Unleash Your Lead Generation Machine

Lead generation is a funny thing. It’s the lifeblood of any growing business, yet many approach it in a casual manner at best.

Consistently generating leads for your business takes momentum and momentum takes energy.

In my experience, lead generation energy is best created by effectively approaching your very well defined target market from several angles, advances and mediums.

Your multi-pronged attack should come just short of making them feel that you and your business are everywhere they want to go.

One way to accomplish this is through the carefree spending of bucket loads of money on advertising. It’s an approach that has actually worked for some, but I don’t recommend it for most small business owners.

A more effective small business lead generation machine, one that generates the greatest return on investment, is best created through the blending of targeted advertising, consistent public relations and a systematic approach to referrals.

This three prong attack is the stuff that momentum is built on.

Advertising

For most small businesses, direct mail is one of the best ways to target specific markets. The key to making small business direct mail, or any form of advertising, work is to use your advertising to gain marketing permission, before you try to gain a sale.

In other words, focus your advertising message on creating a lead. Make them an offer of a free report, seminar, evaluation, newsletter, or other low cost or no cost education message and let them begin to get to know you through this two step process.

The fact is you can’t really expect a prospect to make a buying decision about your product or service from the 127 words you can cram onto a postcard. You can however, get their attention with a free report that offers them 5,000 words of your expertise. Once they have consumed that, they will be primed and ready for your follow-up sales message.

Public relations

PR is a big field but for the sake of this article, I’m talking about two things â€" Getting nice articles about your firm in publications read by your target market and placing expert articles, written by you, in publications read by your target market.

If you aren’t doing both of these as part of your lead generation strategy, you are missing the boat.

When a prospect reads an article in a newspaper or magazine it carries much more credibility than an ad. The fact that someone else (the publication) thinks that you are great is a very strong endorsement.

Target the publications you want to appear in and then start to market to them. Read them, send information and notes to writers on staff, find out what guidelines they have for guest authors and start creating some positive PR to go along with your advertising.

Here’s a quick tip. Ask your best clients what publications they read and rely on the most. This can be a great way to find the best publications to advertise in as well. Every industry has dozens of trade publications, but only a few are actually read.

Referrals

It’s a good bet that a large percentage of your business came to you by referral. Cousin Louie liked what you did for him, so he told two friends and the rest history.

Referrals are a great way to build a business. Leads that come to you by way of referral generally cost nothing. Clients that come to you by way of referral are often your best clients.

Most small businesses get this, but few approach lead generation by way of referral in a systematic way. And, asking a few people if they know anybody that needs what you do is not a systematic referral approach.

Here are the steps in the system:

Target a referral source â€" this could be your clients, but often the best referral sources are actually strategic partners that also serve your ideal target client

Educate your referral source â€" Create a one page document that your referral sources can use to introduce what you do, how you do it and why they should consider having you do it for them. The biggest potential pitfall of a shoddy referral approach is that you get tons of leads that aren’t right for you.

Communicate a creative referral marketing offer â€" If you can create a game out referral lead generation everyone will want to play. Reward your referral sources in creative ways. Co-brand powerful information products and show your strategic partners how to use them.

Creative referral offers also make great news stories for your PR program.

Are you starting to get a glimpse of how some of this works together, builds momentum and creates energy?

Copyright 2005 John Jantsch

About The Author John Jantsch is a marketing coach, author and creator of the Duct Tape Marketing System. You can get more information about the Duct Tape System and download your free copy of "How To Grow Your Small Business Like Crazy by visiting http://www.ducttapemarketing.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Jantsch

Selling from your Heart

Are you a Solopreneur, a Small Business Owner, a Helping Professional, or a Creative who is tired of trying to figure out how to sell yourself and your services without feeling uncomfortable or pushy? If so, you are not alone! Many of us have experienced manipulative and abrasive salespeople who have turned us off...made us cringe...and even stopped us entirely from pursuing a purchase we really wanted. If we ourselves have had poor experiences with salespeople, how can we be expected to enjoy becoming one? Well, let's look at the alternative. In order to bring our talents, our services, and our gifts to the world...we need to figure this out. What I know for sure is that we cannot grow our businesses without becoming comfortable with "selling"...so let's bite the bullet and master this "selling thing". "But we didn't sign on to be salespeople", you say. "We signed on to help people or to make a great product available or to express our creativity!" "We're ok with connecting with people, forming new relationships, and helping people to get what they need...but in a professional and non-threatening way." And so it is with "Selling from your Heart." "Selling from your Heart" is about forming connections with potential Clients, finding commonalities, enjoying conversations, figuring out what's missing, helping to clarify what's needed, and partnerning to find solutions. Is that something you're comfortable with? I thought so! So let's create a plan that will help you to embrace your professional selling self and, in so doing, enhance the very reputation of "selling". Step 1 Know Yourself. Who are you? What makes you special? What characteristics do you have that would attract someone to partner with you? What products or services do you have to offer them that is unique? Step 2 Get Clear On Who You Want to Attract. Who would you really like to work with? What qualities do these individuals have? What would it be like to have a relationship with these types of people? Create a "My Favorite Client" profile. Keep it in full sight. Step 3 Look for Your "Favorite Clients" Everywhere. It's like a treasure hunt. Where do they hang out? What do they read? What radio stations do they listen to? Where might you run into them? Step 4 Create an Image for these Individuals to See. How will you portray yourself to these potential Clients? What will you send them that will make you curious about you? Should you place a photo on your brochure? Should you pose a question in your copy that will make them say...Hmmm! What will make them reach out? Step 5 Imagine Yourself Conversing with Exactly the Type of Client you Seek. If you could talk with your Favorite Prospective Client, what would you like to find out about them? What would you like to share? How would you introduce yourself? What questions could you ask to put them at ease? Step 6 Be a Conversation Starter. Remember, people love to talk about themselves. Ask an "open-ended" question. Listen to the response. Listen some more. Come from curiosity. What does this person have to teach you? How might you two connect? What are the commonalities of experience? Is this someone you can help? Step 7 Move it Forward. Are you eager to share the "good news" about what you do with others? Are you excited about what you do? Are you comfortable in your own skin...even if it's new? Just be yourself. Share what turns you on. Tell a fun story. Move the relationship forward. Step 8 Watch for the "Magic Click". Are you feeling on the same wave length with this person? Does it just feel good to talk with them? Do you want to know more? Is the conversation "flowing"? Enjoy the connection! Step 9 Enjoy the New Relationship for What It Is Right Now. Be sure to be clear about what you do and why you love it. Invite your new acquaintances to "try you on"...through a sample or complimentary session. Nurture this new connection. Be there when they're ready to learn more. Step 10 Be Ready for Them When They're Ready for You. When the time is right for them, be easy to find. Congratulate your new Client on the choice they've made to better their life. Build on this wonderful, new relationship. Strengthen it with intimacy, caring, and skill. So this,my friends, is "Selling from your Heart". How much fun is this! You have opportunity after opportunity to connect with people, form new relationships, share your talents and skills and products, and help people to get what they need...exactly what you signed on for. And don't forget to keep the conversation going for a long, long time. Ask your new Clients to give you feedback on how the process or service or product feels to them. When they're delighted by the results, ask them to spread the good word through a Testimonial or other venue. If they forget, ask them again. Create a graceful ending when it is time for them to leave you. Keep in touch. Are you ready to make "Selling from your Heart" a goal in the new year? I hope so. Your reward will be a Client Base that is suited to exactly who you are who will help you to market your products and services for a long, long time to come. Happy selling!

Cold Calling Nightmare -- Turn the Nightmare into a Sales Success

Do you know that some of the greatest salesmen do it on the phone?

Yet, I keep hearing how cold calling is a nightmare, how they hate it, and how even some sales gurus say "cold calling is dead." Here are some of the reasons I’ve heard from my own sales trainees, at least in the beginning:

1) Rejectionâ€"All I got was No’s and the phone slammed in my ear.

2) All I got was voice mail jail and no one ever returns my calls.

And there are others, but most come back to the same thing: the obstacle you are facing isn’t out there in the cold cruel world. It resides right between your own two ears. Your own beliefs are the obstacle. It isn’t anywhere else.

For this article we’re going to deal with the “all” syndrome and rejection.

A client and I once developed a cold calling campaign plan. He was to make 200 cold calls in the next week. We developed the general idea of what he was going to say, who he was going to call, and how he was going to say it. Then we practiced it until he sounded natural.

When we got together the following week, I asked, So, how’d it go? “Horrible, all I got was phones slammed in my ear, P.O.’d people and No’s galore. It just didn’t work at all.”

How many calls did you make?

“30, and after all those No’s, I gave up.”

How many appointments did you get?”

“Only one.”

So, what was your success ratio? How many appointments for how many calls?

“Let’s see, I think that is….1 in 30, or 3%.”

And what was our original estimate. Wasn’t it 1 in 25? So, how can you say that it was a failure? You weren’t far off.

