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Your Sales and Sales Management Questions Answered
In an article last week, I provided the post to a sales competency contest. The final question in that survey asked the participants for any sales issues they needed help with. Today I'll answer the first four of those questions below:

How To Go From Down To Up, Fast

Yesterday was not one of my better days. Despite starting off the year full of excitement and hope, yesterday I was really down in the dumps. For starters, I caught a cold and didn’t have much energy. Everything on my to do list looked like moving a mountain and I just wasn’t up to doing a thing. That useless feeling somehow went from being a momentary feeling to escalating into the entire year being a mess.

Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

Oooh, I’m so excited! I love this time of year. The New Year brings with it the promise of new beginnings, new adventures and new opportunities. Are you pumped about your resolutions for this year? As you know, many folks struggle with keeping their New Year’s resolutions. It’s not that they are hard to set, but somehow hard to keep up with. One trip to the gym in January will tell you how many people have resolved to lose weight, yet another trip in March will show you how many have fallen off the wagon in just two months.

15 Beads For Happiness

Thanksgiving is the American day to reflect on our blessings and gifts. It is a time for family and friends to gather together and name the things they are thankful for in their lives. What would happen if we did that more often? A few years ago when I was in Greece, I picked up a string of beautiful red and silver beads. There are 15 of them, strung on a lovely silver chain and tied off with a silver tassel. The Greeks use them as prayer beads but I’ve developed a new use for them.

What Can I Do?

I’m sitting in Barnes and Noble eavesdropping on the people around me. Yes, I do things like that because I learn a lot. Here is the conversation at the next table, Woman in green, in response to a comment about a boss: “So, what are you going to do?” Woman in red, sighing heavily: “I don’t know. What can I do? I’m stuck waiting for him to make a decision. I hope he does it soon. I wish there was something I could do.”

Watching Valentina
It has been a fun few weeks around my house. I’ve had two lovely visitors from Germany, my girlfriend Valentina and her mom, Barbara. Of course, we’ve had a blast traveling around and seeing the sights of Virginia and DC and blathering away in our own bizarre mix of English and German. What struck me, though, was how much I learned from watching Valentina.

You Don’t Always Have To Jump

As I climbed down the rickety metal ladder from the top of the Oribi gorge to the small ledge below, my heart was racing. Sure, I was secured in a study nylon harness, but my knees were shaking so hard I could barely walk. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins at breakneck speed. From the bottom of the ladder, I walked out to the edge of the cliff and looked over the edge down at the river and rocks 33-stories below.

What I Bought WIth $81,000,000
The other day I was driving 30 minutes to go to a client’s networking event and I saw a sign that pumped me up for the entire day. It was the lottery sign showing the jackpot at $81million. I started thinking about what I’d do with that much money

Is It Okay To Aim Low?
This is a question I’ve been asking myself for a long time. Self-help gurus the world over preach the virtues of thinking big, reaching for the stars, aiming high and stretching your limits. But is that always the right thing to do?

I’d Like To But…
There is a little phrase that I hear everyday and I’ll bet you do too. Maybe you hear if from coworkers, clients or even your kids. Maybe you even hear it from yourself. Does it drive you as nuts as it drives me?

Why Bad News Sells

I was having a meeting with the director of a division of child services for Virginia the other day and we got on the subject of reports about foster parents. She told me how disheartened she was that stories of poor care make the front page but stories like the one about a man in the Northern Neck who fostered a teen with AIDS through his last year of life go unnoticed. A quick check of the headlines on any major news website confirmed her viewpoint. That got me thinking about why bad news sells.

How Much Is Your Career Worth?
I’ve been doing a lot of research lately into between people who make success look easy and those who work like dogs just to keep up. Here are two of the things I’ve uncovered.

What Is Under Your Covers?
My new client, Mark, just bought a new business. He was a homebuilder and since that industry wasn’t going too well lately, he decided to branch out into a line of kitchen renovation products. His reasoning was that since he was used to talking with people about building $300,000 homes that it should be easy to sell $2500 kitchen accessories.

Driving lessons

Thursday morning I hopped into a friend’s car at 5:30am Central European Time for the one-hour drive from Bocholt to Düsseldorf in order to attend a BNI meeting. Since I haven’t driven alone in a car in Germany for over 20 years, I was a bit apprehensive. The night before I carefully mapped out the directions on Google, but lacking a printer I had only a list of directions and no overview map.

The Three Second Miracle
Ever have those days when you are faced with a constant string of challenges, obstacles and set back on the path to your goals? Here’s a quick way to overcome every one of them in just three seconds (or less). When you’re faced with a roadblock you mind automatically goes into assessment mode. That is, it looks at the situation and says “I can’t get past this.”

Does Passion Have A Price?

If you’re like me, you’ve got a lot on your plate these days. We’ve recently added some new revenue streams to our business, I’m starting a non-profit organization to save homeless animals and I’ve begun dating someone who lives 4000 miles away. I’m also working on my golf game, walking my beloved dog and catching up with some very interesting brain research I’ve been studying. Oh yeah, and I’m learning Italian and German.

Is The Economy Good Or Bad?

There is a plethora of economic data pouring in from around the world. Oil is at an all time high, the mortgage crisis seems to be larger than initially expected and the government doesn’t seem quite sure how to handle it. So what is a business owner (or salesperson) supposed to do? In researching the Great Depression recently, I came across a statistic that said that more millionaires were made during that time than at any other time in history. Not flash-in-the-pan millionaires, but long-term successes. So what did they do that enabled them to flourish while others suffered greatly

The Genius At Work
Ever wonder why 80% of businesses fail in the first five years? Many people would say it is because they are undercapitalized. Michael Gerber, the genius behind the best-selling “E-Myth” would argue otherwise. According to Michael all small businesses are failures and it is due to one, and only one thing.

What If You Could?

As a student of psychology, I’m often fascinated by what makes the most successful people in America different than the rest. It is interesting to note that the top 20% of our citizens control fully 94% of the country’s wealth. So what is it that makes them soar while the rest flounder near the ground? I think I might have an answer. I don’t think that millionaires are necessarily smarter or even more risk-tolerant than other people. I think they simply see more opportunities for wealth creation than the rest of us. They find more ways to win because they don’t worry about losing.

