SALES QUOTE
"I think one of the reasons I’m popular again is because I’m wearing a tie. You have to be different."
-Tony Bennett
For Salespeople…
I’m not sure that the tie is the reason Bennett is popular today. But, he is right that you have to stand out to be remembered. He stands out because he’s so talented. What are you doing to stand out in a positive way so your prospects remember you? One way is to show that you’ve prepared for each sales call and telephone call. Learn a little about your prospect’s business before you make the call. That way when you speak with a prospect you sound prepared, professional and you stand out. You might not have to wear a tie, too.
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THE BLOG S AND OTHER COLUMNS
I’m now writing The Real Deal, a column on women in business for Allbusiness.com Hope you’ll read more ideas so you can achieve your success in business.
You can get RSS feed for the blog.
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THE SELLING IDEAS FOR THE MONTH
New Year’s Sales Resolutions
Forget about breaking your New Year’s resolutions. It’s too early for that. Why not set some goals this year that you actually have some chance of achieving? Here are a few to consider.
1. This year I will toot my own horn differently. How much easier would your selling be if your prospects knew how good you and your products are? A whole lot easier. Now think how much easier it would be if your customers also believed it. Most salespeople don’t have problems telling prospects how great they and their products are. The problem is that they are just not believable. Part of credibility is putting the customer’s interests ahead of your own. Customers know you want to sell them something. How do you credibly convey your product’s merits? You have other customers do your talking. Ask your customers how your products and services are impacting their business. Take notes when they give you compliments. Then write them down. Put these comments in a testimonial letter and ask your customers if they would put what you’ve written on their letterhead. You now have a powerful selling tool when someone other than you raves about your work. It’s also believable.
2. This year I will use my brain more and my mouth less. One of the best ways to really get your brain going is to focus on your listening. I was recently talking with a buyer who told the salesperson that he wanted to buy the product in November. Why? His budgets weren’t going to be approved until October. Instead of the salesperson listening and understanding that the budget cycle was unmovable, the salesperson kept trying to move the purchase date up to the summer. It frustrated the buyer to have this tug of war with the salesperson. Had he not really been interested in the product, he would have given up on the purchase.
I still say one of the most important sales questions is to ask “Why?” when you learn a piece of information. Had the salesperson asked, “Why is November the month you want to buy?” he would have found out that it was impossible to change the buying cycle and he wouldn’t have pushed so hard to change it.
3. This year I will get help to sell my products. Jim Koch is the founder of Boston Beer, the brewer of Samuel Adams beer. Samuel Adams beer, which is a more expensive beer, is still doing well in a tough economy. While the general beer category has been flat in recent years, higher–end “craft” beers like Samuel Adams have enjoyed double-digit growth. How did it happen? Koch didn’t do it alone.
Selling is not a singles sport. It’s a team sport. The members of your team include the people who influence your customers to buy. For Boston Beer, the very important members of their team are bartenders. Between 30 and 40% of its sales are at bars and restaurants. The sales force works with restaurants to create food pairings and educate bartenders about the beer. That not only helps its upscale image, but it also sells more beer because these bartenders recommend Samuel Adams to customers. Who can help you sell your products?
It’s a new year to sell. Most people set resolutions that quickly get broken. Instead, why not set resolutions that make it easier for you to sell? That’s a better way to make sure that your resolutions come true.
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ACTION ITEMS
1. Interview one customer this week to gather a testimonial.
2. Focus on talking less and listening more in at least 1 sales call.
3. Who can help you sell? Which strategic partner could you speak with?
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Programs
You can check for current programs.
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How many books do you think you need to read to be in the top 5 percent of all non-fiction readers in the world?
Only 1 book per month. Reading 1 book per month means reading about half a chapter a day. That’s 10-15 minutes. Bring along a book to read while you work. You can find 10 minutes each day to read. You might find even more.
Source: The Magic Question, David Cottrell
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Here are some selling tools to help you sell more now. Click on the photo to find out more!
Monday Morning Sales Tips : A book that has quick ideas for you to be more successful in sales. Real-World Selling: A book with selling skills and strategies that work in the real world of sales. Secrets of Persuasion: Audio CD for the clues to use to speed-read people and close more business.