Discover the Clouds of Mysteries Surrounding Sales

Discover things which confuse salespeople.Can they draw a distinction between a Sales Process and a Sales System? A Sales Process is the method of processing the sales order. The Sale has already been successfully completed and now the customer's order must be processed. It is paperwork. It's mechanical.A Sales System is quite different. This is the method of getting from the first encounter with a customer to helping that customer make a final decision about purchasing your product or service. Without a clearly defined Sales System there is little need for Sales Processing. This is a science and can be learned.What about turning up late for an appointment?Don't do it! NEVER turn up lateor an appointment, even if you have phoned the client to apologise for running late. You will look and sound unprofessional. The client/s may say they don't mind but they do. You will turn up late and have a reduced length of time to make your presentation. In otherwords you will end up cutting corners. The golden rule is: If you are going to be late then by all means apologise....... but re-appoint.How important is it to talk to the Full Buying Committee?If you are in front of the full buying committee then you are in front of the DECISION MAKERS. If you are not in front of the full buying committee then you are headed for a customer response which will result in procrastination. Always insist on being in front of the full buying committee and be prepared to re-appoint or even walk away. You cannot let someone else do the selling for you, particularly if that person is neither trained nor in sales.Are you an Order-Taker or a Salesperson?An Order Taker is required to make numerous sales because profit margins on the product or service on offer is usually very small. They have little to no sales training and typically approach potential customers with a smile and a phrase such as, "Can I help you?" or "Are you O.K.?" Customers usually run away from salespeople like that. Order takers play the numbers game. They feel that if they talk to enough people they will make the required number of sales. Not much of a Sales System there!A Sales Person on the other-hand makes fewer sales, has a product or service with a higher profit margin and is thus involved in negotiations with customers. The salesperson is therefore involved in the science of Persuasive Communication. Such a person requires a clearly defined and structured Sales System which is under continuous refinement. Without such a system that salesperson is doomed to failure or at best, reduced efficiency.Meet and GreetOnce again the initial contact with the customer is very important. The very first words from your lips will announce to the customer whether you feel you are a salesperson or an order taker. The golden rule here is Right Time, Right Place and be in front of the full buying committee. Remember, many a sale is lost in the first thirty seconds. Always be conscious of looking and sounding the part. You are representing yourself as much as you are representing your company and its products or services.Have you got a U.S.P.?If you don't know what a U.S.P. is then you really do have a problem. U.S.P. stands for Unique Selling Point and ideally you should have one about yourself, your company and your product or service.Is your company the BEST in its industry?The correct answer should be a resounding YES! If you cannot say with confidence that your company is the very best in its industry then you have to ask yourself why you represent them and why you put your reputation on the line in order to sell their products or services. What kind of a person sells and inferior product from a second class company? Not you I hope.Handling ObjectionsDon't be discouraged by procrastination or objections. They are part of selling and they should crop up every single time. NICHE will show you how to respond to these negatives.

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As A Sales Manager How Do You Know When Youve Made A Hiring Error

All this time I've been talking about the techniques and the right ways to manage your sales team. But here is the thing: when is enough enough? When do you get to throw in the towel and say, "Sales isn't your true calling. I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go"?You are a very busy person. While your sales people are out working towards their quota, you're stuck in the office, behind a desk, figuring out how to work your own quota. So I'm going to tell you the truth right here.As soon as you figure that you need to micromanage a sales person, that's when you know you've made a hiring error.A top-performing sales manager knows this very well. Average ones are aware of it, too. But thetend to miss the point completely. As a top-performer in charge of an elite group of sales men and women, never allow yourself to think that you're responsible for micro-managing your sales people. I repeat, you are a sales manager. You are NOT a baby sitter. You've got more important things to worry about in your day than to spoon-feed an underperformer just so he, or she, could barely meet quota and save his or her job.I understand that some people need more help than others. Sure, we all get that. I can even sympathize. But a line has to be drawn somewhere, and it's you, who's responsible for setting that line. Is the sales person capable of working independently of the help you offer him? Or do you need to check every once in a while to see that he remembers everything he should already know?If it's the latter, do yourself a favor and tell the sales person that he needs to find somebody else to work for. It's harsh, I know, but it's the truth. The best sales people don't need to be managed.Encourage, praise, lead, coach - but never micro-manage.This is one way to determine the presence of a bad apple in your basket.

