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సంఘము » సందేశాలు - పేజీ 3794

arrow right The Ultimate Think Differently Sales Tip

Sales drive revenues, and revenues drive companies. Companies, then, are only as good as their sales people. In a society that has become increasingly immune to typical sales pitches, competition for consumer dollars has reached a fever pitch. Consumers are inundated daily  with various versions of sales propositions: email, cold calls, fliers and brochures, special offers, internet banners and offers, you name it. How can you expect to compete in this environment?One simple but effective method: Fire your sales people. Most sales personnel stink anyway. This action doesn't reflect their character as people, but rather their ability to increase company revenues. And most sales people (even if they are nice people) do a horrible job at this. Think about it: When was the last time you went shopping, or out to your favorite restaurant, and encountered a terrific sales person? If you have trouble recalling, you're not alone. As consumers, we are even immune to bad service, as long as the product is adequate. We put up with annoying sales people who are pushy and impersonal because we want the outfit. We rationalize away bad service at our favorite restaurant because the food was good (when the waiter finally got the order correct!). We don't think twice when we encounter a lazy sales person who really doesn't enjoy his or her job. It doesn't have to be like this.If you truly want to improve sales within your company, fire your current sales people, and then hire true sales people. How do you know the difference?*People that are "true" sales people value relationships first and sales second. They are cordial, pleasant, and well-meaning.*People that are "true" sales people seek to satisfy the customer, not their boss. There is a huge difference!*People that are "true" sales people are internally motivated rather than motivated by sales rewards or incentives.*People that are "true" sales people are easily found in crowds. They are naturally gregarious, and most likely bring out the best in you during your interactions with themSo, what do you do if firing your sales people is not an option? At the very least, improve your current hiring policy. No amount of company training can make up for the fact that an individual is not cut out to be in sales. Another idea: work to reassign those in your sales force whose skills are better utilized elsewhere. My recommendation is to evaluate your current sales staff in regards to their people skills. You'll find that many of your sales people would be better placed within your company. Behind a cubicle.Copyright (2003) Leif H. Smith, Psy.D. All rights reserved.Performance expert Leif H. Smith, Psy.D, is the president of Personal Best Consulting, a consulting firm located in Hilliard, Ohio. To learn more tips and techniques to immediately improve performance in your life and to sign up for his FREE monthly advice newsletter, visit http://www.personalbestconsulting.com

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right 3 Steps to Immediately Improve Sales

Want to increase sales within your company? It's not as hard to do as some might have you believe. Though we as a nation are in the midst of an economic downturn these past two years, your company does not have to be. What follows are three simple steps to increase sales,  no matter the economic conditions.1. Simplify your advertisingConsumers today are inundated daily with advertising campaigns and solicitations. Frankly, most of these advertising campaigns are not worth the money spent on them. Why? Because they continue to use the same methods as their competitors (direct-mail, billboards, internet advertising, television advertising, and radio advertising) and in the same manner. What has resulted is a society immune to "pitches", "angles", and "tricks" that get them to become consumers of your products. Some tips to simplifying your advertising:-Avoid cliches. Most are overused anyway.-Be better, not best. Most products are pitched as "the best" of their kind. Consumers don't always need the best, however. They just need products that are better than most.-Less is more. Don't allow your message to become lost in the tidal wave of stimuli thrown at consumers. Shorter, succinct messages work well.2. Target the fewOnce you have begun to simply your advertising, focus your message on those few people who begin trends rather than follow them. Perhaps you have friends like this-they revel in finding new products to love. They enjoy having the "newest" product, the "coolest" ideas, the "different" gadgets. These types of consumers become walking billboards, and should be the focus of your advertising. They actually do most of the advertising work for you. Some tips:-Know what makes your product better. Make it the theme of your advertising message.-Know what makes your product different. Emphasize this.-Worry less about those who are apathetic towards your products. Worry more about those that are extremely enthusiastic. Cater to them.3. Build the relationship rather than the saleBecoming a better salesman is easy: improve your relationship skills. Most consumers are looking for peace of mind rather than products anyway. Seek to first build trust and understanding in your relationships with consumers. There are over a dozen hair salons within five miles of my house, yet I always drive twenty minutes longer to get my hair cut each month. Why? Because I enjoy my relationship with the individuals that cut my hair at this particular shop. We talk, we laugh. I enjoy the experience. Thus, I return, even though it is over ten miles from my house, and somewhat inconvenient. I don't pay for the haircut as much as I do the relationship. Im a loyal consumer.Some tips:-Focus on producing value more than selling products. Make quality products, hire quality people.-Learn about your customers at every opportunity-Talk price last, not first. If price is the determining factor for buying your product, you've lost control of the sales conversation. Focus instead on the consumers needs and wants, then seek to meet them.Copyright (2003) Leif H. Smith, Psy.D. All rights reserved.Performance expert Leif H. Smith, Psy.D, is the president of Personal Best Consulting, a consulting firm located in Hilliard, Ohio. To learn more tips and techniques to immediately improve performance in your life and to sign up for his FREE monthly advice newsletter, visit http://www.personalbestconsulting.com