A Lesson From My Dog
Many of you know that I am the very proud owner of a wonderful 8-year old Ibizan Hound named Gracie. We’ve had our ups and downs over the years together and I’ll admit she’s taught me a lot about myself and others. This past Fourth of July she taught me a great lesson about selling and owning a business.

A Dream… A Vision… A Life

It’s that time of year when many of us are beginning to get really busy. Sales are picking up before the dog days of summer hit, kids are off on spring break and the longer days entice us to be more active. Since the weather is so beautiful this time of year, I have a task for you. But not just any task. This is one that will change your life forever if you do it right. Are you ready for the challenge?

Two More Hours In The Day

How many times have you heard someone (maybe yourself) say, “I wish I had more time to do all the things on my list - there just aren’t enough hours in the day!” While it is true that we all get the same 24 hours to spend each day, there are great differences in the way we spend those hours and how much we accomplish. Last week I talked about using Power Blocks to focus your energy into productive chunks of time. This week I want you to think about the hundreds of time wasters in your business that are keeping you from getting more done. Here are a few that might be killing your productivity.

Power Block Your Way To Focus
I recently sent out a survey to my clients asking them about their top issues in 2010 and an amazing 73% said that “lack of focus” was a major hurdle facing them. As an entrepreneur and self-diagnosed sufferer of “bright shiny object syndrome,” I completely understand. The inability to stay focused on my goals over the course of year has derailed my plans many a time.

Should You Spend Time Planning This Year?
That seems like a silly question perhaps, but so many business people don’t bother really planning their year (much less their entire business) that I have to ask. If you don’t have a plan yet, here a few of the best reasons to make time in the next two weeks to get one done.

Are You Limiting Your Income In 2010?

It is planning time again! This time of year many of us are looking back at the past year and deciding what we are going to do for the next year. It is a time of reflection as well as a time to get excited about what the future holds. I spend a lot of my time in December helping clients get strategic plans for the coming year in place. Each time I work with a new client, I am surprised at the way many of them have been to taught to plan and how those teachings keep them earning far less than they are capable. Here is one of mytop suggestions for planning for 2010.

A Fast And Easy Way To More Abundance

I listen to lots of books on tape and I read pretty voraciously too. Sure, I consume my fair share of murder mysteries and fiction but many of my favorite books have to do with developing one’s mind and deliberately creating one’s future. Recently I’ve been listening to a book called “Money and the Law of Attraction” by Esther Hicks. The very beginning of the book has two interesting questions; “Do you know what you want?” and “Are you vibrating at the right frequency to attract it?”

Why Johnny Can’t Focus

In my roles as adviser, trainer and consultant I get to talk to a lot of people. Business owners, salespeople, other trainers, managers – you name it, I end up chatting with them. One of the questions I typically ask is “What is keeping you from living exactly the way you want?” and more often than not one of the answers is “I just can’t seem to stay focused on my goals.” Lack of focus seems like an American epidemic and I think I have the answer to the problem.

Three Lessons

Do you ever have one of those days when you just hit a rut? It’s like you can’t seem to make progress on your goals. No matter what you do, it seems like you’re either standing still or moving backwards. I’ve had one of those weeks recently. All my goals seemed so far away and all I could see what how far short I’d fallen on some of them. Then three things happened which reminded me of just how far I’ve come.

What Do You Do At 3:15am?
It is dark and rainy outside. I can hear the storm pounding the windows as I lie in bed unable to sleep. My dog is happily curled up next me and dreaming her doggie dreams of chasing (and catching) squirrels. But I’m wide awake.

Are You Folding Your Client’s Underwear?

I was having dinner the other night with my friend, Erin, who was complaining that she had to leave early so she could get home and finish doing the laundry. There was a pile of underwear sitting in a basket and it needed to be folded and put away. Erin really wanted to get it done before the next day when her husband and son would be using it. I asked Erin what her family would think if she didn’t fold their underwear and she said laughingly they wouldn’t even notice; they’d be just as happy living out of a laundry basket.

Where Is Your Attention?
I’ve been doing a lot of studying lately. For me that means reading lots of books, listening to audios and watching webinars and movies. It also includes studying people to see if the things I read about hold true in reality. Here is one of the most important things I’ve learned in the past few months of study.

The Orange Index Card Trick

I recently finished reading David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” and I have to say I found it very interesting. While I consider myself a very organized and productive person, I learned quite a few things from the book. The most powerful thing I learned was to put all of my thoughts of things to do in one single place. I’ve always been a list maker and have most of the items in my head on the list but I didn’t have them all until I read David’s book.

The Five Why’s
So, did you hit all of your goals in 2008? If not you likely encountered some obstacles, either mental or environmental that stopped you. In order to overcome those obstacles it helps to understand where they come from. Asking yourself the question, “Why is that so?” can be really helpful in getting to the root cause of your challenges and help you find solutions to them.

How Travel Helps Your Sales

It’s no secret that I’ve been traveling a lot lately. In the past 4 weeks I’ve been in 3 countries and countless cities. In addition to having a great time, I’ve discovered that being away from the office has actually increased my sales. Here’s why. Getting out of the office and recharging my batteries is, of course, a wonderful part of travel. A chance to get away and stop thinking about work is a terrific break for the brain.

The Three Second Miracle 2
Ever have those days when you are faced with a constant string of challenges, obstacles and set back on the path to your goals? Here’s a quick way to overcome every one of them in just three seconds (or less). When you’re faced with a roadblock you mind automatically goes into assessment mode. That is, it looks at the situation and says “I can’t get past this.”

Let The Trapeze Go

Well here we are; it’s June already. So what have you done with your first six months? Given vacations, holidays, heat waves and other days off, most people only actually work about 10 out of the 12 months of the year. That means you should be at 60% of your total sales goal by now. Are you at 60% and moving forward daily? Most salespeople I meet are already off target at this time of year. In fact, many of them have even started adjusting those lofty goals they set in January (remember those?) down a bit. Why does that happen to so many of us? And how do we change it? Let’s use a little analogy to clear things up.

A Little Mistake That Could Cost You A Fortune

There you are, across the table from a prospect. It’s been a very good meeting so far and he seems to like you, your company and your product. You’ve asked some insightful questions and he’s given you frank answers. In response to his answers you’ve laid out an attractive solution to his problem and he seems interested. After you finish speaking, the prospect pauses a moment and then asks you the magic question. “So,” he says, “How much does the solution you’re proposing cost?”

