Friday, April 30, 2010

fabric painting an insight


Fabric Painting is not a recent phenomenon, as is commonly believed; actually, the most ancient instance of fabric painting can be dated back to as early as 3000 B.C. All these long years, fabric painting evolved and modified adding into every bit of contemporary art and style. It would not be wrong to say that fabric painting has carved out a special niche for itself in the field of colors and painting. Today many other techniques of fabric painting have been developed around the world.What make you choose Fabric painting?Fabric painting is a unique form of painting that finds vibrant expression on the fabrics. Painting on fabrics has now become a popular homemade handcraft and is practied by much whether as a hobby or as a part of life. The best part of this is that with simple techniques and procedures alluring paintings can be carved out in an affordable cost. It is due to these reasons fabric paintings has a demanding market nowadays.Where it is used?Fabric painting is used nowadays in vogue in ladies top, men shirts and ties, hand bangs, upholstery, curtains, wall hangings, cushion covers and more. You don't have to be very adept in painting to become a fabric painter. What you require are some creative skills and solid knowledge on the various methods of fabric paintings. The rest will happen automatically.How it is done?Fabric painting is all about mixing colors and applying heat in proportions. The work of a fabric painter is like that of chemist mixing colors and perceiving the reactions. The fun lies in the fact that he or she should know what amount of color and heat to use in order to create a particular form of fabric painting.Popular forms of fabric paintingThere are numerous forms of fabric painting and among them the popular ones are Siberia, batik painting, silk screening, dyeing, layering and watercolor painting.Amongst all the above mentioned fabric painting forms, dyeing is thought to be the simplest and the most common form. In dyeing, some parts of the fabric are tied and merged into a colored dye solution while some other parts are abstained from dyeing. When folded in a particular shape, a design integrating the colored and the uncolored segments comes up. Batik Painting, done by blending wax and dye is one of the most favored among the fabric painters. In Batik painting, first the fabric is waxed, then dyed and finally de-waxed. Siberia, a Japanese form of tie-dye painting, lures everyone with its pleats, creases, loops, colorful motifs and stitches. Siberia form of fabric painting is a bit tedious and involves an array of processes.The use of FabricFabric is made from thread and yarn formed together by knitting or weaving. Its texture and strength depend on the origin of the thread. The most commonly used fabric is velvet; the cut of the thread is evenly distributed in this fabric. Canvas is most commonly used in tents and sails and most recently, handbags. Canvas is also used as bases for works of art.Modern styles in painting to take advantage of the texture and "roughness" of the surface of the canvas. Flannel is most known as a fabric for bed sheets. It is made from wool or cotton wool. Later on, flannel was used as clothing worn in cold weather. This type of fabric is either woven in a plain weave or tight weave.Without any doubt, it can be said that fabric painting is really making its presence felt. In addition to that, the modern tinge that has been added to this art form is also working like a golden touch. Surely, fabric painting has a very good future.

Original :: fabric painting an insight


5 ways to have a great 4th quarter


For those of you who have been through training with me, or have purchased any of my training material, you know that I am BIG on preparation. I still maintain that the Top 20% are infinitely more prepared than the bottom 80% who are, for the most part, ad-libbing their way through their sales presentations and careers.And it is this preparation that especially shows through during the 4th quarter. Top 20% producers look forward to the 4th quarter, because they know they are going to reap the benefits of the first part of the year, and they're going to use their skills to finish the year strong.The bottom 80% are worried and are wondering how far off of their overall goal they are going tbe.One of the things you can begin doing right now to prepare to have a great 4th quarter is read and apply the ideas in this article. Use it as a check list to compare what you're doing - and what you're not doing - and then adjust your activities to cover as many of these crucial steps as possible.Here are 5 things you need to do NOW to have a great 4th quarter:#1) Call every existing customer and client you have to get a firm idea of what their end of the year needs are going to be. The last thing you want to do is let your existing business (often called the "low hanging fruit") go to a competitor who got their first.When you find out what their needs are for the 4th quarter, do what you can to capture it in advance - reserve the best spots for them, write up a sample order for them, create a 'pre-order' sale for them - but do everything you can NOW to secure their business in advance.#2) Next, do the same thing with your short list of "hot prospects" that you've identified so far this year. Once again, contact them and do the same thing - arrange dates for your presentation or service to be delivered, create an urgency for the end of the year and let them know that you've penciled them in to take care of their needs, get a specific call back date - and them call them 2 weeks prior to that!If you can send an email of interest to them, or mail them anything, do so. It's crucial that you connect now, and give them something so they'll be thinking about you when their need arises.#3) Schedule the training you need NOW. Make sure your team has fresh ideas, techniques and strategies in place by October. Now is the time to get your team sharp, to get them effective scripts, and to learn the most effective techniques so they are ready to go when the business is flying.#4) Quick, can you tell me what your revenue and income goal is for the 4th quarter?You must goal set your exact production and income numbers and begin affirming their result NOW. You will produce exactly what you think you will, and for this reason it's so important to identify in advance what that revenue figure is going to be.I'd like to recommend two great books to help you with this. One is Jeb Blount's "PowerPrinciples", and the other is Dr. Robert Anthony's "Beyond Positive Thinking". You should buy them both on Amazon today and read them over what's left of this summer.#5) Commit to making just 10 more prospecting calls per day for the rest of the year. Now I know that doesn't sound like a lot, does it?But when you work it out, you'll find that you'll be making an additional 1,050 prospecting calls between now and the end of the year! How many more clients, deals, and dollars in your pocket would that mean for you and your team??I'll guarantee you that the bottom 80% aren't going to be doing any of what you've just read. But if you commit today to implementing these 5 ideas, you'll be smiling all the way into the New Year.And isn't that what you really want?

Original :: 5 ways to have a great 4th quarter


Wednesday, April 28, 2010

closing no tricks required


So you are hoping for a magic trick to closing? Wouldn't it be so much easier if we could just utter a special phrase that would make our prospects suddenly forget the competition, forget the hard-to-calculate return on investment requirements, and magically say "yes, let's do it"?All that wondering, will they buy or won't they - out the window. All the worry about making quota - gone. Just use the magic trick!Well, I'm sorry to say, there isn't a magic trick to closing that you can memorize.In my experience, if you are selling with your prospect's best interests in mind, closing is the natural next step. No special phrase required. If you aren't, your competition nearly always wins. So mybe there is a magic trick after all! But it's not in closing - it's in how we sell.Here's my secret to closing: sell differently! And here's how I do it:Gather the all the information I need to make a strong recommendation that addresses the business challenge plaguing my prospect.Question for the economic return my prospect must have while helping her realize how important this really is to her business. If she can't come up with the economic return on her own, nothing I say or recommend will move her to closing, so forget it. Together with my prospect, outline the critical the timeline she needs to work within - based on her business, not my quota.Once my prospect and I have done all this, moving forward is a natural next step she wants to take. It works - no tricks required!

Original :: closing no tricks required


Tuesday, April 27, 2010

7 tips to make you a successful


Do you exceed your sales target every month? Do you close nearly all your conversations? Are colleagues jealous of your commission? If not then you could benefit from Sales Training.Here are 7 tips for successful selling which you can use to improve your sales figures right now.1. Identify Potential CustomersYou need to identify potential customers. This is the same whether selling in a shop or over the phone. Questions regarding how the product or service will work for the customer should be picked up on. Questions like "Will this printer work with my computer?", "Do you have them in blue?", "Can you deliver it tomorrow?" are all buying signals.2. PreparationPreparation is vital in salesand the old saying "fail to prepare, prepare to fail" should be remembered. Product knowledge and an awareness of the market and competitors are essential.3. Effective CommunicationAs a sales person, you need to communicate effectively by listening to the customer's needs, asking the right questions and looking for buying signals. Customers may not know the technical terms or latest product or brand names, but this doesn't mean that they don't know what they want.4. How and why people buyKnowing how and why people buy will ensure that you use the right sales techniques with the right sort of products and people. People buy out of desire or necessity. Your approach to selling a plasma TV to a young professional couple will differ from selling plumbing services to somebody with a flooded kitchen.5. Establishing customer needsCustomers buy for different reasons. Some people need to have the latest products; others only buy when they can't repair or make do with what they have already. Just because somebody is not the typical buyer of the product, doesn't mean the product isn't right for them.6. Objection handlingObjection handling is the process of dealing with potential customers who give reasons not to buy at this time. The product might not be what they want or need, the price is not right, or they might need to compare other products or suppliers before deciding. An objection can be a very strong buying signal - it is the only reason they are not buying right now.More questioning to ensure that you have fully understood their product requirements or budget may be necessary. Perhaps the customer hasn't fully understood all the features and benefits of the product or service, or wants more information.7. Closing the saleSome sales people don't identify buying signals, and miss out on sales. Make sure you ask questions to encourage buying signals. "Would you like to order today?", "Do you prefer the red one or the blue one". However, trying to close too early on in the sales process can put a customer off.As a successful sales person, especially in a retail or telesales environment you will need to be able to cross sell and upsell. Cross selling is selling items such as batteries for electrical devices, warranties, and accessories. Upselling involves convincing the buyer to spend a little bit more money to get a better or more suitable product.If you are an employer why not offer sales training or telesales training to your sales team? If you are a sales person why not ask your boss for sales training to make you even more successful?

