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"Over the course of my career, I've discovered that one of the major factors separating successful sales professionals from less successful ones can be summed up in five simple words," Julia says. "The quality of your training."
To get started, download our free ebook or check out our hand-selected training resources."Over the course of my career, I've discovered that one of the major factors separating successful sales professionals from less successful ones can be summed up in five simple words," Julia says.
"The quality of your training."
To get started, download our free ebook or check out our hand-selected training resources.
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Recent Posts
Construct a Debt Free Destiny
Just as there are no quick and easy ways to gain financial security, likewise there are no fast and painless methods of transforming debt from a negative into a positive. It takes work, a plan and time.
Finding educational materials on how to reduce your debt is the easy part. Countless money managers and wealth experts offer varying views on how to make your debt work for you. These are great tools to use. If possible, read as much as you can on the subject, as not all the available advice will work for you. It is best to research as much as possible; weighing the pros and cons of each method; to find the course which can best benefit your situation.
Think of transforming debt as fixing up a house badly in need of renovation. First you need to tear down the badly construction areas, before you can build a new and stronger foundation. From there you can watch as each level grows, until your financial structure stands on its own, as a testament to a strong and secure future.
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It’s Time For Ice Cream
Envisioning your optimum life is something like ordering an ice cream sundae. In your mind, you know what it will look like, but do you even consider the steps needed to make it? Use each layer in the sundae as a metaphor for goals planning.
Consider the bowl as your foundation, the career on which you will base your future. Add the ice cream; more scoops can symbolize the many directions you want to take…different flavors – the need for diversity. Very rarely do ones life and career take the original path you set. More often, you need to taste several of the available options for the one that is most satisfying.
Then you add the syrup and nuts. What types of perks are do you want to add into your life. Some, like syrup go on easily; others are more rough to handle, but offer more enjoyment. Just as whipped cream adds sweetness to the sundae, the love of your family enriches your life. Finding contentment in your home and career is the cherry on top.
If thinking of goals planning and your best life has made you hungry; maybe it’s time to dig in and taste it.
Rejuvenate and Refresh Your Career
Have you reached a point in your sales career where the thrill is no longer in the chase; but only in the financial reward? Perhaps it’s time to discover fresh motivation at work. While the monetary gains may have initially inspired your push for success; taking personal pride in your career achievements should always inspire a continued, strong work ethic.
Look around your company; the eagerness and enthusiasm of the newer employees should remind you how your career began. Recall the hits and misses: the sale you made by knocking it out of the park, and the one you made just by listening… never even giving the presentation you had rehearsed so well. Finding satisfaction in a job well done can be a key to finding gratification in the job you need to do.
Look to advancement as a reason for motivation at work. All those new employees are surely eyeing an opportunity to advance, shouldn’t you? Promotions occur all the time; it’s a way for owners to keep their employees running at top speed. By jump-starting into high gear, the push across the finish line might be just what you need for a renewed desire to stay in the race.
 STOP not doing what you know you should do! Unlock the biochemical code that will free you to EASILY achieve ANY goal – for the rest of your life |
Play Ball
Cold calling; it paralyzes beginners and sometimes seasoned sellers as well. But what is the reasoning for the irrational fear of making a phone call to someone who doesn’t know you, and if you blow it…never will? Speaking in front of a group of strangers, whether it’s a 4th grader career day or a group of CEO’s, is always intimidating; mainly because they can SEE YOU. Luckily, a good cold calling technique will help, and begins with only a voice and a script.
Let’s think of that first contact as a baseball game. Your cold calling technique should be the same as game preparation for a pitcher. Before you walk out to the mound, know who your opponent is, what kind of pitch he likes to hit, and his hitting capabilities. If he’s looking for a fastball, you may need to take a firmer approach than with someone who’s waiting on the curve, and needs a more indirect technique. If you have covered all the bases and done your homework on the prospect, you’ll know what type of approach should be taken.
If you break it down; like most things in life, making that initial call is just a game. Know the rules, practice your technique; and use it to your advantage, to hit it out of the ballpark.
Reconnect and Revitalize
You’ve applied all the knowledge learned in the sales courses you have taken over the years, and all the advice has worked. Your company is doing quite well, thank you, and you’ve put together a team that covers all the bases; or at least you think they do. While the bottom line is looking good, it’s still up to you to give more than just a cursory look at the daily workings of your organization.
You need to go back out into the field. Chances are it’s been some time since you’ve met with the old customers, who helped you when the business was new and times were tough. Sure, you might speak to them on the phone from time to time, but a face to face talk can only remind the customer why he chose your firm to begin with. A one-on-one discussion can also help determine if the salesperson now in charge of the account, is serving this faithful client as well as he should.
All the lessons learned in all the sales courses you’ve taken, cannot do more to satisfy a customer than having him realize his business is still important to you, and not taken for granted.
 Master salesman Brian Tracy will present you with 100 ideas for sales success. All business revenues start with the sale. Therefore, sales skills are vital to your business survival! |
First Do the Groundwork, Then Make the Sale
In selling a product, service or idea; making your business succeed requires selling the right product, to the right buyer, at the right time. If you have done your research, aligning the product to the buyer is both attainable and expected. No excuse can be made for presenting to a client, a service that is not useful to him, or worse; one that he has tried and rejected.
On the other hand, showing a customer something new and exciting is the reason you are there in the first place. Explaining the benefits of your product however, may not generate a sale, unless he can see that he actually needs it. Generally, trying to sell a saddle to a man who doesn’t own a horse is not a good idea; unless you know he has a daughter who has begged him for a pony.
Using the hopes and dreams of a customer can also be used to make your business succeed. In relating the attributes of your product, the client must be able to envision how your commodity, can help elevate his business to the next level. If you’ve done your research, you can make that vision crystal clear.
Review Yourself: Taking the Next Step
In continuing your improvement performance review, after you have accurately accessed the highs and lows of your recent sales production; it’s time to move onto another good job-bad job situation. Is gaining new customers always a good thing?
On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer. More customers mean more business; and more business means more money and success. Unfortunately, that’s not always true.