Get The Best Out Of Your Business
Have you ever wondered why some weeks are just better than others? Did you ever think that maybe each one could be better than the last one, on and on, forever? Here’s a tool for making that happen. Get out a piece of paper and do the following:

Four Words Can Make You a Millionaire

When you walk into my office, you’ll notice a few things right away. I’ve got huge floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with business books of all types. There is a beautiful painting done by one of my dear friends. Of course, there is an enormous collection of elephants in all shapes, sizes and colors. But there is one thing in my office that will make you more money than anything else. It’s just four simple words on my white board.

Elephant Sized Changes at Dancing Elephants!
2007 is here and with it has come a number of exciting changes at Dancing Elephants! We’ve changed physically and psychologically and we want you to be able to learn from our experience. It’s been an interesting few weeks around our office and we’re excited to share the changes with you.

Are Your Arms Wide Open?
Do you ever have one of those weeks that just knock you for a loop? The kinds where it feels like you are a roller coaster? High as a kite on Monday, wondering where your next check is coming from Tuesday, feeling a little like you got kicked in the head by a mule on Wednesday, just doing your best to endure Thursday and then flying again on Friday?

How Openness Yields Results

As you know, I had the incredible honor of speaking at the National Speakers Association Convention this past week. My topic was creating a one-page strategic plan in just 20 minutes and on one sheet of paper. I speak on planning from a different perspective, that is, I talk about it from a right-brain or intuitive perspective, not the traditional “what I did last year plus 10%” route that many planning gurus take.

How Much Is Your Sanity Worth?
I’m a pretty good handywoman and I know my way around my power tools. I’ve got all the tools needed to complete some projects around my house but I’m not going to use them. Instead, I’m going to hire my friend, Pete, the handyman to tackle these little jobs for me. Here’s why…

The End of Buyer’s Remorse
I’ve been doing a lot of research lately in preparation for a new online training course I’m developing and I’ve come across some very interesting ideas that you might be able to use in your sales process. One of the most powerful is how buyer behavior has evolved over the past ten years and how you can adapt to and take advantage of those changes.

Why I Hate Asking For Referrals
I just read an article in Entrepreneur Magazine by one of the most respected marketing folks in the industry. Normally, I really like John Jantsch’s work but I have to disagree with him this time. John suggests that you should ask every customer for referrals to their friends. I think that is one of the worst mistakes a salesperson can make.

Starting At Step 4
It happened to me again. I was meeting with another small business owner with exactly the same problem as at least 1000 others I’d met with. In the course of our conversation, it became clear to me that she wanted to start at step 4.

Who Is Your Proud Family?
Once again I was on the couch at 5am watching Disney cartoons. I like to get up early and get a bit of work done before I go for a run. While I’m cleaning out the last evening’s email, I watch a bit of children’s television to pick up a life lesson or two. This morning, I got a great business lesson from Lilo and Stich.

I Can See Inside Your Head
There are tons of reasons why but one of them is my friend, Holly. She is an expert in marketing to women and one of the most well read people I know. When she and I get together, I learn so much, it boggles my mind. A few nights ago we were having dinner, and sharing stories. In the middle of one, she popped out with the most amazingly insightful, simple phrases I’ve heard in a long time.

Stop Networking!

Okay, I’ll admit, the headline is a little misleading, but I wanted to get your attention. What I meant to say was stop networking the wrong way and wasting time and money. If you’re like many salespeople you’ve been to networking events and had some success. But are you having as much success as you can? Let’s take a look these six quick and easy things you can do to make networking a sure-fire way to fill your pipeline.

Summer Is For...Prospecting?

Here we are at the beginning of summer, that traditional time when Americans leave their offices behind and head out to the beaches, mountains, amusement parks and other vacation hotspots, in search of a break from the 9-5 routine. As a salesperson, you might be tempted to slow down your prospecting activity because everyone seems to be on holiday. Instead, why not try these tried-and-true summer business builders.

How To Make A Fortune With A Love Story

I’d like you to think about a company that you do business with that you absolutely love. Not one you just like, but one that you love to buy from. It could be a product supplier such as a clothing store or car dealer or a service provider like an insurance company or restaurant. Think of an interaction you’ve had with that company that stands out in your mind as a great customer experience. What did they do and say that made it so wonderful?

How To Make Networking Pay Off
We’ve all heard that networking is a great way to generate business yet many salespeople don’t find it profitable. Why do some people make a great living through networking while others struggle to get even one sale from it? The answer is to understand the purpose of networking and use it to your advantage.

If My Dog Could Talk

As I’m writing this article, my dog, Gracie, is curled up next to me on the couch, sleeping happily. So far, today, she has been on a long walk in the rain, chased squirrels in the alley, had a big breakfast, snoozed on the bed and had a few dog treats. Not a bad morning. Over the last 10 years that Gracie and I have been together I’ve learned a lot about sales and life from her. Here are a few of the things she has taught me.

Is Your Mouth Costing You Money?

I share an office with 7 other people, so you can imagine how much chatter, interaction and “sharing” goes on, whether I want to listen or not. Each day I hear what is happening in the other businesses through the walls and in the hallways. As I was listening to one co-worker share her most recent interaction with a client, it dawned on my how powerful the story you tell impacts your listeners (even those who just passively overhear you) and your income.

How To Eliminate The Price Objection Forever
There are two ways to make money in sales. The first way is to be a low-cost provider and sell a high volume of your product or service. The second way is to be a high-cost provider with large margins and sell few items, but make more on each one.

What Are You Asking For?
A friend stopped into my office today and suggested I read the book “Women Don’t Ask” by Linda Babcock. While I haven’t read the book yet, the conversation got me thinking about success (of course!).

10 Key Points: Writing E-mails That Sell
Do you want to sell through an e-mail solicitation? Here are 10 things you need to do when writing your e-mail to improve your sales results: 1. Focus on value. Make sure the e-mail offers a very clear benefit to the customer. 2. ...

The Spirit Of Giving

The holiday season changes people. Normally easy-going folks turn into store-storming gift scavengers and tight-fisted Scrooges find their hearts melted by the spirit of the season. Even salespeople and business owners change their tune during the holidays. Rather than worrying about how much each piece of marketing will cost, they often dip generously into the company coffers and spend freely on fruit baskets and foil-laden cards.

