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సంఘము » సందేశాలు - పేజీ 3797
arrow right Small Business Computer Consulting Freeloaders? and How to Avoid Them

If you've been in the small business computer consulting industry for more than 10 minutes, you've probably already encountered a fair amount of freeloaders.Regardless of whether you call these folks moochers, tightwads, cheapskates, tire-kickers, cherry-pickers, or time vampires, left unchecked these vultures can wreak financial and emotional havoc on virtually any small business computer consulting firm.In this article, we'll look at what your small business computer consulting company can do to protect itself against freeloaders and other time and financial leaches.The Root of the ProblemSo where does the problem with freeloaders really originate? And how can you handle prospects that have unrealistic expectations of what professional computer consulting services should cost?What it boils down to is this: You need to be able to convince prospects that hiring your small business computer consulting firm is an investment (not an expense) in their business.In other words, the tangible, concrete, measurable and irrefutable benefits of what your computer consulting firm delivers must far outweigh their out-of-pocket costs.Think about it? Would you make an investment in your computer consulting company if you didn't see how the benefits were greater than the costs?Back-of-the-Napkin Prediction Tool for Small Business Computer ConsultingNow because you're selling a highly specialized computer consulting service, your sales message and value proposition will be different than your competitor down the street.However, you can dramatically tip the scales in your firm's favor by paying attention to one really universal way to avoid the computer consulting moochers.Simply, look for small business decision makers that are used to paying for other professional B2B (business-to-business) services, such as accounting services, legal services, public relations (PR) services, or marketing consulting.That means this kind of small business is already used to investing in highly skilled $100+/hour professional services. The notion of having a professional services provider on a retainer arrangement, say $1,000/month or more, is not a foreign concept.Work Hard or Work Smart?Remember, it's much, much easier and much more time-effective for you or your sales staff to go after qualified leads and prospects than it is to try to talk an unqualified lead or prospect into needing something that the lead or prospect doesn't perceive to need.And don't forget, that right in your local area, there are probably already be tons (at least hundreds, if not thousands) of leads and prospects for you that have real computer consulting needs, are used to paying for professional computer consulting-related services, and have at least semi-realistic expectations about the price-tag on professional computer consulting services.So don't waste your time on those suffering from small business computer consulting sticker shock. Don't waste your time on professional computer consulting moochers and tightwads.Focus on those small businesses that are accustomed to paying for other professional B2B services and your sales cycle and sales process will go much, much smoother.The Bottom LineWant to learn how you can most effectively reach those small businesses that have realistic expectations, and desperately need your firm's small business computer consulting services?To learn how you can develop an effective computer consulting marketing plan for reaching these small businesses, how to take these small businesses through the sales cycle, and how to move these small businesses from one-time-customer to long-term steady, high-paying client, be sure to take advantage of the free one hour computer consulting business training at http://www.computerconsultingblog.comJoshua Feinberg is a 15-year veteran of small business computer consulting and an internationally recognized expert on small business computer consulting. He has appeared in dozens of business and IT trade publications including CRN, VARBusiness, Microsoft Direct Access, TechRepublic, American Express OPEN Platinum Ventures, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. To learn more about Joshua's proven sales and marketing strategies for smart small business computer consulting firms, visit his Web site and sign up for the free one-hour computer consulting training recording at http://www.computerconsultingblog.com