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right Do You Want Fries With That? - Using Suggestive Selling to Increase Your Sa

Suggestive selling is a powerful tool that can increase your revenues-and your bottom line-significantly. We are all used to the order taker at a fast food place asking if we want fries with our burgers, or if we would like to "Jumbo-Size" our orders, but suggestive selling  can work in any business.Shoe stores suggest socks or polish to go with your new sneakers, hair salons recommend styling products, and stores selling electronics offer an extended warranty on the gadget you just bought. In each case, the business encourages the customer to add on to the purchase they are making.Upselling can be done in person, on the phone or over the Internet. Many online shopping carts allow you to set up a product-specific upselling page. That means that when someone orders Product A, they get the suggestion that goes with that product. Someone who orders another product receives a recommendation appropriate to that product.Here are some tips to make suggestive selling work for you:Make the suggestion after the customer has made a commitment to buy. Don't try to add on to the sale before the customer has made a firm decision and is in the process of buying.Upsells should be related to the original purchase. An upgrade, a warranty, accessories, or something else that adds on to what the customer is buying can be effective. The customer is more likely to see such a suggestion as helpful than as simply a sales ploy.Consider making the upsell a

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right Increase Your Influence, Increase Your Sales

Selling is everyone's lifeblood whether they realize it or not. We all sell in the sense that we attempt to convince and influence others. We want and need to convince our children, our coworkers, bosses, spouses, clients or customers. How effective are you?There is a style  of convincing others, influencing or "selling" for everyone. Understand we are using the term "selling" here very loosely. I bet many of you are saying, "I don't sell people. I hate that!" Although this may sound like it's about sales, it really isn't. You'll understand shortly but indulge me for a minute. There are several types of popular styles of selling: relationship selling, non-manipulative selling, pressure selling, what's-important-about-that-to-you selling. Whatever approach and philosophy that works for you is fine. Actually, we're not trying to change your personal style of selling. But if we can give you additional insight to influencing others regardless of who they are, would that be helpful? "Yes."Let me ask you, when you really connect with someone, isn't that a wonderful experience? When this happens, you connect with them and feel closer in a shorter period of time then with someone else you may have known for years. What happens here? You click, connect, have great rapport, and there may even be chemistry between you. You know you are being heard and listened too. Wow, isn't that wonderful when it happens! Wouldn't it be great if we could increase our opportunities to connect with each other in general? It can be done.There is a universal unspoken language based on observable behavior. What that means is, we can see the behavior just by watching others. We look for tone of voice, pace, body language and words used. These are the clues that help us to identify how to communicate better with that person.Research has shown that behavioral characteristics can be grouped together into four quadrants or styles. People with similar styles tend to exhibit specific types of behavior common to that style. A person's behavior is a reflection of who they are naturally. According to William A. Marston, "All people exhibit all four behavioral factors in varying degrees of intensity."This model categorizes how we act. Nothing more. It is simply used as a tool for more effective communications between people. Sound good? You bet.In all the cultures studied, the model has been found to be valid. All cultures have people who are outgoing, expressive and animated. All cultures have people who are more cool, aloof, introverted and analytical. Ask yourself, is this person people-oriented or task-oriented? Are they an introvert or an extrovert? Because you can learn to see the answers, it is observable. It is a universal language because it has no cultural boundaries. Are you intrigued? You're probably saying, that's all great but how does this apply to me getting my way? Oh, we are so self-centered at times. When you are getting your way, I trust it is for the benefit of all who are affected by the decision. Because what we are talking about is not for self-centeredness, manipulation or control.Any time we have greater understanding of ourselves, it provides us opportunities to make the best of an interpersonal communication process. That insight provides a solid foundation from which to move forward. If we know we have a particular habit that may interfere with the communication process; we can work on improving how we communicate. For example, if we know we are not the best listeners in the world, we can work to improve our listening skills. If we tend to come on too strong for some people, we may choose to tame it down in those situations. When you know yourself, you have the choice to modify your own behavior so the other person can be ready to hear what you are saying. Let me repeat that, this is a very important point, "When you know