What do you sell? You probably think it’s your product or service. While that’s correct, it’s not all you sell. Your prospects and customers are also buying you. Think of it as your sales brand. How are you including yourself in your sales? What’s your sales brand? Everyone knows Mercedes, Starbucks and Nike. They each have a brand personality. They are more than their … [Read more...]
Bogleheads Can Help You Sell: What Don’t You Know in Sales?
Attention Bogleheads! You know if you’re a follower of the founder of Vanguard Group, John C. Bogle, that he and his followers believe (and have shown) that investing can be simple and cheap. Bogle founded Vanguard in 1974 and introduced the first index mutual fund in 1975. Vanguard says that index funds have saved U.S. investors approximately $150 billion in fees since the … [Read more...]
Everything Old Is New Again in Sales: Apply Ad Principles to Sales
You may have heard people say, “Everything old is new again.” Claude Hopkins was the highest-paid copywriter of his day back in the early 20th century. What he said then about advertising also applies to sales today. Consider how you can apply his last century ad principles to your sales today. 1. Some ads are planned and written with a totally wrong conception. They are … [Read more...]
Sell and Work for a Difficult Boss
It’s not mutually exclusive. You can sell while you work for a difficult boss. Difficult bosses come in all types, whether verbally abusive, incompetent or worse. One of your options is to get another job. You might believe that as the victim it’s not right to be punished in that way. Here’s how to work for a difficult boss and still continue to sell. 1. Make sure you work the … [Read more...]
Time Management for Sales: How Prospects Impact How You Spend Your Time in Sales
Great salespeople master time management to get the best results from their time. Sometimes the choices get tricky when you consider what you should do. You might waste your time when your prospect’s view of a deadline is different than yours. Here’s what you can consider to get the most out of your selling time. What does a deadline time mean? Just because you have a sense … [Read more...]
Sales Principles to Consider
Mathematics and science are based on certain fundamentals. Gravity exists and exerts forces on all of us. Light travels at a certain speed and in theory nothing can go faster than it. What about sales? There are some sales principles that you might not think about, but you should consider. They will help you sell more. Sales principle 1. Your customer is always more important … [Read more...]
Questions Make Sales For You
You don’t need a fortune teller to see the future and help you sell. All you need to do is to ask your prospects and customers the questions that make sales for you. Which would those be? The ones that get you the information that you need to sell. Here are a few questions that work and why. Pain often motivates and uncovers real needs. Do you think your customers love … [Read more...]
Sales Obstacles to Avoid
Sales success depends on getting customers to buy and often getting those you work with to support you in your sales process. You need operations, accounting and so many other departments to serve your customers effectively. You might not realize that some people are really obstacles to your success. Here are a few types to be wary of. “I’m right because I am.” 1. Beware of … [Read more...]
Why Not Have Your Best Sales Year Yet?
At the end of every year you get to look back at your year and how well you did. Here are the rules that I practice to have a successful sales year. Why don’t you try them so you can have your best sales year yet? Rule #1. I will set valid sales call objectives for each sales call. You will certainly not have your best year yet if you make a sales call and tell your customer … [Read more...]
Sales Goals and Removing the Obstacles In Your Way
Salespeople without goals are often the least successful salespeople in their group. Here’s the type of thinking you need to be sure that you can take advantage of the opportunities that come your way and for you to sell more. What do you want long term? You can’t make a plan without a goal. Your goals tell you which direction to head and often determine the choices you … [Read more...]