Grandma’s Lesson
Thanksgiving this year was a fabulous family affair. We had the entire crew of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. including dogs and cats romping around my aunt Cherie’s house. My grandmother was there cooking up a storm despite having had brain surgery to remove a tumor just nice months before. What a woman.

24 Words That Will Change Your Business

Chicago in 1932 was a mess. The Great Depression had a firm grip on the city. Businesses failed one after the other and people lined up outside missions to get bread or soup as their only meal of the day. At the Club Aluminum Products Company, things were dire. The seller of a new and expensive line of cookware, the company had seen its high pressure, door-to-door sales pitches declining in effectiveness.

Competence Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

You’ve heard the old phrase, beauty is the eye of the beholder. Yesterday I got a reminder that competence, and other business success factors, are also determined by the customer. I got a great referral from my friend, Rick. I’ve known him for years and I think the world of the work he does. We share clients fairly frequently so I wasn’t surprised to get a call from one of his clients, asking to work with me.

The Gift Of Receiving

Every family has one. That one person who shoulders all the family burdens, keeps the family secrets and cleans up the family messes. The one who is everyone’s sounding board and shoulder to cry on. The one who remembers all the holidays, birthdays and anniversaries. The one around whom the family always gathers. In my family, it’s my grandma. She has been the rock in my family for as long as anyone can remember.

An Open Hand
Inspiration comes to me from the strangest places. The other day I was watching “Clean House” a show I am addicted to. It is all about watching people let go of clutter and free themselves to function at a higher level. The hostes, Niecy Nash, is a very sassy woman who speaks real gems sometimes.

Who Are You Talking To?

Twenty minutes after we boarded the plane, the pilot came on to tell us that there was a maintenance issue with the aircraft and we would be slightly delayed taking off. The red-eye from San Francisco to Charlotte ended up being over an hour late leaving the airport, meaning many passengers, including me, were going to miss their connection flights. As I had no particular place to be the next day, I settled in to for a nap.

What Is Your Word?

Every now and then I do something rare in my life. I step outside my tried and true shopping routines and I go someplace different for my supplies. This week it was time to venture beyond my trusted Ukrops and go to Walmart for groceries. Now, you have to understand, I have a philosophical dislike of Walmart and all it does to local communities and suppliers. I believe in capitalism and Walmart’s right to do business as they see fit but I also believe in my right to object to their business practices by spending dollars elsewhere.

The Zulu Salesman

In South Africa, we stayed at a wonderful game reserve called Zulu Nyala. Most of the workers there come from a local Zulu village and take incredibly good care of the guests at the lodge. One man, in particular, stands out because he was such a great salesman. “Mike” works in the gift shop and is single-handedly responsible for making sure guest go home with plenty of reminders of their stay in South Africa. Here is how Mike worked…

Why Tom Is Going Out Of Business

It happens the same way every time we talk. My friend, Tom, calls me up every so often to ask my advice about his business. Tom has been doing consulting for a little over two years now and his sales just aren’t where he wants them to be. He is barely making enough to take care of his family. Tom lives in constant fear that he won’t earn enough next month to make ends meet. Each time we talk, I ask him the same question…

How Much Does The Customer Experience Matter?

After watching Jeffrey Pine’s video on authenticity and the power of the experience, I decided to conduct my own personal experiment. My lab was the realm of beauty salons. For the last five years, I’ve gotten my hair cut at a local salon known for its fantastic client experience. Total cost of a haircut there is typically $60. Yesterday, I took my appearance in my hands and headed to the local discount haircut chain where I paid $5.99 (with a coupon) for a trim.

How Buyers Make Decisions (Part 1)
Have you ever sat across the table from a prospect and wondered what was going through his head? Or perhaps you were creating an ad or marketing campaign and you thought, “Will this really appeal to my buyers?” If so, you’re not alone.

How Buyers Make Decisions (Part 2)
In last week’s article, we discussed the importance of emotions in the buying decision. Remember, in order to make a sale you have to satisfy the buyer’s emotions. So, what kind of emotions do buyers have? That is, what are the ways in which you can emotionally satisfy them? In order to answer that question, you must understand human motivation.

How Buyers Make Decisions (Part 3)
In last week’s article we discussed the five basic human motivations and how to sell to an achievement-motivated buyer. This week we’ll take a look at recognition-motivated buyers and how they like to buy.

How Buyers Make Decisions (Part 4)
Over the last few weeks we’ve been talking about what motivates buyers and how you can help them make the best decision for themselves. Doing this allows you to make the sales you want in a honest, ethical manner and ensures that your clients are so happy they come back for more and refer you.

How Buyers Make Decisions (Part 5)
For the last few weeks, we’ve talked about how achievement, recognition, and affiliation-motivated buyers make decisions. That was the easy part. This week we’ll explore how control-motivated people decide what to buy. Read carefully - these are the tough ones.

3 Easy Ways: Drive More Traffic To Your Site

Do you want to increase traffic to your website? Would you like to create a site that others seek out? The good news is that you can build your ranking in the search engines and elevate your status as a trusted resource simultaneously. That’s because you can build traffic by using articles you write (or are ghost written for you). Here are three ways you can use your articles to drive traffic to your website:

Is Your Job Title Holding You Back?
Take out your business card and look at your job title. If you are a typical salesperson, your title is likely something like “Account Manager” or “Sales Representative”. If you are a business owner, you’ll read “Owner” or “President” on your card.

10 Ways to Increase your Sales
Want to increase your sales and grow your business but worried you will come across as a pushy sales person? Not sure what to do or where to start to ensure your business is a success this year? The key to success, particularly in sales, is planning ahead and always be willing to try something new.

5 Quick Sales Tips to INCREASE sales
Did you come back from the New Year break invigorated and inspired to make 2009 your best year yet? Have you just realized that it’s the middle of February and you still haven’t done anything? Use these 5 quick tips and get motivated, get active and start taking the steps toward building your success this year.

Achieve your Sales Targets with your Sales Pipeline
Being aware of and managing the amount in your sales pipeline each week, fortnight or month can have the single biggest impact to achieving your sales consistently from month to month and quarter to quarter. It is an important forecasting tool that all businesses should use even if they don’t have salespeople, as it clearly shows how many sales to expect and when to expect them.