yourself, you have the choice to modify your own behavior so the other person can be ready to hear what you are saying."Again this is not about manipulation or controlling others; it is taking control of ourselves! It is about you having a true desire to be the best communicator you can possibly be. The goal is to communicate on a level so the family member, coworker or customer can relate to what you say. When we communicate in a manner that is appealing and open, the person is more likely to feel connected to us and understand and be open to what is being said by you. The results are better communications for everyone's benefit. Not only will it improve sales; the benefits will spill over into all areas of communications in our personal and professional lives. Many of us need improved relationships with our family, friends, and customers, do you? Just simply having greater understanding of the communication styles is a big step. We know we really can't change others, only ourselves.Some of the benefits of learning this universal language are gaining commitment and cooperation, building more effective sales teams, resolving and preventing conflicts, gaining endorsement, increasing sales, better time management and having better family interaction. W.W. Tornow & M. London says, "Self assessment can motivate change. Fear of self-knowledge can prevent it. However, feedback results that are verifiable, predictable, and controllable are difficult to deny. It is important that the recipient be ready for feedback-that is, be able and willing to accept it and to do something with it that will result in change."Now that you understand what we're talking about, let's look at the four styles we have been referring to: DISC, D = Dominate, I = Influencer, S = Steadiness, C = Compliance. In simpler terms, it addresses how we handle problem solving, how we influence people, the pace in which we do things and our willingness or possibly unwillingness to follow rules and procedures. A person whose strongest style is a "D" is ambitious, forceful, decisive, direct, independent and challenging. A strong "I" style is expressive, enthusiastic, friendly, demonstrative, talkative and stimulating. A strong "S" tends to be methodical, systematic, reliable, steady, relaxed and modest. The strong "C" is analytical, contemplative, conservative, exacting, careful and deliberative. We all exhibit some of each of these four styles. Most of us have one or two of these styles that are more prominent then the others.When a person is identified as a Dominate, one who likes to solve problems, you can direct the sale in a way to help the customer solve their problem of making a decision or a purchase. Ask questions to provide insights and answers as to what they want to accomplish with this purchase. The high D is a greater risk taker. Show them something new and different. When communicating with them be clear, concise and direct.When someone is an Influencer, a people person, you'll want to allow time to build rapport with him or her. Don't be afraid to chitchat. Talk about things other then business to break the ice. Too much detail and technical information will overwhelm this person. Give details when they ask for it. Show them unique, unusual and designer options. Be creative. Help them to visualize and image how their friends will react when they see it.A Steadiness person is not one to make quick-on-the-spot decisions. That is unless they have done considerable research and shopping already and know exactly what they want. They hate to be pressured and will not be pressured. They love stability and harmony. They tend to be very loyal. They appreciate strong relationships and relatively low risk situations. Assure them of your guarantees and that it's risk free. Inform them of your return policies. When you have provided them with the knowledge they want; they will want to go home and think it over. They will come back. Know that 40% of the population falls into this category.The Compliance person is one who likes rules and regulations and likes lots of information. They like details and more technical types of presentations. Show them supportive materials that provide back up and validation to what you're saying. Pull out the professional industry association brochures to show them supporting statistics. Give them a brochure or a business card with your name and phone number for them to refer to later.These are just a few of the ideas that can be used when you understand the four basic behavior styles. It is worth an investment of time and resources to learn this easy universal language. When you use it, it will increase your bottom line! A simple questionnaire, and subsequent report will provide the necessary insights to your behavior styles. With a little training and practice you can learn to observe these styles in others with 85% or more accuracy! The beauty is that it is simple, easy and observable. And best of all, it is fun, will increase your personal effectiveness and your "sales." "Seeing is believing" is true here.Copyright 2005 Eln AlbertBest known for her expertise in Interpersonal Communications, Eln Albert works with those that want to be at their best when influencing others. Eln is a Professional Speaker and Author.For more information on how to be the best influencer as a parent or a boss go to http://www.ElnAlbert.com. Check out other articles by Ms. Albert and subscribe to get her free

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right Have You Prepared for Success in Sales?