It goes back to the “time is money” rule. You need to determine if there is long range profitability in these new purchasers. Spending hours holding the hand of a client for a small sale is not the way to boost your sales figures. However, if your research has shown this company can be very lucrative in the future; you need to be the guide on his road to success. By accessing his current needs, determining his future possibilities and providing him with the vision of what they could be; you have now given this “small customer,” the tools needed to think on a larger scale.
Last area of your improvement performance review: What is gained by failure?
Review Yourself: Starting the Process
Being a salesperson, you always strive to get better and better. From time to time it’s necessary to complete a personal area of improvement performance review. Is it time to tweak your sales techniques to adjust to changes in present opportunities, or is a major overhaul needed to battle through current economic conditions?
This assignment consists of bringing forth honesty within you. This is not a review by your employer, where you highlight your accomplishments and devalue your ineffectiveness. This improvement performance review is meant to define your total professional output; both positive and negative.
Review your successful areas. Obtaining more orders from one customer could mean the buyer has seen growth in his company; a positive indication, or an adverse one if it means you have not accessed his needs satisfactorily. Writing up one substantial order is always preferable to several smaller ones. Time is money, and multiple orders use up your time, as well as the time of the buyer; and everyone else down the line needed to process the orders.
The next steps in the review process: evaluating new customers and considering what is gained by failure.
Motivating The Team: Part 3
While we have previously discussed various incentives in getting the best out of your team, the most important part of the equation is you. Whether you are the CEO, manager, broker or group head; you are the one who needs to be motivated at all times. Motivation works from the top…down. The attitude of the person in charge greatly affects the vibe of those who work under you. Your discipline and enthusiasm determine the ebb and flow of your staff. Why would they walk through fire for you, if your manner and approach is one of disinterest or disdain?
Above all other ways of motivating the team, this is the one that is the easiest. Just say “Thanks.” A simple smile, shake of the hand or pat on the back can do wonders for employee morale. Nothing goes farther or makes an employee feel more appreciated, than having his superior acknowledge his accomplishments. As a wise mother always told me, “It doesn’t cost anything to be nice to someone.” So true, and so very motivational.
 The average employee works at 50% of the level of productivity that they are capable of. That means that companies are throwing away billions of dollars every year. Let Brian… |
 Brian discusses the traits of high performing, credible, and respected managers.
What are the key characteristics of top-rated managers – and how can you attain them? |
The First Negotiating Skill Every Top Performer Employs
There is so much written about negotiating skills these days that it’s becoming harder and harder to separate the good tips from the bad ones. Here is one that I feel is worth exploring:
1. Work to create the impression of a “win” in your customer’s mind. By taking a hard look at what you can give your customer to add greater value to your offer, you increase the chance that they will perceive working with you as a benefit. That doesn’t mean you have to give away price or product concessions. In fact, the promise of free information that is of interest to your prospect may be all it takes. For example, consider offering to set aside some time for a product training seminar after the sale is concluded. Whatever you come up with to add value, it has to leave the customer with the clear impression that dealing with your company brings a “win” to his.
Using this negotiating skill with every customer will not only get your customers what they want but will also give you the satisfaction of being a ‘winner’.
 Negotiating is a daily function that impact effects everyone. You are negotiating for not only products, but the services of everyone around you. |
You Can Win The Race – Slowly But Surely
Slow and steady wins the race. We’ve all heard the tale of the tortoise and the hare. The hare could not even consider being beaten in a race with the tortoise. While self-confidence is essential for good salesmanship, too much ego can beat you every time.
There’s a line in an old Tom Hanks movie, “Joe Versus the Volcano,” where the boss of his character is heard talking on the phone and saying repeatedly “I know he can get the job, but can he do the job?” The sales advice to be learned from this: It’s not how many accounts you have, but how well those accounts are serviced.
While the excitement of sales is in the get, the fulfillment of sales is in the growth. The nurturing of a client relationship, where trust, professionalism and customer satisfaction are slowly built, creates a path for a continued increase in sales, as well as future referrals.
Whether from a children’s fable or an old movie, sales advice can be found in many aspects of life. Just slow down and take a look.
Look Back to Look Forward
As your sales increase and business expands, the roads you have taken on your pathway to success should be the same roads you take to continue it. Remember your initial commitment to your goals, and focus on what has given you the most satisfaction.
Has your enthusiasm been replaced with acceptance, and the realization you have compromised your joy for financial rewards? While most of us having achieved some amount of success are not willing to start from scratch, it’s never too late to find ways to be successful and fulfilled at the same time.
Take stock of the relationships. More often than not, a large part of being unfulfilled on the job occurs because of decreased family time. The importance of keeping a balance between work and home life cannot be stressed enough. There are ways to be successful without losing the reason you wanted to succeed in the first place.
Strive for quality not quantity. Focus on the rewarding accounts; are there new ways you can service them to widen the scope of their business. Increasing sales with the stronger accounts means less chasing of the not so profitable accounts, giving you renewed fervor and perhaps, more family time.
Motivating The Team: Part 2
Competition among employees is great for motivation, providing is does not turn into betrayal and back-stabbing. Contests for highest sales, referrals, cold calls and such, can greatly motivate if the reward is additional time off, tickets to an event or some company perk not normally given. If your organization is divided into workgroups, instead of having a contest within each group, pick one person from a group and have them compete against reps from the other groups. This would keep the internal group dirty-dealing to a minimum, while creating a competitive camaraderie within the company.
Physical competition is also great for motivating the team, especially when management and staff combine for the single goal of beating someone else. League sports are also a way to promote your organization. Having your company name on a uniform gives you a visual presence in the community, and gives the players that sense of team your company strives to achieve.
