Some people, including salespeople are clueless. They have no idea they’re making mistakes. Here are a few situations where salespeople have made my eyes roll. Price increases without value increases. Just imagine you were selling a product and you wanted to increase its value. You might think, more valuable products cost more, so I’ll raise my price. So you decide to raise … [Read more...]
Sales Questions to Ask Yourself for a More Successful Sales Call
Those of you who work with me (or read my columns) know that I am a big proponent of questioning strategy for successful sales. Your questions drive your customer to understand there’s a need, it’s an important one and why he has to buy now. There are other questions that are just as important for your selling. These are the questions you have to ask and answer yourself. How … [Read more...]
How Buying Helps Your Selling
Do you think about how your customers buy when you sell? Your selling will improve when you consider their buying process. Learn what your prospect doesn’t know. There’s often a learning process involved when you buy something new. Think of a television today. There are all kinds of variables to consider when you buy a TV. Your might consider the size of the viewing room. … [Read more...]
What Do You Sell?
You probably get this question many times. What do you do? Maybe you reply by your job title. You are missing an opportunity to sell more. Why you should sell a higher purpose. In a recent Harvard Business Review Article: How an Accounting Firm Convinced Its Employees They Could Change the World, Bruce N. Pfau, Ph.D. KPMG’s Vice Chair of Human Resources and Communications … [Read more...]
Sales Awareness
Recently at a conference, I moderated a panel discussion of successful business professionals. One sets strategy and vision for a $2billion IT company. Two are serial entrepreneurs, one of whom just sold his company for millions. The last is a CIO at a multinational company. What they said will give you insights to be the best sales professional. Do you go to or away from … [Read more...]
Lost Sales: 3 Reasons Why You’re Not Selling Today
Here's a check to avoid lost sales. 1. You have no sales strategy plan. Think about your preparation for your last sales call. Did you plan the questions you would ask your prospect? Maybe you did. Were they strategic in that they helped uncover customer problems, needs or wants that could be solved by buying your products or services? Congratulations if you did. A strategic … [Read more...]
Data Problems in Sales: High Tech Problems, Low Tech Solutions
A recent study by DOMO of sales leaders showed some interesting problems in sales. There were a few findings that especially piqued my interest. It looks like there are some high tech problems that need low-tech solutions for sales professionals to be successful. Here’s what they found. Only 2% of sales leaders rate their relationship with their sales data an A- or better. … [Read more...]
How to Sell at a Lunch or Dinner Seminar
You should be selling if you’re going to be feeding your prospects. Seminars are a popular way to engage with your prospects. Just be sure you are doing everything you can to result in a sale. Make sure the equipment works before the seminar. Some venues provide audiovisual equipment. The last two presentations I saw had technical difficulties. Yes, you can learn the … [Read more...]
Ask For Sales Help to Sell More
You should be asking for help whether or not you are making your sales goals. You will make selling a lot easier when you get help. Here’s what to ask for. Ask for selling tools. All too often I see salespeople who are tasked with figuring out how to sell. This is unfair to the salesperson and unrealistic for sales success. Your company’s management should develop your sales … [Read more...]
Always be closing? No way.
Digital Equipment Corp. founder Ken Olsen said in 1977, "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home." That might have been true back in 1977 for a variety of reasons, but certainly doesn’t hold true today. There are some sales principles that need to be retired because they are no longer true for selling today. “Always be closing.” I just heard a … [Read more...]