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

arrow right How to Make Training and Development a Power Agent for Change

Does this sound familiar? With high expectations, you sent your employees or yourself to a training or personal development program. Six weeks later you're not sure if it was worth the investment. What went wrong?In an ever-changing business environment, it's important that you and your workforce are prepared to handle whatever happens. Very few people will question that concept - so where's the problem? Why doesn't training seem to work for so many people? Most people are sold on the idea of training but aren't really sure how to make it work for them. Let's take a look at 10 factors that will help you get lasting results from training.1. Conduct a thorough needs analysis. Make sure that training is the answer. Conduct a thorough needs analysis first. Often the obvious cause is not the real reason for a deficiency. For example, doing skills-related training when it's not a skill problem won't fix anything long term. It will also harm your credibility with your employees and can lead to lower morale.2. Don't sign up for the next fad. OK, you know training is the answer. Get the solution for your needs, not someone else's. Make sure a program will satisfy your specific objectives.3. Don't sign up for every fad. Don't change your focus with the seasons. If you didn't get results from the other programs, this year's latest and greatest probably won't work either. Again, analyze what you really need. If the other programs didn't work, ask yourself why. Ask yourself what you would be doing differently starting a new program.This brings us to...4. Get support. If you're looking to change a process or behavior, make sure the ones who count in your organization have signed on for the change. To get lasting results, you need people who will back up the training in their positive words and positive reinforcement of new behaviors or processes.5. Consider delivery. Once you decide that training is the appropriate solution, concentrate on how you'll bring it to your organization. Here are some questions you should ask: how it is to be conducted? Lecture, discussion, hands-on? You'll want to make sure training is interactive. People learn by doing. How large will the group be? A larger group makes it difficult for much interaction and can also intimidate people from participating fully. Keep number of participants low, perhaps under 12 -15 people. This way, no one gets lost in the crowd. Everyone can equally benefit.6. Consider the individual. If you've decided on an in-house solution and there are will be several sessions, consider mixing people and personalities to create synergy. Remember the whole can be greater than the sum of the parts. Participants learn from each other. Give plenty of opportunities for discussion.7. Set class times for maximum learning. Avoid scheduling training for outside of business hours if possible. Remember people don't work in a vacuum. They'll get more out of the program and concentrate better if they're not worried about children, parents, spouses, pets, etc. If necessary split the difference. For example, office hours are 9-5 and the training class is 2 hours: start at 8AM. If you must schedule outside the regular shift, give everyone plenty of notice.And finally...8. Open your mind. Prepare for the class. What is it about? What are the objectives? If you are an attendee, arrive early for the session if possible. Turn off the cell phone and ignore the beeper. Focus your thoughts on the session ahead.9. Practice makes perfect. New skills must be used immediately for best on the job retention. Making a habit is like breaking one. Help this process along by following up with a short training class 2-3 weeks after initial training. One shot training will not give you the results you desire.10. Reinforce. Back on the job; make sure that the environment is conducive to implementing the ideas or behaviors learned. Finally, give support and recognition where due.Training and development can be powerful agents for change in your organization. Used correctly, training and development ensures a return on investment. Used sloppily or incorrectly, you will waste time and money. You'll also waste something even more important: your potential.Jo Ann Kirby is president of KRG Communications Group. She has 20 years experience in sales and sales management and an extensive background in training and development. Her background also includes extensive b2b telesales management experience. Jo Ann has been published in The Toastmaster, NAPPS Network and Commerce magazines. More can be found at http://www.krgcommunications.com

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

arrow right Order Takers vs. Sales Professionals

As business owners we all know that in a ideal world prospects would just pick up the phone and give us an order ? but for most of us sales is not like that! Yes it would be utopia however have you considered the difference between order takers and sales professionals? Firstly they are two completely different animals. Lets face facts order takers are less likely to be skilled in sales technique. This includes the ability to easily up sell, cross sell or add on services. Order takers are by there very nature just waiting for the phone to ring and do not work on a pro active basis. If we left everything to the client then so many additional products would never have been sold.Before I am told that they probably were sold something that they didn't want, lets examine the motivation for buying. If you were looking at purchasing software to run on a Windows based platform maybe it would be important to ensure that it worked with every release or version of the software. Some companies still have Windows 98 and have not (for whatever reason) upgraded to XP. If this particular prospect came through and presented the company with an order and found out later that the software was incompatible with Windows XP it is my belief that they would have expected the seller to let them know prior to purchase. The same could be said for printers. Imagine an real estate agency that wanted to print thousands of property particulars. If they bought a bottom of the range ink jet printer as opposed to a colour laser they would possibly be feeling cheated when the printer just didn't meet expectations.Salespeople are taught (or should be) to manage expectations and recommend appropriate products and services. Money is tight for everyone (I think it always has been) and I believe that nobody is tricked into buying something that they don't want by some smooth talking sales person. Unfortunately apart form the very basic advice that may be given at the point of purchase most order takers won't even recognise an opportunity. That could be an expensive mistake if you were considering the value that the prospect brings over the buying cycle. For many companies this is measured in years. A bookstore can attract buyers whose buying pattern is measured in years (say 5 years at 12 purchases per year). A trained salesperson will recognise this and ensure that they are helped with the current order and try to anticipate future buying habits. Some of the big companies on the internet have employed this ? when you order a book another window may popup suggesting other books to purchase thus increasing the order value at the point of purchase.Lastly remember this, order takers shine when the market is buoyant in a declining market sales people have built solid relationships that they leverage and still make or exceed targets ? the choice is yours.© The Sales Academy 2005.You may include this article in your ezine or on your website or distribute it to others, provided you include the copyright statement and the bio information tag line found at the end of this article.Mike Palman, is a Global Master Sales Coach and Author. Mike helps people and businesses do more, do it better and get results that they want. Mike had a successful career in sales for over 25 years and now helps other salespeople get the sales edge. Mike lives in both the UK and South Africa. For more articles by Mike Palman, visit http://www.thesalesacademy.com

