In sales there are lots to decisions to make. Should you raise prices or keep them the same? Which product would be best for this customer’s operation? What’s the best way I can afford to serve a customer? How can I promote and get support for a new idea? When should I stop selling to a customer? Who should I call on? Sometimes you just can’t decide. You have multiple … [Read more...]
3 Rules to Win Bids
Wouldn’t it be nice to be free of competition when you sell? You would not have to submit bids and compete with competitors to win bids in an ideal sales world. That world unfortunately doesn’t exist. There will be times you will have to submit a bid. It's the only way for you to get business. There are strategies to work on bids that make it more likely for you to win … [Read more...]
Create Sales Guidelines: No New Year’s Resolutions!
You would be buried in nickels if you had one for every person who made a New Year’s Resolution to lose ten pounds. New Year’s Resolutions are often made and quickly broken. Did you make a New Year’s Resolution for sales? Here’s what you can do instead to create sales guidelines and get better sales results. Sales Guideline 1. Focus on process, not results. A resolution … [Read more...]
A New Year, A New Sales Plan
2020 is a memory now. Many of you are breathing a sigh of relief because you are glad to see it go. Take a deep breath and think of 2021 and your sales plan. It’s time to start with some new strategies to make your year a success. Sales Plan 1: What are you not going to do? I always think of Albert Einstein at the beginning of every new year. Is it because … [Read more...]
Make Your Own Luck in 2021
4 Luck Principles for Sales How do you want to close out 2020? Forgetting it is probably high on your list. Here’s something else you can do. My suggestion is for you to make your own luck in 2021. Do you think that’s not possible? I think it is. Here’s how you can follow these 4 luck principles for sales. Luck Principle 1. Go with your gut. Professor Richard … [Read more...]
2020: The Year to Forget or…
Are you counting down the days until 2020 is over? 2020 is the year to forget for many business professionals. That may be what you are doing. Then again, as you look back on 2020 you have to admit that you are still standing. You just might have noticed that on closer examination you have achieved some things that you wouldn’t have achieved in an ordinary year. While I … [Read more...]
3 Dumb Sales Mistakes
I often say you learn something from everyone. Sometimes it’s what to do. Other times it is what not to do. Selling is a tough enough business that it’s always better to stay away from the wrong things to do. Here are some of the dumbest things I’ve heard (or done) in sales just so you can save yourself from making these same mistakes. 1. Tell them John referred … [Read more...]
Get Referrals: How to Ask and Who to Ask
Do you know how to ask and who to ask for referrals? Getting referral business is a wonderful way to sell. It’s always great when customers refer business to you. The referrals you get often aren’t enough to be your sole source of business. You should expect to ask for referrals to add to your sales. You may wonder how to ask for referrals and actually get the information … [Read more...]
Saying No In Sales
Saying No Is Something You Just Might Have to Do Saying no might happen when you sell. Do you know how to say no? You may think that the only way to close a sale is to say yes to everything your prospect requests. Finding points of agreement and ways to deliver on them are certainly parts of selling. Saying no in sales is also an important part of your work. Knowing when … [Read more...]
Fire a Prospect: When Can You Stop Calling on a Prospect?
Do you know when to stop calling on a prospect? Hope springs eternal for most salespeople. I’ve been to too many sales meetings where salespeople repeat week after week, “This deal is going to close soon.” Yes, the word “soon” does mean different things to different people. My thought, when I hear this claim about deals closing soon, is “not likely.” How will you know when … [Read more...]