Are you asking questions that make your customers & prospects THINK?
Questioning or probing as it is also known, is most of the most important skills you can learn when dealing with customers and one of the most powerful. The ability to ask questions that uncover important information about a customer’s needs, current supply and willingness to change is a strong characteristic of a ‘consultative’ sales approach.

Boost your Sales through Reinvention

Is it just me or is 2009 going to be the biggest and best year yet? Despite what is being reporting in the media and what we are seeing overseas, many of the people that I’ve spoken to recently are extremely motivated and confident that 2009 is going to be their best year yet (including me). So if 2009 is going to be your best year yet, now is the perfect time to sit down and work out what you want to achieve and what you need to do to make this happen.

Build your Sales Pipeline and Boost Your Prospect Numbers
Do you get frustrated constantly searching for prospects and contact information? The traditional methods of building a list of people that you can market and sell to such as purchasing databases, driving around business parks and noting the tenants of buildings that you walk past are great, and they do work, however, they are costly and time consuming.

Business Networking Tips
Networking has been good to me over the years. Apart from referrals, it has been the single most successful way of generating new business and building my professional network. It must be the salesperson in me, but there is nothing more rewarding than meeting and connecting with new people who end up as friends, associates or clients.

Consultative Needs Based Selling Approach

Looking at your business from a sales perspective and most importantly understanding your business from a client perspective, is one of the most important first steps in sales. Most people hate being sold to but love the feeling of buying; so the clearer you can explain how your business helps and "what is in it for them" the easier it makes prospective customers to make a buying decision. The consultative/problem solver approach qualifies and listens to the customer and helps them to buy what they need. The consultative approach focuses on the needs of the customer and how you improve or benefit them in some way.

How can I increase the number of Referrals I receive?

I’m sure most of you would agree that selling to someone who has been referred to you is much easier and more enjoyable than those generated through traditional sales efforts such as direct mail and cold calling. The success rate is higher because they are in the market for your services and are also much less price sensitive because the referring party has told them the value and benefits that you can deliver.

How can I make cold calling easier?
Lately I have been working with a number of sales teams to help them increase the success of their cold calling and I thought I would share with you some of my tips for success:

How can you find the best of the best in sales?
Many people believe great sales-people are born, not made but I disagree because sales is a process that can be taught to anyone and it is simply how the process is applied that separates good from great. Success in sales comes from skill development, attitude, confidence and behaviour.

How to avoid being a pest in your sales follow up
Did you know that one of the biggest gripes against salespeople by decision makers is the lack of follow up? Many people resist following up because they find it uncomfortable and don’t want to seem pushy or annoying and many people don’t follow up because they simply forget. This lack of follow-up presents a great opportunity for those who are organized and take the time to do it.

Overcoming Sales Objections
Objections are simply reasons or concerns that a prospective client has as to why they won't make a decision when you want them to. You will hear statements such as:

Quick Prospecting Tools
Do you get frustrated constantly sourcing new sales and contact information?

Sales Tips to give your sales a boost in 2010
customers, the same results can be achieved. Besides, you can find new customers from referrals within your existing client base. Here is a couple of quick tips to help you build your revenue in 2010.

Quick Tips to Presenting Proposals
These quick tips will help to reduce some of the 'discomfort' that can be associated when presenting your pricing options

SALES TIPS AND TRICKS
Want to increase sales but don’t have the sales skills or worried you will come across as an aggressive, pushy sales person? The key to developing confidence in sales is by being flexible and open-minded about trying something new!

Sales Tips for Selling in a challenging economy
It’s difficult to ignore the news of the financial crisis that is occurring around the world and the fear and uncertainty that it is creating. Here in Australia many companies have been tightening their budgets and reducing their spending over recent months and it looks like it’s going to continue. So what does this mean for those of us running businesses or working in sales?

Sales Tips for the First Appointment
“It’s all about planning and preparation” It’s amazing how many sales people and business owners I talk to who under-estimate the value and importance of planning and preparing for a first appointment.

Make Small Commitments. Get Big Changes. by Michael Dalton Johnson
Real and permanent change doesn't happen by simply resolving to do something. That's not enough. True change is a slower process. It takes time and self-reflection. This article's simple, yet profoundly powerful, advice can gently help you change your life and accelerate your personal growth.

Shorten the Sales Cycle
It seems as if your customers' number one goal is to lengthen it! The economy and an environment of heightened skepticism have doubled or even tripled the length of the sales cycle in many industries. So what can you do that is in your control to accelerate the close?

Talk To Me
How are you changing your sales dialogues to encourage customers to open up to you and tell you about the impact the economy is having on their businesses and how that has changed their priorities? Customers won't really open up unless they trust you, and gaining and keeping trust is not easy in light of what most customers are going through.

7 Rules for Sales Success
There are lots of books and articles written on sales success - by authors much smarter than I. However, with so much information at our fingertips, I thought these simple 7 rules may prove helpful. Although basic, these common sense yet powerful rules - if done repeatedly - will become habits and contribute to your success.

Mid-Week Sales Relief - No Budget, No Sale!
Mid-Week Sales Relief, is a weekly sales tip for Business Development Professionals and Salespeople. Short insight full sales tips each week to help you be more successful and make more money!

Selling in the lead up to Christmas

Well it’s hard to believe but it’s only 6 weeks until Christmas and this time of year always brings with it challenges for both business owners and salespeople. As we approach the festive season and the business year draws to a close, many decision makers prefer to put off decisions and new business meetings until the New Year. This is both challenging and de-motivating for salespeople but also frustrating and stressful for business owners, who need to keep generating revenue.

Why Isn't My Salesperson Selling?
Hiring salespeople is a time consuming and costly exercise, so it’s important to get it right and keep it right. Unfortunately, not all salespeople are equal and managing poor performers is a common (and stressful) problem for many businesses, no matter what their size.

The simple truth to increasing sales; follow up, follow up, follow up!
Did you know that the majority of sales leads and enquiries do not get followed up more than once (which could be why your business has a low conversion rate*)? To improve your sales or that of your sales team, develop a system to regularly check where each one is at and when they were last contacted. If you hold sales meetings, doing it at the beginning or end of each month is perfect.

Sales Management - 7 Selling Tips on Handling Price, Price, Price
You hear the price excuse or issue all the time. Well, here’s 7 ways to handle price objections and demands for the lowest price.

So You Think You Can Sell
How can active listening help you when it comes to prospecting? Read these sales tips and understand the important elements of need based selling.