Competition needn’t be done on a large scale to be effective. Give a free lunch to the employee who was most helpful to the entire staff that week, or made the best coffee. Small incentives can become a catalyst for motivation, creating a better working place with higher efficiency.
| The average employee works at 50% of the level of productivity that they are capable of. That means that companies are throwing away billions of dollars every year. Let Brian… |
Stop, Look and Listen
Sound sales advice can not only be found on the pages of books, newspapers and how-to video seminars, but also in occurrences of everyday life. While media sales coverage, webinars and educational DVD’s are essential to staying on top of the latest trends, re-enforcement of lessons already learned, and tips of the trade; never discount the schooling gained from first hand experience.
One example of a lesson learned: A chef and his bartender brother, opened a small restaurant. The regulars from his former bar dropped in after work several days a week for drinks, and quite often for dinner. Of course, the brothers were elated to have the continuing patronage. As time went on, the business grew, other customers became regulars and the group that helped establish the restaurant were greeted, and promptly ignored. There were new fish to fry, and the regulars were taken for granted. Soon, they looked for another spot where their patronage was more appreciated. Not long after, the once busy restaurant closed.
The sales advice learned here; never take that regular customer for granted. The tools used to gain the first sale need to be utilized in keeping that relationship solid for years to come.
One way to overcome objections
If you are frequently having problems eliciting an order from a customer, maybe it’s time to take a look at your approach. More often than not, overcoming objections can be accomplished by refining your technique or your charm.
Before a sales call, do your research…then do some more. Beyond the product specifics, highlights and advantages, explore what others have said about it. If there have been negative reviews, look for a way to contest those issues with features beneficial to your customer. Compare it to listening to a traffic report before leaving for work…”Know before you go.” Your customer may be aware of the problems, but unless you offer a solution, there won’t be a sale.
Let’s face it, you don’t like everyone and everyone does not like you. It’s a fact of life, but should not shut down a sale. Overcoming objections based on your personality depends on your ability to step back, be honest with yourself, and your customer. You can simply ask them if your manner puts them off in any way. By owning up to the situation, you can actually make the client feel more at ease…then you can dazzle them with your knowledge and make that sale.
| Master salesman Brian Tracy will present you with 100 ideas for sales success. All business revenues start with the sale. Therefore, sales skills are vital to your business survival! |
Let the Dance Begin
So you’ve courted and called and complimented and called and called and called. You’re almost there, you’ve started the dance. Will it be a waltz, a cha-cha or a tango? The art of closing a sale is indeed, a back and forth, one step forward-two steps back dance of compromise and accommodation, with the customer in the lead.
If your potential client has you going in circles, always at arms length, you’re waltzing. A brisk back and forth of bargaining and conciliation…you’re doing a cha-cha. Or, it could be a gut-wrenching, pull-out your hair negotiation; better known as a tango.
Whatever the type of choreography your prospect uses, it’s important to realize that closing a sale should always take a back seat to fulfilling the needs of your client. Pushing a sale when the timing is wrong will hinder all future potential for a long term relationship. Rethink your presentation, customizing it to this particular client’s wants and needs. Launch a pitch where the prospect is engaged in your proposal, but unpressured by it.
This way, the next time the customer puts on the music; it will be time to boogie.
Motivating The Team: Part 1
One accepted tenet of life is: Motivated employees work harder, producing superior results. Keeping workers motivated is an ongoing process requiring time and creativity on your part. The days when dangling a small raise or a new title to drive your team, have long passed. With the entire world demanding instant gratification, the realization is those incentives will not excite your staff on a day-to-day basis. As motivating the team is a subject needing to be explored in depth, ongoing posts will be devoted to different ways to encourage your organization.
While maintaining a clear separation of management and staff levels is necessary, keeping the executives in an “ivory tower,” does nothing to help the “team” spirit. The need for communication must go beyond inter-office memos and email. Having a conversation, remember those, with your employees one-to-one, does more to create a fire within, than that box of donuts dropped off in the coffee room every Friday.
If your company regularly has first-thing-in-the-morning meetings around a conference table, consider occasionally meeting in the park and talking around a picnic table. Guaranteed, your workers will get to the office in a more relaxed state-of-mind, encouraged by the two-way communication and eager to produce.
| The average employee works at 50% of the level of productivity that they are capable of. That means that companies are throwing away billions of dollars every year. Let Brian… |
How To Be A Success
Throughout our lives, we make lists: Grocery lists, Christmas lists, bucket lists. But, how many of us ever take the time to create a list for success. The only way to achieve success is to define what it means to you; and methodically execute the steps needed to achieve it.
A lawyer, for example, has listed the steps to his success by first choosing the right law school, interning at a law office, passing the bar, defining his area of expertise, obtaining a position at a law firm, becoming a partner, and so on. To attain his determined success, there was a clear path to be followed. This principle carries through for virtually any career.
While your chosen field may not show a clear avenue from entry level to CEO, it’s always best to think one or two steps ahead…and maybe one or two sideways. Flexibility can also be a key to success, your original goal may, at times be altered by circumstances beyond your control. The ability to embrace new challenges can not only be exciting; it may be necessary.
Tomorrow may only be another day, but without a list for success, it may become time unfulfilled.
Find out how to be a success by getting one of the programs listed below! Even the smallest shift in your mindset can have a huge impact on the desired outcome.
 Success is no accident. You won’t just stumble upon it in the dark. Success is a skill. A skill that can be learned by anyone, at any stage of the… |
Three Crucial Tips for Selling on the Phone
With national “do not call” lists and the over saturation of telephone soliciting in the recent past, is selling on the phone a near impossibility these days?
We don’t think so.
In fact, many thousands of B2B sales are closed over the phone every day. But you can bet that the vast majority of those deals were not consummated without the thoughtful use of good telephone sales skills.
Here are three critical pointers you’ll need to use if you want to get better at selling on the phone:
Use the first few seconds wisely: Depending upon which study you believe, you may have as little as three seconds to create the right first impression with a client over the phone. The primary factor in that disadvantage is clear: your prospect isn’t sitting in the same room with you, so your voice is the only attention-getting tool you have. Add the fact that most people are wary of telephone salespeople, and you certainly have your work cut out for you. The only way to navigate around these challenges successfully is to speak with a clear, authoritative tone that conveys enthusiasm and personality. That also means you have to avoid sounding too “salesy” or as if you’re reading from a canned script.