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

arrow right Using the Consultative Approach to Gaining Sales

What do we mean by a consultative approach?When you hear the word "salesman", it usually brings to mind someone that is pushy and will not take no for an answer. If you stated you were in sales with a prospective client, it would likely turn him off. Yet, all businesses rely on their sales force to bring dollars into the firm. It is the sales force that makes the company run as there would be no inflow of cash without them. So how do you attack such an image problem? Actually the answer lies in the approach that you take when networking. Your job, even though it may be sales, is to act as a consultant and try to find the perfect fit for the client. This approach is called consultative selling and it works very well for anyone that tries it.I worked with a company that relied exclusively on the consultative approach; they had actually made the switch in order to fill seats in their very large training facility. The company was a major supplier of telephone services, and although people wanted to take the courses, they found them too expensive. This was mainly due to the approach they used. When they switched to a consultative role, they found that the number of people attending and paying for their training increased by 30 % or more. They no longer sold seats, they sold a concept that included training and follow-up to ensure what they taught was actually being implemented.This leads back to the idea of pricing your services based on value rather than an hourly rate. The follow-up portion of this method is actually the key to its success. The follow-up needs to be planned and time needs to be spent caring for the customer. It is not something you throw in to make the sale.You will need to record any discussions on how the follow-up process will work for you. A planned set of dates should be written down on your power page and then entered into your CRM software for milestone triggering. If you promise anything to the customer, write it down, put it in your calendar, and follow-through with your promises. Nothing turns clients off more than being ignored.Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen". Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com

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

arrow right What Does It Take To WIN A Sale?

What to do when you win or lose.You have given your elevator pitch, you have met with the customer, and you have identified their business value proposition and their business pain as well. Now you have jotted down your proposal, detailing all of the information you have gathered. The proposal outlines the way you see the problem and the way the client sees the problem (if you used a consultative approach, you will be able to see the problem from the client's point of view). You have also given them three options for proceeding on the project. Now you sit and wait.Actually, you only wait for a couple of days so that the client has time to read the proposal and digest it; then you follow-up for a discussion of the proposal. The meeting is set and now you will answer questions about what it is you will do for the client.The client will likely accept most of what you propose, but there is a chance that the proposal will be shelved until a later date and time. If this happens, you have not convinced the client of your value. You will need to go back and see what part of the process was not in your favor. The best way to do this is to ask the client what you could have done better in order to win the business. This follow-up will bring responses that range from a budget cut, an influencer wanted the competition in place, or your proposal was out of line. What you need to do is to chalk it up to a learning experience but make sure you continue to keep the client in the loop as part of your inner circle. It comes back to never burning the bridge and being extremely professional at all times.When you lose a deal, it is important that you take time to debrief with the client to learn why you did not get the contract. If you win, what happens? You usually go on with the project. It is important that you also debrief with the client even if you win the deal. You will learn what earned you the contract and also what areas the client would like to see improved.Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen". Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com

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

arrow right How To Write A Solution - Savvy Sales Letter to To Get Clients

Too many sales letters are shaped into paper airplanes and flown into trash cans because freelancers write sales letters that sell their services. These freelancers have never listened to the quietly- whispered secret that says their sales letters should sell solutions, not services, to yield the best results.Solutions are jewels; they shimmer in sales pieces.Prospects will peruse your sales letter if they discover you have a solution (or solutions) to their existing or future problem or problems.To write a

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

arrow right Five Tips To Increase Your Sales

1. You could end your ad copy with a discounted price. Just list your regular price and then offer a discounted price off the order 'right now'. You could also offer a rebate that takes effect instantly. For example, you could say, "Instead of paying $99, you could order now and get an instant rebate of $20 - you only pay $79!