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How to Overcome the Fear of Making Sales Calls

Sales call reluctance is the hesitation to initiate contact with potential buyers, and it is a serious mindset that affects a lot of people. Very few of us are even aware that it is happening. In fact, the majority of entrepreneurs and salespeople suffer from sales call reluctance at some point in their career.We've all heard dozens of times a once celebrated salesperson has "lost their drive" or someone else "wasn't cut out for bringing in new business." As many as 80% of first-year salespeople will fail and over 40% of successful, tendered salespeople will hit a serious decline at some point in their career due to sales call reluctance.This mindset affects more than just sales professioals, it can impact anyone who has to ask for the sale, build a client base, close a quote, follow up with a customer or sell retail products or services. You might be wondering - what is holding these people back from such a straightforward task? They simply have to ask for the business, make the calls and give the quote.The explanation generally falls into two categories - repeated fear and rejection.We know that people who consistently try to hit their goals will experience more success from the pure volume of their efforts. Plus, when you factor in skill and qualified leads their success ratio grows exponentially.It's pretty simple, but there are times when repeated rejection, fear of a brush-off or a lack of belief in what you're offering develops into a fear of or inability to take action.Here's what it sounds like: ย� "I'd love to see new customers but I'm too busy putting out fires." ย� "I'm too established to be chasing customers." ย� "I think calling people to promote my product or services is demeaning - I'm not a telephone solicitor."Don't let this happen to you! Let's look at ways to overcome sales call reluctance.Here are some great ways to gain control: 1. When selling you have two customers to win over - first yourself and second your customer. You need to be 100% sold on the quality of what you offer. 2. If over-preparation is a problem, force yourself to get out of the office after a certain hour of the morning. This forces you to stop preparing and kick-starts your sales activity. 3. Get over stage fright by taking a presentation course or joining a group like Toastmasters that focuses on improving presentation skills and provides opportunities for practice so that you can become a better presenter. 4. If you are afraid to ask for the sale, this fear is best overcome by role playing. I hear you groaning - I know most people hate it, but it is the most effective way to expand your comfort zone.When I'm conducting training, I often share this unique and effective approach that an insurance company employed to help new hires overcome sales call reluctance.Insurance people have one of the hardest sales jobs around and the highest dropout rate of new hires. One company combats this by giving new hires a sheet of paper with 250 little boxes on it. The new recruit's job is to check a box every time someone says no in response to being asked if they are interested in buying insurance.When all 250 boxes have been checked off, the insurance company pays the new recruit $1,000. How can they afford this? Now they have 250 people who have clearly indicated that they don't want to work with them!They can afford to do this because the insurance company knows that in the time it takes for a new recruit to accumulate 250 rejections, there will be a high percentage of positive responses and new clients brought on board!

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Get More Clients by Using a Compelling Elevator Speech to Engage and Not Just

The first impression you make with your potential customers or clients (a.k.a. prospects) may be your only chance. So what do you say when asked this critical question to get more clients at business networking events or just when conversing with a complete stranger? What do you do? Sales Training Coaching Tip: If you think the response to this question is trite or anything goes, your goal to increase sales will not be realized.This is your opportunity (and may be your only one) not to sell yourself, but rather for this person to "buy you." Sales Training Coaching Tip: To create more clients understand selling is a pushing sales strategy while buying is a pulling one.Most sales training pograms and many marketing workshops discuss how to answer this essential question if you wish to eventually achieve your goal to increase sales. And given all this emphasis, the majority of sales goals are still not achieved.Years ago there was a television program called Let's Make a Deal. The successful contests guessed as to what door hid the Grand Prize and sometimes they received the "booby prizes" because they failed to guess correctly.Today's buying/selling process is somewhat similar to this game of yesterday. There are a series of 7 doors that form a circle. As you unlock the first one the second one appears. You must walk through all 7 doors that lead you back to door number one. Sales Training Coaching Tip: If you have done your research well, have crafted a compelling elevator speech and honed your active listening skills, you should not have to guess as to what door will lead you to gaining commitment to buy your products or services.Your compelling elevator speech is the key to opening the first door of Attracting Attention. Then as you build upon those first vital seven to ten words, it becomes much easier to open and enter through Door Number Two - Building the Relationship.So what makes a compelling elevator speech that engaged and not just hooks the prospect? The answer to that question is all depends where you physically are, who is your target market and any observations you have made. By understanding the one size fits all marketing message may not always work because of where you are, who you are speaking to and what you have already seen and heard can help you as you open and walk through the various doors to achieve your goal to get more clients.For example, to gain empathy you may wish to respond with something like offering a testimonial based upon what your current customers or clients have said. If you wish to differentiate yourself so that you are the Red Jacket, you might talk about the results your products or services deliver.With many crazy busy sales people having more than one target market, they may end up with three to 20 different answers to the question of What do you do. However all responses can be easily traced back to their executive marketing summary.Finally, by crafting a response that compels the buyer to want to know you the seller better makes turning the key to unlocking those first two doors so much easier. When this has been successfully achieved, you will be engaging your potential customers and not just hooking them.

