Sales Tips: 2 Little Words to Close Deals Faster. If you knew two little words that could improve your sales, you’d use them, wouldn’t you? When you see your customer has some reservations, it makes sense to get the issues out in the open, doesn’t it? And after the ink is dry on the deal, you should make every effort to make sure your customer is satisfied, shouldn’t you? So why all the questions? They illustrate a simple technique--sales tie-downs--that can help you improve your sales process. By getting your customers to agree with you in small steps along the way, you have a better chance of reaching agreement when it’s time to do business. Sales tie-downs are short questions you add to statements throughout your presentation to get your prospective customer to start saying yes long before you go for the close. Too often, sales reps simply regurgitate their presentations and expect to land the sale.
You know what I mean? These questions can be as simple as: Aren’t they? You don’t need a big close, as many sales reps believe. 5 secrets of getting free publicity - Sales Machine. Human Eye, Robot, Video Conference Camera, Camera, Computer, Technology, Internet ...more istockphoto.com (MoneyWatch) Let me let you in on a little secret: Free publicity is the cheapest way to build your brand. But the right publicity -- the kind that can generate leads, build credibility, and increase awareness in the marketplace -- doesn't happen by accident.
How can you gain positive national exposure that will lead prospects to your product or service? No public relations expert would ever say there isn't at least some element of chance involved in what stories get picked up and which ones don't. However, there is a way to increase the odds. The best approach is to take a "water-drip" torture approach. The secret to success is to be sure you're telling a story that's worth printing. 1. Once you've got a newsworthy story, get the word out via public relations services such as PR Newswire and Business Newswire. . © 2012 CBS Interactive Inc.. The top 10 sales tactics that beat cold calling - Sales Machine. Nothing says "trust me" like a cold call. It probably won't surprise you to know that prospects hate taking your cold calls as much as you hate making them.
Often sales people tell me they are frustrated with how to generate enough quality leads to keep their pipelines filled. They are dismayed about the quality of their marketing materials, they are concerned with their company's low profile or they feel pressure because their efforts are not generating enough new prospect leads. Do you face these same hurdles? The best lead generation is educational because it gets you invited in by the prospect. Here are the top 10 tactics that work, but a la David Letterman, in descending order of effectiveness. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. These can't be 90-minute commercials.
(image courtesy of public domain images) © 2012 CBS Interactive Inc.. Why prospective customers are laughing at you - Sales Machine. Some women may find them embarrassing, but there's nothing abnormal about "vaginal farts," a.k.a. "varts" or "queefs. " That's the noise made when air introduced into the vagina during exercise or sex is suddenly expelled. istockphoto (MoneyWatch) Here's a dirty little secret: Prospects are laughing at you behind your back. And, I must confess, so am I. They were laughing at me, too, until I finally discovered exactly what clients said after the handshakes were over and we were by ourselves in the car congratulating each other on a great meeting. "You all sound the same, and you all say the same thing," one focus group participant confided. "You say, 'We are just the right size for you -- small enough for personal attention, big enough to get the job done.' Another participant added: "Oh, and you are so proud of how many years you have been in business.
All of that to say, before you can begin seriously attracting prospects, you must create a marketing genetic code that is attractive. 1. The 5 basic manners you need to know in business - Sales Machine. I stand up when a lady arrives at or leaves a table. I know, that is nostalgic and even possibly risky as it might be perceived as sexist. However, it is one of a set of manners I was taught as a child that I still follow. Holding doors, taking hats off indoors, pulling out chairs and lowering voices all seem to be quaint throwback ideas that are dying rapid and unceremonious deaths. Because of diversity training, political correctness and the changing mores of society, I think the clarity of what are considered to be "good manners" has become murky. The basic guideline of "treat others as you would wish to be treated" is less of the clear path to follow as individualism changes the interpretation.
Manners are still important and can be differentiating, often times in the negative. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. These manners probably seem like common sense. . © 2011 CBS Interactive Inc.. What I Learned Building the Apple Store - Ron Johnson. Why sales skills matter -- to everyone. If you really want to boost your career, find a way to work in sales -- either with your current company or employer or by taking a part-time job that involves sales.
Whether you work for someone else, own your own business, or even work in a role where you never interact with customers, sales skills are still incredibly useful. Why? Many people hear the word "sales" and think of pressuring, manipulating, and maneuvering potential customers into making a purchase -- all the stereotypes of used car or timeshare sales. Think of sales as clearly explaining the logic and benefits of an action or decision and it's clear every job requires solid sales skills: Convincing peers an idea or initiative makes sense, proving to a boss or customer that a project will generate a solid return, or helping employees who work for you understand the benefits of a new process and embrace the changes required. When you work in sales, you: Develop self-discipline.
Develop negotiation skills. The easiest elevator pitch to deliver. Plenty of people worry about getting stuck in elevators, but what about going into labor in one? Katie Thacker of Spanaway, Wash., was one surprised mother-to-be when she got stuck in an elevator at the hospital right before she was to give birth. Baby Blake "couldn't wait any longer," the Seattle Times reported, and was born in the elevator weighing 7 pounds and 15 ounces. Thankfully Thacker had nurses in the elevator to help, and the baby was born with a healthy cry. istockphoto I'm terrible at delivering elevator pitches. While some people are great at making a wonderful first impression on potential clients, to me making an elevator pitch feels forced and obvious, so I usually chicken out and console myself by rationalizing that impromptu encounters with people in need of a ghostwriter aren't likely anyway.