Respect your prospect’s time: One good way to get the conversation started off on the right foot is to ask the client for a few minutes of their time, instead of automatically assuming that right now is just as good a time as any. Your client is just as busy as you are, so respecting their time is a very good way to get some respect for yourself. Some telephone sales “experts” believe in an opposite theory that suggests effective phone sales can only happen if the salesperson plows right through without asking permission. We think that being specific about how much time you are asking for, then sticking to that estimate, is crucial. Even if your client asks to reschedule for another day, you will earn valuable points merely for demonstrating that you respect their time.
Encourage your client to talk: As always, salespeople who do more talking than listening also do more talking than selling. To be effective at selling on the phone, you must get your prospect actively involved in the conversation. You do this by asking open-ended questions that require more than a simple yes or no. And by all means, your client will talk to you a lot more readily if he or she perceives that you are actually interested in what they are saying.
Despite any negative connotations associated with telephone sales, it can still be a very successful way to generate new business. Observe these three tips, and you will put yourself in a position to maximize your results over the phone.
One call at a time.
Change Your Life by Mastering Influence
Have you observed successful professionals? What does it take to make everyone around enthusiastic about you, about your products? You must have noticed something common in them all. They influence everyone around them, leave a great impression and have many friends and customers. You too can acquire the skill of influencing others and reach the league of highly successful and influential people.
1- Build Relationships: By building relationships, I am not asking you to cheat on your spouse. I am talking about creating an emotional relationship with your customers. Find the ways that mutually benefit to you both. Let them know that you understand their requirements and that’s why you deliver value.
2- Be an Amazing Learner: Talk to people, and listen to them instead of bombarding non-stop lectures. Ask questions and consider their responses carefully. This way you can understand their problems, pains and struggles- a great opportunity to provide them with surprising solutions and gain respect among them.
3- Self Image: The way you conduct yourself speaks a lot about your self image. You can’t even influence your spouse with scruffy clothes, unpolished shoes, sloppy speech, unprofessional behavior and untidy hair, let alone the masses. Mastering influence requires confidence, professionalism and a passion to achieve your goals. Feed your brain with positive thoughts, mix with successful people and invest in reading good books.
The day people begin to treat you with great respect, you can proudly say that you have mastered influence!
The Sales Negotiation Process
Regardless of what you are selling or who your customer is, you need a good negotiation strategy that allows both you and your customer to succeed in the end. A strategy is only as effective as the techniques used. You should view techniques as the tools for implementing your sales negotiation strategy. The following are some helpful tips on how to succeed at sales negotiations:
Be prepared. Effective sales negotiations begin before you come to the bargaining table. This means doing your research and planning ahead of time. You need to consider your customer’s situation and ask yourself what they really need from the deal as well as list what you are willing to compromise and what you cannot. Being prepared also allows you to remain relaxed throughout the negotiation.
Set Standards. In order to reach a mutual agreement, there are rules that have to be followed. Setting some guidelines before the negotiation will ensure that each party works under the same standards. For example, you can approach your customer with your competitor’s price and use what they have paid in the past as a standard.
Work together. A good negotiation allows all involved to leave the sale feeling good about their final decision as well as about each other. By approaching the negotiation with mutual satisfaction in mind, your customer will be a lot easier to work with. If a customer feels as though they are being taken advantage of, they will become defensive. If they know that you are playing fair then they will most likely do the same.
Finalize and follow through. The point of a sales negotiation is to come out with the best deal for everyone involved so you should ask many questions. Be sure to address important details and listen to your customer’s concerns. After you have arrived at a mutually beneficial solution, negotiated and signed an agreement, you need to follow through. This involves doing what you said that you would do. For example if you promised a certain delivery date, make sure your product or service is delivered by that date. If something unexpected arises that will affect the delivery date, make sure that you contact your customer and make other arrangements.
The way you handle sales negotiations can determine whether you are able to close a sale as well as how profitable the sales transaction will be. An important element of effective negotiation is being able to ensure that everyone can leave satisfied rather than feeling as if they have been short changed. In order to prevent a situation like this, you need to have a good negotiation strategy.
Sales Closing Techniques: Process vs. Lists
Sales Closing Techniques: Process vs. Lists
Type “sales closing techniques” into a search engine, and you’ll get nearly 300,000 results.
You could create quite a list from that much information.
But if you are interested in learning how to master sales closing techniques, you should give strong consideration to understanding the process of closing sales rather than memorizing lists of closing strategies.
So what’s the basic process? It goes something like this:
Get the Prospect’s Attention
Any attempt to closing sales successfully an order must begin with effective communication that gets (and holds) your prospect’s attention. The best way to ensure that happens, believe it or not, is to avoid the inclination to do all of the talking. If you’re doing most of the talking, odds are your prospect is doing very little listening. Worse yet, he or she is likely to be planning an escape route to get relief from your incessant babbling. The bottom line: get your prospect to do most of the talking in a sales discussion through asking plenty of thoughtful questions.
Give the Prospect Reasons to Buy
Everyone who’s been in the sales game long enough has heard of “fact, feature, benefit” (FFB) selling. Even in today’s “value added” world, the basic premise of FFB still works. The key to making it effective is to focus more on benefits than either facts or features. That’s because features and facts are nice, but they do little to answer the prospect’s questions about what’s in it for him. Remember, one clear benefit of your product or service may be all it takes to give your prospect all the reasons he or she needs to buy from you instead of your competition.
Ask for the Order
Once your prospect understands the benefits your product can provide, which won’t be a problem since you’ve worked so hard to get his attention, it’s time to ask for the order. Studies show that asking for the order only once doesn’t work very well; in fact, some 60% of sales aren’t made until the fifth attempt to close the order. Nevertheless, the same studies suggest that only 8% of salespeople continue trying to close after the fourth attempt. The lesson in all of that: be one of the 8% who is tenacious enough to ask for the order until your prospect either gives it to you or asks you to vacate the premises.