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

arrow right How to Reduce Sales Resistance

Sales resistance is a fact of life for most sales people. We encounter sales resistance in 5 specific areas. In any sales transaction we must negotiate these 5 barriers. They can be real and permanent, which means no sale. Or they may merely represent perceptions that the prospect currently entertains through lack of knowledge. These perceptions can be changed through the sales process resulting in a sale.The 5 barriers are:1. No need: the prospect is not aware of any problem and how the type of product or service you provide can be of benefit.2. No help: the prospect accepts the problem, but does not see why your particular product or service is the best solution.3. No hurry: the prospect is not aware of any urgency in solving the problem.4. No trust: the prospect is not sure that you are the right person to deal with.5. No money: the prospect is not capable of funding the purchase.The key to eliminating sales resistance is to quickly identify whether these barriers are real and permanent or if they are only a temporary condition. Selling is often made unnecessarily difficult by the method used by the sales person, especially when they use a "push" selling model. The traditional "push" method of selling actually increases resistance because it often does not recognise these barriers in the sales transaction. With the push approach, sales people waste much time and effort either trying to make a sale where these barriers are permanent or by using methods which increase resistance when the barriers are temporary. There is a better way ? the pull (attraction) model.The Push Sales ModelThe steps of the old model look like this:Advertise product → presentation → proposal → overcome objections → close sale.In the push model you advertise your product (or service) to get a particular response that provides the opportunity for a sales presentation. During the presentation, you detail the features of your product and tell the customer the price and payment terms. Then you ask them to buy. Usually they will have some resistance or hesitation about going ahead (sales people call these "objections"). Then comes a negotiation phase when you try to overcome objections and "close" the sale. The prospect either says yes to your product after a bit of a battle, or tries to get you to reduce your price to the point where you don't make a profit, or says they need to think about it. Rarely do they actually say, "No thanks."A number of factors make this model ineffective:1. We suffer from information overload. It is estimated that on average we receive approximately 3,000 marketing messages daily. With so much coming at us, people are screening out advertising, making it much harder to get your message through.2. Today's market is more knowledgeable and there is greater choice than in the past. There is an inbuilt resistance because the customer will want to research other options before accepting your proposal.3. The "push" approach creates resistance. I remember from school, one of Newton's laws was "every action creates an equal and opposite reaction." This is true in selling. When we push the reaction is resistance.4. This resistance is even greater because people are more suspicious of sales people these days. The consequence of unethical advertising and sales practices of the past is that the market is now very wary of what advertisers and sales people say.5. The push approach is product focused. Unfortunately, people are generally not interested in your product until they discover a need your product will satisfy. Salespeople who push the product make hard work of selling.6. In the push approach sales people spend a lot of time trying to sell to people who have not discovered a need. They try to sell to anyone who could possibly be a prospect. This makes the job of selling very difficult and increases the level of resistance that sales people face every day.The Attraction ModelWith the pull or attraction model, there is very little need to "sell," as selling is normally understood. In the attraction approach, the focus is on the customer rather than the product. This approach recognises that no one is interested in your product until they have identified a need. The main focus of marketing is to first highlight and identify needs, rather than inform about products. Most of the sales conversation is about the customer and their circumstances. Your job as a sales person is to identify a need, before you present your solution. You also view the customer as a long term client of your business, rather than a sales prospect who may buy today and never come back.There are a number of clear steps in the attraction model which eliminate much of the resistance that the push approach suffers. The model looks like this:Lead generation advertising identifying prospects with need → build credibility → fact finding → solution → clarification → agreement → open ongoing relationship.1. Rather than marketing to everyone, we gain permission to concentrate our marketing on the people who are most likely to buy ? those who need our product. It is more effective to break the sales process down into two distinct steps, lead generation and lead conversion. Our first aim in lead generation, is to eliminate non-qualified buyers from our attention. The push model tries to sell to everybody. This is expensive and wasteful. Lead generation focuses on finding prospects with a need and gets them to indicate they want to find a solution.2. Our "lead generation" offer needs to educate the prospect about the benefits of our product and show how the product solves the problem or meets the need. This approach means that prospects can find out more about a possible solution with very low commitment. This breaks down resistance. A free sample or trial will help, as will free information about your solution. The valuable information you provide will also build credibility and help establish trust. It also eliminates prospects who do not have capacity to fund a purchase.3. After attracting qualified leads, we can concentrate on converting them into customers. The fact finding process is the critical element of this model. The temptation when someone responds to our lead generation advertising is to try to "sell" them. We need to resist this urge. We need to do some fact finding, some probing of the customer's circumstances to find out the extent of the customer's problem. Because of our focus on the customer at this point, there is very little resistance. The customer feels our genuine care to find the best solution for them. This attention to the customer also builds credibility and trust. They don't feel like they are "being sold." They feel respected and cared for.4. When the exact nature of the problem is identified, the sales person, who is now regarded as a knowledgeable adviser, is able to make a proposal about the best solution to the customer's problem. If you have done your marketing well, the solution will be your product.5. Rather than objections, if the customer has any hesitation at this point, it is normally just in the area of needing clarification of something to do with the product or payment terms, warranties etc. These queries are not difficult to answer. All you need to do is restate the details and benefits relating to the query and check that the customer understands what that means. With the attraction model you don't need 50 different closing techniques to trick the customer into saying yes. All you need do is to check that your customer agrees that the solution you have proposed is acceptable and ask them how they want to pay.6. In the attraction model, the focus is not on selling, or closing sales. The focus is on creating customers and opening a relationship that provides ongoing mutual benefits to both parties. This recognises that a customer has a long term value to your business, both through the initial sale and from additional sales to that customer as well as from the referrals that satisfied customer provides.ConclusionWhich sales model does your business use? If you are struggling, finding the market is resistant, why not develop a sales model based on the attraction approach. The attraction approach makes life easier for customers and sales people, because it is a partnership approach rather than a confrontational approach. Sales resistance is minimised, you spend more time working with interested, motivated buyers than difficult customers. You make more sales in less time with less stress.© 2004 Greg Roworth. Greg is managing director of Progressive Business Solutions Limited, a business consultancy operating in Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand, specialising in business growth and strategic development. Greg is a qualified MBA and Chartered Accountant with over 25 years management experience. Greg is also the author of