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The New Selling Mindset You Dont Have To Hate Selling

Why I Hated To SellI've had to sell from time to time in my professional career.My first sales job was selling computers. I didn't have any sales background. They'd hire anyone back then. But I loved computers so it seemed like something I could learn to do.Turned out it wasn't so easy. Especially when it came to making a "cold call". I think everyone hates cold calling.At least I did. I don't anymore.Why?Because I learned to change my mind set.Why Do People Hate To Sell and Cold CallI don't think anyone really wants to bother or impose on other people. We don't like it when someone bothers us to sell us something after all. So we assume others feel the same way.When someone tries to sellus something we immediately put up the wall - or worse... Sometimes we lie or find some excuse to put off the "pitch."Send me some information. I'm not in charge of that. or... We already have someone for that.These are some of the typical "lies" we use when someone tries to pitch us.We See It Coming NowAnd we can always see it coming right?When someone says on the phone... "I'm Joe Smith from XYZ Company" we immediately know were going to get a pitch. We've learned from hundreds of people starting the call exactly the same way what's coming next.And those lame pitches we get...The salesperson just talks about how cool their company is. They overwhelm with features and technical jargon without ever saying why it might be important to me.I can smell their commission breath a mile away.It's About Them StupidAll anyone cares about is what you can do for them. If you focus on benefits then you just may be able to get someone's attention.People don't want to know how great you are. They want to know how great you're going to make them.But...You've got to do it humbly and gently. You've got to do it respectfully and on their terms.Ask For PermissionAnd don't forget to ask permission every step of the way."Would you be open to some new ideas about securing your home?" "Would you mind if I shared some information about the condition of your water?" "Where do you think we should go from here?"How I Learned To Love To Cold CallCold Calling doesn't bother me anymore.Why?Because I truly don't care if I make a sale of not. My intention is to try and help someone solve a problem.I always start with something like "Are you open to some ideas that might help solve your problem?"If they say no... then I just move on.Want some more ideas on the new selling mindset? Take a look at this website.

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Surprising Sales Success

Telme Wadisay was a surprisingly good salesperson.We worked different shifts at a call center several years ago so I never really knew him. What I did know was that his name was consistently near the top of our company's sales production reports.His sales success was surprising to me because, as a recent immigrant from Africa, he had an accent so thick that few of us could understand what he was saying. You'd think this would be a significant problem, especially for phone sales, where your voice is the only tool you have.One day, I finally had an opportunity to be within earshot while he was on a call. What I heard was memorable.He was energetic, friendly and assertive. He sounded confidet that his prospect would be very pleased with his offer. His prospects may not have understood more than a few words of every sentence he spoke, but he had the good sense to end nearly every sentence with a very simple, understandable close: "O.K.?"I would not be surprised if his prospects were totally befuddled as they listened to him. They were probably too embarrassed to admit that they had no idea what he was talking about. What they could understand was the simple, non-threatening question: "OK?"He sounded nice. Friendly. You didn't want to hurt his feelings. Each time he would ask "OK?", his prospect would respond with "OK." Granting him permission to continue over and over until the final agreement to accept the offer.A student of sales techniques would identify several classical theories all rolled into one presentation:* Assume the prospect will buy. * Get the prospect to say yes repeatedly. * Ask for the sale. * Always be closing.An incomprehensible offer is not going to work in most situations, of course, but I will never forget how these classical, time tested sales techniques were used so successfully in such an unusual way.Telme Wadisay is not his real name. I wish I could give him proper credit but I can't remember his actual name and I never could pronounce it. His delivery always made me think of the old Ray Charles song:"Tell Me, What I Say".The lesson his example taught me, though, is one I will never forget. I'd suggest you remember it as well.OK?