Fortunately there's another way. Example: I was standing beside a young man at a reception and I asked what he does. He said, "I crash websites. " I thought for a second. 23 Sure-Fire Ways To Improve Your Presentations - Last Updated Sep 22, 2011 8:54 PM EDT I've had repeated requests for a checklist of techniques to make presentations more effective.
Here's that list, along with links to Sales Machine posts that have more detailed suggestions and a step-by-step method. RULE #1: Research your audience's preconceptions, desires and fears. Why: Every audience is has unique driver. RULE #2: Focus on the decision you want the audience to make. Why: That's why you're giving a presentation. RULE #3: Compile information that has emotional punch. . : I spend an entire chapter on sales presentations in in my new book How to Say It: Business to Business Selling now available for sale here: AmazonBarnes & NobleIndiebound © 2011 CBS Interactive Inc.. The 4 Questions That Create Massive Sales Success | BNET. Last Updated Jun 21, 2011 9:01 AM EDT Contrary to popular belief, it's not difficult to be successful at selling. However, it does take a willingness to examine your strengths and weaknesses, and take action to reinforce the former, and shore up the latter.
This process requires self-awareness, which is the purpose of these four key questions. Ask each of these four questions silently to yourself. Answer honestly, then take action based on what you learn. CLICK for the first key question Note: this post is based on a conversation I had a while back with Greg Wingard, the author of the books Stick With It and Guaranteed Success. Illustrations by Alena Kozlova © 2011 CBS Interactive Inc.. 8 Ways to Sell Against a Lower Price | BNET. 3 Ways You're Messing Up Negotiations | BNET. The 6 Essential Rules for Closing Deals | BNET.
Sales Quiz: How to Begin a Customer Conversation | BNET. Sales Quiz: What's Important to Your Customer? | BNET. Last Updated Jul 6, 2011 1:47 PM EDT Here's a quick multiple-choice game that tests your knowledge of how your customers think, when they're considering buying from you. It's a simple sales scenario that has you guess what question is uppermost in the prospect's mind at each stage of the sale. When you're done, you'll know exactly how to structure a sales engagement, so it's worth the three minutes it takes to complete it.
The process is easy. Read the scenario, then pick the question that you think is uppermost in the prospect's mind at that point in the sale. If you guess right, you move to the next stage of the sales cycle. SCENARIO: You're meeting for the first time with a decision-maker for a huge potential customer. NOTE: The idea behind this game comes from a conversation with Duane Sparks, author of "Selling Your Price: How to Escape the Race to the Bargain Basement".
Illustrations by Afiat Sukmaraga © 2011 CBS Interactive Inc.. How To Sell Strategically | BNET. Last Updated Jul 6, 2011 11:42 AM EDT Today's sales pros are drowning in information. They can mine CRM databases, contact databases, news databases, social networks, and so forth, in order to learn mountains of data about competitors, prospects, and customers. Sales professionals now have so much "information at their fingertips" that they can't find out what's really important. The solution, according to Ryan Kubacki, president of the sales consulting firm Holden International, is to stop using information tactically and start using it strategically. Here are some quick pointers: Step #1: Adopt a strategic selling mentality. Rather than worrying about tactical matters, like your sales pitch, presentation, and closing technique, focus on strategic skills like how to ask successful questions and how to diagnose and clarify customer needs.
READERS: Any other suggestions? © 2011 CBS Interactive Inc.. Has CRM Failed? | BNET. Last Updated Jun 28, 2011 5:08 PM EDT The product category known as Sales Force Automation (SFA) is at least three decades old, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has been around nearly that long. Companies have spent billions of dollars on these systems. Has it been worth it? The basic concept of SFA/CRM is to apply the principles of factory automation to a sales environment. The emphasis is on making sales processes repeatable and standardized. Reps follow a standard set of behaviors at each stage of the process, with the system monitoring those steps, much like a factory automation system monitors the steps in a manufacturing line. Unfortunately, this approach does nothing whatsoever to help sales teams to sell.
Quite the contrary, because SFA/CRM needs data from the sales force to produce meaningful reports, sales pros have often been forced to do a lot of keystroking, on top of their normal duties. Despite all the new technology, most sales organizations are floundering. Free Sales Tool: The Sales Call Check List | BNET. Last Updated Jun 29, 2011 2:14 PM EDT Here's a quick tool to help you prepare for a sales call, and assess you performance afterwards. It's a simple check list that covers the basics of consultative selling. To use the tool, cut and paste the list into a document and print out copies for your personal notebook. Before and after each meeting, check off the items that you covered. Over time, as you continue to audit your sales calls in this way, you'll find that hitting these essential bases becomes automatic. Prior to Each Sales Call: You have adequate knowledge of the prospect's firm. READERS: Let me know how this tool works for you. © 2011 CBS Interactive Inc..
How to Improve Your Sales Presentation | BNET. 6 Dumb Reasons Your Sales Proposal Bombed | BNET. Last Updated Jun 3, 2011 2:03 PM EDT It's been said that "everything happens for a reason. " That's certainly true... and often it's for a dumb reason. Especially with sales proposals. Proposals have the unfortunate combination of being both expensive to create and easy to screw up.
Not to worry. CLICK HERE for the first dumb reason NOTE: This post is loosely based upon a conversation with Tom Sant, the world's foremost expert on writing winning sales proposals. Illustrations by Lorelyn Medina © 2011 CBS Interactive Inc..