for the first time and ask to meet. Little do you realize that you are the 10th call they received that very day for the same reason. Are you different? Why should they say yes, when you've never met? Of course you know to lead with value, what makes you different, and how you have helped customers just like them before. You are denied the meeting and wonder what else you can do to get a second chance to go in and have a conversation and the opportunity to learn if there is a fit to do business. This is one of the biggest challenges every sales professional faces today - scheduling an appointment with a new prospect. You know that without prospecting, there's minimal opportunity for success. Yet, what else can you do to increase your chances of getting that vital first meeting? Good prospecting! 1. Mutuality - it is so much easier to turn a cold call into a warm one when you have a mutual relationship. It's naturally easier to start a conversation out with someone by saying "John my name is Stu Schlackman with Competitive Excellence and Jack Reynolds suggested I contact you in regards to...." The probability of John accepting the invitation to a meeting is much higher. After all, John might be letting down his friend if he didn't agree to meet. It's natural for people you know to help you - that's what relationships are all about. Let's explore 3 reasons that can make a difference when asking your prospect to say yes to an initial meeting. 3. Credibility - your reputation in the market is critical to your success and prospects value credibility. Having mutual contacts and being referred by them adds to your credibility. Having something in common like running a triathlon or receiving the same award from an organization also contributes to your reputation which increases the likelihood of getting the meeting. The goal is to connect with the prospect in a way that gets them to be open to who you are and the company you represent. Prospects also like to talk about their successes. Prospects are more likely to open up when you lead with their expertise in the market. The conversation can open in the following way. "John we understand that in the area of inventory control,Cheap David Nelson Jersey, you are one of the top experts in the industry. Our company has a practice in the very same area and we would enjoy the opportunity to visit with you to get your insight on the challenges the industry is facing. Would you have time next week to visit"? People enjoy sharing their knowledge. Notice that the objective of the meeting is to learn and build trust, NOT to sell. 2. Commonality - though similar to mutuality, the difference here is that both you and your prospect might have something in common that reaches beyond that of a mutual contact. It can be an organization, a hobby,Cheap Dallas Clark Jersey, an interest in a business topic or friends whether business or social. One example our team experienced several years ago was getting with an executive at a large firm in North Dallas. We were trying to see if this person had anything in common with members of our team. Come to find out the person was in an article of a major magazine and it talked about his hobby of being a triathlete. Since I had completed several in the past, I called leading with the following statement and question "John my name is Stu Schlackman with..... and I saw your article in.... magazine last month. Besides being interested in the issues you mentioned about IT technology priorities for this year, I was impressed to see that you too competed in the Capital of Texas Triathlon. I participated in the same one 2 years ago and wanted to see if you enjoyed the experience as much as I did". What do you think happened then? You got it - we met and struck up a friendly and productive relationship. You can do this too - a little research will help you discover what you have in common. Mutuality, commonality and credibility are excellent ways to make prospecting more warm than cold. Part of the reason that social media like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are so successful is that they provide opportunities for warm introductions. They make it much easier to research and find out more about the people you want to meet.