Sales Tips On Cold Calling
Cold calling will be easier after you learn and apply these common sense sales tips.

Create a Great Sales Training Program
Every company has sent their sales reps and employees to sales training seminar; however, most of those people forget what they learned less than one month later. Follow these sales tips and techniques and figure out how sales training reinforcement can enhance your employees performance.

Consultative Selling Approach
Consultative selling qualifies and listens to the customer to help them to buy what they need. It focuses on the needs of the customer and how to improve or benefit them in some way. It is the complete opposite to traditional methods of selling because it isn't about what the salesperson wants to sell them; it is about what the customer wants or needs to buy.

The Value of a Value Propostion
Understand how a value proposition can assist in promoting your business and positioning your company.

The Value of a Value Propostion
Understand how a value proposition can assist in promoting your business and positioning your company.

Secrets of Selling to the "C" Suite
Learn the secrets of getting in front of decision makers and learning how to close business with those that can.

Secrets of Selling to the "C" Suite
Learn the secrets of getting in front of decision makers and learning how to close business with those that can.

How to Get Better Results with Cold Calling
Learn the secrets to gain better results from cold calling success.

How to Get Better Results with Cold Calling
Learn the secrets to gain better results from cold calling success.

Negotiation Tactics
Understand the art of negotiation and win any conversation with minimal concession.

Negotiation Tactics
Understand the art of negotiation and win any conversation with minimal concession.

Winning Business with Referrals
Use referrals to decrease labor and increase your percentage of closed business and new revenue.

Winning Business with Referrals
Use referrals to decrease labor and increase your percentage of closed business and new revenue.

How to Increase the Sales Pipeline
Learn how to produce more leads with less labor

How to Increase the Sales Pipeline
Learn how to produce more leads with less labor

The Importance of Customer Service
Gain insights of how to use customer service as a branding and marketing differentiator.

The Importance of Customer Service
Gain insights of how to use customer service as a branding and marketing differentiator.

Seven Irresitable Laws of Customer Service
Create customer service tools that set you apart from competitive forces and make you and your company a client magnet.

Seven Irresitable Laws of Customer Service
Create customer service tools that set you apart from competitive forces and make you and your company a client magnet.

Solving the Customer Service Puzzle
Learn the simple rules of customer service to assist your organization create the differentiation required to create allure.

Solving the Customer Service Puzzle
Learn the simple rules of customer service to assist your organization create the differentiation required to create allure.

Seven Top Sales Tips for Success

In this article I will cover off some useful sales tips for success to ensure you and your customer are pleased with the outcome of a pitch or meeting. It is important that you are both happy with the result so you can build a long term relationship. It costs much less to retain a valuable customer than to acquire a new one in almost any industry sector. I have chosen seven key tips that I have found useful throughout my career to date.

The Re-Tweet is the New Way to Prospect
By having people re-tweet your articles or blogs, you can build your credibility and expand your reach. It is a great way to create business opportunities and to see your sales progress. Find out how to do it by using these three tips.

Selling and Attitude
Discover how much you attitude counts in trying to sell your products and services.

Selling and Attitude
Discover how much you attitude counts in trying to sell your products and services.

How to Survive in Volatile Times
Learn the art of companies that can survive in any economy and why they are built to last.

How to Survive in Volatile Times
Learn the art of companies that can survive in any economy and why they are built to last.

The Only Qualifying Question You Really Need
Afraid of asking to many questions of your prospects? OK, then ask just this one question and let your prospects tell YOU how to sell them!

The 5 W's and an H of Social Media
Your sales progress can be linked to your connection to customers. Find out how social media can help you expand your reach. These tips and tools will help sales people connect with more prospects and will help you reach your bottom line.

7 Poisonous Sins of Trying to sell
Sales is a precarious profession that requires a process. Many believe that selling is an easy profession but it takes moxie, patience and more importantly strategies that pave the way to success. Discover the seven secrets to selling success.

How to increase sales by upselling

Upselling your products or services to existing customers is a relatively quick and easy (and lets not forget cheap) way to increase your sales revenue, strengthen customer relationships and increase your value to customers. Up-selling is when you recommend a better (typically more expensive) product or service to customers and takes place once the sale has been made. The most common example of upselling is McDonalds when they ask you ‘would you like fries with that’ or “would you like to upsize for an extra xx amount?”

Product Bundling to Increase Sales

Product bundling is combining two or more complimentary products or services together that creates differentiation and offers greater value to the customer. The key to packaging your products and services is to ensure that the package price is less than buying all the individual items separately. A bundle of products is sometimes referred to as a package deal and a well known example of this is the fast food industry 'meal deal' where you can buy burger, fries and coke for a cheaper price than purchasing all items individually.

Top 5 Interesting Sales Tips
"Interesting" is a word that can mean entirely different things. It can mean I don't care at all or that I'm actually interested, it all depends on context, tone etc. Salespeople need to ask prospects to clarify vague or ambiguous terms so that they can truly understand what the prospect is thinking and feeling.

Are The Majority Of B2B Salespeople Allergic to Paperwork Even Though It Means They Are Missing Out On A Competitive Advantage?
If you are a salesperson looking to differentiate your approach, a meeting agenda prepared in advance and sent by e-mail will help you do just that. Since most of your competitors are likely allergic to such paperwork, you'll have a distinct competitive advantage. Curious? See what the decision-makers have to say.

Communicating For Sales Success
Do you have what it takes to Out-Communicate your competition? Have you taken the time to record yourself and analyze your communication style and skill level? If not, then you should consider the following information if you want to earn and win more sales.

Leveraging the Power of Large, Well-known Companies to Grow Your Small Business
High-profile companies have the power of recognition and credibility. Discover the secrets (and benefits) of leveraging their recognition and credibility to grow your small business.

Personal Branding For Salespeople
Are you a salesperson looking for ways to generate more referrals? Do you agree that the best way to do that is to operate in a predictable and professional manner? Then read on to learn some tips to maximize the power of your personal brand and get recommended by prospects and clients.

Sales Tips for Commercial Salespeople and Sales Managers – How to Influence Prospects and Earn Sales by asking Effective Questions
One of the top ways you can influence potential customers to buy from you is to master the art of developing and asking effective questions. Your questions should uncover relevant business issues and help the prospect determine if there are any costly problems worth solving.