Original :: 7 tips to make you a successful


selling in a gloomy economy


What is the difference between selling in a robust economy and selling in a failing economy? A lot. But not what you think.* Your product is the same* Your pitch/presentation is the same* The buyer's need is the sameWhat's different is the decision making process the buyers need to go through. Do they have a problem that needs to be resolved now, and the economy has mitigated the types of solutions they seek? Do they have a problem that can be fixed with a partial, cheaper solution, or with internal resources that can be modified to create a solution? Do they wait until.... until they have some belief that their business won't be at risk?NEW BUYING CRITERIAYour wonderful product data or neds analysis are moot here: they need you, they need your product, and they need a solution. But they now need additional levels of buy-in before they can spend money: it's no longer 'who' or 'what' or 'how much', it's 'when' or 'if'. 'Solution' is not their criteria, 'Preserving Assets' is.There is a way you can help buyers decide to choose you now. But it will mean a shift in focus - from the problem solving/solution providing outcome that you are currently familiar with, to a decision-support focus that will enable a possible purchasing decision:1. until your buyer figures out what immediate needs must be addressed - whatever that means to them - they will take no action. In other words, getting their 'needs met' might include resolving the problem with a creative or temporary solution rather than a product purchase.If you can help buyers actually figure out their immediate needs (i.e. staffing might be a priority, or outsourcing, or finding an alternate route to a problem resolution), and the appropriate choices using the criteria they must work from- separate from focusing on a product sale or the criteria you would prefer they work from - you will be in line as the first vendor they will connect with once they decide to purchase a product.2. until the buyer's entire decision team agrees to take action, no action will be taken. That means that your regular contact - who may have been the driver in the decision to purchase your product - now has a larger buying decision team: any decisions now must include corporate economic factors: the risk is too high for anyone to make decisions without agreement from the team.If you help your buyer bring together their entire decision team so they can reach agreement - even if their ultimate solution cannot be to purchase your product at this time - there is a greater likelihood of a quick decision to act, although the action might not be the one you would prefer. But it puts you in high regard with the buying decision team.3. until the entire decision team recognizes that it would make economic sense to resolve the problem using an external solution such as your product, no action will be taken. After all, they have been resolving the problem in a less effective way in their current daily activities, and there is a case to be made for continuing the status quo until the economy gets stable.If you help the decision team evaluate the difference between the cost and results of continuing doing what they are doing vs. the COST (human, time, political, organizational) of reorganizing around a new solution that ensures the people involved with the status quo are stable, you will become part of the buyer's decision team. And, if the client sees that all COSTS can be mitigated, or seen in a way that overrides their economic concerns and leaves them better off, they will be able to choose to make a purchase now. But it would be vital for them to understand the full picture of 'givens' and include the human systems as well as the financial ones.A NEW APPROACHIf you can augment your job to include being a decision consultant, you can make good use of this time of economic uncertainty.Buying Facilitation? is a model that works with the buyer's buying decisions and is a perfect add-on to the sales process at this time. In a world where buyers are inundated by choices, Buying Facilitation? gives the seller a new set of tools - different from selling methods - that provide a decision support capability for buyers to help them understand, manage, and regulate their new economic environment.Use this time to differentiate yourself as a true consultant. You'll not only get more business (and faster as you help prospects shorten their decision/sales cycle) than you otherwise would in a gloomy economy, but you'll also gain access to the buying decision team, line up future business that will close once the economy turns around, and be seen as an important company resource.Learn more about the modalities you and your team can use to learn Buying Facilitation? at http://www.newsalesparadigm.com. Start by reading the e-book: Buying Faciliation? : the new way to sell that influences and expands decisions at http://www.buyingfacilitation.com. Then, consider if you wish to have MFI develop scripts for prospecting or decision support, or developing the appropriate Facilitative Questions to lead your buyers through the necessary decision issues.

Original :: selling in a gloomy economy


Sunday, April 25, 2010

5 ways to handle the no budget objection


It's no surprise that the biggest objection you're facing in today's economy is the "no budget" objection. Now, does this mean that companies aren't buying anything? Of course not! Think about your own life - you're still shopping, buying, and getting ready for the holidays, aren't you? You're just being a little more cautious, I'll bet.And so are your prospects. They are still buying things (like your product or solution), but they're being a little more cautious, that's all. And that means you have to be more creative with how you handle the initial objection of no budget.Here are five proven ways of dealing with this objection that you can begin using today to break through your prospet's resistance and earn the right to present your product or service:1) "I understand and I'm not calling to sell you anything today, that's not what this call is about. I'm simply calling to see if my company is a fit for what you're doing over there, and if we are, then to provide you with our information as a resource for the future for when you do have the budget.Now let me ask you..." (Start a dialogue and ask qualifying questions to see how you can help them, and watch their resistance come down and their buying signals come out!)2) "________, that's exactly why I'm calling you. You see we work with (their kind of company) all the time and our solution actually saves you money over time. That's why so many companies invest a portion of their budgets into our (your product or service). But before we even talk about that, it's important to see if this can help you, too.I just have a couple of quick questions...." (ask a couple of qualifying questions now...)3) "I know exactly what you mean, things are tough all over. Let me ask you this: Where do you normally get the budget from when an unexpected expense comes up?"4) "That's perfectly OK. I don't expect you to even consider spending money on something you know nothing about, and that's why I'm here. Let me ask you a couple of quick questions, and if there is a fit between our companies, then you can determine if it makes sense to learn more about how our (your product or service) can help you (save money, make more money, save time which is money, etc.). Now..."5) "_________, if you're like most of my clients right now, you're going to be extremely cautious regarding any money you spend, so I totally understand. Let's not talk about budget until we determine if our (your product or service) even makes sense for you. Let me ask you this..." (ask a qualifying question to determine if it even makes sense to keep talking to them)Now you have 5 new ways of handling an objection you probably get over and over again. Use these, script these to fit your product or service, and watch your confidence and sales conversion rates go up. And if you would like more proven techniques, invest in my book below - you'll be glad you did!

Original :: 5 ways to handle the no budget objection


are you practicing what you preach


I suddenly found myself trying to go back to my old ways and find customers and not let them find me. Wow I really was going in circles and just not thinking. I know what my product is and how it works and will work for others, so why in the world would I be trying to find customers who would think I am wasting their time. I stopped and thought I am going to do this the way it should be done.I came home and started e-mailing and doing the things that I know works. I know sometimes we will go back to our old way of thinking and try to force things to go, but I am glad I caught myself and decided to do it right. I know how business works and can get the job done as well as show someone elsehow it works. I have been in the business world for a while and know what changes have taken place in the last few years. Many times I have seen changes and have developed ways to change with them.Go to an automobile dealership, for instance they are in a slump right now as an overall business, but there are dealers that are still making money and selling automobiles because they have changed from that get the sale today attitude. They offer customers new ideas and will not pressure them at all, what a relief. They will offer you coffee and conversation and yes even give you a price and let you go home and think about it. If you have ever purchased an automobile you know that is a real change.Another place of interest now days is the electronic stores, they are a good place to get a lesson in how not to be a salesperson. They only want to sell you the big ticket items and let you fend for yourself on the items that are not going to make them a good commission. They are just order takers and will never succeed until they realize the value of a customer. If the companies they work for would just let them know the value of customers, then some of them would succeed and double their incomes in a short time.The focus is what needs to be stressed and I myself get off track once and a while. Maintain your strategy and focus on the ways that are most effective and your success are for sure to come. I am like many of you out there and want my success yesterday, but be patient and stay focused and the goals you have set will be within reach. Do not let the fear of failure get the best of you, we will have some failures accept them and go after the next success.