* "Yes, we can lower the price right now, however you need to decide on what options to cut from our proposal." Alternatively, an item which is more expensive usually offers additional features that may convince the buyer of the validity of such a purchase. In other words, there are times when a quality item will speak for itself. At other times it is up to you, as the salesperson, to educate the buyer of all the features and the value it holds,Cheap Jamaal Anderson Jersey, before he can make an informed decision. Script: With price being the most common objection made to many sales people, a skilled manner of dealing with such a sensitive issue is to delay any mention of money matters until the very end of a discussion. In this way, you have had the opportunity to demonstrate to the prospect the quality and worth of the product and ensure that these have been firmly established before the price is mentioned. If a price is requested early on in the presentation, a skillful side-step would be to say something like, Sometimes a prospect will object to price because it is simply more than he can afford to pay. The products or services are too expensive and the buyer can only afford something of a cheaper grade. As the salesperson, it is your duty to enrich the prospect with the knowledge of how the purchase of a quality item will be more economical in the long-term as opposed to buying the cheaper article of a lesser grade. The point is to sell the item and all that it's worth before you've even mentioned the price. Scripts: An objection to price doesn't necessarily mean it's the end of the line. A buyer may be in a position to arrange alternative funding, if he sees that there is just cause. It is the duty of the salesperson to discover the cause of the price objection before being able to deal with it appropriately. The best way to handle any objection is to anticipate it and, if possible, make sure that it never intrudes into the sales discussion. Once a thought has been expressed by a prospect it becomes harder to eradicate. This is because the prospect has placed himself on record and is unlikely to recede easily from his position. * "Compared to what?" * "You know that our quality is the highest you can find, which means that you pay much less over the life of the product. The higher quality saves you money in the long run. Why not order today?" * "If our products were cheaper, would you want it? If yes, let's find the way you can afford it!" Script: Objections that are raised to price are probably the most frequent of all honest reasons for prospects refusing to buy. It's important to understand where the price objection is coming from,Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys, before you can handle it effectively. Another common objection when it comes to price is the follow-on that "times are tough" and "we're in a recession". Naturally,Cheap Torry Holt Jersey, a business depression will send most buyers running for cover. However, a skilled salesperson will quash this objection by agreeing that times are indeed bad and the recession has affected all aspects of daily life; but that the product on offer has been specifically engineered and priced to accommodate the current recessive period and its characteristics. In fact, a buyer can only benefit from purchasing your product in a particularly recessive time, for all the various reasons that you can provide. You don't have to succumb to the pessimistic mood that surrounds a recession. You can provide a quality product at a price that is uplifting in a time of downsizing and depression. Learning to handle price objections effectively is one of the most vital skills that a successful salesperson can acquire. Remember, you can't sell an item without agreeing on a price. There is no success without the sale - and there is no sale without the price. * "...let's decide if you actually want to buy this product. If you do, I'm sure I can put it within your reach..."

Stop thinking selling, and think in a way that makes you comfortable. Think 'introducing yourself', think 'sharing your passion', think 'sharing the benefits of your offering'. You are not convincing someone to buy. The best salespeople don't actually push in any way, they listen, share and provide a solution. 6. Track your success Keep a 'wins' diary, or a success journal and record your successes every day. This is a great feedback mechanism and will help you see how much you do right. It is easy to get caught up in seeing the fails, rather than the wins. Fails we disregard after taking note of anything we could do to improve next time. 5. Start small Addressing the source of the fear is the starting point to taking action to overcome it. Some of this is a mindset change, some is purely a matter of additional training, or finding a way to 'bounce back' after rejection. We all know that business is not personal,Cheap Antonio Brown Jersey, as soon as we stop taking any rejection personally, we can move forward. 