“…….but….but…all of those No’s, 29 out of 30. That was mostly failure!”

Let’s see, at 1-2 minutes per call for No’s, and maybe 5+ for the yes, how many minutes did you spend to get just one appointment? Isn’t that around 60 minutes to get an appointment? Not bad if you ask me. What would have happened if you had made all 200 calls?

“Maybe 6-7 appointments….Wait a minute, didn’t we target 8 appointments for the 200 calls?!?!”

How many calls were necessary to achieve your goal of 8 appointments a week? (This is probably THE MOST important question since it tells you clearly what you have to do to get the needed RESULTS).

Another thing would have happened if he had made the 200 calls: He’d have gotten better and better, gotten over his fear, and probably would have seen his call success improving toward the 1 in 25 calls, or even better.

I tell most of my clients that they need to make about 500 calls to get good at it. The trouble is that most never reach 500 calls, or if you do it takes them 2 years to do it, and by that time either the boss has eliminated you, or if you are a business owner your overhead costs have eliminated you.

It all started with the “all” syndrome. In other words our belief that

ALL we got was no’s, ALL we got were Voice Mails, and that NO ONE ever returned a call.

It’s the glass half full or half empty issue. That is a belief that in this case isn’t valid.

Use the Plan â€" Do â€" Improve/Optimize scenario.

Plan what you are going to do, Do it (make sure to measure the results so you know what works and what doesn’t), make changes (new plans), and Go back through that loop over and over.

Let’s apply that to the scenario above.

Develop what you are going to say, how you are going to say it and to who. Find the reasons why someone would even want to talk to you and develop it. Measure your success, measure how many successes you had out of how many calls. In most cases, it really isn’t as bad as everyone makes out. Now that you have the key measurementsâ€"fix them. That means, change what you say, how you say it, or who you say it to, and watch the numbers. Do they go up, or down? Capture what works, and learn from what doesn’t. You’ll see those numbers constantly moving up.

Learn the best way from the experts…get every book you can, go to training classes, hire a sales coach.

You are always in control. Don't be at the mercy of anything, someone else, the environment, the market place.

Sales Results -- not just Training

Typical results Leads -- up 5-10 times Sales closes -- up 4-5 times

Alan Boyer, The Leader's Perspective, LLC Reach Further Than You EVER Thought Possible...FASTER http://www.leaders-perspective.com

Psychology - the Magic Selling Ingredient

Basic psychology is about people's needs and their need to fulfil them. Most of us have a distinct priority at any given time, one problem that must be solved before all others, a "one thing at a time" mentality. You will be unlikely to interest a homeless man in a new car, until he's fulfilled his basic need for shelter first - unless he plans to live in the vehicle, I suppose. Understanding this principle and seeing how it applies to selling, will enhance your sales performance zillion-fold. Sell one thing at a time and concentrate on that. Sell other things as "back-end" once the immediate need is fulfilled. Don't confuse, don't stray from the point, do stick on the blinkers and keep to the target and the matter in hand. Don't overlook the obvious. Make sure you put the words "Click Here" on a banner. People respond to simple commands. Serve up testimonials next to your products or your newsletter sign-up form. People want to belong to groups: they'll want to belong to your "club" if it is seen to be a good one and endorsed by others. Use colours that convey the right image and incite the right actions. Want to be seen as an authority? Use black and yellow. Conservative and business-like? Dark blue, maybe a bit of grey. Business-like and money-orientated? Blue and green - which so many large corporate sites have adopted. Positioning of elements on a web page also makes a big difference. Apparently, whatever is at the top-right of the screen is what's most likely to get clicked. The average eye is drawn to that position - nothing to do with Windows' exit button being up there, I'm sure! This and 90% of the population being right-handed, to me, makes a strong case for right-hand navigation, with your best offer in pole position. Words: I could write tomes on what you can do with them! But I won't make an idiot of myself, instead read what great copywriters like David Garfinkel, who is the author of Killer Copy Tactics and widely acclaimed as "The World's Greatest Copywriting Coach" says. He uses psychology to great effect: http://www.roibot.com/kc.cgi The main point with words is to get to the emotions of your visitors. It has been said time and time again, but all anyone is interested in, is what your product or service will do for them. They do not care who you are or how many bells your widget has: they want to know if it will save them time or money, make them more desirable to the opposite sex or solve some problem they have. You need to show them the problem and how your offer solves it for them. Some of these things are seemingly very small, simple and insignificant, which is the beauty of them and, at the same time, the very reason why most people will overlook them. Using the right format in terms of colour, design and wording will have psychological influence on your visitors, which turns them into subscribers, buyers or whatever it is you desire. Great to have power, isn't it? I know, I know, it all sounds awfully manipulative and in the wrong hands, I'd tend to agree with you. But I am not talking about making people do something against their will. I am saying that this is nature and harnessing it: guiding people in the direction that they would naturally go, is a far more logical way of obtaining the result you require. Think about the rules of Judo or Karate, where you utilise your opponent's own strength to gain advantage. Pushing them further in the direction that they were already going will have them over a lot easier than it would have if you'd struggled to use your strength against them in the opposite direction. The same goes for mental engagements. People - that includes you and me, whether we wish to admit it or not - do react in almost predictable ways to these stimuli. It is our nature: instinct and it surely makes sense to work with that, rather than against it. Otherwise, you are fighting against people and nature: giving yourself an uphill struggle, creating an unnecessary battle and a hurdle to be overcome. Don't make it hard for yourself or your prospective clients. Know who they are and what they need, fulfil that and you are well on your way to success.

10 Important Things To Tell Your Prospects

10 Important Things To Tell Your Prospects by: William R. Nabaza of http://www.Nabaza.com 1. Tell your prospects that you offer free delivery. This may cost a little money, but, you will gain the extra customers to make up for it. 2. Tell your prospects that you offer a lower price. If you can't afford to offer a lower price you could always hold the occasional discount sale. 3. Tell your prospects that your product achieves results faster. People are becoming more and more impatient and want results fast. 4. Tell your prospects you've been in business for a longer period of time. People think if you've been in business longer you have more credibility. 5. Tell your prospects that your product tastes, smells sounds, looks, or feels better. When you target the senses you're triggering human appeal. 6. Tell your prospects your product is compact or light. People may want to take the product on a trip or don't have much room where they live. 7. Tell your prospects that your product lasts longer. People don't like to spend more money purchasing replacement products all the time. 8. Tell your prospects that your product is easy to use. People don't want to buy a product that they have to read a 100 page instruction manual. 9. Tell your prospects that your product has better safety features. People want to feel safe when they use your products. 10. Tell your prospects that you stand behind all your products. People want to know that you backup any claims you make about your product. ---- William Nabaza of http://www.Nabaza.com specializes in domains, webhosting, webmaster's tools, netpreneur's articles and resources. Stands out as a freebie provider, business opportunity provider and the like. Visit his site at http://www.nabaza.com or contact him directly at william@nabaza.com more free articles here: http://www.nabaza.com/resources.htm

The Critical Factor In Consistent Sales Success

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing.”

- Abraham Lincoln -

I have recognized for years that I could teach and then drill selling skills into a promising sales representative and could help my client to create a climate for self-motivation and yet some representatives with extremely high potential for success still would fail at the selling process. To combat this unpredictable failure, I often have counseled clients to hire two representatives to end up with one good one or three to get two. Even though I believed that a new sales person would do well as long as he had been given the right selling and prospecting tools and the motivation to spur him into action, often I saw perfectly capable employees leave the selling profession, simply because of a missing ingredient. I couldn’t quite put my finger on the elusive success component, but I did feel it had something to do with an individual’s achievement drive. That’s why I initially created our Getting An Edge workshop and self-administered reinforcement series (see http://thesellingedge.com/manual2.htm). After watching good people fail, I sensed that there was a missing factor in our sales training. Now research by Dr. Kevin Celuch, professor of Marketing at Illinois State University, has not only identified and clarified the critical ingredient to sales success, but he has made some vital suggestions on how to instill this factor into individual sales representatives.

Dr. Celuch’s has analyzed* 166 previous studies that had been completed on selling success. In his research he found that even with all of the vital selling skills in place and a motivational climate within a given company, a sales representative or service professional will often fail due to what Celuch refers to as “a vital mediating factor” between a sales person’s selling skills and motivation. This mediating factor, is a sales person’s own self-esteem. Celuch’s study shows an extremely low correlation between sales success on one hand and a sales representative’s aptitude, sales techniques, organizational skill and motivation factors on the other. Across a long list of diverse selling activities and abilities, the real indicator of selling success found in the Celuch study was a sales professional’s perceived self-efficacy. A “belief in oneself” was Dr. Celuch’s explanation for a salesperson’s behavior and performance levels. He found that self-belief was the critical intermediary between a sales representative’s knowledge and the professional’s behavior.