Original :: are you practicing what you preach


Friday, April 23, 2010

sales questioning techniques and how to


Do you use effective questioning techniques that discover the buyer's needs, wants, and desires, or do your customers feel bullied and interrogated? Can you get buyer's talking freely, or do they give you short answers with little content? Learn to question your buyers with effective sales skills that lead you to the benefits the buyer wants, and help you to close the sale at the same time.Many sales courses tell the delegates to start with open questions that begin with who, what, where, when, how, and why. Think of a question about your product that starts with one of the above words. Could the question be answered with one word or just a very short sentence? Many questions starting witthese words can be answered very briefly. They do not encourage the buyer to talk. A low reactor type customer will not open up when asked this style of question.So how do you get your prospect talking and telling you about themselves, and their wants, needs, and desires. It's easy, just do what you would in casual conversation with friends. Use a question that encourages the buyer to open up and give you more than just a short answer. This is a great sales skill to have that will help you close more sales. Start your questions with, tell me about, or, give me an idea. Ask them to, build you a picture, or, describe for you. How about, explain to me, and, bring me up to speed. Think of a question about your product that starts with one of the above phrases. It should be difficult to answer with a short sentence or just one word?The key is to get the prospect talking and then give them direction. You don't want a stop-start process that interrupts the flow of the conversation. Once you have them opening up to you, use questioning techniques that guide them to where you want them to go. Move them towards describing their needs, wants, desires, and what they are currently dissatisfied with.The next questions to use in the sales process will give the conversation direction. These are the who, what, where, how, and when questions. They elicit more detail and give direction to the now flowing conversation. And remember, this is a conversation, not an interrogation. These sales questions should be open ended and will give you information on the more general topics brought out by the opening questions. For example, what are you looking for, when do you do that, how important is that. All in response to, and focused on, the areas raised by the prospect.Now you want more detail on the benefits the buyer is looking for. You want to ask open sales questions, on specific subjects, to start narrowing down the information. Think of the sales questioning process like a funnel. You have started with a wide open, conversation provoking question. Then narrowed the possible answers slightly with the where, what, how, type questions. Now you close the funnel a little more and look for tighter specifics. You ask questions such as, what size, how many, who else uses it.You can now get to the real specifics, and fill in the gaps in the information you have. Ask alternative questions like, red or blue, Monday or Wednesday. Offer specific suggestions and ideas and look for their responses. Use direct questions that require yes or no answers. When you think you have all the information on one particular subject you can check your understanding of their needs. Then summarise and look for approval and agreement.You may have only covered one area of the needs that they gave you in response to your opening question. Think of this as one funnel that you have completed. If there are more needs areas go back and start another funnel. Do this until you have covered all the topics related to the benefits they want that your opening questions brought out. After each funnel check your understanding of what they want. When you have exhausted all the benefits and needs topics, summarise and check your understanding of all the needs, wants, and desires that you have discovered.This also helps towards the closing of the sale. You are gaining agreement that this is what the customer wants. Depending upon your product and your market you can gain agreement from the buyer. You can ask, in your own words, that if you can provide the needs you have just summarised are they in a position to buy from you. In a market where it is appropriate, you can ask the, If I Can question. If I can provide all these benefits will you buy from me today. But only if it is suitable for your product and your marketplace. Gaining this level of commitment throughout the sale makes closing the sale so much easier. This is how top sales professionals make selling look so simple, and why they close so many sales.The above sales questioning techniques make the sales process more pleasant for the buyer. Compare the smooth style of communication, and letting the customer talk as you guide them, with the short sharp questioning techniques used by many inexperienced sales people. When you ask a sales question that needs only a short answer you get the stop-start sales meeting. Pauses and silences, no real communication. The buyer will feel like they are being interrogated, or completing a questionnaire. When you ask several individual questions in succession the customer will feel stressed. This is because they are having to think before each answer. They feel like they are on a high pressure quiz show. When you use conversation style sales skills the customer feels relaxed, as they would in an informal setting. When you talk in a flow of communication about one topic, down one funnel at a time, there is no stress. Just an exchange of information, gently brought out using an effective sales questioning process.

Original :: sales questioning techniques and how to


sales training salespeople need both


Did you ever notice on an automobile dashboard that some of the lights are green, orange or red? And sometimes multiple lights come on? Red lights and two simultaneous lights scream, "Call your auto repair of choice immediately." The next three sales action indicators for a sales person can point to a self-confidence issue - lack of follow up, feeling like an imposter or somehow fearful in giving presentations, networking, or even asking for an order.Thoughts such as, "I'm bothering them," or "It's too much pressure," may be a warning similar to your oil gauge light flashing that your sales follow up needs adjusting.Follow up is where almost 80% of a salesperson's sales come from and yet,for many reasons, 80% of salespeople don't do it after the first or second contact! When your car's oil light comes on, you take immediate action. Regardless of your reason, or excuse, for lack of follow up, immediately put a follow up plan in place. This is a red light indicator! Determine your sales cycle and plan a systematic follow up with personal and business reasons to talk with your prospect.If you often suffer from the 'imposter syndrome,' consider a lesson from the battery charge light.You know your product or service better than your prospect. If you don't, then get charged up. Get more training and more practice from talking with your prospects. Get a coach to help you learn the areas of selling where you need more skills. Get yourself charged up in every area that is critical to the selling process. Then ask yourself, how can you be an imposter when it's clear you are proficient in product, people and sales knowledge? Imposter syndrome is another red light kind of indicator. If you feel like an imposter, it's highly likely your prospect will feel it too.Fears of any kind like being queasy about giving a presentation, fear of asking for a decision, fear of networking; all fears are flashing double indicators.In my car, if two lights come on at the same time, I stop and call the dealer before getting back on the road again. Identify what your fear is and decide what action to take. Maybe you clam up when you get to the end of a presentation and know it's now your time to ask for a decision. What's the worst that can happen? Maybe they say no. But aren't you already at a no standstill if you don't ask? And besides, a no may mean you may have not explained the benefits of your offer in a way the prospect understands. Whatever your fear is, focus on what benefits clients get from your offer and then put that pedal to the metal to conquer whatever fear is blocking you.These three self-confidence indicators: lack of follow up, feeling like an imposter, or being somewhat fearful, are like an automobile's red and double light indicators. Try all mental, emotional and behavioral strategies until you find your personal effective formula for resetting them.

Original :: sales training salespeople need both


Thursday, April 22, 2010

sales training selfconfidence is what


If you suffer from low or no confidence, or whatever your self-confidence indicator may be, this can translate to something minor or major which leads to low sales. Just as cars have become more sophisticated with warning lights, a salesperson who is in tune with their own kind of indicator systems will know when their confidence is low. Low or no self-confidence can be disguised as procrastination, negative self-talk, or the three sister words in conversations: would have, could have, and should have.Procrastination may be an indicator of confidence in particular if you know what to do, how long it takes and can probably teach someone else! Like a brake light indicator being a warning tht brakes aren't working properly, procrastination is also a warning. Why do you procrastinate? Is it because you are new in sales and don't yet understand how to break the sales process down? Or do you know what to do, but have a more serious system indicator light, like fear, that may be deep routed in a limiting belief? To start to get over procrastination, first determine if it is a warning (you are still learning the process) or a system malfunction light (you have a limiting belief).Your self-talk can be a warning indicator light that your confidence is about to steer you off course.Like a seat belt warning, this kind of indicator light usually points to one thing and is usually temporary. After a long annoying chime, the seat belt indicator turns off if you fasten your seatbelt or wait long enough for the noise to cease. Because we have so much negative self-talk inside us we may be immune to the sound, not hear it or just move on autopilot not thinking anything of it. The key to get back on track with your self-confidence to sell is to stop, listen and redirect your self-talk. Replace the negative with positive at every chance. If you find it difficult to zero in on your self-talk, then pay attention to your feelings. Law of Attraction teachers say our feelings let us know when we are off course.Our language patterns and how much we use "would have," "could have," and "should have" in our conversations in and out of self-talk can be a serious malfunction indicator.Negative language patterns like this are indicators usually more encompassing and serious like a car's engine light. Who knows where the problem is until you take your car in for service? Our language patterns and how much we use "would have," "could have," and "should have" in our conversations outside of self-talk can mean our belief system is limiting our ability to maintain our confidence. If you have found you have tried many repairs to your self-confidence, but it still shows up in a whiny "would have," "could have," and "should have," consider a coach. Coaches can usually more easily diagnose your situation and have longer lasting tools available to correct your problems.These first three self-confidence indicators: procrastination, negative self-talk, and the three sister words, can keep your sales at a standstill or worse, subtly sabotage increased results for salespeople. Try all mental, emotional and behavioral strategies until you find your personal effective formula for shutting them off. In my next article you'll learn where other times self-confidence shows up in lack of follow up, feeling like an imposter or somehow fearful in giving presentations, networking, or even asking for an order.