My wife and I watched the movie Ray a couple of weeks ago when it came out on DVD. In the movie Jaime Foxx plays the legendary singer Ray Charles. I was amazed at how Jaime had captured the essence of Ray Charles. Many times throughout the movie I wondered if it was Jaime  Foxx or Ray Charles I was seeing on my TV.When I did research on Jaime Foxx's preparation for the movie I understood why he had captured Ray Charles so perfectly. In preparation for Ray, the movie, he adapted many of Ray Charles' physical characteristics and immersed himself in Soul, Jazz and Blues recordings to set the mood; attended classes at the Braille Institute; and spent weeks during rehearsal and production walking around with his eyes sealed tight for 12 hours a day, to gain an intimate understanding of what it really means to be blind.Many on the set where stunned by how spontaneous and natural the actor's embodiment of Charles became. But imitation was never the point for Foxx.

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right 3 Hot Ways To Crank Up Your Sales

1) QUICK FOLLOW-UPSWhen you make your first sale, follow-up with the customer. You could follow-up with a "thank you" email and include an advertisement for another product you sell. You can be more subtle including the offer within your signature file.Another way is to  take your customer to a

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right The ?Finding Common Ground? Sales Technique, Is A Myth!

Almost every book, manual, workshop or tape series teaching selling skills, will at one point suggest that you need to find something in com-mon with your prospective customer or client, in order to produce a trusting relationship. The thinking behind this suggestion is  that if you find you have something in common with a decision-maker, somehow a bond or trust will be formed from a shared interest or mutual acquaint-ance. It is true that people buy from people like themselves, so on the surface this selling technique seems like a reasonable method to produce positive feelings in a prospect, customer or client. But, finding something in common with a decision-maker just takes too long in today's fast paced selling environment and often is too difficult to uncover to build the trusting relationship that actually produces sales success.Studies conducted by Dr. Al Mahribian at UCLA into effective communi-cation, strongly indicate that often the decision to purchase a product or service is made in the first two minutes of a sales transaction. Two min-utes is usually not enough time to discover something you might have in common with a prospective customer or client and then build on it to create a trusting relationship, so you need to find a more effective method to cultivate the trust needed to consistently produce sales.To build trust quickly in a sales transaction, all you need to do is ask a series of "open-ended, personal questions." One of the easiest ways to build rapport and trust is to get a decision-maker chatting about some-thing that she loves to talk about-herself! Generally, people are far more interested in themselves than in you, your organization or what you're selling. However, psychologists tell us that when a prospect reveals something personal about himself, that's when a strong and trusting re-lationship is being formed. Always remember, "People buy from people they trust!" To obtain a series of proven "trust building methods" just go to http://www.TheSellignEdge.com/myths1.htm .Questioning and really listening, not talking or telling, builds trust in a sales transaction. If you do more than 30 percent of the talking in a sales presentation or sales transaction, you are talking too much! Think about your last presentation. Who did most of the talking? This question, if an-swered honestly can give you insight into your level of closing skill. Always remember, closing a sale is a process not a technique.Best wishes for continued sales success.VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. a firm specializing in sales, customer relations, tradeshows and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Ko-dak, IBM, Deloitte & Touché, Bank One, Jefferson Wells, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and the best selling Building & Closing the Sale, Fifty-Minute series books and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by Thompson Learning. He has also authored a Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching & team development, telemarketing, and personal productivity training guides. Check them out at:http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/Book1.htm.Virden teaches for the Center For Professional Development, Texas Tech Uni-versity at Lubbock, Texas and in the School Of Entrepreneurship, J. Willard And Alice S. Marriott School Of Management at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. You can contact Virden at: Virden@TheSellingEdge.com. or learn more about him at: http://www.TheSellingEdge.com .