Salespeople who surf the web for tips about sales closing techniques are a dime a dozen. But for the few who are willing to embrace the central process behind effective closing, the rewards are great and frequent.
Handling Sales Objections Like a Pro
In sales, we hear things like this all the time:
“Sales objections are opportunities in disguise.”
After sayings like that are drummed into our heads over and over again, either we begin to believe them or we become numb.
Are you numb?
If so, it probably means one of two things. Either you find yourself frustrated by an inability to overcome objections, or you are indifferent to the idea of objections being opportunities for the right reason. And what’s the right reason?
Consider this:
“Real sales pros don’t encounter sales objections all that often
because they’ve learned how to avoid them in the first place.”
Today’s sales professional really needs to embrace thinking like that. Without it, there is a great risk of failure in the area of learning and developing an effective grasp of the sales process that is being used.
With time and practice, thinking sales pros learn to anticipate and address obstacles in advance. This can only happen with a strong commitment to expanding product knowledge, and not just for the ones your own company sells. That same commitment needs to be applied to the products, services, markets and structure of the prospects and customers you serve.
Through a better understanding of what your customers do to add value to their products and services, you will develop the ability to predict what it is about your product that might cause your prospect to hesitate. And by identifying, discussing and illuminating those issues up front, you will be taking significant steps toward minimizing the sales objections you would otherwise encounter on a daily basis.
None of this suggests that you can completely eliminate objections. But if you can eliminate ordinary ones by anticipating what they may be, you’ll be placing yourself in an excellent position for success when the more significant ones inevitably crop up.
If you want to improve the way you handle objections, I recommend this program from Brian Tracy:
 Is it possible to triple your income within 12 months? Absolutely with this program! |
Listening Skills and Sales Skills – A Truly Inseparable Pair
Like peanut butter and jelly, Fred and Ginger, or bees and honey, listening skills and sales skills go together perfectly.
In fact, they are truly an inseparable pair.
To be effective in the sales game, it is necessary to optimize two key areas of business communication: talking and listening. Unfortunately, getting the most out of the words that salespeople speak is impossible if they don’t get much, much more out of the words they hear during meetings with prospects.
So why don’t salespeople listen better?
For one thing, people tend to think at a much faster pace than they talk. Which means that as a prospect is speaking, the salesperson’s mind is likely to be taking off in multiple directions that go beyond the words heard by the ear.
Another factor, according to some studies, is that most people remember only about half of what is said to them during regular conversations. And for the career professional who’s looking for a boost to their sales skills, that 50% of un-retained information can easily make the difference between winning or losing an order.
Listening skills, then, are clearly critical to success in sales. Such skills can be mastered, but only over time and with strong dedication to continuous practice and education.
But as difficult as mastering listening skills may be, it starts with one simple commitment – that being to make listening (instead of talking) the number one priority in business meetings. By making that simple commitment, you’ll be on the way to improving your sales skills dramatically.
Seems almost too easy, doesn’t it? Well, we think it’s a lot easier said than done. There are at least a dozen different things you have to do well in order to enhance your listening skills. We’ll give you the first one now:
Verify, Confirm and Validate: By striving to periodically validate what you are hearing in a business meeting, you are opening up to better listening skills in a continuous way. Most seasoned sales professionals accomplish this by taking detailed notes, and using the lapses in conversation to jot down thoughts and challenges to information that’s presented by your prospect. Then, they ask their prospect thoughtful questions designed to confirm they’ve heard the information correctly. This constant verification of facts in real time keeps you engaged, informed and above all, it demonstrates your interest and credibility in the prospect’s eyes. In other words, they will readily see that you are listening and participating when you ask for clarification about information they offer.
There’s a lot more to better listening skills than just “validation,” but it’s a great first step. Stop by the bestsalesmantraining.com blog frequently, and we’ll continue to pass on our ideas for making you a better listener.
If you want to improve your listening skills, I highly recommend the resource below!
Three Crucial Tips for Selling on the Phone
With national “do not call” lists and the over saturation of telephone soliciting in the recent past, is selling on the phone a near impossibility these days?
We don’t think so.
In fact, many thousands of B2B sales are closed over the phone every day. But you can bet that the vast majority of those deals were not consummated without the thoughtful use of good telephone sales skills.
Here are three critical pointers you’ll need to use if you want to get better at selling on the phone:
Use the first few seconds wisely: Depending upon which study you believe, you may have as little as three seconds to create the right first impression with a client over the phone. The primary factor in that disadvantage is clear: your prospect isn’t sitting in the same room with you, so your voice is the only attention-getting tool you have. Add the fact that most people are wary of telephone salespeople, and you certainly have your work cut out for you. The only way to navigate around these challenges successfully is to speak with a clear, authoritative tone that conveys enthusiasm and personality. That also means you have to avoid sounding too “salesy” or as if you’re reading from a canned script.
Respect your prospect’s time: One good way to get the conversation started off on the right foot is to ask the client for a few minutes of their time, instead of automatically assuming that right now is just as good a time as any. Your client is just as busy as you are, so respecting their time is a very good way to get some respect for yourself. Some telephone sales “experts” believe in an opposite theory that suggests effective phone sales can only happen if the salesperson plows right through without asking permission. We think that being specific about how much time you are asking for, then sticking to that estimate, is crucial. Even if your client asks to reschedule for another day, you will earn valuable points merely for demonstrating that you respect their time.
Encourage your client to talk: As always, salespeople who do more talking than listening also do more talking than selling. To be effective at selling on the phone, you must get your prospect actively involved in the conversation. You do this by asking open-ended questions that require more than a simple yes or no. And by all means, your client will talk to you a lot more readily if he or she perceives that you are actually interested in what they are saying.
Despite any negative connotations associated with telephone sales, it can still be a very successful way to generate new business. Observe these three tips, and you will put yourself in a position to maximize your results over the phone.
One call at a time.
If you want to master the skills of selling on the phone, check out Ari Galper’s telephone training below
Negotiation – A Sales Skill, An Art or A Science?
Yes.
It’s all of the above and more. Much more, really.