Original :: sales training selfconfidence is what


Wednesday, April 21, 2010

watercolor painting some basic


There are a large number of painting styles that have been used by artists through the ages, irrespective of their origin. One such painting style, which had been used by artists for ages, is watercolor painting. Though watercolor painting generally is done mainly on a medium like paper, there are many other mediums like plastic, leather, wood and canvas on which such paintings can be created quite easily.Many studies revealed that Watercolor painting was quite prevalent even in ancient times. However, the Renaissance period is mainly noted by artists, as being the time when many artists used watercolor painting, and helped it to grow as an art form. I have collected several important piees of information about watercolor painting which I would like to share with my readers, and which they would surely find interesting.* It is generally thought by many people that watercolor painting is the easiest of all other types of painting methods that are followed by the people. However, it is not the case. In watercolor painting one needs to be careful that the water used for making the painting does not play havoc on the piece of art made. This is never the case if you consider oil painting or acrylic painting.* Watercolor paintings are not easy to work on, if you are not so good in avoiding mistakes. There are some artists, who make some mistakes and can undo the mistakes by either removing a layer of paint, or by adding a fresh coat of paint. This however cannot be done on a watercolor painting, as it will only hamper the painting. This is why so often people working on a watercolor painting are urged to be extra careful. Any negligence in their part can cost them dearly in their work.* Traditionally, a watercolor painting could only be done using a brush. Nowadays it is found that people not only use brushes, but also other things that they believe would help them in getting their work done. However, many still blindly follow traditional beliefs.* One such belief is that the people, who do a watercolor painting, should abstain from using white or black color in their paintings. Some people however give more freedom to it by neglecting the beliefs, and they often come up with a great piece of work, at times even using both the black and white color.Watercolor painting is a great method of expressing your ideas to the world, using water as a medium. There are a large number of artists, whose beautiful art pieces will prove to you the joy of working on this type of painting. If you still have not tried watercolor painting, do so the sooner the better and experience its joy.

Original :: watercolor painting some basic


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

acrylic painting its comparisons with


Acrylic painting became popular among artists across the world after they found it to be helpful in their painting tasks, as this kind of painting dries up fast. The fact that an acrylic painting will have the same effect as a watercolor painting or an oil painting, adds to its popularity among artists.There are a number of points, which makes acrylic painting quite different from oil painting. I hope you would get a clearer idea about the differences between these two types of painting by reading further.* The most striking difference between acrylic painting and water painting is the time taken by the paints to dry. Generally, it has been seen that the acrylic paints dry faster than oilpaints. Even though this can be termed as an advantage, helping the artist to come up with the paintings in a fast pace, there are some disadvantages that are brought out as well. There may be a certain painting in which the colors need to be blended well, and in such a case using an acrylic paint becomes an obvious choice. If you go by my opinion, I would always suggest that you choose your type of painting, according to the style that best suits you.* While trying your hand at acrylic painting, you will find that unlike the paints that are used in oil painting, you do not require specific and powerful solvents like turpentine, to help in making the paints thin. All you need to use is normal water, and in case you want your paintings not to dry up too fast you can always use readers.* In oil painting, it has often been seen that the canvas used for making the painting should clearly be primed, prior to the application of any oil paints on the canvas. You can quite easily use canvas for making an acrylic painting, without having to treat it with anything.* A different issue that I have seen to be a regular case in most oil paintings is that after some time, the colors tend to become yellow, making it indispensable to apply some varnish onto its surface to prevent this. Acrylic paints have no such problem, and this is why acrylic painting is preferred by many people over oil painting.* An acrylic painting can further be treated with different mediums, if desired by an artist. In case of an oil painting this is not possible. Being easily mixable with other painting mediums, artists are left with a lot of room for making their own personalization to the acrylic painting, which they desire to make.All these reasons clearly state that acrylic painting has an advantage over oil painting, though you can use any of these painting styles, depending which one suits you best. I found both to be useful and have made many paintings, using both oil painting and acrylic painting. You can always stick to one painting style and get all the desired result that you want from your paintings.

Original :: acrylic painting its comparisons with


Monday, April 19, 2010

sales management training courses


Sales management training courses are very important to the success of any business that depends on customer sales, service and retention. These classes are designed to teach sales managers every conceivable aspect of customer interaction. This type of training teaches important skills like time management, public speaking, self-confidence, customer service and much more. The courses carefully coach individuals to be extremely productive yet professional at all times.One important skill that sales management development training usually focuses on is customer service skills. If a sales manager doesn't have the knowledge to expertly handle any situation that may arise with a customer, thenhe or she won't be a manager for long. For example, if a customer becomes irate and a sales manager retaliates, this could have a very detrimental effect on the company's sales and even its reputation. A customer service skills course will teach sales managers the best way to handle every type of customer, how to stay calm when a customer is upset and the correct way to diffuse any type of situation. They will demonstrate that if the sales manager responds the wrong way, the situation only escalates and inevitably makes the customer even angrier. These in-depth classes will show managers how to 'cater' to the customer and totally change their mood from anger to complete satisfaction. If done strategically, the customer may even apologize for their earlier behavior, provided the manager handles the situation properly.Another skill that sales management training courses focus on is verbal communication. If a manager working in sales doesn't properly communicate with those around him: bosses, employees and customers, then many problems can arise. Correct verbal communication is of the utmost importance in any business. People aren't mind readers and need to understand how others feel or how exactly to complete a certain task. In addition, effective verbal communication is essential to selling any product. If a seller can successfully articulate the benefits and features of a particular product to a customer then the seller has a greater chance of thriving.There are many additional ways that sales development courses ultimately benefit a company. The classes can help to ensure the success of a newly promoted or hired sales manager. They may not seem so important if a candidate is already talented and experienced, but they are. In addition, these training classes should not be a one-time requirement for those working in a sales management position; everyone needs refresher courses on a regular basis in order to keep themselves up to date and add to what they've already learned.Fortunately, there are many options available for training sales managers. Internal training, professional seminars and seminars on DVD are all great options for gaining experience in sales management. No one is born knowing exactly how to effectively manage time, give speeches or deal with customers and employees on a daily basis. However, with the help of these training courses, ordinary employees can be molded into phenomenal top-selling sales managers.

Original :: sales management training courses


Sunday, April 18, 2010

sales speakers effective professional


There are many benefits of hiring professional sales speakers. Professional speakers can inspire those working in the business industry to work harder and be more productive, therefore increasing the company's bottom line. Often these individuals are such experts at what they do that they know exactly how to inspire an audience to discover new and potentially revenue-increasing sales tactics-tactics that the sales team may have never thought about using before.What would prompt a business owner to bring in a professional to motivate their sales employees? Perhaps the sales team is slumping and their results aren't living up to their true potential. Employers are often able to see their emloyees' true potential better than the employees themselves. If this is the case, the employer has a responsibility to help these workers transcend their limitations in order to reach and even exceed their potential. Unfortunately employers are often unable to accomplish this goal on their own by offering incentives and bonuses. Professional sales lecturers can motivate a company's sales staff after just one seminar. The employees will leave the seminar reenergized and full of new ideas and possibilities. Business and customer satisfaction will both be positively affected by the moral boost.Some companies have sales teams that don't effectively work together as a group. Professional presenters will effectively teach these individuals the importance of putting their personal issues in the workplace aside in order to work more effectively as a team. Some selling tactics require that employees work together and simply can't be accomplished by a single person. The team building exercises taught by the sales speaker will unite the sale organization and help to boost sales for business.Sometimes a company makes some major organizational, product or leadership changes. These changes can often result in a sudden drop in productivity, resulting in declining sales. Although the changes may be positive in the long run, people are very sensitive to change and often the smallest changes can have significant organizational impact. Fortunately, this is another topic that a motivational professional can address. These individuals can help sensitive employees get back on track in order to stabilize, or even increase, production. In business change is perpetual. Professional lecturers can help employees quickly accept change and adapt to this ever changing environment.Directly hiring a motivational speaker can be an expensive endeavor. Fortunately, there is another highly effective option for training sales professionals. Seminars on DVD provide businesses with nearly identically the same content as live professional sales trainers at a fraction of the cost. Another benefit of DVD based training is the ability to repeatedly view the training for reinforcement or to train newly acquired sales professionals.Professional sales training can be extremely beneficial to businesses because of the dramatic effects on those working in sales. In only a few short hours, motivational trainers are able to transform unmotivated and inexperienced sales personnel into more productive professionals who are armed with fresh new ideas that help to substantially increase sales. Employers will be amazed at how quickly and efficiently these speakers are able to improve their employees' work ethics, productivity and ability to relate to others.