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right Success Secrets Of A Famous Vacuum Salesperson

I have to admit, I have an 'addiction'.Sometimes this addiction keeps me up to 3 am, sometimes it causes me to work 7 days a week.Many times this addiction is healthy, but I will confess that sometimes it's not.No, my addiction isn't drugs or alcohol, it's something much  more powerful.

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right A Great Sales Technique: Be Aware of Sales Myth #5

A myth can best be described as somebody or something whose existence is or was widely believed in, but is in reality fictitious. Based on this description I have created a series of articles entitled: Sales Myths. Here is one of them.Sales Myth: People with the greatest  "gift of gab" make the greatest salespeople.Belief: Our ability to talk clearly and present powerfully is the most important factor in getting people to buy.Problem: You're a good, or maybe a great presenter. Qualified prospects seem to be impressed with your presentation, but are not moved to buy.Solution: Stop telling your prospects the reasons they should buy your product.People do things, buy things and believe in things for their reasons, not yours.When you're telling, you're not really selling at all.Give up the need to tell, give up the NEED to sell (notice, I didn't say give up the commitment to sell) and give up the need to convince and influence.When you give up the need to tell, sell and talk you can focus on uncovering the issues, needs, problems and desired outcomes of the prospect.The results of a communications study conducted at UCLA in 1967 showed that words as a communications device may be the least effective of all influencing tools.The statistical breakdown of the study indicated that words make up only seven percent of an effective communication. Tone, posture, gestures and other aspects of our physiology make up the ninety-three percent that adds the emphasis needed to convince and influence.In other words, how you say something may be more important than what you say.Whether you agree with the premise of the study or not, one thing is perfectly clear from the results: Listening is not on the list of effective communication tools, and I think it should be.I believe that listening is the most important communications tool of all.By no means is this meant to suggest that you should give up talking or presenting entirely.However, the idea that you can enter a sales situation with a canned presentation and a high "glibness" quotient and expect to come out with a signed contract is outdated and needs to be modified.Most of us have been trained that to be a good sales person you have to be ready to give your prospect a lot of information that you think they need to know from your point of view or your company's point of view.I believe that you must only give your prospect information that they think they need to know - from their point of view.How do you accomplish this? How do you discover what your prospect really wants to know?The answer to those questions is contained in one of the main ingredients in my formula for selling success: Ask powerful Open-Ended Questions.You will enhance your selling effectiveness and close more sales by simply asking powerful open-ended questions and listening carefully to the response.Once you get that information from your prospect you can customize your reply. You'll be ready to deliver information that focuses clearly on the prospect's specific needs instead of your "best guess" perception of those needs.This calls for a dramatic shift from "Days Gone By".This is an entirely different day.To be a truly successful salesperson you need to communicate through the information filter provided by your prospect. The best way to identify this filter is to ask open-ended questions and then listen carefully to the answers.Today's advice: Focus less on "smooth" talking and more on "hard" listening.© 2005 Ian KriegerIke Krieger is the founder of BusinessSuccessBuilder.com. He is a nationally known business language expert, mentor, speaker, radio and TV talk show host, educator and author. He is a former communications instructor at Ohio State University.He has served as business makeover specialist for the LA Times and writes for the San Fernando Valley Business Journal. He is the current Chairman of the Board of the North San Fernando Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce. Ike's business success builder programs have helped thousands of entrepreneurs, executives, salespeople, consultants and professionals get an even bettershot at networking, selling and business success.Ike can be reached at 800-700-4334 or by e-mail at ike@businesssuccessbuilder.com.BusinessSuccessBuilder.com. Build it Big, Build it Bigger!http://www.businesssuccessbuilder.com818-997-7575 - 800-700-4334

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right Ideal Clients - Who are They and Where Do You Find Them?