1. Recognising where your fear comes from. 7. Have fun The fear of selling can come from many places. We worry about being rejected, or not being liked. We worry about being perceived as pushy, or that (secretly) our service might not live up to our client's expectation. Or maybe we just don't feel comfortable with doing something we have not been trained to do. This is outside our comfort zone. Know the source of your fear, or the combination or sources. If we understand sources of the fear we can overcome it. 4. Shift your perspective The most successful business people are those who interact in a personable, authentic and passionate way. Find a way that is comfortable for you and stick with it. When you are happy with your style, move onto bigger clients. Tap into the passion and enthusiasm that you have for what you offer. Do something simple like making a list of the benefits and success you have had with previous clients and then put it somewhere you can read it everyday before you start to sell. 3. Find the passion for what you offer Please do not treat selling or marketing yourself as a task you have to struggle through. There are plenty of ways to enjoy these tasks. Some of my clients and former teams have used internal competitions, thrown parties, used invites to corporate jollies, or give-aways to spice up selling days. All of these are fun, easy and income generating. What would you enjoy doing? I find that with all new skills, the more I do it, the more natural and comfortable I become with it. Cold calling, introducing yourself to a prospective client, or asking for a referral gets easier and easier the more you do them. Do it, and do it some more. And before you know it,Cheap Antonio Cromartie Jersey, the fear has gone and the success is your focus. 9. Focus on the effort, not the outcome We are often told in time management training to start with the most important tasks, regardless of how attractive an easier task is to you. This is the only time I am going to suggest that you do NOT do this. We all know that we need to market (sell) ourselves and our firms to attract more clients. It's the doing that is the tough part. We are confident, well trained and experienced professionals, so where does this anxiety come from? 10. Practice, practice and then practice some more 2. Address the source of the fear Here are my best 10 tips to overcome the fear of selling and turn you into an effective, confident and winning marketer. I'm going to use the word 'sales' here so that we become more comfortable and happier using it. We believe in ourselves and what we offer. We know we are good at what we do. Find the enthusiasm in you for this and put it to the front of your mind. The self talk is something like this "I'm a professional, not a salesperson"..... Does this sound better to you - "I'm an effective professional business developer and marketer"? Aren't the two the same thing with nicer language? If you focus on the ultimate outcome i.e. making the sale,Cheap Nate Clements Jersey, you will lose site of the process. Most often marketing to prospective clients does not produce an instant fee. It is a process. Set yourself sensible minimum objectives from each stage of the sales process, and focus on them. Effective business development and marketing 8. Stay focused on your goal Most of us take action and achieve our goals by staying focused on the benefits of doing so. Remind yourself of what you want, why you are doing it and what you want to do next. Why is it that the word sales fills most of us with dread and fear? Is it the pushy, poorly skilled people we try to avoid in the high street, or the seemingly constant cold calls we receive at home just as we are putting the kids to bed or sitting down to eat? In this instance, the correct priority is to overcome your fear, and starting with the most important potential client isn't going to help! Although we would love to win all the business we try to get, try out your new skills on clients you won't mind so much not winning. This is not damage limitation, it is allowing you to get on with it, in the comfort that it isn't life and death! Best 10 tips to overcome the fear of selling

The most critical aspect of becoming a top selling annuity agent is being able to generate or obtain an endless supply of annuity leads. However generating good leads is not an easy process. One of the most effective things you can do is learn to establish yourself as an effective insurance agent who can solve people's needs. There are several different ways to accomplish this. Another very effective way of ensuring that you never run out of annuity insurance leads to contact, is to purchase annuity leads from a lead management company. You will be able to purchase the quantity you want as well as various types of leads such as exclusive or non-exclusive and also request certain demographics and contact information you are interested in. You will also need to become effective at advertising your annuity services through effective promotional and marketing campaigns. You can do this through advertising over the internet,Cheap Derrick Mason Jersey, on television, over the radio,Cheap Steven Jackson Jersey, and in print publications. You can also hold free seminars to help to generate an endless supply of annuity leads. One of the best ways to generate solid annuity leads is through referrals. However,D'Brickashaw Ferguson Jersey, these will not just happen automatically. You need to ask for referrals on a regular basis. These requests should be made to relatives, friends, clients and business colleagues on a regular basis in order to continue to generate referral leads for you. These can be some of the best prospects because you have been referred to them by someone they know and trust. Directly related to obtaining referrals, is to ensure that you provide good service to your clients and behave in a professional manner. Satisfied customers are much more likely to refer you to others with a potential interest in purchasing an annuity.