Original :: sales speakers effective professional


Saturday, April 17, 2010

three sales tips for rookies and


Know Your CustomerMy feeling on this topic is that knowing every little detail about a customer is not important and a waste of time and resources. Listen to your customers (or anyone) when they speak to you. In fact, spend more time listening than speaking. You will learn what is important to them personally and professionally and from there you will know what is important to know about that person.If a customer constantly wants to discuss topics totally unrelated to your purpose for being there the only thing you might need to know is to move on to a better prospect; unless you are graced with huge orders for listening to the droning. Most customers will make their priorities known to yu and will appreciate a professional relationship rather than a professional relationship. It is impressive to have family history, pet names and all that other inane stuff documented or memorized but for the most part it is useless and perhaps even a little creepy in the eyes of your customer. Sorry Harvey McKay.Be yourself. Be honest. Be punctual. Be respectful. Do these and you will be successful.Follow-UpYou probably had an experience in your life where someone suggested that you and they should get together sometime for some activity. It sounded fun but then that person never followed through and you felt insignificant in the other persons life. At my fathers funeral his youngest brother said he would call me and we would go fishing, hunting, etc. I didn't see that uncle for nearly fifteen years after that day. He never called. Now I realize this example is a little extreme but if you tell an associate, subordinate or a customer you will take some action on their behalf, you better follow up on that promise.Poor follow up is possibly the most significant error salespeople can make. Imagine your confidence in dealing professionally with someone who doesn't do what they promise. After the second chance your confidence in that person is shaken and you likely will not trust them again, at least not completely. So many salespeople fail in this area that if you can just manage to complete the task you will be in a small percentage among your peers. This translates into you becoming the one your customers and co-workers will trust to get something done. When this happens your job will get easier every day.Keep Your WordWhat makes a sales job so difficult for new and veteran sales people is being able to deliver on your promises. Early in my career I fell prey to the temptation to exaggerate in order to get the sale. This is human nature because we do not want to fail. This is why sales trainers always have work; coaching those of us who cannot help ourselves.In addition to this basic instinct to survive; make that sale in order to sell another day, we try to become people pleasers. This is a dangerous position to put yourself in because you increase the potential for exaggerations to become more frequent and commonplace in your daily contact with customers. In reality, people just want to hear the truth. This means you may have to lose an order in your effort to be up-front and truthful. This is life.It does not take long to realize that no one has ever been able to retire on one big sale. This is a long, steady race and in order to be standing at the end, pace yourself now. Follow the Golden Rule and treat those around you the same as you would like to be treated. It is easier to sleep at night and easier to face people in the morning.

Original :: three sales tips for rookies and


Friday, April 16, 2010

common short sale questions answered


During the pre foreclosure you'll be fielding a lot of short sale questions from homeowners about the process. Yet you may have a hard time answering when a question comes up that you aren't prepared for. A poor response can make you look less than knowledgeable about the process with clients and less than professional. Stay up to date on short sales and make sure you know how to respond to these short sale questions most likely to be asked by the homeowner.How does the Short Sale Go?The homeowners often want know what their role is in the process. They'll also be concerned with how they are to handle any inquiries made by the bank. They'll be especially concerned since you'll have them sgn documents giving you permission to negotiate with the bank.Let them know step by step what you'll be doing from assembling the short sale package to negotiating with the bank to finding a buyer for the property. Go through all of the disclosures one-by-one with your customers so they are prepared with all the information that they need.How Long Will the Process Last?The homeowner will always want to know how long they should expect this process to last from beginning to end. It does take awhile so be up front and say it can be between 4 and 14 months, rather than to give the customer false expectations that this sale will transact quickly.Short sales involve many steps and even the simplest step can take days to complete. I know one investor who spent several hours trying to fax a document to a loss mitigator. This seems like such a simple process, get their fax number and use your fax machine to send the document, but large loss mitigation departments can receive almost 4500 faxes a day. The loan mitigator has to sift through those faxes, just to find one document for one investor. Often contributing to the length of the short sale process is red tape and large volumes of customers.If you explain this to your customer, you can prepare him for several months of work and waiting. If it turns out things can be done more quickly, great, but prepare the customer for the long-term investment and wait.Who Will be Paying for the Short Sale?A client will probably ask you where you will be getting the money for the short sale. You will have to find a buyer to buy the property for a profit. Explain this to your customers. Let the homeowner's know that the short sale can only be complete when you resell the property. Many investors will have reliable buyers lined up to purchase the property.Your program involves the resale of the homeowner's property in order to make a profit and complete the short sale. In a perfect world you will have the homeowner's property sold before you buy it.How Do We Know What's Going On?The clients can easily become confused about what's happening since your short sale deal with the bank may take a few months. Be sure to give them your phone number and other contact information so they can contact you anytime they have questions. On your end, make sure to stay in touch with the clients on each step of the process and provide them with time estimates until completion. This goes a long way towards reassuring them.Why Did the Bank Turn Us Down?This is one of the most commonly asked short sale questions. Sometimes during the process the bank will send the homeowners a letter stating that the short sale has been declined. This is just because the bank turned down your first offer or one of the many offers you may end up making during the short sale negotiations. Explain to the homeowners that they will get a letter from the loss mitigation department letting them know that the first offer has been declined.Most real estate investors turn in a very low first offer and expect it to be declined, since sometimes the bank may accept that low ball offer giving you a great deal. Prepare your customer to receive that letter.Prepare yourself for the homeowner's commonly asked short sale questions and you will be well prepared to allay their concerns. This way you'll be keeping the customer informed about the process and keeping them happy about working with you.

Original :: common short sale questions answered


Thursday, April 15, 2010

sales training tip what to say and how


In my new "What's In a Word" series, I will offer a different word or phrase that could help you or seriously damage your sales efforts. As everyone knows, I'm a harsh critic of the canned spiel and I don't advocate word-for-word scripts; however, I do advocate a well PLANNED sales presentation.As in everything, choose your words carefully. In this article I will offer different words or phrases to use or avoid. Today's words or phrases are, "You may be familiar..." and "You SOUND Good"Use these phrases during your introduction on a cold call and watch what happens.One of the things that make's a cold call, "cold" is the fact that the person on the other end of the telephone doesn't knowyou or your company. The problem with this is you now have to do or say something quickly to "verify" or validate who you are. However, the real problem this causes is that brief moment of uncertainty; a short period of unknown territory because you're total strangers.Simply add the phrase, "You may be familiar..." to your opening introduction and it will help ease that moment of tension. The key is to say this as a statement and not a question. You don't want to ASK the prospect, "ARE you familiar with us?", so 'you may be familiar with us', means you not asking a question or waiting for an answer, you're simply stating the obvious 'they may be familiar with you'.In a cold call, when the prospect hears that strange voice say, "Hi, Mr. Prospect, this is...." Remember a wall of fear goes up and what maybe common knowledge goes out the window. This is a sales call and the knee-jerk reaction is often negative and defensive. So, all you want to do is quickly interject some common knowledge to help ease those initial few seconds.Sales Person: "Yes, Karen, Mark Johnson, ABC Technologies? How are you?Prospect: "Ok."Sales Person: "Karen, ABC Technologies, you may be familiar with us, we're the county's largest supplier of help desk automation software...and the reason I'm calling..."Or...Sales Person: "Hi Nick? John Biggs, All Sports? You may be familiar, All Sports is the local sportsman's magazine, and the reason I'm calling..."This is powerful and natural. So please remember the golden rule: K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Seller! Don't over do it and remember that they may be familiar!When you walk into a customer's office for the first time you might say something pleasant or complementary like..."That's a nice suit...sharp tie...nice dress...great office...etc." These are normal and natural comments. And when you meet someone you already know, the pleasantry may be more personal, "You look good today, Tom..." "Susan, have you lost weight?"However, on the telephone, these bits of pleasant banter aren't there because you can't see anything. Well, simply take things you would SEE and comments on how things LOOK and change them to things you HEAR and how it SOUNDS.Sales Person: "Yes Lisa, Donna Bellworth, Acme Chemicals? How are you today?"Customer: "I'm fine!"Sales Person: "That's great, Lisa...you SOUND good!"Or!Sales Person: "Hi Steven, Mark Smyth at Big I.T., how you been?"Customer: "Oh, pretty good, Mark. I can't complain."Sales Peron: "Well, things must be going well, Steve, you SOUND good."Customer: "Yeah, well, I feel pretty good..."You will be amazed at what happens when you do this. Simply turn it around to sound...In person: You look goodOn the telephone: You sound goodIn person: Looks like you've got things under control over here...On the telephone: Sounds like you've got things under control over there...In person: Looks like you guys are really busy...On the telephone: Sounds like you guys are really busy.Now, I'm not talking about the old-school, smile and dial, butter-people-up, fake and insincere rhetoric of yesterday. But when the opportunity presents itself for a brief complement-let your prospect/client or even colleague know it!

