The Selling Newsletter
The Selling Newsletter
from Best@Selling
A free monthly newsletter of ideas to help make your selling easier.
Selling is the easiest job in the world…Just ask anyone who is NOT in sales! Best wishes for YOUR successful selling—Maura
This issue contains:
-The Selling Quote for the Month
-Upcoming Programs
-The Selling Ideas for the Month
-Action Items
-Selling Tips
-To Subscribe to the Selling Newsletter
-Need an article for your newsletter?
-About Maura Schreier-Fleming
-Contact Information to have Maura speak at your next program/conference
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The Selling Quote for the Month
“My mechanic told me, “I couldn’t repair my brakes, so I made your horn louder.””
-Comedian Steven Wright
One of the best qualities to have in sales is creativity-the kind of creativity that comes up with new ideas in different situations. In sales, that quality of coming up with new ideas quickly is especially needed when you’re in a sales call and it turns out very differently than you plan. Just as Steven’s mechanic had a creative solution, (No, I’m not recommending going with damaged brakes, but he is so funny, isn’t he?) I think salespeople have to be able to come up with creative solutions in a variety of selling situations. One that comes to mind is when you make a sales call thinking that the customer will be interested in a particular product. After questioning you realize this product isn’t a fit for that customer. A creative alternative would be perfect especially if this is a desirable customer. Instead of having to think fast on your feet, why not for every sales call have a Plan B? What if your original objective can’t be met? Plan on being able to implement your second objective. You may go into a sales call thinking that you’re going to fix the brakes, and instead have to make the horn louder. Plan for the horn as well as the brakes before you get to your customer so you’ll be ready.
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Sales Tips to Share
What’s sales tip has helped you be even more successful in sales?
Send your helpful tip to
https://us.f823.mail.yahoo.com/ym/
Compose?To=tip@bestatselling.com
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Upcoming Programs
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
When : September 8, 15, 22, 29
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
What: Master Selling Series for Sales and Business Professionals
For more information: 972-985-3749 or
972-985-3758
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When : October 13
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: Serious Creativity: New Ideas that Work for Business
For more information: 972-985-3749 or
972-985-3758
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When : November 10
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: Negotiating for Business
For more information: 972-985-3749 or
972-985-3758
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The Selling Ideas for this Month
The Closest Thing To Selling Magic
Selling may seem like magic to those unfamiliar with selling. When salespeople speak and customers change behaviors, it sometimes seems like magic even to salespeople. Selling is not magic. Selling behavior is based on psychology. Dr. Robert Cialdini, the author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion as well as Influence: Science & Practice, has 25 years of research in psychology. He is the most frequently cited living psychologist in the world. His principles for ethical persuasion are guaranteed to bring you improved sales results.
Change price perceptions. Imagine you put one hand in a bucket of hot water and the other in a bucket of cold water. Now you place both hands in a bucket of warm water. The hand from the hot water would feel cold and the hand from the cold water would feel hot. You have these perceptions because of the contrast to the water temperature each hand experienced before being placed in the warm bucket. In selling, this contrast has implications for how we quote prices and negotiate.
You should have 3 options prepared when you quote prices. Offer the highest priced option with its associated value, a mid-priced option and then the low-cost option. Present the highest priced option first. Then if the customer says no, the mid-priced option in contrast appears less expensive. Had you started from the lowest price and offered options with increased prices, your latter offerings in contrast would appear too expensive. Just because they give the Olympic awards from low to high doesn’t mean that you should quote your prices that way.
Mine the moments of power. Cialdini refers to moments of power. These are times when the salesperson has an opportunity to leverage principles of persuasion. One moment of power is after a customer thanks you. It is human nature when taking to give something in return. When you are being thanked or complimented for the hard work you’ve done for your customers, it’s as if your customer is taking. You now have an opportunity to ask for something in return. Take advantage of that opportunity! Be prepared with a gracious “It was my pleasure” and follow with a request for something to move the sales process forward-a referral, reference letter or introduction to a key influencer. Cialdini likes the word partnership if you have a long-term customer relationship. You could say, “Working as your partner, it was important to me to help you.” The word partner is perceived as a two way relationship with obligation expected later. If you said, “As your vendor…” you would be implying a one way relationship. It is never appropriate to minimize the thank you with a response like, “It was nothing.” If you do, you’re missing a very powerful moment to benefit from reciprocation.
