Legendary Basketball Coach, John Wooden said, “It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” In sales, the little things make big sales happen. Here are a few little things that you can implement in your sales strategy to produce big differences in your sales results. Incorporate your customer’s emotions in your sales strategy. Some … [Read more...]
Why Not Take a Sales Holiday?
You’ve worked hard all year. Are you thinking about sales this holiday season? It’s really too late to think about making this year’s sales goals unless you are in the midst of negotiating a deal that is likely to close. Instead of working on selling, why don’t you take a little time for a sales holiday? During your sales holiday you will think about your selling. Here’s what … [Read more...]
Can Your Customers Help You Sell?
You can make your selling easier. One of the ways you can do it is by getting your customers to help you sell. Here are some strategies that you can implement while you sell so you get some more help from your customers. Explain your sales process. How would you respond to a customer who had a problem and didn’t come to you so that you could address it? I’ll bet you would be … [Read more...]
Look at Your Selling With a Fresh Pair of Eyes
Do you remember that feeling of starting fresh when you headed back to school? This is the perfect time to revisit that attitude for sales even if you are not off to school. Why not take a fresh look at your selling? Take another look at your ideal prospect. Your ideal prospects should change as you gain more expertise and the market changes. What might have seemed like the … [Read more...]
Sales Strategy: Make it Easier to Buy and Sell
Part of your sales strategy should include making it easier to buy your products. What you do can make it easier for a buyer to make a purchasing decision. But, why leave your sales success in your buyer’s control? You can also make it easier to sell. Try before you buy. There are many customers who are afraid that if they buy your product or service that it might not work. … [Read more...]
Forget Resolutions: Think Differently. Sell Differently.
New Year’s resolutions work for some people. For others they are a waste of time. For those of you who want to get different results, but don’t want to waste your time on New Year’s resolutions that you’ll break, why not try some new ideas and sell differently? Here are a few ways to think differently next year. Sell Differently: Be more patient. Patience is a virtue when it … [Read more...]
What are your sales strategy questions?
Do you remember when you took tests in high school or college and there were more than one correct answer? Sometimes the answer was “It depends.” The answers to your sales strategy questions are like that. Here are some questions that you should determine. The answers may surprise you. Who is your competition? You must know who your competition is to be successful at sales. … [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...]
When should you stop selling?
You’ve identified a viable prospect. You make the sales call. During the sales call you get resistance from your prospect. Do you push for the sale or do you realize it’s time to stop selling? Sometimes it’s time to stop selling. Sometimes you learn the unexpected. When you decided to make the sales call, there was a reason you thought that the prospect could and should buy … [Read more...]
Do you work for free when you sell?
I recently wrote a column on customers who want you to work for free. I never fault anyone for asking. I do blame salespeople who get intimidated and do things they don't want to do and aren't strategic for their selling. These sales people are sometimes afraid to tell a customer or prospect no. Sometimes they don't know how to or when to move on. As I wrote in the column, … [Read more...]