It is interesting that a gut feeling that I have had about sales success for the past 17 years has finally been proven by research. Achievement drive, the self-esteem that drives achievement, is critical to your company’s overall selling success. Those of you that use testing before hiring new sales associates should make certain that this critical factor is assessed by your tests and weighted heavily as you make decisions regarding those that you hire. For those sales representatives already in place, you need to assess your programs for helping the employees crucial to the overall success of your organization to maintain and consistently improve their feelings of self-worth. The manual listed in the first paragraph can help anyone to alter negative feelings and attain a personal belief levels that will produce consistent sales success.

* Source: Kevin Celuch, Illinois Stale University. Based on "Perceived Self-Efficacy and Salesperson Performance," presented to Pi Sigma Epsilon research fraternity convention.

VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. an Ohio consulting firm specializing in sales and sales management training, personal coaching, advisory services and publishing. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Service Linen Supply, Bank One, Jefferson Wells International, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of the “best selling” Building & Closing the Sale, Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by Crisp Publications a division of Thompson Learning. He has also authored a client acclaimed Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching, telemarketing, and personal productivity manuals. To obtain a substantial discount on two of Virden's latest books, 101 Sales Myths or Organizing For Sales Success, go to: http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/

How To Pick The Right Direct Sales Company

I have people ask me all the time what direct sales company they should join. This may seem like a simple question, but unfortunately it isn’t that easy to answer. The short answer is “It depends”. Let me explain why and what you should look for in a direct sales company that is right for you. The ideal or best direct sales company for you should fulfill as many of the following criteria as possible.

Love The Product

The most important thing when picking a direct sales company is that you love the product. Don’t join a company because you think the product would be easy to sell, find one with a product that you actually use, find helpful and enjoy. Your passion for the product will come across as you tell others about it and make selling it much easier. Your potential customers will sense how much you like and enjoy the product. This can go a long way in earning their trust to spend their hard earned dollars with you. And no â€" you can’t fake that kind of passion for a product. Don’t even try.

Fair and Competitive Compensation

Keep in mind that you are in this to earn a living, even if your goal is only to make a couple hundred bucks a month. Take a look at what some of the other direct sales companies are paying, both in commission and bonuses. Make sure the companies you have narrowed it down to offer a fair and competitive compensation plan.

While you are looking at this, also keep in mind how much you will have to spend to join. How quickly can you expect to recoup your initial investment? I would be much rather inclined to give a company with a slightly lower compensation a try if it doesn’t cost me much to join.

Great Customer Service

Have you ordered something through the company? Do you know someone else who has ordered through them as a customer? How was the customer service experience? Part of your long-term strategy is to build up a customer base that will order through you over and over again. Bad customer service on the company end will make keeping your customers hard.

Training and Support For You

Last, but not least, you want to make sure the company offers you the training and support to help you grow your business. Do they have a training manual and ongoing meetings or classes? You should also discuss when and how you could contact your sponsor for support. Talk to other reps in the organization, or even better find someone who is no longer with the company and talk to them about their experiences dealing with the company as a rep.

Don’t just take your sponsor’s word for it. Remember, she may be sugar-coating things a little, since she will be compensated for recruiting you. Overall, take your time evaluating any direct-sales company you are considering joining. Don’t just jump in, do you homework and I am sure you will find the Direct Sales Company that is right for you.

For more direct sales business tips, advice, articles, and suggestions head over to http://www.mommysplace.net Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nell_Taliercio

Burn Your Boat!

Do you allow fear, anxiety and worry to dominant your thinking? Do you find yourself frequently questioning your decision to become a salesperson? Having self doubt or a lack of commitment is emotionally draining and erodes your effectiveness. A truly committed person does not have the luxury nor the time for the self-indulgence of negative thinking. No great achievement has ever been accomplished without a plan and a commitment to see it through. There is magic in commitment! In battle, the ancient Greeks developed a well-deserved reputation for bravery and determination. They were successful because they were well trained, well lead and most of all, well motivated. The Greek commanders were master motivators and knew how to instill commitment and prepare their soldiers for victory. For you see, once they landed on enemy shores, the Greek generals would give the order to “burn the boats.” Imagine the psychological impact on the soldiers as they watched their boats being set to the torch. Once their boats were burned, they realized that the only way they were going home was by conquering their enemy â€" there was no turning back. There is a great deal of power and wisdom in what the ancient Greeks understood. In your sales career you are not asked to commit to battle, but make no mistake, commitment is required. Your battles are not fought on enemy shores but within the confines of your own mind. There is a need to commit to self and to career. Until you have made the decision to be fully committed, there is hesitancy and the opportunity to draw back. The moment one defiantly commits oneself, magical things happen. The true underlying motivation for all success is a deep and unwavering commitment to the task at hand. If you are being pushed around mentally by thoughts of fear, anxiety and worry, it’s time to “burn your boat” and become fully committed to your sales career.

6 Steps to Closing the Sale

When it comes to closing the sale do you really know how to close? Do you freeze up afraid to close or don't know what to say? Do you know how and when to close the sale or even if the prospect is interested in your product? Well, read on and I'll share with you six ways to overcome these common challenges and increase your closing ratio. Your Attitude Makes a Huge Difference Before going to any appointment get yourself in the right frame of mind. Go in with the attitude that you will close the sale. When I'm driving to an a appointment I'm not listening to the radio, I'm imagining how the sale is going to end up, me closing the sale. When I arrive at the appointment I sit in my car for a few minutes, close my eyes and visualize every thing happening just as I want it to. I see the prospect approving the contract, giving me the check and us shaking hands and smiling. If your attitude going in is negative you might as well get back in your car and go home. ABC - Always be Closing Be prepared to close the sale at any time. Be ready to close when you walk in the door. The sales process doesn't have to continue through all the steps. You can close the sale at any time. I have seen many salespeople with a prospect who is ready to buy, money in hand, waving it in the air, however, the salesperson stops them and says wait, I haven't finished my presentation yet, let me tell you how great I am. They've been taught to go through all the steps so they keep talking and many times talk themselves out of a sale. At any point during the sales process the prospect is ready to buy...close the sale. Understanding What They Want and Need "Closing is the process of helping people make decisions that are good for them" Closing the sale begins when you qualify the prospect. Make sure you are qualifying every prospect thoroughly. Determine their emotional wants and their motives. It's at this stage the prospect will tell you their hot buttons and give you the road map to close them. Also they will become comfortable with you and by showing an interest in their needs you will set your self apart from all the other salespeople. How to Recognize Buying Signs Buyers will often give you signs they want what you're selling. These signs can either be verbal or visual. Let's start with the verbal. A buyer may start asking more questions. They nod their head in agreement. They require more in depth information. They start talking about how things will be when they own the product. Some visual signs to watch for are a smile, a raising of the eyebrows or moving closer to you so they can see better. If it's a couple they may show more affection or they may look at each other in a certain way. When you have memorized your presentation you can be more aware of these buying signs and your closing ratio will increase dramatically. When you know what you are going to say and don't need to think about it, your sales will increase dramatically because you can sit back and watch their body language and buying signals and you'll know when they're ready to buy. How to Make the Decision to Close The Sale When you have qualified the prospect properly, the buying signs are there and you know they want to buy, make the decision that the best thing for them is to buy. Then focus your attention on talking about the things they like or feel are important as you close the sale. Put your personal feelings about your product or service aside and focus on the buyer. Assume the Sale If you've done everything right and the buying signs are there, assume the sale and begin filling out the order or what ever the next step is. Keep moving ahead until they stop you. If you did your job and your closing the sale at the right time, they won't stop you. I have given you an overview of the closing process, however there is much more to closing the sale. Far to many details to discuss in this article. So I have created a free 4 day e-course to give you more indepth strategies and closes. Do you have only one or two closes in your arsenal? Is your best close, well, what do you think? or the real powerhouse, can I put you down for one? Or do you just want to master the closing process so you can increase your sales? Then take my free four part mini course where I go deeper in to the process of closing the sale.

Business Sales Leads

When talking about business sales leads, it is important to understand the buyer, and to create a customer through this understanding. Buyer behavior studies can play a pivotal part in this regard. A lot of time and effort have been spent on this relatively new discipline. And every buyer-study has unfolded some new dimension of this discipline. The subject has been approached and analyzed from different angles and under different premises. Different inferences have been formulated. But the subject, too complex to beat, still remains a theorem without a proof.

What motivates the buyer? What induces him to buy? Why does he buy a specific brand from a particular shop? Why does he shift his preferences from one shop to another or from one brand to another? How does he react to a new product introduced to the market, or a piece of information addressed to him? What are the stages he travels through before he makes the decision to buy?

These are some of the questions that are of perennial interest to business firms regarding the sale of their products. It is around these questions that the product and promotion strategies of the business firm ultimately revolve. In all of their strategies and plans, firms make assumptions as to how the buyers would behave and respond to marketing programs. Knowledge of the buyer and his buying motives and habits is thus a fundamental necessity for getting business sales leads.

