When’s the last time you heard someone say, ““I’m in the mood to go and buy insurance.” Never? You are far more likely to hear “I want a new iPhone” or “I’m tired of this car breaking down. I need a new car.” It is different to sell intangibles. Here are a few points to consider to sell more intangibles. Provide a way to evaluate your sale to sell intangibles. Help … [Read more...]
It’s December. What Can You do for Selling?
Are you getting tired of new ways to create meals with turkey? Hopefully, Thanksgiving gave you a few days of relaxation and not too much stress. Now it's back to selling and the few days left this year. It’s December. Now what can you do for selling? Look back. Schedule a very important appointment. It's not with a customer. The appointment is with you. At this … [Read more...]
Use Gender Differences to Improve Sales Communication
Have you heard the joke, why is it that a man will pay $2 for a $1 item he wants and a woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't want? Subtle gender differences in behavior, especially in communication, also appear in the selling arena. We should be aware of these differences to adapt our sales communication and understand their impact on our selling. What are the … [Read more...]
Don’t be Afraid to Use the Telephone to Sell
How is the pandemic impacting your business? Think of how many people are not leaving their office because of the pandemic. Where are they? They’re by their telephone. You may think that email is your best bet to reach prospects. I think the telephone is better even with caller ID. Barriers should not make you afraid to use the telephone to sell. Be prepared when someone does … [Read more...]
Get Referrals: How to Ask and Who to Ask
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 you need to sell. Here’s how you can ask and who to ask to … [Read more...]
Red Flags in Selling
You know what red flags do. They give you advance warning of a dangerous situation. It’s at your peril if you ignore the danger. You may be missing a few red flags for customers and other people you work with. Here are some red flags that I advise my clients to pay attention to so they can get better sales results. Too much “I” and not enough “We.” Listen … [Read more...]
Are you making presentations, but not making sales?
What can you do when you are making presentations, but not making sales? I recently worked with a financial advisor who was making far too many presentations and making far too few sales. We looked at a few areas to determine what was not working. Here are the areas that you can examine if you are not making sales. Do they believe … [Read more...]
What Not to Do In Sales
You might have seen some magazines for both men and women where editors select fashions and put some in a category of do and others in a category of don’t. When you want to be fashion forward you have to be sure that you stay far away from any styles that appear in the don’t column. What about salespeople? There may not be a fashion magazine to … [Read more...]
Millennials? Avoid Misconceptions at Work.
Twenty somethings and thirty somethings, welcome to the world of work! Let me correct some misconceptions you might have about work before they have any negative consequences for your career and your selling. You are there to work. Some offices look more like an entertainment playground than they do a place that’s designed for people to conduct business and … [Read more...]
Group Sales Presentation? Make the Sale.
What’s your plan when you are part of a group making a sales presentation? You do have a plan, don’t you? Your first mistake is thinking that your presentation is just like any other individual presentation. It’s not. Here’s how you can make a successful group presentation the next time you’re selling with others. Make a good … [Read more...]