Scarce resources and exclusivity. Cialdini cites numerous examples of customers wanting items more when these items are perceived to be limited or scarce. Losing something is more motivating than gaining something because of this perception of scarcity. Cialdini has done the research to prove it. You can increase your sales even more when you add exclusivity to the perceived scarcity. His research involved sales of beef. Sales of beef increased when there was a shortage from the effects of weather. Sales shot up 600% when customers were told that the information about the weather was exclusive information. Think about the information you already have about your products and services. If you know about an impending shortage and have exclusive information to share with your customers, your sales will increase when you use the information.
When you use Dr. Cialdini’s principles your selling results will improve. Just remember, if at first you succeed, try to hide your astonishment.
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Action Items
1.What three options could you offer your customers as you sell? Do you have a low, medium and high priced product/service option?
2. What will you ask for the next time a customer gives you a compliment? Are you ready to mine that moment of power?
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Selling Tips
From Maura’s ebook: 97 Ways to Sell More Now E-Book
https://www.bestatselling.com/selling_tools.htm#5
Tip 7. Join your chamber of commerce. Go to meetings. Become an active volunteer so you get to know other business professionals and they know you.
From Maura’s ebook: 97 Ways to Sell More Now E-Book
https://www.bestatselling.com/selling_tools.htm#5
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Looking for new strategies to improve your persuasion skills? This easy to apply Audio CD will give you many new ideas to easily improve your persuasion skills so you can sell more and close business faster.
https://www.bestatselling.com/Audio_CD.htm
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I’m always looking for success stories and other tips from sales professionals. Please feel free to email me at info@bestatselling.com with ideas that have worked for you.
If you want to build customer relationships for long-term business, you can easily do it using Exacttarget (www.exacttarget.com) and their CANSPAM compliant broadcast services.
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To Subscribe to the Selling Newsletter
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Need an Article for Your Newsletter?
Articles from this newsletter may be used in your free publications or posted on your web when given the following credit:
Written by Maura Schreier-Fleming, Best@Selling (www.BestatSelling.com). Maura works with business and sales professionals who want to sell more and be more productive at work. She is the author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results.
For free articles, selling ideas and morale boosters
visit https://www.BestatSelling.com
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About Maura Schreier-Fleming
Invite Maura to speak at your next conference or sales meeting! Contact: info@bestatselling.com
Maura Schreier-Fleming works with business and sales professionals to make it easier to sell more and be more productive at work. Her Best@Selling clients want to create long-term client relationships. They include Fujitsu, Fannie Mae and Dr Pepper/7UP. She has an M.S. in Textile Engineering from Georgia Tech and was Mobil Oil’s first female lubrication engineer in the U.S. With over 20 years of sales experience, she teaches the art and science of selling with a unique hands-on perspective and a great deal of real-life insight. She is the author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results (a book filled with ideas to make selling easier and more productive. Her business column ‘Selling Strategies’ appears in the Insurance Record magazine and her column ‘Street Talk’ appears in Jobbers World. You can contact her for seminars at company or trade association meetings at 972 380 0200 or info@BestatSelling.com
Privacy: At Best@Selling we take privacy issues very seriously. Your information remains with us and will never be sold, shared, or distributed in any manner, for any reason.
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Contact Information
1. Our Web site: https://www.BestatSelling.com
2. E-mail: info@bestatselling.com
3. Call: In Dallas 972 380 0200
4. Write us:
6757 Arapaho Rd., Suite 711-183
Dallas, TX 752448
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(c) Copyright 2006 Maura Schreier-Fleming. All rights reserved
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