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

arrow right Sales Closing: Dont Close Sales - Open Relationships to Achieve Multiple Sa

A lot is written and talked about in regard to closing sales and in the traditional wisdom of sales experts, "closing" is regarded as the vital skill that sales people need to be successful. I would like to share my experience about "closing" and tell you why I think focusing on closing the sale is actually a non productive and destructive activity and tell you what, in my experience, has proved to be a better selling strategy.In traditional sales books and training courses, a lot of time is given to closing and there is often a lengthy section on closing techniques. It is thought that if you have 57 different ways to close the sale up your sleeve, you can keep on closing until the poor customer gives up the fight and says, "Yes." My experience of this style of selling is that it creates confrontational situations which create resistance in customers, high stress selling situations and ultimately, highly stressed, burnt out sales people who become unproductive and eventually quit their job. Sure, there are the highly successful superstars of selling who operate this way and we can all look at them and say, "If they can do it, why can't anyone?" My answer to that is that there are some people whose personality is so strong that they never take no for an answer in any situation and they are usually quite obnoxious people when you get to know them. Most people aren't like that and most people cannot sell successfully using that style. Yet, as managers or sales people ourselves, that style is all we have been taught, so we perpetuate it in our selling approach and in training our sales people. And we end up being frustrated that our sales results just don't measure up and we have high turnover of sales people because they just don't get the results we expect.One of the motivational tools used when sales results take a downturn is that we say, "Selling is a numbers game." Now that statement is true, but have you really taken a look at the numbers? Some of the ratios are so bad that I can't believe that we actually accept these results as the norm and keep pushing ourselves or our people to work this way. Yesterday I was reading about someone else's sales approach and they actually said that it takes them, on average, 600 cold calls to get a sale. His response to this was to suggest that the calls be short and to the point. Fair enough if that is the only option. My response, as any of you who are starting to get to know me will anticipate, was, "You've got to find a more efficient system." Even in less extreme cases, where I have experienced a one in ten success ratio, I have found that sales people cannot keep up a sustained effort in the face of continual rejection where they fail in 9 out of every 10 attempts. What would we say if the guy kicking for penalties or conversions in the football team missed 9 out of 10 attempts? Or what about a batter who struck out 9 times out of 10 times at bat? I'm sure they wouldn't be on the team for very long. Yet we persist in insisting that our sales people keep doing the numbers to get the one in ten that is a success.I take my hat off to the sales people who can succeed under these circumstances. They must have the determination and stamina of an ox. However, having been taught the traditional selling approach, with the heavy emphasis on closing, I couldn't do it and I went on a search for a better way. The good news for any of you who struggle with the stress and low success rates of the traditional method is that I succeeded in my search. There is a better, less stressful and ultimately more successful way to sell. The approach is based upon finding people who really want and need your product or service and letting them buy it. I don't know what all the emphasis on the traditional approach is about, when the answer is really so simple. What could be easier than allowing someone who desperately wants what you have to offer to buy? I don't know about you, but I don't have any trouble selling in those circumstances. My strike rate is pretty close to 100% when I sell to someone who wants my services. It only gets difficult when I try to sell to someone who doesn't think they want it.There are two major differences between the traditional approach and my less stressful approach. The traditional heavy closing approach is based on the premise that customers are scarce and if I get the opportunity to talk to anyone I must do every thing I can to convince them to buy. The second element is that the traditional approach is all about my need to sell, rather than what the customer wants. My less stressful approach, in contrast, is based on the knowledge that there are many potential customers in the market and my effort should be put into finding the ones who are ready and willing to buy my services. If I let enough people know about my service and let them experience what I have to offer in small samples, when the time is right, they will seek me out. The second part is that this approach is totally based on the customer's needs, rather than mine. My clients trust me because they learn that I am not out to rip them off, which is so much an element of resistance in the traditional sales approach. The emphasis in my approach is in "opening" relationships not closing "sales." Most of my effort goes into developing tools which attract the attention of my potential clients because they provide some element of value to the client. By consistently demonstrating my value, which is something I enjoy doing as opposed to the stressful tasks of cold calling or spending time in stressful "closing" situations with potential clients who aren't ready to buy, I attract enough interest to create sufficient inquiries from customers who want my services and are ready to talk to me with minimal resistance.I have found that this approach doesn't just work for me, but it applies in most if not all sales situations. The approach means working more on the start of the process ? opening ? than putting the pressure on the end of the process ? closing. You can develop effective and efficient sales processes by focusing on what customers want and finding low stress but high impact ways to let them know that you have what they want. If you do a good job of selling by identifying customer needs and matching your offer to what they want, you don't need 57 different closing techniques to finalise the sale. All you need to do is say, "That seems to be what you want. How would you like to pay for that?"© 2004 Greg RoworthGreg Roworth is a business consultant and author of "The 7 Keys to Unlock Your Business Profit Potential." With over 25 years practical experience in business ownership and management, Greg has, over the last 12 years, worked with hundreds of small and medium size enterprises, assisting the owners to grow their business profitably and at the same time reduce their stress levels. His successful business development program results in development of a business that works so well that the owner doesn't have to.Discover how to achieve better results at http://www.progressivebusinesssolutions.co.nz