In the context of the sales profession, most people think of negotiation as just another sales skill that needs to be mastered on the way to everyday success in business. But can the skill, art and science of negotiation ever really be mastered? Probably not. But at the very least, a knack for effective negotiation can be learned, improved upon, developed, reinforced and ultimately, honed into a sales skill that will yield spectacular competitive advantages in difficult business environments. There are literally hundreds of nuances, strategies and tactics associated with effective negotiation. Here a few essential ones to get you started in the right direction:
Balance of Power
Never assume that the buyer in a negotiation has all the power. Savvy salespeople recognize that sellers often have just as much (or more) power in a negotiation as the buyer. For example, if the seller manages to find out that the buyer needs his product in a hurry, he can use that fact to his advantage when price, freight terms, quantity discounts and other elements of the sale are negotiated.
Aspirations
Experienced salespeople, when asked to give an approximate price for their goods or services, know that it’s better to quote a little higher price than they expect to get for their offerings. But there’s a way to take that tactic a step further, by quoting an extremely high price for the purpose of reducing the aspirations (or hopes) of the buyer for getting a good deal. Once the bar is set so high, it becomes much easier to realize a better than average margin when negotiations are concluded, because the buyer’s aspirations were controlled by the seller’s sales skill and negotiating prowess.
Silence
Silence is sometimes golden indeed. There is a natural human desire to keep conversation flowing, and knowledgeable salespeople will sometimes simply go silent at a crucial point in the negotiation for that very reason. This is sometimes very effective after quoting a price; often, the seller using this negotiation tactic will simply stop talking after throwing the number out there. And they won’t break the silence because they know the buyer eventually will. When she does, her discomfort about the silence will often lead to the seller getting a higher margin or at a minimum, significant information that might not otherwise have been divulged. Of course, there are many, many more tactics and situations where effective negotiating methods can be employed to the salesperson’s distinct advantage. Stay tuned to bestsalesmantraining.com for more of our negotiation skills series.
Find a selection of the best sales negotiating training by clicking HERE
How To Get Your Customer To Say Yes!
Closing a sale involves getting a prospective customer to say “yes” and make a purchase. It can either be difficult or easy depending on whether or not you take the steps needed create a fertile field for a sales opportunity. If you are prepared in advance, closing sales can be a normal part of your conversation with a prospect. You need to work to refine this skill so that it easily emerges out of your discussion. Below are some simple strategies to incorporate when closing sales:
– It may be helpful to set deadlines in order to convince a person to make a decision. If you are aware of any future prices increases you should encourage your prospect to make an order to take advantage of the reduced price. This conveys a message that you are helping them receive a good deal which is something they will appreciate.
– Make an effort to look for new ways to service your customers. Establish and maintain a relationship with them. You can serve as a resource for product updates. This sets you apart from not only being a salesperson but a resource and creates added value for them.
– Always be accessible. If a customer can’t locate you they may look elsewhere.
– Show your enthusiasm through your facial expressions, tone of voice and body language. A smile is a great asset for any salesperson. Customers prefer doing business with people who are positive and upbeat.
– Offer alternatives when closing sales as most people like to have different options. Presenting two different alternatives makes you more likely to make a sale of one option or another. For example, you can offer different colors, sizes, terms or delivery options.
Once you’ve reached the point when you are about to close the sale, you have come a long way. You have succeeded in getting your prospect interested enough to make a decision and if you follow these simple strategies, closing sales can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
If you want to have more opportunities to sit in front of customers and close sales, I recommend you download my free e-book Your Portable Sales Coach.
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Handling Sales Objections – An Opportunity not to be Missed
The word “objection ” for salespeople can be a horrible word. A skilled salesperson acknowledges that only a small amount of objections are actually legitimate and the rest of them are really ploys to subliminally hide the true objection. This is something that a salesperson deals with every day on the job.
Regardless of your selling style, you will still face objections but how you deal with them will determine if you close a sale or not. It will also determine whether or not you will be able to survive in your career as a sales professional. Below are some tips that will help you with handling sales objections:
• When hearing an objection, always thank your prospect for bringing up a good point. Thanking them for asking an objection question gives you a position of leverage by enabling you to assert your authority on the issue. It also gives you some time to develop a rebuttal to their objection.
• Ask them if this is really what they want. By doing this, you can determine whether or not this is truly a purchasing decision.
• Since objections fall into different categories, asking them what it is about your product that they object to, is a good way to dig deeper. A true objection is rare and many times it is because they are stalling or are misinformed about your service or product. This can be dealt with by highlighting some feature of your product that addresses these sales objections.
• After dealing with their initial objection try closing the sale again. Don’t expect that after successfully dealing with one objection, they are ready to make a purchase. There may be more objections to come.
With experience in handling sales objections, you can better prepare yourself for the next sales opportunity. You may even want to write down some of your past objections on a piece of paper and then provide answers to better handle them the next time around.
Check out our top resource for learning the skill of handling sales objections:
Active Listening – One of the Most Important Sales Skills
Closing techniques, presentation and understanding your customer is based on how well you can listen. Being able to actively listen can improve your sales skills. Unfortunately, listening is not a skill that is well developed by most salespeople.
The ability to actively listen takes focus, concentration, patience and interpreting your customer’s ideas correctly. Interpreting nonverbal communication such as body language is also important. Good listening skills require emotional and intellectual effort which can only be acquired through practice.
Miscommunication damages and deteriorates relationships. Being a good listener allows you to improve the quality of your relationship with customers, friends, family and colleagues. Failure to fully listen usually results in missed opportunities and mistakes. Below are some tips on improving your listening skills:
Stay present. Be open-minded when listening and focus on what your customer is telling you instead of just focusing on closing the sale. This allows you to develop a true interest in actually helping them and providing them with a solution.
Make your customer feel heard. This involves making sure that your customer feels as if they are being listened to by clarifying what they had previously said during the conversation. Ask questions and rephrase comments in your own words to make sure that you have also understood what they have said.
Lookout for what is not stated. If you feel as if your customer is sending mixed messages, ask questions to dig deeper.