Demand Stage Selling is a technique that identifies how far along in the buying process a customer has progressed. This tactic dictates that you deliver the type of presentation that appeals specifically to someone at each particular stage. Demand Stage Selling immediately helps block out irrelevant objections and tremendously improves your closing ratios. Some of this clairvoyant ability comes from experience, of course. Even more of it comes from advanced listening skills. Top salespeople really listen when their prospect is talking and pick up small cues that many others miss. Many good salespeople are also students of human psychology. They make it a point to study human nature and learn a lot about their customer in the process. As we get ready to make the actual oral presentation, let's put it in context. Prospective buyers go through several stages in the decision process-unconsciously,Cheap Brandon Graham Jersey, to them. First, they have to recognize a need and decide to buy something to fill that need. This decision creates primary demand. You can equate this stage to that little pang of hunger you get in the late afternoon. Your hunger is the need-the first stage of demand. One important talent top salespeople have is the ability to recognize the prospect's state of mind and shape their presentations accordingly. They determine if the customer is getting ready to place an order or just starting to comparison shop. They can tell whether the prospect has already decided to buy the product and is negotiating for the best price or whether he or she is weighing other options. They understand that different things are important to the customer at each step in the buying process. They practice Demand Stage Selling. Finally, the customer must decide which service provider or product brand to buy. This is third-level demand. In our afternoon snack example, this is when you decide whether to buy the Snickers or the Milky Way. Your prospect decides whether to buy from you or from one of your competitors. In sales, this third level of demand is the one concentrated on most heavily. The prospect then has to decide on a type of product or service that will fill the need they've identified, which creates secondary demand. In our example, what are you hungry for? You have choices-a candy bar,Cheap Chuck Foreman Jersey, a piece of fruit, or some microwave popcorn (which invariably creates more demand from everybody else within aroma range-but that's another story). Wouldn't it be great if you could read your customers' minds? You know,Cheap Houston Texans Jerseys, get inside their heads and walk around a little bit? The very best salespeople seem to have that ability-it's as if they know what customers are going to say before they say it. They have a sixth sense about which objections a particular customer is most likely to raise. They know which ideas offer the specific benefits that really ring the prospect's bell. Three Stages Of Demand

4. Information dissemination. This is one of the best ways to boost your sales leads. Offer your prospects with information that they will find interesting. You can do this by hosting teleseminars and webinars,Cheap Fred Biletnikoff Jersey, through article marketing, blogging, and ezine publishing. Make sure that all the information you share are useful to their lives. By doing so, you can easily earn their trust and you'll be able to get them to buy from you in no time. 1. Know your prospects. Whether you are doing cold calling or you intend to place banner ads on websites, it's a must that you know the people that you are targeting to make each of your marketing efforts more targeted and more effective. Know what words can touch their emotional hot buttons, their needs and demands, their preferences, and the elements that can affect their buying decision. 2. Be more visible online. With stiff competition these days,Cheap Terrelee Pryor Jersey, it will truly work to your advantage if you are extremely visible online. You would like your prospects to see your name or your products everywhere they go; social networking sites, search engines, blogs, forums, and article submission sites. Here are some techniques that I am using each time I sell my products and services. I am pretty sure that you'll find them useful as they have done wonders for me. 3. Think like a customer. Ask yourself; if I am the customer, what can a seller do to convince me to buy from him? If I were the customer,Cheap Brian Urlacher Jersey, I would require proof that the seller is trustworthy. He must have proven track record in his chosen niche and he must be highly recommended by other people. In addition, he must offer not only high quality products but also great customer service.