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arrow right Cross-selling for Increased Sales, Profits, and Customer Satisfaction

Cross-selling - the art of selling for non-salespeopleCross-selling is the act of selling related products at the time and point of sale. Here's a couple of examples:You buy trousers, the salesperson offers you the shirt, tie, cufflinks, shoes? You buy a computer, the sales person offers you a printer, scanner, software? When done well cross-selling will dramatically improve your sales, profits and customer satisfaction. Done poorly it will drive customers away in their droves.The first time I told my wife about this concept she was scathing ? "all those *£$% sales people trying to sell you something you don't want" (She doesn't really swear ? much). We chatted for a while without too much meeting of minds. So I told her a story.In days gone by you used to be able to walk into a hardware store, walk up to a counter and be greeted by a real person (this is before the days of big supermarkets and anonymous self-service). The conversation might go something like this:You: 5 litres of white exterior gloss paint please.Sales: Certainly sir, here you go. The finish from this paint is helped a lot if you use good brushes ? how are you fixed for brushes?You: Well, I haven't looked for a while ? I am really not sure.Sales: What are you going to paint?You: 3 doors and a couple of window frames.Sales: Umm, for window frames you are probably going to need a 1 inch brush for the detail and a 2in brush for the rest of the frame. The 2 inch brush would be good for the doors too if they are not too big. Tell you what, why don't you take a couple of brushes. If you find you don't need them you can always bring them back later.You: Great ? good idea.Sales: You'll need some white spirit to clean the brushes? do you have any?You: No ? you better give me a bottle.Sales: What are you planning to do on preparation? We have some pretty good packs that contain wire wool, assorted grade wet and drypaer, and some soft soap. Soft soap is much better for cleaning up old paintwork than detergents as it doesn't leave any residues.You: I hadn't thought about preparation ? I'll take one of those packs as well.That salesperson probably didn't even think what they were doing was 'selling'. They were simply 'helping' a customer.But look what happened - you have been cross-sold into spending 3 or 4 times the price of a tin of paint. But when you get home you are ready to do the job. And if you don't need the paint brushes you know you can take them back (but you probably won't).In the end my wife agreed that it wasn't the cross sell itself she found objectionable ? it was the way in which it is done.Good cross-selling provides a service to the customer. It is nothing to do with pressure selling. It is not a tool simply to help salespeople hit their targets. And it has noth whatsoever to do with pushing products that the customer will never use.And the really good news?I haven't yet seen a company that could not benefit from training its staff in the art of cross-selling. Notice I said staff. Cross-selling is not just for sales people.Keith Longmire is the owner of JKL Business Growth Solutions. JKL specialises in bringing main stream business improvement and marketing solutions into the reach of smaller businesses. His website http://www.jkl-small-business-marketing-solutions.com has been designed to help owner-managers cut through the hype and produce innovative marketing plans that deliver results.Copyright 2005 Keith Longmire.Please feel free to pass this article on to your friends. It may be used in your ezine or newsletter as long as this resource box is included intact.

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arrow right How to Build Rapport in 7 Seconds!