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Foundations of Change

A stray thought that enters your mind, and a whole new vista of possibilities and adventures are recognized. In a moment, your world has truly changed forever. However, if you cast your mind back, you'll realize that the foundation of that change started much, much earlier. That spark you see now was at first an unassuming observation or seed.True, deep change doesn't begin in times of satisfaction or when you live on a plateau. Rather, the foundation of change is started by a failure of something, either a product, or an idea. Perhaps it began like it did for Henry Ford. Growing up on a farm in Dearborn, Michigan before the advent of the motorized vehicle, he realized that something wasissing. The amount of harvest did not coincide with the level of work he and his family had to put in, day in and day out. He knew deep down that something had to change.At first though, Mr. Ford did something imperative. He learned, and got information. The reason why this is so important is without the knowledge, that he acquired all his attempts at improving the situation would be a waste of time. By learning about machinery he learned what the various machines could accomplish, and how. It is no different today. By gathering good information from books, experts in the field, and yes even the Internet, you'll be able to more easily create a solid foundation that will help support that inspirational spark.Of course, there will always be times when your efforts to change are met with failure and resistance. How you handle those situations say a lot about who you are, and who you want to be. Henry Ford saw failure as an opportunity to try again, more intelligently. He understood, as many people do, that a wrong turn can provide you with a wealth of information to use once you get back on the right path.One important thing to remember about making a change is that your attitude, what you feel and think, is extremely important. An attitude that is open to new possibilities, new information, and productive can mean the difference between success and failure. It is important to have the concentration, drive and thoughts to make you a success.It is important to realize that not every battle is worth the fight, and not every change is worth the effort. Rather, concentrate on what you can do, and what you are passionate about. By focusing on the things that make your heart and mind race, your efforts will have a greater impact than ever before.The bottom line is that the success you desire, and the change you want begins and ends with you. It starts with how you think, is fueled by what you do, and can only end when you want it to. The change you see in the results you get is the proof that what you are doing is putting you on the right path. Do not ever be afraid to make a change to make your world, and your life that much better.What is the biggest change you need to make today?

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Motivate Your Sales Team With Regularly Scheduled Meetings

Picture this: A group of sales reps are heading down the hall to the conference room for a meeting with their manager. They are definitely taking their time getting there. They stop for coffee, peek at their Blackberrys and seem to be pondering something silently in their heads.Wouldn't you like to know what's going on in their heads? We do, so we decided to find out. We asked two groups of sales reps "What reaction comes to mind when you hear there is going to be a sales meeting?"Group One was not looking forward to the meeting. Their responses included:- Uh oh. What are they going to make us do now? - Is this going to be another day we'll have to blitz because we haven't made numbers?What did we do wrong? - What fire are we going to have to put out now?Group Two's responses were very different:- Look forward to them. Always learn something. Starts my morning off good. - My manager always makes it interesting. We brainstorm and I learn something new. - I hope my manager doesn't go off on a tangent. It wastes my time. - I look forward it because it's a time to hear success stories as well as some objections that each of us may hear throughout the week. We also get some tips and advice for overcoming objections as well as additional selling techniques.Why are the responses of these two groups so completely different? Because Group One's manager does not have regular meetings while Group Two's manager does.Which responses would you like from your sellers? Many would select Group Two. Yet the responses from Group Two aren't all good either.As a sales manager, how do you get a positive reaction from your team when you ask for their time?One of the best ways to do this is to hold regularly scheduled meetings. With the availability of teleconference bridges, even remote teams should be brought together regularly. How often? That's up to you. Weekly or once every other week works, quarterly is generally not often enough. The keys to making the meeting regular are to:- Decide on the dates/schedule - Commit to the time - Communicate your schedule including the expectation of participation (Yes, participation, not just attendance!) - Stick to the scheduleHow often does your sales team meet? Do you think their comments would be more in line with Group One or Two? If you are part of a sales team, let us know what you're thinking as you're heading toward that conference room.