The ability to listen is one of the sales skills that has to be learned and practiced. Being a good listener allows you to receive and process information from your customer that you could have missed otherwise. When you give your customer your focus and attention, your are likely to dramatically improve your closing ratio
If you want to improve your listening skills, I highly recommend the resource below!
Reach Your Goal – Part 3
Here are the last 4 steps from Zig Ziglar’s principles in ‘Over The Top’ on how to accomplish goals.
9. Get all the help you can
There are ‘give-up’ goals and ‘go-up’ goals. ‘Give-up’ goals are goals like giving up smoking, eating or other bad habits. Share these with as many friends as possible. Just be carful, people who still have the bad habit that you are trying to quit might not be your best support.
If you have a ‘go-up’ goal like writing a book or becoming the top sales person, share them with selected people only who you know will support you.
10. Become a team player
It’s much easier to accomplish goals if you team up with somebody who has the same goal. I remember a long time ago my friend and I both wanted to lose weight. We set ourselves the goal that who reached 60kg first, pays for a nice lunch outing. It was fun, motivating and I can assure you it works – I was so motivated that I won!!
11. Paint a positive picture.
It’s best to verbalize your goals in a positive rather than negative way. Let’s say you want to eat more healthily. Instead of saying ‘I no longer want to eat chocolate’ say ‘I want to eat 4 servings of fruit per day’. Say what you DO want and not what you DON’T want.
12. Paint a picture in your mind of what you want to be, do or have.
If you want to accomplish goals you must see yourself already having reached them! So start visualizing the end result. See yourself holding the trophy, crossing the finishing line or see yourself in a smaller dress size. If you can see yourself accomplishing your goal, you will surely be able to get there.
Now that you know the steps that Zig Ziglar recommends for you to accomplish your goals, think about a great goal for yourself and start working on it. If the goal is in line with your values and beliefs, it will be an exciting and rewarding exercise.
Reach Your Goal – Part 2
Today we will look at steps 5 to 8 that teach you how to reach goals according to Zig Ziglar’s principles in his book ‘Over The Top’. So let’s get right into it.
5. Make your liabilities your assets.
In this chapter Ziglar talks about how Walter Weingarten used his disability of being paralyzed and a prisoner of the life support system that makes his life possible. Due to this fact W. Weingarten invented a portable life support system that allows not only him but other people with this disability to move around much more freely.
I think what Ziglar wants to demonstrate with this story is that everything is possible – if you want it badly enough! Or what do you think?
6. Learn to respond to disappointment
Ziglar writes ‘It is not what happens to you but what you make of what happens to you that will ultimately determine your success in all areas of your life’. I think this is so true! Take a positive angle to everything that happens, even if it seems bad at the time. The least you gain from bad experiences is to know what to do differently next time.
7. Discipline yourself
We’ve all been there. We get up in the morning and just don’t feel like doing what we are ‘supposed’ to be doing. My tip? Do it NOW! Get it out of the way so you can get on with the other things you much rather do. I know it costs some discipline but you will achieve far more during the day than having the thought of not having done what you are supposed to do draining you of your energy all day.
8. Change direction, not decisions
On the way to reach your goal you usually come across obstacles that can cause you to want to give up. Setbacks are normal and should be expected. Simply rethink about your direction and find a better way to get to reach your goal. As long you made your commitment you will surely find a way!
Next time I will list the last 4 steps that are important if you want to find out how to reach goals. In the meantime check out our recommended audio programs on goal setting.
Reach Your Goal – Part 1
Reach your Goal – Part 1
I recently came across a book I hadn’t looked at for a long time. In “Over The Top’ Zig Ziglar provides you with the 12 steps you need to follow if you want to reach your goal. Today I will list the first four of these steps and provide you with a brief explanation.
1. Make the commitment that you are going to reach your goal.
This is probably the most important step. Do you really think to reach your goals if you set them half-heartedly? If you’ve done the goal setting process correctly and found a goal that ‘fits’ with your values and beliefs, it won’t be difficult to commit to making it happen.
2. Break your goal into smaller pieces.
This is really step 3 but I feel it makes more sense at this point. Some goals can seem overwhelming first. However by breaking them down into smaller pieces, they become more manageable. You can celebrate each semi-step as you reach it and this will propel you forward.
3. Commit yourself to daily detailed accountability.
Now that you have smaller goals, decide on a daily activity you want to perform. Make sure you do a little bit every day. It is much easier to spend 30 minutes each day working on your goal than 4 hours at the weekend when you really much rather be doing something else.
4. Get in shape physically, mentally and spiritually
All these aspects of your health are important for your every day performance. Do regular exercising, walk up the stairs to your office instead of taking the elevator. Challenge yourself mentally. I recommend reading some of Edward De Bono books or calculate numbers in your head rather than using the calculator. Go to a good book shop and find some reading about spiritual topics that fit with your values.
Next week I will list steps 5-8. In the meantime check out some of Zig Ziglar’s audios about how you can reach your goals.
Your Negotiation Skill – Vital For The Negotiation Process
Regardless of what you are selling or who your customer is, your negotiation skill is what allows both you and your customer to succeed in the end. A strategy is only as effective as the techniques used. You should view your negotiation skill as the tools for implementing your sales strategy. The following are some helpful tips on how to succeed at sales negotiations:
Be prepared. Effective sales negotiations begin before you come to the bargaining table. This means doing your research and planning ahead of time. You need to consider your customer’s situation and ask yourself what they really need from the deal as well as list what you are willing to compromise and what you cannot. Being prepared also allows you to remain relaxed throughout the negotiation.
Set Standards. In order to reach a mutual agreement, there are rules that have to be followed. Setting some guidelines before the negotiation will ensure that each party works under the same standards. For example, you can approach your customer with your competitor’s price and use what they have paid in the past as a standard.
Work together. A good negotiation allows all involved to leave the sale feeling good about their final decision as well as about each other. By approaching the negotiation with mutual satisfaction in mind, your customer will be a lot easier to work with. If a customer feels as though they are being taken advantage of, they will become defensive. If they know that you are playing fair then they will most likely do the same.