I had my first official sales training by a man who believed in being very assertive, almost pushy. At the time this conflicted with my reserved nature, and for the next 6 months didn't even make one sale.I knew I had to change my approach. Meanwhile I realised there were two sales I had to make, first myself, so that my customer

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arrow right Value Add Negotiating for Sales Professionals

Imagine this scenario. You are a sales representative for Baker distributing. One of your long-time customers, Albertson Metals, operates a mill that produces high nickel alloy ingots. Each year, this mill purchases approximately $500,000 worth of MRO products such as bar conditioning wheels, flap wheels, grinding belts, cutoff wheels, steel shot and grit, and other products for the mill's laboratories. Unfortunately, you are usually able to obtain only about 30% of this business.During the last six months, you have been working intensively with the mill's management to convince them of the value of developing an integrated supply arrangement with you. They have reacted positively to your ideas and you have developed a proposal that you believe fits their needs perfectly. Among other things, you will:* manage Albertson's inventory.* stock all items with sufficient buffer stock to assure JIT availability.* supply Albertson with OSHA-certified safety seminars on appropriate topics to be mutually agreed upon.* provide 24 hour emergency delivery.* invoice biweekly for items drawn from consignment.You have submitted your proposal at a price that you believe fairly compensates you for your high level of service and for the special features included.A week later you call the plant and are told,

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arrow right The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do

We all make mistakes and some salespeople seem to make a lot of them. What scares the vinegar out of me is that most salespeople keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Now in my book - that's just plain STUPID!Maybe this list will serve as a helpful reminder. Maybe it won't. But at least you're curious to learn what these blunders are or why would you keep reading this?In any case here's my list of the 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do:1. Relying on one relationship to protect your account. Why in theworld would you put all your eggs in one basket? Excuse me - with one person. It doesn't make any sense and the bigger the account is the more vulnerable you become. There are five reasons why you should develop more than one relationship in all your accounts, especially the major ones:First retirement - people do retire. Second is death - yep some people actually die at their desk. Sure it's not common, but it does happen. Third is resignation - people do leave for better opportunities and that happens more than you might imagine. Fourth is termination - some people actually get fired. Finally - and sure this is a long shot -some people win the Lottery.Action-step. Build and cultivate a network within every major account you have. The biggest Rolodex usually WINS! This is a rock-solid sales tip.2. Putting your fate with mid-level managers instead of starting with the top gun. The worst thing you can do is to follow your instincts on this one. Your instincts tell you to start at the easiest point of entry in any organization. Why - because it's easy! Once you gain access at this point your instincts continue to give you bad advice. Soon you'll be thinking you can't go over the head of the person you currently have the relationship with.Here's my advice and it works. Your first call should be to the CEO or president of the organization. Simply ask them, or their assistants, for their help in directing you to the right person. If you're doing this over the phone you should also ask them to transfer you to this key decision maker.Action-step. Make your first call to the CEO. It's easier to let him you down the organizational chart then to have some mid-level manager try to take you up the same organizational chart. This is more than a sales technique - it's an idea that really works.3. Telling prospects/customers that you're NEW. I know this is a big one because I hear it all the time. Sad to say many years ago I even used this same mindless introduction. Imagine walking into an account and telling your prospect/customer that you are the new sales REP for your company. For a moment let's switch gears.Imagine boarding an airplane scheduled to fly from Chicago to San Francisco. Imagine also hearing the pilot welcome everybody on board and announcing that he is new at flying the 757 you are seated on. Also imagine your dentist refers you to a specialist for your very first root canal. And imagine that the specialist lets you know he's a recent Dental School graduate and you're his first patient. Now, how does that make you feel? That's how everyone feels when they're working with somebody who announces they are

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arrow right The Truth About Sale Success!

Bill Brooks of The Brooks Group wrote an article several years ago about his organization's research into sales performance. Bill's research partner analyzed 178 top sales performers from the United States and another 450 from Germany who, as he stated, "?were at the very peak of their game." These top sales professional were analyzed in two key areas behavioral style (personality) and core values. Here's what the Brooks Group researchers learned about sales success:A sales or service industry professional's personality has little or nothing to do with his or her sales success levels. The Brooks research found that there was a broad spread of personalities and sales styles across the groups of sales professionals assessed and that "personality characteristics pegged to success" was not a factor in the sales success equation. In truth, the successful sales performer's personalities varied as much as the products or services that they sold! However, in assessing each sales professional, 78 percent of these top performers all shared the same basic value and that this core value was the key to a sales professional's consistent sales success. What was the value? Across two distinct cultures and a diverse group of industries the core value driving top sellers was their keen interest in making a lot of money!What does this research mean to a sales or service industry professional?1. Personality and style are not nearly as important to your sales or business development success as your core values.2. If you are not motivated by "financial gain," it doesn't mean you will fail at sales. However, it does mean that you only have about a 22 percent chance that you will become a top sales producer.3. If you're not motivated by making money, as 78 percent of the top sales producers in the study, you will most likely always be an average or below average sales producer.4. To be a top producer you need to work for an organization that gives you the opportunity to earn as much money as possible. The "opportunity" to make money helps to stimulate this vital core value and give you the driving force needed to succeed at selling.5. You must understand that motivation to reach the top comes from within-from your values. Your core values are part of your internal