It needs to be emphasized at the very outset that there is no unified, well-defined, tested and universally established theory of buyer behavior. What we have, today, are certain ideas on buyer behavior. Some of these ideas have taken their cue from economics, others from psychology and yet others have drawn cues from several of the social sciences simultaneously.

Business Leads provides detailed information on Business Lead Lists, Business Leads, Business Sales Leads, Free Business Leads and more. Business Leads is affiliated with Sales Lead Management. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Marlborough

Let's Take the Fear and Mystique Out of Selling!

Face it â€" nobody likes cold calling. Most of us cringe when we hear these words â€" we tend to conjure up visions of a vacuum cleaner salesman reaching in and pouring cigarette ashes on the rug before we can get the front door closed.

In recent years, many small businesses have been founded on the premise that the World Wide Web will make personal selling obsolete and unnecessary. The truth is: unless your product or service is cutting-edge with few competitors, you will have to sell it! And by selling it, I am not referring to impersonal Website selling; we’re talking belly-to-belly, folks!

Listen, I realize that some of you get nervous at the mere thought of having to “cold-call” strangers. But wait - this isn’t so scary as you might imagine. Let’s evaluate a somewhat “softer” side of selling from a systems perspective.

The plain truth about selling is: we all do it. You do it. I do it. Your significant other does it. And believe it or not your kids use selling techniques on you all the time. Anyone who has accomplished anything in his or her life has had to sell people on an idea or the value of a project in order to get there. That’s right â€" they sold someone on the idea of helping him or her. The problem is that in our society we have a skewed idea of the true value of something that in reality we use all the time! The truth is: selling is an accepted and necessary social activity, when conducted in an honest, straightforward way.

Before we can begin to develop a systematic approach to selling, we must come to terms with the following truths:
1.Selling is a necessary activity that creates value for both seller and buyer.
2.You should not try to sell to someone who doesn’t yet see need or value in your product or service.
3.Trust and confidence are the most important components of the selling relationship. They are a challenge to obtain and remarkably easy to lose.

Let’s take a look at each of these in turn. To begin with, you must believe in the value you and your product or service can provide to your clients. If you don’t believe in your own value, you won’t come across as sincere when you talk to people about it. People don’t buy anything from insincere people. So if you feel that salespeople in general are simply devious predators, get over it! The truth is, selling is a necessary and vital activity that brings solutions together with problems to the benefit of all concerned. You are an expert in your field â€" a problem solver. Think of yourself as a vital component of your potential clients’ chain of success. Doesn’t knowing this foster a more positive self-image than that of a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman with a can of ashes? (My apologies to vacuum cleaner salespeople everywhere!)

Now that you see yourself as a problem-solver rather than a salesperson, let’s look at truth number two. We’ve all heard sales trainers stress that you must convince prospective customers that they need your product or service. While it is true that most people have problems that require solutions, it’s also true that folks simply don’t like other people they don’t know telling them what the right solution is. I stress the phrase, “people they don’t know.” This is key, and an important component of truth number three, which I’ll address in a moment. So how do you get prospects to see the value in your offering? Answer - try a more collaborative approach. Begin by striking up conversations with potential clients in neutral situations. Examples of neutral situations include meetings of fraternal (Rotary, Kiwanis, Jaycees) and trade organizations (your industry or professional specialty probably has several of these, possibly with local chapters), which you should join if you are truly serious about growing your business; business “meet & greets”; community volunteering opportunities; and certain family events like your kids’ sports and extracurricular activities. These are all opportunities to meet local business people who have problems that will benefit from your solutions.

I know â€" you don’t want these new acquaintances to think of you as one of those (see “can of ashes”) people. However â€" and this is important â€" if you want to be successful, you must be continuously promoting your business. No one will do that for you, unless you can afford a public relations officer and an expensive ad agency. Accept this as a fact of business life.

So how should you approach someone in a neutral environment? First of all, get to know the person personally. Try to find a common personal interest you can discuss together. After all, you’re both at this event, right? So you may have more in common than you think. Next, ask the other person what they do for a living. Try to draw them out and get them to be specific. Asking leading questions and listening actively will help you determine if your product or service is applicable to their situation. If it isn’t â€" well, you’ve at least possibly made a new friend and confidant, and what’s wrong with that? If you do find that your new contact might be a problem you can solve, don’t jump on them with anything that smacks of “sales pitch” at this point â€" you’ll just turn them off. Instead, explain briefly what you do and take this approach: ask the new contact if you can meet them (over lunch, golf, tennis, in their office, racquetball, dinner, or whatever works) for a few minutes to get their thoughts on what they think of your business and your approach. Don’t sell- instead ask for a little consulting help. Make them feel that you genuinely value their advice.

Once you have set up the meeting, show up intending to involve the other person in your business. Let them get to know you personally first by sharing personal information about yourself. This begins the process that is brought to light in truth number three: trust and confidence are what get you new business â€" not hard selling skills. Whether you know it or not, by allowing the prospect to get to know you a little, you’ve already begun the selling process. Keep it soft â€" don’t pressure your prospect too much. At the same time, be listening for opportunities to show him or her what your capabilities are. Be ready with testimonials: stories of projects you’ve worked successfully that mirror your prospect’s situation. People like stories; they add credibility and make it easier to relate problems to solutions. Draw out the prospect â€" remember this rule: if you’re talking, you’re not selling. Become an active listener. Successful salespeople only do 25 percent of the talking in a sales interview. Now that you have established rapport and begun to develop a personal relationship, it’s much easier to discuss the solutions you are selling and relate them to problems your new acquaintance may be experiencing. This is not so scary, is it? Here’s a recap of this client-generating “system”:
1.Join business and professional organizations and get involved in their activities. In addition, be aware of the potential for making contacts in other social situations.
2.Approach the people you meet as a person who is worth knowing personally first. Invite them to get together socially in a neutral place.
3.During the meeting, strengthen your personal relationship before getting to business.
4.Next, ask them what they think of your business; ask the prospect to act as a casual “consultant” to your business.
5.Once you’ve established a personal relationship, the trust you’ve nurtured makes it much easier to talk with them about the business solutions you are prepared to offer.

For small business owners, new business development can be a daunting task. Taking a low pressure/ non-aggressive approach toward developing new clients can be quite rewarding; it certainly is considerably less threatening for both you and your potential clients. It also makes more sense than the hard sell, “ashes on the rug” approach we all know and dread. Next time, try the friendly approach â€" I think you’ll be surprised how effective it can be.

Brian Cushing is a sales trainer, college professor, and author; his firm, Peddlesmarter.com, helps small businesses develop and manage new customer relationships through promotional and sales training activities. Contact him at: boxstep052@sbcglobal.net

Choose a price that sells! (Part I)