Most conventional sales messages today are content rich on features, benefits and price, yet fall flat on delivery-- even before an eager audience. Why? The prospect's dignity is unintentionally lost in the shuffle. In the psychology of closing the sale, you must convince your prospect that you can cure your customers' not-OKness (pain) with the products and services that you offer (visions of pain relief). Get your prospects quickly feeling OK about you by: I'm OK,Cheap Frank Gore Jersey, You're Not-OK. I'm Not-OK, You're Not-OK. I'm Not-OK,Cheap Calvin Johnson Jersey, You're OK. I'm Ok, You're OK. As sellers, we make a living by helping people who are in an "I'm not-OK, You're OK" state of mind (by marketing) and convert them to an "I'm OK, You're OK" attitude with the products and services they buy from us (our sales process). At the beginning of a transaction, your customers are in a Not-OK state. Your first job is to make sure that they perceive you as being "OK" (credible and likable) before moving any further into the discovery process. In order to do that, you must exhibit I'm OK, You're OK leadership skills, or you'll probably lose the sale. We learn in sales school that scripts emphasizing features, benefits, price discounts and comparisons; will "seal the deal." Yet the content heavy information we are conveying only has a 7% impact on the buying decision. The real impact on a buying decision comes from our demeanor and tone of the message (93%) that we're using throughout our sales process. By remembering to preserve the prospect's dignity, you take the closing pressure off of both you and your prospect while increasing the potential for repeat business. That's because they are really "sold" on you. Lesson learned? Buyers have to move from feeling not-OK about their problem, to feeling OK about you and your offer, before they buy. Thomas Harris, author of the book "I'm OK, You're OK," stated that everyone operates, predominately, from 1 of 4 attitudes in their transactions. They are: Marshall McLuhan was famous for coining the phrase "The medium is the message;" meaning, that the way a message is delivered, is more important than its actual content. The total impact of our sales message is divided between body language 55%, tonality 38%,Cheap Tamba Hali Jersey, and content 7%. Being warm and supportive with attentive posture. Listen to, and respond to their questions. Repeat and paraphrase what the prospects are saying (you are demonstrating that you speak their language). Personalize your own experiences by sympathizing with their problem (e.g. "I know how frustrated you're feeling right now. The same thing happened to me last week and here's the mistake I made..."). Make 70% of your presentation about the benefits of your product that are directly linked to the prospects 'problem (pain): your solution is the vision of pain relief that they will experience once they buy your service. The remaining 30% of your presentation is the logical support of facts, comparisons, and guarantees that gives confidence to their buying decision. Never get emotionally involved in justifying, defending or explaining your recommendations.

Even faking a smile will make you happier-Try it-did you feel happier? Smile, smile, smile Getting happy can just take a smile. We infer from our upturned lips that we must be happy, and therefore we become more cheerful. Keep smiling at work and you will enjoy the day that much more due to your enhanced productivity. The premise of Tiger's red shirt has a huge impact on your workplace attitude. In the simplistic of examples, wearing a power red tie will make you feel more aggressively for that important meeting (hopefully not on Sunday). But this principle extends far beyond the "clothes" factor. People who act like winners feel like winners, think of themselves as winners and are more likely to become winners than people who act like losers. You could do the same as soon as you enter your car in the morning. You have entered onto a different stage: the work stage. You are no longer the husband or wife, mother or father,Cheap Rickey Jackson Jersey, but the accountant, lawyer,Cheap Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys, advisor, or doctor-the working role. Allow all the problems of your other roles to be lifted from your shoulders. Once you leave the car for the day, enter back into the role of a spouse or parent. Become completely engaged again into the world. Totally immerse yourself into your family and friends. This however is not acting, but rather living! Duttons, a real-estate company in Indiana, believes wholeheartedly in this performance principle. They have mirrors placed on their phones to remind their