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arrow right The Myth of the Natural Born Sales Wonder

When I researched the field of using personality inventories to determine future sales success potential, I found the following flaws in their application and interpretation:1. Personality researchers assume that people are predisposed to sales and that there exists an 'ideal' sales personality. From experience alone you will know people of widely different personalities in sales who are both successful and unsuccessful. Indeed many unsuccessful salespeople join other companies and become successful, whilst successful salespeople leave to further their careers elsewhere only to subsequently become unsuccessful.In many of the sales forces I examined I continually came across inconsistencies in personality amongst the top 20% of performers. In particular, most of the personality profiles would lead you to believe that successful salespeople are confident and goal orientated. My own findings showed that top salespeople are generally less confident internally and certainly more insecure that their lower performing colleagues. This is borne out by top performers in other fields. Insecurity appears to come with the territory of high performance. Perhaps it's the uncertainty of not knowing how long this high performance level can last? Yet, when I attempted to apply this factor into a personality inventory I found the same low correlations as exist in all other inventories.In addition my own research clearly established that each company has its own 'personality'. In some cases, getting on with the boss's assistant and his/her favoured henchmen is a greater contributory factor to longevity of employment than a supposed sales personality. This leads me to the next point.2. Hardly any company buying personality inventories conducts sufficient internal research in order to validate the instrument they are using. When I conducted my own research I applied an instrument to a) all existing salespeople in the company b) all applicants, and c) all new joiners, over a 24-month period. I also attempted to keep in touch with applicants who were unsuccessful in their application.I drew up a profile of unsuccessful and successful internal salespeople and divided these between new starters and existing staff. I examined the profiles of applicants who were offered a job and those that were rejected. I monitored the sales results of all salespeople against these profiles over a two-year period. Lastly I compared these results with demographic data to look for significant correlations. After two years the profiles of successful and unsuccessful salespeople were close enough to be identical. I also examined in detail all of the inventories on the market and found the same low correlations.One of the biggest problems is that companies have no way of knowing whether those they have rejected would have been successful or not3. All purveyors of personality inventories warn against using the results in isolation, stressing that they must be seen as part of a total process. In all cases where personality inventories were being used as part of a selection process I observed a disproportionate credence being placed on the results of the inventory. Sales managers have a tendency to believe in instruments which are seen to be academically accredited, and which absolve them from making incorrect selection decisions. It should be said however, that in processes where the only mechanism for deciding future potential is an interview, managers were generally wrong in 50% of cases. Even so, despite the guidance to avoid 'gut-feeling' on interviews, I found that 'gut-feeling' proved more intuitive at pre-guessing success than any inventory.4. The greatest problem with personality inventories is that the candidate completes them themselves. I recall a quote from John Hillier (Chair of NCVQ) who said ? 'I can convince myself that I am in control of my weight provided I do not go anywhere near the scales'. The tendency to either lie or exaggerate is strong in salespeople wishing to make their biggest sale ? employment. Most inventories contain a few questions, which they say are 'lie detectors'. Once again, I found that many salespeople know which these questions are and therefore learn to avoid making exaggerated claims about their ability in the questionnaire, only to save that exaggeration for the interview. Many managers when interviewing, lack the skills to explore these exaggerated claims.5. A question - if these inventories work, why have they not reduced labour turnover and failure, and increased success? They haven't.6. An observation ? some of the best salespeople I have ever met are those selling personality inventories!Frank Salisbury is a highly experience motivational speaker, and inspiring business coach, particularly to the sales profession. Frank is recognised as a leading authority in the field of sales - including sales process design, sales performance, and sales coaching.He strongly believes that whether we work in the public or private sector; whether our organisation is commercial or non-commercial; that we are all in sales. His favourite quote, which has become his maxim, is from Robert Louis Stevenson ? 'Everything in live is selling'. He has spoken at numerous conferences and seminars where his style has received popular acclaim for a speaker with a passion for life, and achievement.He is Managing Director of Business & Training Solutions Ltd ? a sales consultancy based in Ireland and the UK. He can be contacted at frank@btsolutions.ie. 28 Rye Close, Banbury, Oxfordshire. 0044 (0)1295250247

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