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Create Clients for Life With Low Pressure Sales Techniques

Low Pressure Sales Techniques and the Problem Solving ApproachSales are the bottom line of any money-making business, be it online or offline. In order to make money, a sale must occur. Professional selling has taken on a new dimension. Today, you see more low-pressure sales techniques along with a problem solving approach. This shifts the focus from making a single sale into building a client for life.Out With the Old Techniques, In With the New TechniquesThe old sales techniques revolve around tricks, gimmicks and techniques of pressure, persuasion and coercion. The key to traditional selling is constant pressure and relentless attempts to convince the buyer to purchase.You may achievehort-term success, but it comes at the expense of the relationship. These techniques leave a bad taste in the buyer's mouth. The same buyer will be reluctant to work with you next time around.On the other hand, a problem solving approach focuses on building relationships with customers. The techniques involve discussing the prospect's problems and describing a path that will eliminate those problems.You need to have an open mind; sometimes that best path doesn't involve your product or service.As a salesperson, you become the facilitator to empower the customers to solve their problems through the best products or services. A genuine concern for your prospect's wellbeing builds trust and encourages repeat sales from the customers.The Advantages of the New Sales TechniquesBuilding relationships with customers and having an open mind as to the right solution removes the pressure in the selling. Customers will be more open and honest with you, if you can show them you have their best interest in mind.Further, you build clients for life and in the end sell more with less effort. The new sales techniques do not only improve sales performance, but they also add prestige and dignity to the sales profession.Selling Through the Problem Solving ApproachWhen using a problem solving approach, you spend time understanding your prospect's problems, needs, want and desires. You know that in order to help your prospect, you must understand their problems are and how your products and services eliminate those problems.Armed with the necessary information, the salesperson can have a meaningful discussion with the prospect. A discussion about solving their problems and which products and services will do that. In the discussion, the focus is on solving the customer's problems rather than highlighting the products or services. Your prospect is much more likely to maintain interest, if it is all about them and their needs.Customers are smarter, better informed and more jaded than ever before. Manipulation and strong-arm tactics will not build long-term relationships. Buyers value trusted business partners and long-term relationships because in the long run they are less expensive and more productive than changing suppliers.As a salesperson who wants to improve sales performance, you should take a problem solving approach to build long-term relationships and clients for life.

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Sales Prospecting How Sales Prospectors Generate Leads Effectively

Sales Prospecting can take up a huge amount of a salesperson's time. It can also eat into the time of small business owners that sell their own services. That's why some businesses use prospectors to generate sales leads. A prospector focuses only on lead generation. They provide the sellers and closers with a regular supply of potential customers. That means the sellers can focus all their time on selling, which is what they are good at and that's great for the business.Sales prospectors can be employed by the business or the role can be outsourced to a lead generation service. Because they are focusing on gathering sales leads they can use the most appropriate and effective method of cotacting customers: Door knocking, telephone cold calling, or mail shot and follow-up. They also know how to generate leads at exhibitions and trade fairs. The prospectors can either pass the leads to the sales professionals or they can make appointments and update the seller's diaries.The Benefits of Using Sales ProspectorsIt leaves the sellers free to meet with prospects and sell to them. Sales prospecting is not effective use of a sales professional's time. They should be focusing on presenting and closing, which is what they are good at.The sales prospects gathered by the prospector can be qualified to a high standard before being passed on to the seller. This means it has been established that the leads are potential customers with a need, and the ability to buy.If you employ your own prospectors it can be a great way to train future sales people. They get to learn about the products, the customers, and the competition. They are learning the role from the ground floor and gaining good experience.When you use a lead generation service you can save money because you will not need to employ as many sales people. If all your sellers are doing their own prospecting the selling process will take longer and fewer closed deals per day will be brought in.Sales Prospectors - A Great Addition to the Team The sales process covers a wide range of different actions. It starts with cold calling and prospecting, and then qualifying the prospects as potential customers. It may include making sales appointments, and email or mail shot campaigns. Free trials or presentations may be an early selling stage. Then you get to the sales pitch where you try to close the sale. Is it realistic to expect a sales person to be an expert in each of these areas, and be able to manage their time to do all the varied tasks and actions? Take a look at your sales process and see if it makes financial and business sense to have sales prospectors that become experts at sales prospecting and providing sales opportunities for your closing experts.

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