At some point you’re going to lose a piece of business. That loss immobilizes some salespeople. They ruminate about the deal that went bad, what caused it and blame themselves. The reality is that all successful salespeople sometimes lose deals. They analyze what went wrong and resolve to avoid doing that again. They do this analysis once. Then they move on. If you find … [Read more...]
How do you recharge for more sales success?
I was rereading some of my old sales columns. I came across this: It’s good to nourish your soul. That's even more important today. I’ve always believed that to be successful, especially in sales, you have to work hard. Yet, just working hard isn’t enough to guarantee success. Relaxation and renewal has to be part of your hard work. This year I took time off. I relaxed. I … [Read more...]
The Sales Call Checklist
I recently attended a search engine optimization program where I was asked to create a Sales Call Checklist. Here it is: The Sales Call Checklist to Sell More Now Yes No I visit the customer’s website thoroughly before the sales call. [ ] [ ] I research the likely problem/need/want that this prospect might have. [ ] [ ] I develop the question … [Read more...]
Make it easier for customers to buy
People make decisions by comparing one choice to another. The persuasion principle is known as contrast. Do you ever notice that off-white fabric looks dingy only when it’s next to bright white fabric? That’s contrast. Contrast is used in business to make decisions. When there are multiple choices, we compare one to the others. When in doubt, if there’s only one choice, it’s … [Read more...]
Stop playing telephone tag with prospects
It's time to stop playing telephone tag with prospects. How do you know when to stop? When you try once and your prospect tries to reach you once. Then you leave a voicemail, "It seems we're two moving targets. I'll be available (time 1, time 2, time 3). Please let me know which one of those times work for you. If none do, please give me a few times that do work for you and … [Read more...]
Do you really know who your prospects are?
I was at a recent meeting where a salesman introduced himself. He sold data processing services to small and mid sized businesses. A member of the group asked him who his prospects were. The salesman said, “If they breathe, they’re a prospect for me.” That’s when I groaned. Doesn’t this salesman realize that all prospects are not equal? It would take longer for him to sell … [Read more...]
What words are you using to sell?
Do you want to sound intelligent so your customers buy from you? Sounds like a good idea to a lot of salespeople. Unfortunately, some salespeople think if they use big words they will impress their customers with how smart they are. It's a bad strategy. Instead of going for the big words, you should be going for big understanding. You don't get there with big words. Here's a … [Read more...]
Are you lucky in sales?
I often marvel at how some salespeople get lucky and other appear less so. This is a great read on what makes someone lucky in sales. I often look back at my "lucky sales" and find that the same tenacity as Peter Guber demonstrated was what it took to be lucky. Just remember, your luck will probably start by knowing what you want. So be clear with yourself. What sale, deal, … [Read more...]
Great ideas to prove your point
Here's a great article with ideas on using persuasion and proving your point. https://www.digitalsparkmarketing.com/2013/02/03/combination-of-evidence/ Here's the column: Have you ever wondered how some people seem to be natural persuaders? Obviously good oral communication skills are important, but it takes more than good speaking skills for the best means of … [Read more...]
When is a referral not a referral?
I was recently asked this question for an upcoming column in SOLD magazine. Are there times or types of sales where referral prospecting is not worth it? Here's my answer. Yes there are. Are you surprised I said that? There are times when businesspeople think they're giving you a referral and it's not. That's when the referral isn't the value you think it is. What … [Read more...]