Sales Tips for Commercial Salespeople and Sales Managers - How to Influence Prospects and Earn Sales by Demonstrating Your Expertise
One of the top ways you can influence potential customers to buy from you is to master the art of developing and asking effective questions. Your questions should uncover relevant business issues and help the prospect determine if there are any costly problems worth solving.

ï¿½When Technology Leads to Profitï¿½
ï¿½When Technology Leads to Profitï¿½

Tweet This- A Regular Sales Guy's View on How Social Marketing Sells!
This article is designed to teach a regular salesperson how social networking can lead to more prospects and more sales. And it's not written for Nerds!

When the Heat is On, It’s time to CHILL “5 Steps to Help You Handle Any Situation”
This article will teach you how to handle any stressful situation with your boss. These 5 steps just make get you your next promotion!

How Do I Know Which Sales Questions to Ask?

Many sales organizations will prepare lists of questions and hand them out to salespeople. You can even download lists of questions from many websites. The problem with that approach is that you still don't know what to ask when. It would be much better for you to prepare your own guidepost sales questions to fit your typical sales situations. Guidepost questions move the sales conversation the direction you want it to go. And it's always better to use a question to direct a conversation than an explanation.

Debriefing the Team Sales Call
You are likely out in the field more often with your salespeople. Here are some coaching best practices and tips to help you make the most of your team calls and use even limited post sales call time as a learning lab through coaching. After each call, along with discussing next steps and strategy, select one area of the call and coach to it.

C-Level Relationship Sales Tips – Increase Sales by Stealing Competitors’ Accounts
Increase your sales by using these simple sales tips to steal your competitors’ accounts while developing C-level relationships.

How a bottle of Scotch ( which I never gave away or opened) and a thank you card ( which I never sent) made me thousands of pounds.
Social proof helps persuade prospects to become buyers. References and referrals are good, but there can be a better way.

New Real Estate Agents - How to Make Your Listing Presentation Different From Everyone Else's
When I started in real estate, one of the first things I was taught was to create a listing package. Into this package went all of the bells and whistles I could find to persuade a seller to hire me. Here's why that didn't work and what to do instead...

New Real Estate Agent Advice - Does the Consumer Really Need a Realtor?

It can be hard hearing negative things about your profession after you've spent a lot of time and money educating yourself so you can represent your client diligently, or you've negotiated a contract into the wee hours, or worked the weekends instead of playing with the kids. (Hear the little violin?) But all that doesn't matter to the consumer. The consumer, well, consumes. Realtors are often in the position of trying not to get consumed while still making a buck.

Do You Need Sales Skills to Be Effective at Real Estate Prospecting?
The simple answer is Yes. That's because "effective prospecting" means converting leads, not collecting them. And converting leads requires sales skills. But here's something to give you hope: The traditional ways you've been taught to convert leads may actually create resistance, making it harder for you to convert leads.

The Death of Cold Calling
Discover better methods than cold calling to help you land more leads and more sales.

Top 6 Factors for Killing an Opportunity or Prospect
How can you tell if an opportunity is dead? It's dependent on a number of internal and external factors...

Selling is Like Rocket Science Until You Do These Two Things Well
Selling is really, really hard...until you learn how to do two things very well. Listen and ask questions that will get specific desired responses.

What Michael Jordan Can Teach You About Success in Sales
From the lessons learned from Jordan's mastery of the mental game of winning we can find paths to the same level of success in professional selling. The key to doing so is in finding parallels with the mental game of winning in sales and learning to to apply them with the same intensity that he applied them to the game of basketball.

Direct Sales Strategies- Building Instant Rapport for Sales Success
James is the most popular name for males in the United States accounting for over 4.8 million individuals. Dennis happens to be the 40th most popular, given to just over 600 thousand. If that is the case, why is your dentist more likely to be named Dennis than James? More importantly, how is that relevant to the profession of selling?

Direct Sales Strategies- Sales Motivation Comes From Working for the Right Company
It is hard enough staying motivated in the profession of selling, but when you are working for the wrong company or the wrong manager it is all but impossible. Who you work for has as much to do with how you feel about selling as almost any other factor, and as we know, how you feel about selling has as much to do with your success as most other factors combined.

C-Level Relationship Selling – Gaining the Confidence Required for Selling High
Confidence exudes believability to C-level executives. Confidence comes from knowledge and knowledge comes from preparation. The more you know about selling to C-levels the more confident you’ll feel and the more you’ll sell.

The Importance of Sales Assumptions

Assumptions create fear and these bring about anxiety and stress. Selling professionals live in a volatile world wherein each day emulates a roller coaster ride. Why add more thrills to the experience. Assumptions will plague on creativity and success. Those selling today are professionals developing relationships to illustrate value. Value is derived from great direct conversations; never assumption. If you want to live in failure then assume, if you desire a life of success simply seek truth.

Selling Is All in the Timing
When it comes to selling, you can have all the ingredients, but if you don't follow the correct order, you could end up going astray.

Do You/Should You Have a Complex Sale?
What makes a sale complex? Why do companies find these so difficult?

The Complex Sale Pt II
Revisiting some of the factors that make a complex sale so challenging, and showing you how to incorporate element of the complex sell in order to beat outsell your competitors.

10 Steps to More Sales Opportunities
It takes on average, eight attempts to reach a prospect, most salespeople give up after only four or five! Here are some steps to make sure that your salespeople reach more prospects.

Daily Meetings Result in Daily Deals
Whatever it is that you value should be done daily and if it's not important then don't do it. How you start you day is going to determine how your day turns out.

How to Avoid Sales Mistakes

There is an overwhelming concern about productivity and profitability in today's organizations. With this final concern is ever more important for selling professionals to be as efficient as possible. Efficient selling agents help to lessen labor while bringing more revenue to the organization. The problem however is that many selling professionals commit numerous errors throughout their day. This not only slows down the selling process but also lessens the ability for sales teams to meet their targets. More importantly, these issues affect revenue.

What Are Your Sales People Thinking

With over 30 years of sales and marketing experience I have heard while also experiencing many inconveniences for selling professionals. Each and every day these individuals are on the front lines illustrating products and services attempting to place new revenue while growing brand for their respective organizations. Each has their own description, their own responsibilities and their own goals. Some complain while others just do. Yet for the most part each goes through the gyrations of the day without much banter but with some aggravation.