Original :: sales training tip what to say and how


Wednesday, April 14, 2010

recruitment sales training


Do you need help with recruitment sales training for you company or business? This is a very specialized type of sales training for reaching out to candidates to work for a particular company. Whether it is a product or a service the core of your business comes by recruiting others to sell your products or services. A large part of the company's mission is to find and employ people to work for you.There are basically two primary ways to recruit people to work for you. One is through telephone sales recruiting and the other major approach is through seminars and workshops. In either case you need a trained staff and personnel who have extensive recruitment experience to find the right peope for your business. The success and profits of your company depend on the success of your recruiters.To ensure that your recruiters are doing the best job possible and meeting the mission of your company, recruitment sales training is vital to your formula of success. Your personnel needs training to complete the task of knowing how to sell your company to candidates and bring on board these new talents. There are providers that specialize in offering and providing very specialized training for recruiters.The time to utilize workshops, and seminars is now. These providers can work with you to provide the training needs of your staff. They will sit down with you and discuss your particular goals and objectives. They will analyze your situation and gear the training to fit the unique problems and elements of your company. No two companies and their situations are exactly alike. That is why it is vital to do a complete analysis of each and every company. The approach for successful recruitment sales training has to be individualized to prove effective. These providers do exactly that.This is the number one consideration of what you should look for in hiring a provider to do this type of training. The cost may be more but it will be much more valuable to your and your staff then a generic type training or just customer sales training. If you want to boost sales and recruit more people then you need training to meet your projected targets.Act now and get started right away on professional recruitment sales training for your staff. You will see results with the proper training, instruction, and education. These providers will set up practice sessions and benchmarks of the best techniques for your task.

Original :: recruitment sales training


Tuesday, April 13, 2010

top 5 ways to close sales and convert


Do you have leads, but are unable to convert them into income-generating customers? Are you unable to talk to your prospects and convince them to buy because you are shy, or do you try but come off as too pushy? Do you just not know what to say? Follow these tips to improve your conversion rates and turn a "maybe" into a "yes!"1 - Forget the Pressure and Have Fun!Are you going into conversations with the mentality that "if this person doesn't buy, I'll never succeed?" If you are, then most likely the person you are talking to will feel that you are needy. Instead, go into the conversation with the mindset that this person is trying to qualify for your business. Enjoy the conversation, takcontrol, and allow the other person to try and sell themselves to you. If your business is online, then you will be getting many leads per day anyway. If one person doesn't bite, there are 20 or 40 others that will!2 - Practice, Practice, Practice!When you find yourself in a new or unfamiliar environment, practice starting conversations with people. I personally like to practice when I travel (i.e., at an airport), because I know I will never see the person again, and will not have to worry about being embarrassed. Smile, strike up a conversation, ask some questions, and try to show the stranger you are talking to how your business could help them fill in the gaps in their life. If a conversation is going downhill, and you start feeling like a big dummy, say so! When you state your stupidity, people begin to feel more comfortable with you - and even to trust you!3 - Don't Puke.We're not talking about motion sickness here. When you start throwing up information, people stop listening. Don't try and give your sales pitch to people or tell them how much you love your business. Let people tell you what they need, and then explain briefly how your business can help them with it. If they continue to ask questions, tell them they will need to qualify for your business, and point them in the direction of your website. Tell them you'll give them a call back after they've had a chance to go through all the information and apply.4 - Feel Resistance? Back Off!If you feel resistance, back off. Way off. Here's one thing you could say: "OK, seems like I haven't caught your interest, and this conversation is over." Then, pause. Stop talking for as long as it takes the other person to respond. What you are doing here is putting the ball back in their court. It puts pressure on them to keep the conversation going. Nine times out of ten, they will come back with, "No, wait!" At that point, you can ask them to tell you what's to keep you in the conversation. They'll sell themselves.5 - Get Your Business Online and Use Web 2.0 Strategies.If speaking just seems daunting, the best thing for you may be to get your business online and use Web 2.0 strategies to market it. With Web 2.0, people contact you after they have read about you and seen who you are. They want to work with you, which puts you in a position of power. Instead of trying to sell, you end up trying to qualify whether you really want to work with the person who called you. Sometimes, people will buy from you without a single conversation because they like what they see!If you follow these five steps, you should be able to increase your conversion rate and generate more income.

Original :: top 5 ways to close sales and convert


Monday, April 12, 2010

email is the new phone


But, expectations and how email is used have changed. Many customers now expect you to hold whole conversations via email, sometimes with emails flying within minutes of each other, just as if they were instant messages or a phone call. With these changes email is now as important as face-to-face meetings and phone calls.Here are some tips to consider when making email a primary customer interaction tool:View email as the new prospecting tool. After you leave a voicemail, follow-up with an email, giving prospects 2 easy ways to respond. Remember, your goal is to connect with the person. Even if they respond "no", you've connected and can respond to try to generate an interest. Keep the saes process moving forward. Use emails to ask requirements gathering questions, get referrals, make recommendations, and provide updates.Respond to all emails with action items promptly. You return phone calls within 1-24 hours. The expectation now is that you'll return emails within 30 minutes - 12 hours. If you can't respond completely, send an email setting expectations about when you will send a full response. Think - and proof - before you send. Sometimes it's best to draft a response, then wait 30 minutes before sending. You may choose to soften, shorten, or otherwise change your response.You may need a hand-held device such as a Blackberry to keep up. Consider what tools you need to stay on top of your emails, responding to your customers more real-time, and make the investment. Schedule daily time on your calendar to respond to emails. Consider this equal to customer meeting time. If you're holding complete customer conversations via email, you really are holding a meeting. What's the difference? Give it equal time for well thought out responses and next step requests.There are many benefits to using email: ease of connection and a better way to communicate are only a few. I recently had a prospect that was interested in having us do some training development work for her firm. She emailed me and explained exactly what she needed and requested a quote. When I requested a phone meeting to learn more like every good sales rep, she declined. She was the decision maker and I had to have the answers. So, I asked her all my questions through email and prepared a proposal based on her answers. With my proposal in hand, and without a single verbal conversation, she not only accepted it, but increased it by 20% to cover any changes in scope!While this situation's unusual, it's becoming more and more common for customers and prospects to prefer to answer questions and move opportunities forward through email while limiting their number of meetings. Be prepared and you'll soon find yourself reducing your sell cycle and closing opportunities through email, too! Now isn't that cool?

Original :: email is the new phone


Sunday, April 11, 2010

customer service sales training


First impressions are very important for business and your first contact with potential customers and consumers. The old adage of "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" certainly comes into play when greeting customers for the first time. As a manager or company owner you want to make sure that your staff and sales reps. are making a good first impression and then following that up with great service to your customer base. To ensure that you have sales staff who are living up to your vision statement you need to offer customer service sales training to make that happen. Your company objective must be met by trained personnel making the decisions for your business.One othe great things about sales training is that it can be tailored to meet the demands of your company and your specific objectives. You need to empower your employees with the knowledge and skills to complete and handle every transaction and situation that arises in your organization. You can prepare for that by offering the best in customer service sales training for your employees. There are plenty of providers that offer workshops, seminars, and presentations to train your staff in the various aspects of customer service.For example, if you need your employees to have specialized training in telephone skills, you can arrange for a trainer to come in and go over effective techniques on how to use the phone in business settings. If you need help with training employees in techniques on how to wait on customers in retail situations you can find help through these specialized workshops and seminars.There is nothing like renewing the energy in a business or company with the help of some customer service sales training for your staff. These kinds or training programs will put new life into your staff and employees. The results will quickly appear in the form of better customer service and happier employees. Down the road your bottom line will show improvement with a enhanced reputation for good customer service. The proof will ultimately show in more profits and increased customers. Happier and satisfied customers will return for repeat business which is exactly what you are looking for in your company.Take advantage of the benefits of customer service sales training that you can arrange. Talk to a professional provider and hear first hand what they can do for your organization in the way of customer service training. The cost of making your staff and employees more professional and better able to handle customer situation will pay dividends quickly. You will be quite happy with the results of better customer service.

Original :: customer service sales training


Saturday, April 10, 2010

sales management training perpetual


In order for a person to succeed as a manager in sales, they have to undergo adequate sales management training. No one can expect for a person to automatically know everything that there is to know about management in sales. This is why sales management training is such crucial part of the process. There are numerous skills that a person hired for this position must know in order to maximize sales. Customer service skills, self-confidence, verbal communication, and initiative are just a few of the required attributes that successful sales managers must have.Sales management training will teach current and future sales managers how to provide excellent customer service skills at all timesThere will be numerous situations when a manager in sales will have to take charge of an unexpected or uncomfortable situation. Whenever a sales agent fails to successfully handle a situation with a customer, then the manager of sales will inevitably be contacted. One thing that is often taught in sales management training is that the customer is always right, no matter how unreasonable the customer may be. This helps the sales manager create a suitable compromise with the client and defuse the situation.Another skill that is often taught in sales management training is self-confidence. This skill is taught not only in sales management training, but in other types of training as well. A person's success in any position is dependent upon having high self-confidence. Having confidence in oneself and one's abilities allows an individual to be comfortable in unfamiliar situations and successful navigate complex issues.The level of self-confidence has to be balanced; too little self-confidence results in a passive personality and too much may result in a person becoming arrogant and overly aggressive. People usually take advantage of, and lack respect for, passive individuals that have a hard time giving others direction. On the other hand, overly aggressive sales managers are often disliked because of their abrasiveness. Employees tend to avoid this type of supervisor unless they absolutely have to interact with him or her. Neither scenario is acceptable because supervisors and their employees need to have a good rapport in order for the business to run as smoothly as possible. This is why a healthy self-confidence level is an extremely essential quality for a sales manager to possess.Verbal communication is usually a skill taught during sales management training courses. Sales managers must know how to properly communicate with others if they expect to be successful managers. Verbal communication isn't as easy as it seems. Anyone can carry on a conversation with another person. However, the way that a sales manager speaks to perspective customers and his or her employees, has a direct impact on the success of the company.There is a great deal involved in sales management training that can't be completed in a one day training exercise. Most of the skills taught in sales management training are taught over a period of time in order to be more effective. Managers working in sales need to learn the proper way to perform the roles and responsibilities of their position. If they assume the post without proper sales management training, it could have a very detrimental effect on the future of the business.