Ideal clients are the ones who are perfect for you. They are the clients who understand your offering, are happy with your services, are willing to refer you to their friends, return for repeat appointments themselves (where appropriate), who pay their bills on time, who  show up on time for their appointments, who give you 24 hours notice when they need to cancel their appointment.We all have our own criteria to define the perfect client. What are yours? If you are not clear about this aspect of your business you will spend an extraordinary amount of time chasing the wrong people and, if you do enroll them as clients, the relationship will always struggle.The not-ideal client will not show up for appointments, they will be late payers, they will not refer business to you. In short, they will be difficult to deal with.In their book "Attracting Perfect Customers" Hall and Brogniez use the metaphor of a lighthouse. The lighthouse does not chase ships up and down the shore line in an attempt to serve them. It stands firm and is clear about its purpose. The ships know where the lighthouse is and come to rely on it being there.Once you are clear about who your ideal clients are, focus everything around these clients and stand still, let them find you. Stand firm around your boundaries and your offer. As soon as you begin to try to accommodate client needs which are not aligned with your own standards and values you are on a slippery slope.Think about it. If you call one of your own professional advisers for an appointment you expect to be given a choice of a couple of times and dates from which to choose. Is that not so? Why then, when clients call you would you be tempted to see them out of hours, change your rate or jump through any other kind of hoop they care to throw at you? Clients will not respect you more for accommodating them.So an exercise to work on is around who would be your ideal client?Describe their attributes and characteristics, think about their needs and also make a declaration about your own requirements. Write all of this down and review it after a couple of days, refine it if necessary. This is one of the foundation stones of building a successful practice. You may think you have done this already and maybe you have, but indulge me, do it again. Be clear about your offer, who would want to benefit from that offer, who you will work with, what you do not do and who you do not work with. If you do not have this clarity how are you going to be able to discern your ideal clients from the not-ideal?Donnie Harrison is a Coach and Business Mentor working primarily with clients who are setting up or building a Professional Practice in the healthcare sector - be it traditional, complementary or alternative. Further information from http://donnieharrison.com

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right More Sales with Less Selling

Have you ever passed by a bakery display case without feeling the urge to buy at least one cookie, dessert or cinnamon bun? Have you ever taken a child into a candy store and not had them ask to buy at least one of their favorite sweets?The smell of fresh baked goods and  the memory of the taste of a candy bar makes us want to buy more. The owners of bakeries and candy stores don't have to spend a lot of time extolling the merits of their goods or the length of time they've been in business; they can concentrate on helping us satisfy our appetites.Wouldn't you like to be in a similar situation with your marketing? How would you like to have prospects who were so eager to buy that you didn't have to sell, but could focus instead on taking more orders?If you are like most small business owners you'd like to increase your sales but you don't enjoy selling. You don't want to be seen as a pushy person, whether it is on the phone, in person or in your marketing materials. The problem is that you don't sell baked goods or candy - instead you may sell accounting, design, engineering, or informational products and services.What can you do to increase your sales and spend less time selling?Stop Selling Stop worrying about closing the sale. Focus instead on understanding what your prospect wants, and open the door to a mutually profitable relationship. When a prospect thinks that all you care about is getting their money, they'll view the relationship negatively and this can easily kill the sale.Start Helping Once a prospect is at your web site or on the phone with you, they've demonstrated an interest in finding a solution to one of their problems or concerns. Take the next step and demonstrate your interest in them. Use your conversation or your site to ask them questions that will identify what they want to accomplish and how you can help them.Help them clarify the problem they are trying to solve. Even our prosperous bakery owner has questions to ask. Is the hungry customer looking for bread for lunch, or a dessert for a celebration? How many people are they feeding? Once you have all the details, you confirm it by repeating the information back to them. "You are planning a party for five couples and want a chocolate cake with mocha frosting. Is that right?"When your customer says yes, you've got your order. You just used a series of questions to get your prospect to tell you what they wanted. You didn't have to sell anything: they sold themselves. You helped them get what they wanted. Isn't that what you'd prefer to be doing?Obviously, the questions you use to "sell" are going to be unique to the products and services you provide. Remember that when people come to you, they are hungry for a solution. The questions you ask can help them define exactly what they need and, more importantly, what they want. Then you can take their order.Does this approach apply to selling less tangible and less immediately satisfying services and products?Imagine you're a financial advisor and you're having an initial conversation with a prospect. You could launch into an explanation of your services and the seven ways you help clients grow assets using a strategic mix of stocks, bonds, currency and commodities. If you did this you'd be likely to miss connecting with them. Or you could ask them a couple of questions to identify what they want.Most people have a common set of concerns related to managing their assets. Use these to formulate your questions. Ask them:- Do they have an investment strategy? - What is it? - What have the results been over the last five years? - How risky or safe do they feel their strategy is? - Are they happy with the investment return of their portfolio? - Do they want to know how to get better returns without additional risk?You could use a similar set of questions to ask them about their taxes, investments, and whether their individual financial strategies complement or conflict with each other.Whether you sell cakes and cookies or services and informational products, you can use questions to move your prospects to become clients and customers.Ask the right questions and you'll establish your credibility while you help your prospects clarify what they need and help them determine the value of your products and services. Focus on helping instead of selling and your prospects will thank you by increasing your sales.Charlie Cook 2005© In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals, small business owners and marketing professionals attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up to receive the Free Marketing Plan eBook, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business' at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right Reaching Goals in Direct Sales