The best price is that price that maximizes your profits while building a lifetime customer through value satisfaction. On the Internet, time waits for no company. Your customer has access to tons of information through the Web. Your competitor is a mere mouse click away. You have to get the best price right... the first time. In the digital market scene, there are very few second chances. Pricing is risky. What price is too high? What price is too low? Will a certain price work three months from now? Do you know? Do you know for sure? Pricing is the single most important marketing decision you'll ever make. You have to know what price you should charge so that you can promote it effectively and place it into the hands of your customer. It's the marketing guide to success! Ken Evoy from SiteSell priced their first e-book, Make Your Site Sell! (MYSS!) at: http://newsletter.easy-home-business.com/hts/myss.html at the ridiculously low price of US $17 to penetrate a competitive marketplace. They wanted to overwhelm their customer with high-quality information at a price that anyone with *any* interest at all in selling on the Net could not reasonably refuse. The result? Huge sales, delighted readers and MYSS! is known as the BIBLE of how to sell on the Net... While they knew the general strategy for MYSS!... Did they know the right price before starting out? No way! Did they know what effect $5 more or less would have on the bottom line? Nope. Did they like that lack of confidence? Strike three. Take a minute or a few more... go back to the computer and do a search on the Net for the keywords "pricing" or "pricing software". I'll wait right here.... :-) ... No surprise that you're back so soon! There's not much out there to help anyone, small or large business owner, to price perfectly. If you are selling a commodity, you already know that your profit margins have to be razor-thin. You are forced to compete on price. It's sometimes the only thing that sets you apart from the field. Your business operation has to be seamless. Gaps are too costly. If you have a proprietary product, its uniqueness and benefits have to be recognized as such by the market. You have to know if your product has enough original features to warrant a higher price than the cookie-cutters around it. What are the usual approaches for pricing? The traditional "bottom up" salad bowl approach... direct and overhead costs tossed together with market pressures before being "dressed" by the price A chat with your salespeople A look at the competition's markup I think we agree that pricing is critical to our businesses. It's the only part of our operating equation that brings money into the company and into our individual pockets. It's the P that "extracts the value" out of the perceived value that you create through the product itself, and through your promotion of it. Because of that, the price for a product or service has to be a top priority. The perfect price maximizes profits... and income is what it's all about at the end of a business day. Luckily for you, but definitely not for your competition, you're on your way to success. After reading this web page, you will know how to determine the right price. You will know how to *find* the Perfect price. THE 4 P OF MARKETING First of all examine your business using the 4 P of marketing magnifying glass. Look at your Product. What do you sell? What does your customer buy? What are its major benefits? How important and unique are they? Look at your Promotion. How do you promote your product or service? Look at your Place. How do you ship from place A to place B? Look at your Price. How do you decide on which price to charge? How did you decide on your "macro" pricing model (ex., penetration-pricing or priced model) and how did you choose the exact number? Write down your answers. You need a strategy for every part of your business operation to guarantee success -- the pieces of the e-commerce puzzle have to fit together. You need to be able to set the best price of your product or service with clarity. And you want to see the results of that decision *increase* the income side of your ledger. PRICING MODELS PRICING TO PENETRATE: Your objective here is to penetrate the market fast and deep. In other words, sell as many units of the your product as possible. So, you set your price low. Use this strategy to establish a powerful position in the market quickly. Why? The basic goal is to acquire as many customers as quickly as possible. In other words, you are "buying market share" to establish dominance. You may also be sensing that more competition is on the way. Market dominance is particularly relevant when you consider that shopping (and buying!) on the Internet is about to explode over the next two years... all over the world, not just in your neck of the woods. You want to have a well-established online presence before the throngs of new customers are grabbed by other businesses. The best price to penetrate was the model for Make Your Site Sell (MYSS!), the BIBLE for making a site that sells. SKIMMING THE CREAM: This is the opposite pricing strategy to penetration. Here, the best price is deliberately set high, in order to reap large profit margins. This is usually at the cost of losing a large number of customers. High price tactics are also known as "selling off market share." You gain income from those high profit margins, in exchange for having a smaller and smaller percentage of the market buying your product. This model works well if you have a proprietary product. Some customers will pay more for uniqueness, especially if good value is perceived as part of the equation. Typically, two scenarios work with high-pricing... When you first launch a product and want to recoup all the R&D quickly. Good examples are consumer electronics "Prestige pricing" -- Mercedes-Benz, Tiffany's. Sometimes an example is worth 1,000 words. :-) "Skimming" carries some important risks... Big profit margins attract competitors who want a piece of the same pie. The only difference though... they are willing to shave dollar signs off to get the eye of that Web customer with the open wallet. The second "speed bump" has to do with public relations. Your business will not survive if customers feel that they have been "taken for a ride" BEST PRICE TO KILL: Here, profit is definitely not the objective. No competition is the goal, at whatever cost it takes. It's *not* for the faint of heart. In many cases, it is not even legal. OK. Three distinct business/pricing models. Which one matches yours? For small-to-mid-sized businesses, your choice is usually between penetration pricing and high- pricing. Don't make the mistake of doing a "little of each" -- you'll end up in a fatal valley between the two. Ask yourself these four questions... What was my goal when I chose my model? Knowing where I am now with my business, would I have chosen a different approach? What are the pros and cons of my pricing strategy? Which model do I see myself using three months from now? With confidence? THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PRICING Let's consider the power of the following selling techniques... The arranged smell of fresh-baked bread in a house to ignite childhood memories of food or family in the prospective home-buyer. Fresh flowers/produce near the grocery store's entrance to encourage impulse buying --something that's not "on the list". Big sale signs at the back of the boutique to force the customer to walk by all this season's clothing styles. The offer of free money or big prizes on the Web site in order to get the visitor's click and cookie. All four strategies above involve pyschology. It's a reality in the business world today. You've got to be able to get inside your customer's head. And not leave one empty space for your competitor! It's a race for "share of mind." Pricing is no exception. Reflect on the psychology in our guiding e-commerce statement... The perfect price is that price that maximizes your profits while building a lifetime customer through value satisfaction How do you define "value satisfaction"? By putting yourself into your customers' shoes -- simple but often ignored advice. Sometimes a vendor thinks that s/he knows what's best for the customer. Let's call it the "mothering-smothering effect." If you reverse your viewpoint by coming at it from your customer's angle, then you start to look at your product differently. (That's the funny thing about pyschology, it works on both sides of the business fence.) Price to attract those first-time customers and let the value of your product "keep" them with you for a lifetime. So where do you start? That's as easy as counting... ONE) The most common pyschological technique is to use a price that ends in any number but 0 or 1. We all know how much better 99 cents sounds than $1.00 -- and $997 in comparison to $1000. How W-I-D-E that narrow gap is to our buying ear. The customer feels like the saving is MUCH more than 3 dollars... And s/he credits that "good feeling" to you, the vendor. This effect happens even more so with the next method. TWO) "Value-bundling" gives the customer the great feeling of getting something for nothing. Here products that have a logical association with one another are grouped together and a better price is set for the combination. Value-bundling is a powerful method if the price of your bundle equals the price of the most expensive component. Yup, you know,the refrain... "I would've paid that much just for the... " Want an example? SiteSell.com value-bundled Make Your Knowledge Sell! (MYKS!) http://newsletter.easy-home-business.com/hts/myks.html to the extreme. MYKS! shows you how to find "the infoproduct within," how to create and publish it, and how to market and sell it. It's under one single "MYKS!" roof. You need *absolutely* nothing else to succeed at selling what's in your brain. If they had stopped there, the value alone would be terrific. But they didn't stop there... They added 7 more indispensable tools so MYKS! is actually "The Complete Infopreneur's Toolkit" and not just a book. THREE) 15%, 25%, 40%... how much louder that price tag seems to scream as the percentage grows. You bet, it catches the ear and eye of the customer. Use discounting to... Build existing customer loyalty. This is so easy on the Net. You can reach previous customers with a quick e-mail and offer them a price reduction on your new product. To emphasize the point, set up a special discount url for this select group (which, of course, should include your deserving affiliates.) Show your appreciation concretely. Encourage or reward bulk buying. Go beyond the obvious reduced "per unit shipping charge"... offer "three for $20" (or better, $19.95) for that $7 bottle of wine. Sure, the margin is a bit less... but your gross is much better. Your customer saves on shipping, product cost, and gets that Runder $20 psychological boost. Compete with your competitors as in the case of seasonal deals or for special markets like seniors and students. Who can turn down a good deal? Not me (at least that's what my wife says!). Discounting can be a strong tool. But it's not without its own Achilles' heel... Define your goal clearly, before you discount. Otherwise, you're just giving money away. Who can afford that? -- FOUR) The third pricing approach uses the pyschology of perception. You know that truism... Quality is in the eye of the beholder. And where does "the eye" land on the Net? That's right. On your Web site. If your site makes a great sales effort, you will be able to build a higher perceived value. And that will support a higher price for your product. It's *worth* it to the customer. This is IMPORTANT -- if you sell via the Web, one of your site's most important functions is to build perceived value. Whatever that value is, when it comes to selling on the Net... Never price beyond the value that your Web site creates and that your product supports. Not if you want to build a successful, growing, long-term business, that is. FIVE) The final strategy examines the price-sensitivity. I call it "rubber band" pyschology. Customer perception comes into play again, as well as competition on the market. If demand for your product drops when you increase the price by only 1%, you have a product that is very price-sensitive or price-elastic. If on the other hand, doubling the price only causes a slight drop, you have a price-inelastic product -- that means that it almost doesn't matter what price you charge because people will still buy it... within limits, of course. Make Your Price Sell! http://newsletter.easy-home-business.com/hts/myps.html can let you finds those limits, plus the perceived value of your product, you will be able to use a line graph to see how your product reacts to changes in the price. OK. That's it for the psychology of pricing. What's the key point? No matter what approach you use, it has to "ring true" to the customer. S/he will only be attracted to your price and product, if it's *worth* it. Written by Dr. Roberto A. Bonomi

