Posted: January 2, 2012 | Categories: Sales

Now that we know our strengths and have determined how much money we want to make in 2012 (our goal), we can map out our strategy.Read More…

Posted: November 29, 2011 | Categories: Sales, Self-Improvement

How much are you going to make in 2012?  What will your profit margin be?  Specific goals, action steps, benchmarks and deadlines are all part of an effective business plan.  So how do we come up with a revenue goal that is realistic, challenging, and well supported?  Here are some questions we can ask ourselves to achieve that objective:
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Posted: November 28, 2011 | Categories: Management, Sales

December is a good time to employ the 5P formula.  “Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance” Priormeans before, and I’ve got news for you:  This is the last month before the new year.  What we do now can help ensure a strong launch in January.  Let’s plan…step by step.

Before we begin, we need to remind ourselves that December is also an important month for sales activity.  When I was in sales, some of my most high-producing months were in December.  Sure, things can taper off after the 20^th.  That still leaves a lot of selling days!
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Posted: November 11, 2011 | Categories: Sales

A few weeks ago I was talking with a client who was working on his selling skills. He said, “I’m good at selling on the phone, but I have trouble getting appointments”…”One of my teammates is not good at selling on the phone, but is good at getting appointments.” He and his associate decided to put their thoughts together to find a way to create the best of both worlds. Here is what he discovered from their discussion:

When we are phoning for an appointment, what are we selling? The appointment or our product or service? Answer: We are selling the appointment. And since we are selling the appointment, we need to sell the idea that investing some time with us is going to be a good decision. How do we do this? Here are the fundamentals:

• Clearly introduce yourself and your company. Do it with pride and conviction. Just doing this takes away that question, ‘And who may I ask is calling?”
• Respect their time. Ask, “Can you take a moment to talk?” or “Is it convenience for you to talk now?” (They will appreciate you asking)
• Generate interest. Assuming they said “yes”, that means we have a very short window of opportunity to get their engagement. We need to make a statement that hits home, and makes them want to meet with us. For example, if a financial advisor wanted to get an appointment, they might say:“We are finding that there is much financial uncertainty today, and our clients tell us they appreciate how we partner with them to move from uncertain to confidence. My goal in calling you is to look at a time when can get together over a cup of coffee, understand your situation and what you are looking to do, and determine if there is some common ground….How does your schedule look for next week?”

You will note that throughout this track, there was no talk about product or service. The focus is on the prospect, and what we believe is important to them. Remember, the next time you pick up the phone to get an appointment, keep in mind what you are selling…the appointment.

Posted: October 10, 2011 | Categories: Sales

Comedian Rodney Dangerfield was immortalized the phrase, “Can’t get no respect”.  One of the most common gripes I hear in the business world today is, “I can’t get an audience!”  Voice mail, automated attendants, and social media have made it more challenging to get those face-to-face meetings we need to have quality sales conversations.  So what can we do to get to our audience?
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