sales staff to smile when talking to customers. Duttons believes more sales will come when the phone attitude has more cheer. Do you know why Tiger Woods wears a red shirt on Sundays? Strut your stuff Do you lose energy in the middle of the day? Do you feel like you are always fighting gravity, with gravity winning? Create more energy by strutting your stuff down the halls. Act as if you are always going somewhere important, even if you are not. Walk with your shoulders back and swing your arms with an invigorating pace. Your increased motion will increase a feeling of energy. APS enterprises uses this principle as one of their corporate strategies. Workers stand all day, not allowing their bottoms to meet any cushions. According to APS, standing boosts energy. You may never take acting classes or want to be on stage or in the movies. But to unleash your work potential, you must believe in being a great actor at the right time. The following drills help you become the actor all champions need to be: Second, motions drive emotions. Self-perception theory states that we infer our emotions from our actions. Our brain gets the message from our body how to feel. If we act sad, we will feel sad. If we act happy, we will have feelings of joy. Unfortunately,Cheap Tamba Hali Jersey, when the chips are down, many people act like whiners, not winners. Sally Petaluma, a teacher at George K. Porter high school had this problem. She had loads of talent, and great knowledge. But when the students acted up, or spoke to her with disrespect, she would begin to act very sheepishly. She would lose her confidence and nerve to teach, and the students would take further advantage of her. First, take the color red. Typically, this color stands for aggression and assertiveness. As a prototypical example, the matador uses a red cape to make the bull more aggressive and charge at him. This article is adapted from the Washington Post Best selling book: Full Throttle: 122 strategies to supercharge your energy and performance at work. Sally was a bad actor: Her negative body language chased her confidence away. Sally Petaluma's lack of acting skills blocked her success and prevented her from fulfilling her potential as a great teacher. Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer of our generation, does everything for a reason. Tiger only surrounds himself with people who will allow him to excel and he sets his tournament schedule to peak during the majors. Much more than a superstition, Tiger wears a red shirt during the final round for a purpose. Putting on a red shirt makes Tiger feel pumped up and subsequently play much more aggressively on Sunday. In Tiger's case, the motion of wearing a red shirt drives the emotion of getting fired up. The red shirt helps Tiger to feel more aggressively on Sunday and shoot low scores. Play the role Roger Doctrine, head football coach at Alemany High school, would tell his players that a transformation occurred when they entered the locker room. They were no longer a student, friend, boyfriend or son-only a football player. All the problems associated with those other roles were gone. They now had to act and think only as a football player. Sure there will be days when you do not want to be at work, or be at a particular meeting. You may have not prepared well enough because of time constraints or just not motivated to be engaged in some project. But at the same time, you must get it done, and in a very confident way. This is when you fake it till you make it. Become the great actor on the work stage. Your motions will create effective emotions. Fake it till you make it Fake it till you make it. We have all heard that cliché, but champions, like Chris Evert, do just that. She always acted confident and committed, even when she felt out of sync with her game. But Chris never revealed feelings of weakness or doubt to anyone, especially her opponents-she faked it until she made it. She kept her head high and always strutted her stuff until her game began to mesh on the court with her actions. Her exceptional acting skills helped her achieve eighteen Grand Slam titles. How can putting on a red shirt make Tiger play with more fervor? How can clothing selection promote excellence? You may not want to take such as an extreme measure to boost your energy. Try this instead-continually change your posture when talking on the phone. Try spending at least 50 percent of your time on the phone standing or moving around, instead of just sitting. And when on the computer, take a break every twenty minutes and shake out your fingers and hands. This practice not only acts as a good stress reliever, but you should start to feel the energy rush throughout your body.