Remember High Tech can equal High Touch

Do you remember the commercial where the sales manager handed out airline tickets because the sales staff was loosing touch with their customers? That impactful commercial typifies the fear many corporate executives have when approaching the natural extension of e-business. I believe high tech equals high touch. Here are some essential concerns to keep in mind when approaching e-business. These questions can help you focus your electronic growth so that you will humanize your e-business strategies. 1.)Today, how do you communicate on a daily with your customers? Look at your current business model and consider how you take orders. By building an online order taking process, you can offer your customers the best of both worlds with traditional and online ordering. This online extension of order taking will save your customers time and create good will toward your company. Technology can extend order taking by linking with your existing inventory control and accounting systems therefore streamlining your processes. The streamlining will reduce your customers' paperwork and cost per transaction as well as making it easier to interact with your company. 2.)What are the repeat questions your customers ask? A simple, focused web presence can head off those repetitive questions from potential customers. Yes, your are right in that you can turn face-to-face questions into a sale. You need to remember today's customers are using email and the Internet to scout potential vendors. Today buyers do their research before picking up the telephone. Online FAQ's will provide the background they are seeking so they are more informed when they contact you. This gives your sales associates an advantage. They can turn that potential call into a personal, human interaction if sales associates do not have to repeat FAQ's. 3.)How many of your customers are online and actively using e-mail? Ignore your customers and they will go away. This common phrase is a lesson in how not treat your customers. A recent study by Jupiter communications revealed that 42 percent of companies tested didn't respond to relevant email inquiries and took more than five days. If your customers are using email (and they are) then you must be ready to respond. Consider your business model. Who responds to customer inquiry? How will you handle email requests? How will they be delivered? Should you outsource? How will you track? Can you capture email for future marketing purposes? 4.)Is your product developed to customers' specifications with periodic approval? A majority of business on the Internet is conducted within an Extranet. This is a closed environment protected from general Internet traffic designed for communication with buyers. If your company is in frequent contact with the customer asking for approval at various points of product development, then an Extranet must be a consideration. You can design a system that allows your customer to view the product and give check off approval. They can view architectural designs, CAD drawings, photographs, detailed specifications, or work-in-progress. The added, and personalized bonus, is that your customer can do this at their convenience. You can call or visit but the time during that visit is spent working on the customer relationship - not order specifications. 5.)Do you cross sell or up sell when taking an order? New designs in web interfaces can deliver with the same selling dynamic. You can suggest other products during a customer search. New software even allows you to save the search. You can capture your prospects email and categorize it for future marketing efforts. For a truly personalized touch, follow up inquiries with a telephone call - or personalized email. You can ask your customers if they would like this feature - taking service to all time high. 6.)Let your customers know you are online. If you build it, they will not come. The old thought that if 'I go online, new customers will come running' is false. You need to employ new and traditional methods of marketing in order to let potential customers that you are online. A recent online company sent a simple postcard announcing their new online service - within three days of the mailing, they noticed a 65% increase in traffic. You may not see this type of increase but you need to consider all avenues of marketing to notify customers of your new service. Moving into e-business should not replace traditional methods of selling. Approach the process as an extension of your current model and look for additional opportunities to communicate to your customer. Finally, keep your customers in mind when you develop your model. As we said in the beginning, keep that concern in front and you will develop a profitable, humanized e-business.

Blame The Salesman!

As I was enjoying a beer with a longstanding friend recently, we got to reminiscing over the many good sales people (and some not so good) that we had known, individually and collectively over our long and varied sales careers.

Apart from the “Where is he now? Wonder what he’s doing?” theme that threaded its way through our conversation, we somehow alighted on the rhetorical question, “Why do some excellent sales people fail to perform with certain employers, and conversely, why do some apparently mediocre sales people achieve noteworthy success at certain times in their career?”

I’m sure the question crosses the mind of every sales manager or director at least once a day. We didn’t have a clear cut and agreed answer, of course.

We looked at each other, deep frowns on our middle aged foreheads, and attempted to answer this conundrum, dredging up all of our accumulated knowledge on the subject.

Pros and Cons
“Not enough or inappropriate training?”
“Poor motivation?”
“No aptitude?”
“Doesn’t smile enough?”
“Good listener?”
“Great closer?”
“Gets to the bottom of the customer’s needs?”
“Can’t articulate the USP?”
“Sticks to the sales process?”

As we droned on a light began to dawn as we thought deeper about our puzzle. Not a blinding flash of light, more like the gradual cranking up of a dimmer switch.

Perhaps we had been looking at the problem from the wrong point of view. It had been hardwired into our psyche. We had been indoctrinated to believe that any fault in failing to meet a sales target was singularly down to the sales person.

It must be, surely? If you failed wasn’t it a matter of attitude (must always be positive, regardless of the fact that your dearest aunt had popped her clogs that very morning), or circumstances (why, oh, why did Superspeed Logistics have to be taken over by Global Dropshippers), or territory (why did they give me Grimsby), or target (what planet are they on? This is 20% up on last year and I worked my backside off to make that) or longevity in post (Ron’s been here forever, knows all the wrinkles, and plays the system), or plain old cronyism (Ben’s always sucking up to the boss, even goes out socially with him and his missus; he gets given all the plum prospects).

They all seemed logical. They all seemed plausible. They are all only part of the story.

They are all only part of the story because we know (and you do to) that there are many exceptions to such obvious causes.

The normal process in our experience goes something like this:

Chief Executive: “We promised the market to improve our shareholder returns this coming year. Now chaps, what this means is that we have to sell more. As we all know margins on our current product range are reducing, and it will be some time before we get the new stuff on to the streets. So we need more sales of what we have. Correct, Charles?”

Finance Director: “Spot on Robert. All the projections show that we need a 20% increase over last year’s sales. That should do the trick.”

Chief Executive (looking menacingly at the Sales Director): “Any problem with that, Richard?”

Sales Director (sheepishly, fingers crossed behind his back): “Er, no. I think we can manage that.”

An over simplification, naturally. But you get the gist. Of course, for those of us sales people who have been around this particular block many times, and putting power politics aside for the moment, we all know what the problem is.

It isn’t the Chairman. He’s from a legal background and the world of selling is a complete mystery to him. But he does know that he and the business won’t survive without sales. It isn’t the Finance Director. Sales belong to that line on his spreadsheet that simply makes everything look good, or bad.

Then it must be the Sales Director (a 'he' in this case). It’s his job to ‘make the numbers’ so if he fails to do so, it’s as plain as a pikestaff where the blame lies. Plus he’s got a wife and kids and a huge mortgage to support (after all, he is a salesman). This seems like the situation on a plate of bacon and eggs - the chicken is involved but the pig is committed.

Let me explain. When businesses (either newly founded or setting their forward goals) do their business planning, the Sales Director is usually a party, but in many instances as a bit player. At some point he will be handed a figure, cast in stone, not dissimilar to the manner in which Moses received the Tablet on Mount Sinai. Except there will only be one, very visible commandment. And he won’t, I stress won’t, argue with his particular boss over whether it’s right or wrong. Trust me on this. So, he is the involved chicken in this situation.

He’ll then decide that in order to make this number he’ll need a plan. Now, our Sales Director is a very well educated and savvy man and he knows he will need a strategy in order to convince his people to climb yet another massive obstacle, higher even than the previous one which left him with a surprising number of casualties. So he has his number, he knows how many sales people he has, and he knows that his resellers can hardly be asked to provide more than a nominal increase in contribution. So his maths in theory is simple. Take the figure handed to him from on high, subtract what he feels can be contributed by his resellers, and then divide by the number of sales people. Easy! Everybody’s happy! Until a reseller goes bust, or his best sales person leaves to go to the competition, or his products are in the declining part of their lifecycle. Or motivation levels hit an all time low.

Now consider his involvement as the pig, metaphorically speaking of course. Maybe, just maybe he can get his own number accepted first. He will need to present a thoroughly researched and substantiated plan to succeed. So he builds his strategy house, but this time from the foundations up. He asks himself some telling questions, the answers to which remarkably, are often absent from the business plan.

1. Do I have an agreed, documented sales strategy? If not, why not? And if I have, is it truly connected to the organisation’s business plan and will it stay that way?

2. How well does the Management Team understand my strategy? Have I explained it to them fully?

3. Do I know what our target markets are? Have I focused my people in the most profitable areas?

4. How well does the Management Team understand our unique selling propositions in each market?

5. How is our sales revenue performing in each market? Do I know why the French love our products and the Germans won’t touch them?

6. How are our distributors/resellers/agents sales revenues performing? Are they motivated to sell our products?

7. Do I have a consistent and well understood method for setting sales targets? Do my team buy into the way I set targets?

He wisely decides to become connected to the rest of the organisation and marshal his thoughts around what will be required to impress his boss.

The problem is he is too busy with the day to day operations to do it alone.

So what is the solution?

The real person that this story is based on hired a sales improvement specialist to assist him and his Management Team. Their brief was to develop a strategic sales plan; to assess his organisation’s capability to carry out that plan; and to develop or confirm his Go To Market strategy.

So now there is science behind his number and buy in from the board (who have been actively involved in developing the plan). The Sales Director in this story now has a detailed plan to measure progress against. If things don't proceed as expected he will have an early warning, in time to identify the cause and make the necessary adjustments. Now, sales scapegoats should be the only redundancies.

Contributor Paul Chiswick FInstSMM is MD of sales improvement specialists B46 Consulting. Tel: +44 121 748 4138 paul@b46.org http://www.b46.org

Your Timing Couldn't Be Better!

Suddenly gripped with a vision of what I wanted from his company, I seized control of the conversation and asked the salesman whom I should talk to about my idea. He was startled, of course, that I was turning the tables in the middle of his presentation, but he complied.

