One of the things you want to do is to be more strategic if you are in sales. Look for tools and apps that will leverage your work to acquire other new business. You want prospects to easily find you. It's almost like you get to have someone working for you while you sleep. Here's a wonderful site, Thumbtack that you can use to help prospects find you. I use it to help … [Read more...]
Keeping Information from Your Customers Hurts Sales
Do you keep information from your customers? I hate to pile on the post office, but they really hurt their sales efforts. I recently needed to purchase a certified letter for a business document I was mailing. I made the purchase at 10AM. I was instructed to go to the U.S. Postal Service website, usps.com, enter my tracking number and I would be able to see the letter’s … [Read more...]
What to include in your sales proposals and RFPs?
You probably don't like it very much if you find yourself having to sell by submitting an RFP or sales proposal. Most salespeople spend a whole lot of time generating their RFPs and miss the opportunity to be strategic about the RFP. You might also wonder what to include in your sales proposals and RFPs. Here's a recent column on how to be strategic when you have to write … [Read more...]
27 Key Sales Performance Drivers
In a recent AchieveGlobal report they identified 27 Key sales performance drivers. How many do you think you have mastered? This is a good topic for your next sales meeting. Your sales team can discuss how to develop more of these sales performance drivers. If successful salespeople master these sales performance drivers, you should be more successful if you do, too. Key … [Read more...]
A Question to Sell More Now
What’s the recipe for a successful sales call? It’s asking the right questions. Here is one question that will lead to more sales and shorten your sales cycle. How much does this problem cost? There’s no need to act or buy anything unless the customer quantifies the problem. Many customers often have not thought about how much the problem costs. Their problem is just a … [Read more...]
Don’t work so hard when you sell
I was asked last night at my presentation to the American Society for Quality what characteristics make a great salesperson. My answer was a surprise to the group. I cited my column, “Why Engineers Can Make the Best Salespeople.” They have the same characteristics of great salespeople They get process. Sales is a process. You have to follow it to get the results you … [Read more...]
Sales training should include what to wear
All people have a physiological, unconscious response to color. They’re responding to it whether they’re thinking about it or not. What are some of these responses? It could be an unconscious thought remembering some of the points in your sales presentation. Why would that happen? Perhaps you were wearing red, the color of blood. Wearing red raises your blood pressure and … [Read more...]
What’s your pricing strategy when you sell?
It's always important to consider your pricing strategy when you sell. Recent research shows that in negotiations, higher first offers from sellers drive up sale prices—reversely, buyers benefit from lower first offers. You can increase that advantage by stating your offer as a precise, rather than a round number. Here's what they found. In an experiment involving customers … [Read more...]
Want to be more persuasive?
One of the basic principles of persuasion and influence is that we tend to comply with people we like. Why? We trust people we like. You need trust to influence others. How does this apply to you? The next time you meet someone new at a business function, a Chamber of Commerce meeting, or other business function, do something that gets you to be liked. What would that be? Stop … [Read more...]
Did you forget about your most important customer?
I often marvel how salespeople spend so much time managing their customers. They will prioritize them by size, revenue, profits and all types of criteria to see where they should be spending their time and effort. Of course that's a good idea. What they're forgetting is that they have another very important customer. It's their manager. Even if you're on commission, your … [Read more...]