From surveys and experience, we've noticed many setting excellent goals for their business. We've also noticed that while the goals being set are good, the results aren't. Around 90% of those in Direct Sales do SET goals, but never reach them.So the question comes to  mind.....are you making the right plans to reach your goals? It's GREAT to set a certain amount you want to make, so you have a little motivation, but without the proper planning reaching that goal is going to be more difficult.Ask yourself the following questions:What have you done in the past that created sales?  How can you improve on ideas for creating sales?  What ideas for sales have you seen but not tried?Take a minute to write down every way you can think of to make your sales (such as through parties, catalog shows, drawings, etc), then make some more specific goals for doing each task. Such as

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right Knowing Your Customers; Closing the Sale

Just because your business is based in your home that doesn't mean you can afford to ignore the most important element of your success: sales. The bottom line is that your sales ability will make or break your business's future. Chances are, however, that unless you have a  background in sales, you lack the helpful training which will give you a competitive advantage.The key to closing the sale quicker and easier than you ever imagined is to understand your customers. Below you will find some advice that will help you get to know them a little better.Who They AreNot all that long ago, customers were all pretty much the same. Most were males over thirty with steady jobs and families to support. Generally, most salespeople fell into a similar demographic. For that reason, buyers felt comfortable with sellers and typically trusted their guidance wholeheartedly.Things have definitely changed dramatically in the last several decades. Even if you ignore the role of technology in sales, there are still enough changes from that old sales model described above to require a significant shift in attitude.For one, men are no longer the only ones doing the buying. As you probably already know, women are out there spending their hard earned money and making important decisions about their family's budgets. Unfortunately, many of these women still feel treated as inferior or

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right Change Takes Time

I am writing this at the Philadelphia Airport on my way back from meeting with one of my clients. Three weeks ago, we offered a training program for their staff in basic selling skills. She reported that they saw an immediate increase in sales after the program. Since these  are all telemarketers, she listened in on their calls to see what had changed. To her pleasure they were asking good, open-ended questions. They were taking time to listen to the client's responses and using their comments to match them with the right product. They were even closing right at the correct time. She was thrilled.Unfortunately, not all of the reps kept it up. Within weeks, some of the rep's sales had slipped back to their original level. Another listening survey showed the cause. Each of the reps whose sales were down had slipped back into their old way of operating. It was as if a giant rubber band had been stretched during training, and now it was returning to its original size. Should we be surprised? I'm not. For years these reps had been trained to operate in a lecture mode. They read scripts and gave the same pitch to every caller. Now we were asking them to change, and change takes time.So what do you do? Forget training? No, but you may want to think about the steps that must follow a training program to make it stick. These can include email reminders, peer coaching, and manager mentoring. In this case, we are adding audio 'mini-seminars' to the mix. Each rep will be encouraged to call into a voice mailbox for a short refresher on the subject they need help on. Each 10 minute message will give them tips and examples designed to overcome their area of weakness.Whether you are offering training for your team or simply taking a training program yourself, recognize that old habits die hard. Build a reinforcement regiment to turn that training into practice and the practice into habit over 30, 60 or 90 days. Just like planting a garden, putting the seeds in the ground is only the first step to a bountiful harvest.For a free copy of

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...

arrow right The Changing Role of the Sales Consultant

"Leadership rests not only on outstanding ability. It also rests on commitment, loyalty and pride. It rests on followers who are ready to accept guidance. Leadership is the ability to direct people and ? more important ? to have those people accept the direction."  Vince LombardiTHE OBSERVATION...There has never been a better time to be in the field of sales or customer service. In this world of

Bandu2 - Herit.gif  వర్గం: సంఘము   »   0 పుస్తకాలు   »   తేదీ: 02/01/2012 05:46   »   ద్వారా: Mouhamadou-bamb ...