A few calls later, I was speaking to, and pitching a guy, who after hearing my idea volunteered, “Your timing couldn’t be better!”

I love that phrase, because it symbolizes what is tremendous about selling, especially when you’re doing it, unconventionally.

When you take the initiative you literally make things happen. You create something where there was nothing. You amalgamate the most intangible things we know, a goal, a concept, your words, a telephone connection, and the next thing you know, you’re doing business with a person who was a stranger, mere seconds before.

What can be more exciting than this?

An artist, who rummages for discards and then assembles this erstwhile junk into something interesting or beautiful, is no more creative than you are, at such a moment.

The key to all of this joy and success is to be prepared to pitch anybody, at anytime.

I’m really fond of taking calls that are made to me, and injecting into them my own agendas.

There are several advantages:

(1) You can find out a lot about the company that the caller represents because salespeople are talkers and you have one on the line;

(2) As the caller’s perceived “customer,” he’s going to be more polite and patient with you as you do the Vulcan Mind Meld with him than he would be if you had actually phoned him;

(3) If you’re really persuasive, he’ll do a hot transfer on the spot, connecting you with someone who can provide even better information as well as tips for selling to the firm; and

(4) You’ll sound loose and relaxed, because you’re sailing in their wind, and you know it.

Win, lose, or draw, turning the tables is great practice, and it pumps you up.

You’ll know you’re getting pretty good at it when you start hearing, “Your timing couldn’t be better!”

Dr. Gary S. Goodman © 2006

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

How to Get Past Call Reluctance and Make Your Calls More Profitable

Getting past call reluctance is one of the keys to successful cold calling. Understand what's causing the reluctance and work on a solution. The three main causes of cold calling reluctance are lack of a plan, attitude and fear of rejection. Cold Calling Tip #1: Have A Plan. Planning is a key to success in anything you do in sales. Know who you're calling. Write a thumbnail sketch of the people you're calling. What I mean is get specific about the group of prospects in your target market. How old are they, what kind of work do they do, where do they live, and what kind of challenges do they have. The better picture you get of who you're calling the better you'll understand and relate to them. The second part of this cold calling tip is know what the big picture is for you. Why are you in sales and what benefit does your product or service bring to your target market? Decide what your objective is for the call, get the appointment, name, etc. Plan out what you're going to say. Have a written script that tells you exactly what you'll say. Know what objections may arise during the conversation and how to handle each one. Understand how and when to close. It's not just picking up the phone and hoping for the best. Put your plan on paper so you can see it and internalize it and your cold calling success rate will increase. Cold Calling Tip #2: What's With Your Attitude? Improve your attitude and you'll improve your results. I've seen a dramatic difference in my phone success based on my attitude. When my attitude is bad, people are less receptive and my success rate goes down. When I'm feeling good, my success on the phone goes up. I guess it's not that everyone else is having a bad day. Work on your attitude everyday. Make a decision to have a good attitude. If you have a bad attitude don't pick up the phone. Stop watching the news and start reading positive books. Have fun on the phone, make someone smile. Cold Calling Tip #3: Don't Take It Personal. Remember, not everyone you call will be interested in what you have to offer. So be prepared for rejection and understand they aren't rejecting you they're only rejecting the offer you're making them. Thank them and move on to the next. Cold calling is time consuming and nerve racking for many sales people. If you expect and prepare for the best, you'll have a better chance of the best happening.

A Low Cost Merchant Account

If you are new to the business world, you may believe that a low cost merchant account is beyond reach. You might reason that every dollar of profit you make should be funneled right back into the businessÂ’ products or services rather than into an account that facilitates electronic payment processing. But a merchant account may be the very asset your business needs in order to achieve the growth you want to see. By providing your customers with alternative payment options to cash and check, you are inviting them to spend more and pay according to their preferred method, since research shows more consumers are choosing to pay by credit card than any other means.

A low cost merchant account can help your business grow by enhancing your marketing plan. When the word gets out that your company offers electronic payment services like credit card swiping, telephone dial-up, and Internet Website payment options, customers will be impressed and may be more likely to check out your various options to see for themselves how easy you have made it for them to shop with your company. Naturally, you donÂ’t have to offer all these options at once. But you can start by getting approved for merchant account services and then setting up one type of credit payment option to see how customers respond. If all goes according to plan and growth follows the expected trend, you may decide to add another option to further expedite payment procedures.

Your low cost merchant account can put a terminal-printer on your checkout counter to help your cashier process credit payments in addition to making change for cash payments and getting the managerÂ’s check approval. When customers know that you accept credit cards, they may be more likely to spend more than they would have otherwise. They might even buy gift cards or novelty items in the checkout line. If you deliver goods or services with an appliance installation service, for example, you can buy or lease a wireless credit card processor that can go wherever you do for point-of-sale processing. You donÂ’t have to worry about statements that wonÂ’t get paid or billing customers each month for the next year. A credit card sale can finalize the account to the satisfaction of both your client and you.

When you are ready to grow your business to the next level, with a low cost merchant account, you can apply for digital credit card processing by installing a telephone credit payment service. This will allow customers to call in at any time and key in their credit card account number for payments without the aid of a customer service representative. Then you can add a company Website with a credit-processing feature where customers can order services or supplies and pay on the spot with a credit card.

DonÂ’t wait too long before making the move to electronic credit card processing equipment. Your customers expect it, and your company needs it to stay solvent and experience serious growth. Start thinking about applying for a low cost merchant account.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Shane Penrod is the founder of www.merchant-account-quotes.com Specializing in allowing merchants the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account rates and fees, please go to www.merchant-account-quotes.com

Reduce to the Ridiculous

A life insurance agent sits across the dining room table from a couple. The couple is middle class with two children ages 2 and 10. After conferring with the couple for 45 minutes the agent has designed a plan to protect the family against death of either the mother or father or both. The agent slides the proposal across the table to the parents. The parents glance at the proposal and see that the plan will cost them $50.00 a month. The couple hesitates then glances at each other.

The agent observes the hesitation. He anticipates an objection and reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out 2 quarters, 2dimes, 3nickels and 4 pennies. He then puts the change on the table and states that “The children’s future will be protected in the event that a tragedy takes the life of one of you or both for a little over a dollar a day or a cup of coffee.” In sales, the next one that speaks loses. The couple smiles and asks “Where do we sign?”

This is called “Reduce to the Ridiculous” and it is a form of “framing.” In the sales profession this is a very effective way to overcome the “monthly objection.” Millhouse framed his decision in the very same manner. The salesman reduced to the ridiculous and Millhouse bought. Forty cents a day sounds better than $12.40 a month. The couple in this example was faced with the dilemma of $50.00 a month. The children would still be taken care of financially in the event the parents died but $50.00 a month is a lot of money, that is $600.00 a year or just $1.61 a day. “Wait a minute, just $1.61 a day? We can do that! Where do we sign?” What does this say about our customer base?

People do not respond the same to prohibitions and allowances (Plouse, 1993). Take for instance the agent and the couple or Millhouse and the salesman, both were faced with a substantial amount of money out of pocket even though the need warranted it. When the agent and salesman turned the concept around to the point of value for only pennies a day, the customer’s frame was changed and the sale was made. The “framed” saw that the allowances far outweighed the prohibitions regardless of the fact that everything was the same. This is very powerful in the world of sales. “How you make a decision is often determined by how you view your choices or how you frame the questions around it” (Anderson, 1999).

In the Millhouse example the salesman framed the question around the future success of the company being worth “one can of soda.” This statement is pretty ridiculous to the point that anyone would say yes to that statement. If the salesman framed the question any other way, the possibility of a sale at that moment could have been greatly diminished. For example, if the salesman stated that the future success of the company depended upon the purchase of this product today, there is no value associated with the gain or loss. Millhouse didn’t see a can of soda being the reason the company is successful; rather Millhouse can easily validate that the decision could be made tomorrow and thusly rationalize against the purchase. For example, he could rationalize the overall cost versus gain, interest paid, and “Is it really a value.” People tend to be against risk and will look for reasons to talk themselves out of the situation when given the chance (Anderson, 1999). The can of soda a day is not a loss compared to the future success of the company.

Framing in the business world can be a powerful ally to the salesman. Salesman are trained not to go into a sales pitch right away but rather “feel out” the prospect, gather information and find the hot spots. An experienced salesman knows his prospects as well as the product if not more. An experience salesman builds a relationship with the prospect. An experienced salesman asks the right questions. An experienced salesman frames the closing statement to the point that the prospect would be a fool not to buy.

A good listener as well as inquisitor can learn more about a person in one conversation than they think. The more the person knows the more power that person has to be an influence upon the decisions we make. In these cases knowledge is power. Successful businesses with products to sell have uncovered so much information about the people and markets to which their products are being sold to. Without this knowledge, the marketing departments would never know how to cleverly make that closing statement, or put that person there in that commercial or use those colors within the product they are marketing to sell. This is all a form of decision framing by influencing the way the customer sees the product, convinces themselves to purchase the product and rationalize that the purchase was a good decision. Framing a decision in part is controlled by the normalcy, habits and attributes of the decision maker (Plouse, 1993).