Sales 101: Product Knowledge
As critical as product knowledge is to sales success, it often gets ignored or disregarded even by the most seasoned salesperson. In this sales climate, in this economy... is that an option? I think we both know the answer to that. Learn the importance of product knowledge and discover why you need to pay attention.

Sales Techniques for the Telephone
Working the phones is a great way to generate customers when sales are slow. Selling over the phone is a sales technique every salesperson must master to be a success! With these simple sales tips you are well on your way.

New Selling Skills Needed in Today's Marketplace
Traiditonal sales techniques do not work in today's economic climate. Recent trends demand new selling skills which take a consultative selling approach to business development.

Seven Popular Sales Excuses
Now like many of you after 30 years I have pretty much heard almost everything. So when talking about this the other day during a recent sales coaching session I was reminded of the numerous excuses that we all hear from sales representatives. So I sat down with pen to paper and rationalized what I believe of the top seven uses from selling professionals

Seven Popular Sales Excuses
Now like many of you after 30 years I have pretty much heard almost everything. So when talking about this the other day during a recent sales coaching session I was reminded of the numerous excuses that we all hear from sales representatives. So I sat down with pen to paper and rationalized what I believe of the top seven uses from selling professionals

Insights from a another sales effort in China
Forgetting Chinese are very different from ourselves, Americans attempt selling to Chinese as they do with other Americans. When they fail to succeed, they can only return home befuddled by what may have gone wrong. Here is a story about a real-life sales situation in China, one that I hope will give you more insights to add to your quiver.

Nine Commandments For Sales Greatness
Many sales professionals sometimes fail to follow the right path but instead follow shortcuts to achieving financial rewards. There are many sales persons, however, who do not merely seek success but aspire to be super salesmen. For this special group I offer my Nine Commandments for Sales Greatness.

Two Money Making Tips for the Price of One
It’s not the silver bullet and there are certainly other reasons why businesses fail, however, it’s a bullet in your arsenal of weapons that can hit the bull’s eye faster and more accurately than many of our other weapons. Here are two tips you can keep in your arsenal.

Reaping Full Benefits of an Unwarranted Concession
There is a way to make a concession and a way not to: To save you from wasting time, money, and good will, let's first look at what not to do. - Never have an edge, show anger, or negativity; always convey concern for the client's needs and your organization's needs.

Get the Budget - Skip a Wild-Goose Chase
Before you expend days on that complex proposal or jump on a flight again to see your client or prospect, find out about the budget. While knowing client needs is paramount to maximize opportunities, knowing the budget is also vital.

Call Me - How Not to End a Client Letter/eMail
End your follow-up sales letters or e-mails with your next step.

Short of a Mack Truck: Keep Your Aches and Pains to Yourself
Short of being hit with a Mac truck, when you get to your client meeting, avoid telling a client about personal daily woes, particularly as an excuse for not performing.

Scope Creep
As you and your team get into development and implementation, you find additional needs - small and not so small add-ons that you are asked to provide or are needed to complete the project. When this happens, you, as well as everyone on your team, must be alert to \"scope creep,\" in which the project gets bigger based on new components or needs - but the committed budget stays the same!

Boring Just Doesn’t Sell
Is your business boring? It doesn't have to be! Use these tips to add humor into your advertising and positioning. Remember, the way a company acts is now a determining factor in whether or not customers do business with them.

The Latest Astonishing Findings About Sales Managers
83% of all first year sales managers don't make their numbers. How can we explain something like that?

How to Find the Right Sales Mentor
Here are five tips to help you find your right sales mentor.

How to Put More Prospects in a Buying Mood
A reader shared with me recently that her email prospecting campaign was attracting attention and responses, but most of her prospects weren’t interested in buying right now. So it’s her job to create immediate interest.

The 20 Worst Prospecting Voicemail Mistakes Salespeople Make
Among salespeople who make sales prospecting calls, there’s a hot debate about whether or not you should leave a voicemail message. For a voicemail to have any impact, however, you have to avoid the common blunders.

Why You Don't Want Sales Prospects to Save Your Emails
It is critical that you write sales prospecting and lead-generation emails that compel your sales prospects take action right away. There are four rules to make that happen.

How to create a Year End Sales Blitz
The end of the year is approaching rapidly and now is the time to end old habits and pull out all the necessary stops to close business right now!

5 Great Sales Tips - Increase your sales success today!

It is really easy to get overwhelmed by all the sales tips and suggestions available to us today. These five tips are not for the meek, if you are really serious about improving your sales take these seriously and you will get results. Ironically most people have negative associations with sales, why not change it around. Sales in fact, are FUN! Take these tips and see how much fun you can have. After all, success is ALWAYS fun.

8 Field-Proven Tips to Increasing Your Sales income
8 field proven tips which can help you increase your sales volume. There are secrets and your most senior sales staff are profitably using them in their own careers. If you want to be more productive and profitable - check out and apply these 8 tips in your own sales activities.

Selling in 21st Century
There has been a revolution in everything in our society except in sales. The sales industry has crawled while other professions have been running: "new" sales books are still talking about the same tips, tricks and techniques that were working in last century and bringing the success to sales people.

Six unique yet practical sales tips
Practical sales tips such as the six classic closing skills are essential for any business, but there are also mental sales tips which set the real top sellers apart and which very few salespeople use. Here are six incredibly powerful 'Neurobic" exercises to keep your mind agile and open to every new sales opportunity.

Get Out of the Way and 8 Tips for Sales Success
This was a very interesting, fast-moving show where Chris shared his 8 tips for sales success, talked about sales management's role in growing sales, the biggest obstacle he had to overcome in order to succeed, how to succeed in this economy, and much, much more. One of his 8 tips? Get out of the way!

No more Sales Hiring Mistakes
A sales hiring mistake costs more than most sales managers care to contemplate. Apart from the loss of good will and the expenses associated with replacement, there is the missed opportunity cost. There is no way to recover the sales that the right sales person would have made. Read on for ideas, tips, and reliable ways to eliminate or minimise sales hiring mistakes.

6 Killer Tips To Get Promoted to Sales Management in 2011!
For the New Year of 2011, we wanted to give you 6 killer tips on how to get promoted into sales management if you are a sales person right now. If you are a sales manager now, this is something that you may want to advise your ambitious sales people on. One of the roles of a sales manager is to find out what their career goals are.

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