Original :: sales management training perpetual


Friday, April 9, 2010

successful selling keys to making the


You will never make a sale if you never close the sale. Closing the sale means simply: Asking your prospect to take the necessary action to complete the sale transaction. This usually means, asking the prospect for the money.Many sales people are very good at telling people about the product. They are walking encyclopedias of information about the product. This is good...to a point. There comes that time when too much information is just as bad (perhaps worse) than not enough. There is only so much that a customer can absorb in one sitting, and to be blunt, they really don't want to know every little detail. What they really want to know is one really simple thing: What's in it for them?f you don't show them why it's a very good idea to buy the product, they never will. That means you need to match up their needs with how the product will address and solve the customer's needs.However, showing them all this, and explaining all this to them, but not asking them to take that next step, only produces a lot of wasted time on both parties. The customer really does want to be told to buy it. More times than not, the sale is made simply by the assumption of the close. By that we mean, after the sales presentation is completed, the salesperson then begins to write the order. If the salesman did their job well, the prospect will simply follow along, and the sale is completed.Unfortunately, it isn't always that easy. Customers come up with objections. They are afraid to take the plunge. This can be for various reasons:1: They were burnt, before, and they are being much more careful, this time.
2: They haven't been fully shown and convinced that the product meets their needs.
3: They "want to think about it." (That's a killer objection for many salespeople)
4: It's the money.If it's the first reason, then the salesperson really hasn't done their job at properly developing their own credibility and trust with the customer. This may be because they didn't do enough qualifying (asking questions), at the beginning. Maybe they didn't do a sufficient warm up with them. If the customer doesn't feel comfortable with the salesperson, it's going to be VERY HARD to close that sale.If the reason is they feel they don't have enough information about the product or service, their objection(s), when they are being asked to buy, will tip the salesperson off as to where more attention is needed so fill in those gaps. Information requests, from a customer are still, technically, objections, but they are the best kind, because they are also buying signals, and a good salesperson can handle these properly and then close the deal."Thinking about it" is a SMOKE SCREEN. The customer, for reasons yet unknown, does not want to move ahead with the sale, and rather than give you a definite reason, they will toss out this ambiguous catch-all, hoping you will let them off the hook. Here's a little tip to remember: When a customer tells you "I want to think about it," what they are actually saying (in a polite way), is for you to go jump in a lake. At this point, the salesperson needs to get more aggressive in finding out exactly what is going on inside the customer's head. You can't resolve an objection, if you don't know what it is.A second "news flash" is that it's ALMOST ALWAYS the money! This is usually the root behind the "think about it." The customer may not be comfortable in admitting that they can't afford the product, so they are looking for the honorable way out. It's the job of the salesperson, to find a way to make it affordable. This may be lowering the price (if that is possible and will close the deal) or changing the payment structure or changing the down payment, etc etc. Once you funnel it down to this objection, it's usually a lot easier to resolve and close.Always remember, however, that if you don't ask for the sale, you will never get it. The customer and you might actually wind up staring at each other, with them waiting to be told to buy what you're showing. Ask for the money, and you will receive it. If they give you an objection, handle it and then ask again. A "Yes" is always a Yes, but the first five "No's" are actually "Maybe's."See you at the top!

Original :: successful selling keys to making the


Thursday, April 8, 2010

motivational speakers finding the right


Speaking is an art. Some people have fine tuned the art of speaking to such an extent that they can hold hundreds, maybe thousands, of people enraptured and transfixed by their communication capability. This kind of speaking is what is generally referred to as motivational speaking and the person who wields this influence over an audience is called a motivational speaker.The importance of motivation in today's competitive, stressful world cannot be undermined. Many companies realize this, but sadly do precious little about it. The trend in today's cynical world is to assume that motivational speaking gives listeners just a temporary buzz, a great dinner and not much else. This is truly sabecause a professional motivational speaker can help bring about far reaching changes in people's lives that affect both an individual's personal and professional capabilities.A Motivational Speaker can Boost Morale and Increase Productivity
Motivation of people is a tricky business, as it includes environmental, personal and cultural factors that differ from person to person. A motivational speaker must have the ability to get individuals to look past temporary setbacks and focus on the success that the future holds. Overworked, overstressed routines can lead to below par performance levels. Getting rid of these stresses and cutting down drastically on work may not be feasible options in this competitive global economy. It is the job of the motivational speaker to address employees at their own levels and encourage them to draw upon their latent strengths and focus on growth.Finding the Right Motivational Speaker
All the best motivational speakers have one thing in common - they actually relish the prospect of addressing a room full of strangers. Not just addressing but affecting change too. Getting a room full of men and women to not just listen but engage and share real world experiences, is a gift very few individuals possess. A gifted speaker is able to relate to his audience members and inspire trust in them. A motivational speaker, for instance, that drones on ad nausea about the life threatening situation that he was faced with and how he managed to keep his wits about him and come out top, might not be able to strike a chord with his audience simply because they may not relate to the enormity of what has transpired in his life. They'll probably be think to themselves, "There's no way I am ever going to be able to do THAT!" In such a situation, the motivational speaker has failed to connect with his audience and the entire exercise becomes one in futility.Many motivational speakers focus on general leadership and management issues. However, there are others that specifically focus on targets like increased sales or better customer satisfaction ratings. Many of them also address specific industries like real estate and trust funds examining how to make the most profits in these areas. With such an array of keynote motivational speakers available, companies have no excuse for being complacent about the importance of utilizing motivational speakers or holding back the benefits that a motivational speaker can provide to their employees.

Original :: motivational speakers finding the right


Wednesday, April 7, 2010

handling objections the key to


Handling customer objections is arguably one of the key sales ingredients for successful selling techniques. It is so important for the sales professional to develop effective closing styles, and to learn how to use them in a very natural and influential way.There are many objections that a customer can give a sales person. It would be impossible to list them, much less address all of them in one article. However, there are a few which are the most common and can also be the sales killer, if the sales person is not properly prepared for or comfortable with them.Probably the one that almost all sales people dread the most is: "I'll think about it." This is, at first glance, the most difficlt to overcome because the customer is really telling you nothing. All they are saying is that they want to "think about" something. The sales person has NO IDEA what it is that the customer wants to "think about."Here's the answer to what they are REALLY saying to you:When a customer says they want to think about it, what they are really saying is, "we are done here, You have not convinced me of anything." They are, in a very polite way, telling you to go jump in a lake.Now that we got THAT cleared up, how do we HANDLE this?Before we tackle this annoying objection, let's first take a moment to discuss mechanics for handling ANY objection that may be thrown at you. Keep in mind that it is IMPOSSIBLE to overcome a customer's objection. Objections place you and your prospect in an adversarial situation, and that is the LAST place you want to be. This is because you can NEVER WIN, if you are in that position. When a customer states an objection, they are telling you that they do not want to make a purchase for whatever reason or reasons, they feel are valid. Trying to convince the customer he is wrong to feel that way, is a crash and burn strategy for the salesperson. Instead, follow theses steps:1: After your customer expresses their objection WAIT FIVE SECONDS BEFORE RESPONDING. I usually take a deep breath and nod, counting off the five seconds, which makes the customer feel that I've truly heard what they said, and can relate to what they are saying.2: AGREE WITH THEM. This is VITAL! You never have an argument with someone who agrees with you, plus, everyone LIKES someone who is of similar mindset and opinion as they are. A very good responding statement is: "I can fully understand what you're saying. I can understand why your feel that way. "3: ISOLATE THE OBJECTION. Simply ask them if that is the only reason why they are not moving ahead with the sale. The reason for this is simple. You don't want to keep getting peppered with an endless barrage of unexpected objections. Have them "bare their soul" to you, and give them a chance to express their thoughts and feelings. Believe me, everyone LOVES having an audience, and they will think a lot better of you, during and after they've spoken.4: PROPOSE A SOLUTION. After they've fully expressed and clarified their objection, it is IMPERATIVE that you turn their objection into a QUESTION. "Thank you, Mr Customer, for sharing your concerns with me. It seems to me that you are very interested in this product, and that you would be interested in moving ahead with this, however, you're a bit concerned with (state the objection in your words ie: the cost). Is that correct? (Get their agreement) That's great! So, if I can show you how we can address this concern, to your satisfaction, then there really would be no reason not to move ahead with this, correct?"5: Get that final commitment. Address the problem and RE-CLOSE BY ASSUMING THE SALE.To handle that "I want to think about it," objection, you need to probe just a little more to draw out the REAL reason why they don't want to close the deal. I've found that by asking the question: "Mr Customer, I can understand that you would like some time to think about this. Exactly what is it that you feel you need to talk more about?"Once the customer gives you their REAL reason, take it from there.Here's to your success and I'll see you at the top.