Morally, people must take the decisions they make into careful consideration and accountability. One can have a great influence over another when it is done right. We are all guilty in one way or another of framing, from the toy companies to convincing your boss you need a raise. The world is bought and sold face to face or across the airwaves using frames. Conflict and peace and the reasons for either one are thrust upon us by using frames. The key is to take time in making a decision.

Usually a decision can be made on a product or situation with a little bit of time in between. Will the decision be different? There is an extreme possibility that it will. If one was framed and took time to think about it, more than likely the decision will be different. Millhouse didn’t take time to analyze the total cost of the product on the extended payment plan and the difference that would make on the actual bottom line and whether it was worth it then. We are all guilty of framing and being framed. We all have a responsibility to take a few steps back and think about and realize the decisions we make. The fact of the matter is we would probably be surprised about how differently our lives might actually be.

Raul Ramirez

References “Decision Making Traps We All Fall Into” Kare Anderson Canadian Womens Business Network 1999. retrieved 18 November 2005.

http://www.cdnbizwomen.com/articles/kare8.html

Plouse, Scott (1) (1993) “The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making” New Aster: McGraw-Hill

Raul Ramirez is a licensed agent in the state of Florida and is the owner of Gulf Breeze Insurance Inc. http://www.gulfbreezeinsurance.com

Selling and Marketing Basics; What Unique Skills or Superior Abilities and Advantages do You Have?

If you run a small business, private practice are you indeed communicating with your potential customers out there?

Is your message simple and strong?

Is your marketing informative and to the point?

Are you marketing in such as way that you are telling the public or your target customer of your unique skills, services, superior abilities?

Are you showing your customers the advantages they receive when they buy your products or use your services?

Now I realize this is nothing more than marketing basics and that you probably are aware of such things and the needs to be able to answer these questions and perhaps you can. But when was the last time you asked these questions to yourself about your market niche? What unique skills or superior abilities and advantages do you have? You must have a realistic idea of your unique skills and superior abilities if you are to sell your products or services. You must be able to define these and also explain them in a simple way to your customers, prospects and potential clients. If you fail to define these things you are cheating yourself and your sales and someone, most likely your competition will come along and define them for you. Consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Understanding Body Language: An Effective Sales Tool

There is no question that people can speak volumes without uttering a single word. Non-verbal communication, including body language, can be a powerful sales tool if one is able to understand its signals. However, when you realize that the human body can perform over 700,000 unique movements, the idea of comprehending all those signals would seem like an unrealistic endeavor. Do not despair because just having a rudimentary knowledge of some basic signals and gestures could greatly improve your ability to sell. "I need my space" There are four types of space: public, social, personal and intimate space. Most selling usually occurs in personal space where one-on-one conversations are more likely to occur. People need to understand that personal space is significant for two reasons. First, it is defined differently for each person. Secondly, if you invade someone's personal space without their permission, chances are they will shut down and stop listening. One visual signal someone can give you that you have indeed invaded their personal space is the loss of eye contact. If they have maintained eye contact up to the point that you began to move toward them, and then the other person looked away, chances are you've just stepped into their personal space. "I can see it in the eyes" The old saying that the eyes are the windows to our souls may or may not be true. However, for many people, being able to look into someone's eyes helps them to determine how honest that person is being. We also tend to believe someone more who is able to maintain eye contact while having a conversation. Eyes that dart away or look downward send a message. For example, people who maintain direct eye contact, have "smiling eyes", or maintain a relaxed brow are telling you that they are interested and comfortable with you and what you are saying. People who are unable to maintain eye contact or who have tension in their brows may be lying, uninterested, uncomfortable, or confused. "With Open Arms" Arms and upper body movements are easy to correlate to one's actions. Simply put, open arms and open hands send a message of openness, honesty and pride. Avoid speaking with your hands behind your back or in your pockets. This suggests you have something to hide. If someone is listening to your sales pitch and their shoulders are hunched, their posture is rigid, or they are tapping their fingers. This suggests that they lack interest, are anxious, bored or agitated. You may need to rethink your approach. For some people, the ability to interpret body language comes naturally. For others, they may have to work harder to uncover the signals of body language. If you fail to consider the role body language plays in a closing a sale, both yours and the buyer's, you may overlook an essential tool in the sales process. Try to think of your ability to interpret body languages as just one more necessary skill needed to become a successful salesperson.

Referrals Build Profits: The Best Kind Of Customer Is A Referred Customer

Referrals are the key to exponential and cost-efficient business growth. Supply a topnotch product... let your customers know how advantageous your brand is... and provide exceptional service.

Do that and you’ll encourage customers to willingly send their families, friends, acquaintances, and business associates your way.

There’s no easier sale than the sale made to a “pre-sold” prospect. This kind of favorable condition can only arise as a result of the shared enthusiasm from another delighted buyer. Word-of-mouth advertising generates top quality referrals. As a marketing tool, it simply can’t be beat. Word of mouth promotion cannot be purchased for any amount of money... it can only be earned.

Referrals happen when one friend willingly shares information with another. What makes referrals so effective is that no true friend would recommend a business, service, or product that they didn’t completely approve of themselves.

The foundation for building your business with referrals is a solid product or service -- one that not only meets, but exceeds your advertising claims. One way to achieve customer satisfaction is to “under promise” and “over deliver”.

It doesn’t mean you should weaken your advertising materials. Simply focus on providing more for you customers â€" more than you promise. That’s another formula for success. People are always thrilled to get a little something extra with a purchase they’re already happy about.

Write powerful sales copy that clearly positions your product as the overwhelming favorite. Make a huge promise... and deliver even more.

Treat your customers as the most important component of your business. Customers are vital to your success â€" even to your very existence. People want to be treated fairly, with respect, and courtesy. The golden rule still applies â€" treat people the same way you like to be treated. Remember, nobody likes to wait beyond a reasonable amount of time for an order to be filled.

When you get in the habit of delighting customers, you’ll find that people are only too happy to tell others. As word spreads about your product or service, you’re business is propelled to new heights.

Your success in business is predicated on your ability to satisfy customers, and to continuously grow your customer base. In all your communications with customers, you need to encourage them tell others about all the benefits your product or service offers.

Let loyal buyers know that you’re always seeking new customers. Remind readers that you’ve built your business by thoroughly satisfying customers and having those customers tell others in turn.

Ask buyers if they know anyone who would like and could benefit from your catalog. As soon as a name is provided, fire off an information package... and send a thank you note to the customer who fed you the lead. Referrals make it easy to grow your business.

Provide discount cards for new customers. Offer a 10% to 15% discount on their first purchase and then make these available to your existing customers for distribution to others. Give them an extra reason for handing these discount coupons out.

Offer points towards free gifts, free premiums, for each discount coupon redeemed, or simply acknowledge them as a “builder” of your organization, complete with their picture and certificate, proudly displayed for all to see.

The best way to get customers to refer others is “in the moment” -- when they’re still enamored with your product or your high level of personal service.

While customers are enjoying these positive emotions about your company, that’s the time to ask for a little favor. Ask... “Is there someone else you know, who might want to… grow their business by 37%this year? ... get that older car looking showroom-clean? ... transform any weed-filled lot into a lush green lawn and garden?

Simply fill in the end of the sentence with the big benefit you’ve just delivered on. Plant the seed of referrals and referrals will come your way.

Read more at www.makeyoursalessoar.com.

Robert Boduch is an author of dozens of best-selling books, reports and articles on the art and science of selling. A free newsletter targeted at anyone interested in selling more of anything is available at http://www.makeyoursalessoar.com.

9 Important Things You Assume Your Customers Already Know But Don't...

Have you ever seen Die Hard? Remember when Bruce Wills said: "Assumption is the Mother of All..." Well here are 9 things that we assume our customers already know but really don't. It is our job as professional sales people to educate them on our services and products. 1. Tell your prospects that you offer free delivery of vehicle to their home or work. 2. Tell your prospects that you offer a lower price. If you can't afford to offer a lower price you could always hold the occasional discount sale. 3. Tell your prospects that your product achieves results. People are becoming more and more impatient and want results fast. 4. Tell your prospects you've been in business for a longer period of time. People think if you've been in business longer you have more credibility. 5. Tell your prospects that your product smells, sounds, looks, or feels better. When you target the senses you're triggering human appeal. 6. Tell your prospects that your product lasts longer. People don't like to spend more money purchasing replacement products all the time. 7. Tell your prospects that your product is easy to drive. 8. Tell your prospects that your product has better safety features. 9. Tell your prospects that you stand behind all your vehicles. People want to know that you back-up any claims you make about your product. Talk about these points in your next meeting and watch you salespeople get excited about selling your product and working in your store.