Finalize and follow through. The point of a sales negotiation is to come out with the best deal for everyone involved so you should ask many questions. Be sure to address important details and listen to your customer’s concerns. After you have arrived at a mutually beneficial solution, negotiated and signed an agreement, you need to follow through. This involves doing what you said that you would do. For example if you promised a certain delivery date, make sure your product or service is delivered by that date. If something unexpected arises that will affect the delivery date, make sure that you contact your customer and make other arrangements.
Your level of negotiation skill can determine whether you are able to close a sale as well as how profitable the sales transaction will be. An important element of effective negotiation is being able to ensure that everyone can leave satisfied rather than feeling as if they have been short changed. In order to prevent a situation like this, you need to have a good negotiation strategy.
5 Tips for Closing Sales
Many people have trouble making decisions for fear of making the wrong decision and usually prefer to leave things for the last minute. As a sales professional, you need to be able to persuade your prospect to make a decision, either yes or no, so that you can close the sale or move on to another customer.
Closing a sale actually begins at the initial encounter with a prospective customer. You should always be in the state of “closing” from the very beginning. Your words, thinking and actions need to be directed towards closing the sale. Successful closing requires that you are sensitive to a customer’s needs and wants. Sensitivity allows a sales person to understand the thoughts, emotions and motives of customers.
Tips to Remember When Closing Sales:
1. Understand your customer – Establishing a good relationship with your prospective customer is a key element in closing the sale. The better you understand and know your customer, the easier it will be to get them to say yes to the sale. The process of learning about your customer will provide you with a list of reasons as to why your product or service can best suit his or her needs.
2. Pay attention to your prospect’s emotions – Never try to close a sale when they are in an emotional state that is negative.
3. Know your competition – Knowing your competitors will equip you with more reasons to present to your prospect why they should choose your product or service over the competition.
4. Consider your leverage – Although cost is a big factor in purchasing decisions, it is not the only one. Be prepared to list the strengths and benefits of your product or service and use this knowledge to leverage the close.
5. Know when it’s time to close – The best time to Brian Tracy’s Bestseller “24 Techniques for Closing the Sale” or download our free e-book for helping you generate more leads and make your sales soar.
How to Handle Sales Objections
Why attend expensive sales seminars when the answers are right here?
Whatever product or service you are trying to sell there will be moments when your prospective customer gives you objections which are reasons for not purchasing. A good sales professional has to be able to turn these sales objections into opportunities. Mastering this sales skill is a must for every good salesperson.
A great way to deal with objections is through prevention. For instance, if you already know that your product or service is priced higher than the competition, you should bring this up to your prospect early on since there is no way to really avoid it. Explain to them why you are priced this way, list benefits and advantages and demonstrate what your competitor can’t do that you can.
If sales objections arise that you weren’t prepared for, you should dig into the heart of it. This means asking your prospects questions. For instance, if the objection is in response to price, then find out what the prospect really means. Is it higher than they expected? Is it more expensive than the competition? In general, if the price is too high in your prospect’s eye, they can’t see the benefits to justify the price. So you’ve got more work to do. Or, maybe the product is really not the right fit for your prospect.
Once you understand the core of their objection, agree with them. Disagreeing may actually cause you to lose the sale. Agreeing allows you to acknowledge their concern and avoid conflict. An objection is not necessarily a barrier to a sale. Some may be excuses not to purchase.
Experience in selling your particular product or service gives you the ability to answer almost any objection since you have most likely dealt with them before. You can always show your prospect how the advantages outweigh any disadvantages or how the objection is not really a concern for the prospect’s particular circumstance.
I’ve attended many sales seminars that taught that selling is about providing your customer a solution to their problem and identifying a need and then filling it through your product or service. I totally agree with that. What it means is listening to your customer and trying to put yourself in their shoes. Experience in selling the same product or service allows you learn which sales objections you need to address first and how to deal with your prospect’s concerns effectively and positively.
Handling objections is a sales skill you can’t be without.
For more tips and advice on how you can make your sales improve, download our free e-book! of get one of our recommended sales courses
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See Your Sales Improve Dramatically By Applying Listening Skills
If you are serious about making your sales improve, then there is one simple concept you must master.
Listening – the number 1 sales skill!
Without polished listening skills, you will never be successful as a salesperson and you won’t be Closing Sales
Why?
Because your customers and prospects aren’t always going to give you crystal-clear answers to the questions you ask. And if what they are telling you at any given moment doesn’t provide an obvious path to the conclusion you’re after, then you have to clear a path of your own. That path can best be cleared by listening – with rapt attention and strong purpose.
Here are a few techniques for you to observe that will help to sharpen your listening skills and help your sales improve:
- Recognize that the most exciting subject for every person on the planet is – themselves. Asking questions about the person you are engaging makes you engaging, because you are giving your customer or prospect lots of chances to talk about themselves. And talking about themselves makes them feel good about themselves, which in turn, will make them feel good about you.
- Recognize that the least exciting subject for every person on the planet (except for you) is you. Don’t talk about yourself, period. If your client asks you a question about you, politely answer it and swing the conversation back to her.
- Don’t formulate. Formulators don’t really listen at all. Instead, they pick one or two things they might hear a prospect say, and then they focus on assembling a response. In the process, they miss the subtle and not-so-subtle points that often make the difference between winning a sale or losing one.
- Listen actively. Let the person you are meeting with know you’re in tune with the conversation by interjecting thoughtful questions throughout the dialogue. These interjections should go beyond things like “really?” or “no kidding?” and reflect true interest in what the other party is saying. Example: “Isn’t next week the start of your vacation?” or “What was it like going to Cal Tech University?”
Listening, a vital sales skill, may be more art than science. Techniques for helping a person’s sales improve are sometimes viewed the other way around.
But no matter whether you’re more like Picasso or Einstein, you’d better be listening or you won’t be Closing Sales
For more tips and advice on how you can make your sales improve, download our free e-book! Or check out our hand-selected recommendations such as
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