Original :: handling objections the key to


Tuesday, April 6, 2010

internet marketing training the key to


Do You know how to build an Internet Business? Have you ever wondered why some go on to make a lot of money online, and others fail miserably. The key to online success is to make sure that you receive the right Internet marketing training. However with all the marketing hype, and Internet marketing strategies circulating around on the Internet, how can you be sure you are receive the right training?Its is common for people with no experience to come online with high hopes of working from home and creating financial freedom. With so many automated business claims on the Internet many believe that as long as you are a part of an Internet Business, then success is imminent. This belief isthe number one reason that people fail online. The truth of the matter is, in order to make money online, there will be work involved and you will have a learning curve on how to market online. That is why obtaining the right Internet Marketing training is critical to your success.Marketing strategies is the core of any Internet Business, and while many rightfully focus on the marketing strategies, it is also important to focus on the delivery of your business model. With these two very important strategies in place how can you be sure that you are receiving the right Internet Marketing Training? Below is a list to assist you in increasing your chances of success by receiving the right training and execution.1.) Mentoring - Online Business Mentors are designed to give you Internet Marketing trainings. The key to getting the learning how to properly build, manage, and execute an Internet Marketing plan is to insure that you have the right mentor or mentoring team.2.) Trainings - What type of training are you going to receive. How do they plan on training you. Many times a back office is used to educate business builders on the proper procedures of building an online business. While this is a great resource you are going to need more in order to learn and learn effectively. They should be running live webinar trainings, where you get to watch the trainings on your computer,giving you a visual effect on what steps need to be taken. The back office should be complete with video trainings showing people what steps they need to do. There should be more then one person holding the trainings and they should always offer numerous phone numbers for you to contact for support and questions.3.) Marketing Strategies - This is the core of your business. Many times the reason people fail online is because they do not know how to market. Training that you get should not include buying leads but in fact how to generate you own leads. They should be teaching you free online marketing strategies. For example search engine optimization, video marketing, social media, and web 2.0 tactics. The best Internet Marketing strategies will train you on free online marketing strategies, and will not point you to paid advertising methods. Make sure that they offer you a wide variety of training on how to generate your target audience to your website.4.) Website Development - While marketing strategies are the core of your business, at the same time it doesn't matter how many viewers see your business if your website is not designed to sell. A good Internet Marketing Training will train you on how to create a website geared to sell to your target audience. But to create a website takes time, you should make sure they are going to provide you with a high conversion website at the beginning until you learn how to create your own.5.) Testimonials - How do you know they are training the right way? Any good Internet Marketing training will have testimonials of people they have helped. If they are really doing as they say, and helping others create solid business then they should have testimonials stating to that fact. Look for testimonials with pictures, and they should have at least ten testimonials regarding their training. If they didn't have that I would question their authenticity.

Original :: internet marketing training the key to


Monday, April 5, 2010

overcoming sales objections getting past


It's a given and agreed upon fact that sales is basically a numbers game. The sales professional who is good at overcoming sales objections will close more sales. However, what exactly do we mean by perfecting the sales close? This is a learned and trainable skill, but it's also very important to understand the theory and philosophy behind closing sales and handling sales objections.This is a game of no's. The truth of the matter is, the more no's you get, the more sales you will successfully close. Getting more no's means that you're presenting to more and more people. Perseverance is really the keystone to successful selling. It's so very easy to start taking the rejections, personally,and letting them beat you down. No one likes to be told no. However, it is extremely important to realize and remember that the customer is not rejecting the salesperson, but rather they are rejecting, for whatever reason or reasons they may have, the product being offered. It is the job of the sales professional to discover and isolate the customer's concern, and address that so that the customer is comfortable with making a positive buying decision.Hearing the no's is really a tool for finding out what is going on in the customer's head, and how they are perceiving the product and presentation. Nothing is more frustrating than being dismissed by a customer, and not knowing why they opted not to move ahead with the sale. Not knowing deprives the salesperson of any ammunition to handle a possible misunderstanding or lack of information on the part of the customer.I've found that when I am with a customer who is more than normally quiet, I ask more probing questions, to see if this person is still with me and is still agreeing with what is being said and shown. This can go as far as asking the customer to tell you how a particular product or feature that you just described can help them. This technique not only checks to see if your customer is still listening and is on your side, but it also helps reinforce the positive points of the product by having your prospect sell themselves.Always use questions to spotlight possible concerns that your prospect may be thinking before they have a chance to become full blown objections. The more concerns you head off, during your presentation, the less objections you will encounter at the close. It's always much more preferable to have to deal with only one objection than a list of them, which makes the customer feel they are justified in not taking any action, at this time.Remember...the more people you talk to, the more opportunities you will have for a sale. The more you ask questions, the less chance you will have for experiencing multiple objections at the close. Always keep in mind, when closing, the first five no's don't really count. Just acknowledge them, handle them, and re-close. If, however, you are finding you are getting consistently more than five no's, you may want to re-examine your presentation, and your skill at qualifying your customer.See you at the top!

Original :: overcoming sales objections getting past


Sunday, April 4, 2010

keep your pipeline full


It's not uncommon to lose focus on your pipeline - or funnel - and consistently filling it with new opportunities. Reps often spend too much time on a few opportunities that are on the verge of closing at the bottom of the funnel, and don't seek out new leads to fill the funnel. This creates a roller coaster ride in terms of performance and results in the eyes of a sales manager, and commissions in the pockets of a rep. Without enough opportunities, a rep runs the risk of missing their quota and their commissions.The key rule for determining if you have enough opportunity to achieve your quota is to measure the size of your pipeline. Successful sales reps maintain a minimum of 3 times ther quota in their pipeline at all times. For example, a $100,000 per month sales quota should mean you maintain a pipeline value of $300,000 per month.Combined with a disciplined sales process and consistent prospecting, a pipeline 3 times your quota will ensure a continuous flow of new leads and new opportunities closing.So how do successful sales reps do it? Follows are responses based on a recent question I posed to top sales reps and managers regarding how they maintain a healthy pipeline.Disciplined Sales processFocus on the follow-up process. Most sales reps make the initial contact and close the easy deals. What distinguishes the top reps from the rest are those who follow-up when the appointment isn't immediate.I think an open mind in the sales process is key - really listening to the customer and their struggles and customizing a solution for them based on their needs.Don't lose site of the smaller sales. The problem with reps today is they lose sight of their customers that give them smaller sales throughout the year. They get lost in the shuffle of larger sales (since we love those big elephants). It's the small sale that gets us through those rough periods. While this is elementary, it is difficult to keep track when you have over 300 companies you deal with year round.Be memorable. Make a hard commitment in each discussion for the next deliverable and meet it. Personally, I set most immediate action items to be done within 24 hours and deliver on it every time. Both the need and impression left are still active in the prospect's mind. Delivering on the next step quickly makes a difference and sets an impression.Consistent ProspectingI think that discipline at the beginning of the sales cycle is key - cold calls, prospecting, networking, and reading. All of that requires discipline, motivation and enthusiasm.Ask for referrals. Set a goal for yourself to secure a specific number of referrals each month. Dig deeper and penetrate your customer base.Look for alternative contacts who can serve as inside coaches for you and connect with them quarterly. For instance, as a woman owned business, KLA is a certified diverse supplier. Supplier diversity staff are focused on increasing the amount of business their companies do with diverse suppliers. They are inside excellent coaches for new contacts and budgets.Watch and read the news so you can use new ideas as a way to get attention. Get creative information to approach prospects and customers with a new idea.Set weekly objectives for the number of new referrals, prospects, meetings, and proposals. New lead generation matters. Existing customers are critical but don't lose focus on a weekly objective of meeting new qualified leads. They represent the future.

Original :: keep your pipeline full