Do this effectively so that your product is truly reflective of your services, but be efficient as well. Don't get overly caught up in trying to create the perfect product. The best product idea ever is still just an idea. It isn't going to earn you any revenue. You don't need to spend months getting your product ready to go on the market. Get your product up and running - quickly. Developing products and programmes will not only increase the number of clients you are able to help, and increase your income, but also give you more free time to enjoy a quality lifestyle. Here's a philosophy to live by. An okay product that is out there serving your clients while making you money is better than the best product that is still in development. That latter one won't put any money in your bank account. For example, if you offer a workshop that draws a large attendance and earns high revenues, don't stop there. Turn that single event into a product that continues to earn money. Record the workshop and sell DVDs on your website. You will compound your initial earnings exponentially, just by creating a single product. Product creation is not about product perfection. It's about getting your product on the market. You can always tweak and revise it as you go along, which will give you an upgraded product to add to your offerings later on. You may charge and earn very good money for presenting your services this way,Cheap Chicago Bears Jerseys, but there are only so many hours in a day. You will only earn the amount of money you can make in those hours and you likely won't have a lot of quality time for yourself. In addition to this, you are limiting the number of people you can serve and help. All this gives you very good reason to productize your services. By creating products and programmes, you will do the work once,Cheap Darren Sharper Jersey, and then get paid over and over and over again. Spare yourself the time slaving over yet another round of editing documents or perfecting of audio files. Focus on the profits that are waiting for you by getting your product out there now. If you have a great idea or product to share, how do you get it in front of the rest of the world? How do you make sure that the knowledge and expertise you have to offer is discovered by the people who need it? Put your time and creative energy into developing your products and programmes. Make sure they are representative of the qualities that make you so special. Then get them onto the market as quickly as possible to start generating revenue. What I mean by that is for you to take the knowledge and expertise that you personally deliver to clients and convert it into a product or programme that can deliver the results for you. Take yourself out of the delivery process, in the physical sense. But leave all of the information and expertise and character traits that make your offering unique. While you could present your service to individual people in individual settings,Cheap Mike Ditka Jersey, booking endless appointments and traveling from one location to another, that strategy is very time-consuming and certain to diminish the quality of your life.

Pick The Most Likely Neighborhood For Success Ask For Referrals Work Where You Have Other Door To Door Sales Vary Your Times Unless you are new, never work a neighborhood blind. Keep track of which addresses you called on, which had no answer, which were open to talk and which were rude or hostile. Go back a few times and different times of day and maybe on weekends and see if any who weren't home on previous visits are home now. This prevents wasting good demographic addresses by only calling once. It also makes it easier for you to call back the people who needed to think it over or check with a spouse. Some door to door sales people pick neighborhoods by gut feel. They knock a few doors here, drive over there and try and zig zag their way across huge populations. Here are some tips for squeezing the most profit out of the right neighborhoods in door to door sales. You will always do better in an area where you have sold others. Always have a good reason for knocking such as, "I was down the street at your neighbors Frank and Judith at 3405 and I noticed...." Dropping names and addresses as well as having a reason why you are knocking will increase your chance of acceptance greatly and will increase your door to door sales dramatically. If you have had sales in an area you have names to drop and reasons why you are in the neighborhood. These are very important in lowering buyer resistance and in getting in the door. Keep Track And Go Back Most people work regular hours. That means if you are always knocking at the same time, you will always miss the same people. We recommend you keep track of the times you were in the neighborhood and vary them. If you were there in the morning last time,Cheap T.J. Ward Jersey, try working it in the afternoon. If you were there on a weekday, try a weekend. One great thing about door to door sales is that there are lots of doors out there waiting to be knocked. In fact, there are so many doors available to knock on in every market that many door to door sales people do not bother to work the best areas and that can cost you door to door sales and make your door to door sales job a lot tougher. It is a mistake to pick a neighborhood by anything except demographics. Who is likely to live there? Are they your typical customer? For example, if you sell pre-need burial services, you are more likely to do well in a neighborhood with lots of elderly people. If you sell college scholarship plans, or backyard play sets, you will do better in a neighborhood with lots of young children. You can get good information on demographics on line from real estate sites and from the government census sites. You can also get it by observing the neighborhood. If you decide to observe,Cheap **** Butkus Jersey, do so at different times of day. Many neighborhoods look quite different at 10:00 AM than they do at 6:00 PM. Always ask if they know any other residents who they think might be interested. Many door to door sales people assume you can only ask for referrals from people who buy. That is not true. Make a habit of always asking. Even if only one person per day gives you a referral it will increase your odds of success. It only takes a second to ask and they often will tell you a neighbor who might be a good prospect. When you knock on the neighbors door,Cheap Cardinals Jerseys, you have a good chance of getting in with the referral.