Selling Against Goliath
Selling Against Goliath?
How to Acquire More Leads
The most effective prospecting techniques were revealed in
the August 1st, 2002, issue of TIP (URL at end of article)
that resulted from a survey of financial advisors earning
over $200,000 annually.
Stop Telemarketers, Do Not Call List or Not
American consumers have spoken and have done so loudly registering 50 million telephone numbers with the FTC's National Do-Not-Call list since the registry debuted in July.
How to Write Effective Selling Proposals
Depending upon how much you enjoy writing, writing sales proposals can be a joy, purgatory, or something in between. However, if you sell a complex product or one that involves the delivery of professional services, learning how to write effective selling proposals can be critical to your success.
Connecting with Customers
I just got off the phone with a friend of mine. Business is up he said, but he didn't know why. I asked him a few questions, but more we spoke about it the more concerned I became.
Clear Up Blurry Communication
One of the top brewing companies in America is a consulting client of mine. However, during a seminar for a brewery management team, we were jolted by a "communication wake-up call." We discovered that even though co-workers speak the same words, they don't attach the same meanings. Here's what happened. I asked people to write a list of simple words, such as often, sometimes, never, and usually. Then I asked them to put a percentage value next to each. For example, if I say, "He is often late for meetings," what does often mean? 10% of the time? 50%? 75%? Etc.
How to Buy Wholesale Store Fixtures for Your Business
It may sound funny, but honestly, if you're opening up your own retail store the last thing you'll ever want to do again for the rest of your life is buy anything retail -- especially if it's for your own store. Buying your store fixtures wholesale is not only mandatory it's a last resort after you've tried buying antique fixtures at a fraction of the cost. Even if you've hired a top-notch retail store designer, he or she should be buying your fixtures and other materials at prices even better than wholesale. The designer should be charging for his services and not making a markup on the raw materials.
Why Should I Buy From You?
Virtually every business you contact has this question in their mind. To truly maximize your revenues you need give people a reason to buy from you versus a competitor. Here are a few strategies that will help you differentiate yourself from your competition.
Selling: an art of a skill?
Selling is as much an art as it is a skill. The basics of the
selling process can be learned by anyone, but the practice
of selling is something that the super star sales people
have brought to an art level.
Five Deadly Sales Letter Mistakes
To be effective your sales letter must be opened, read, believed and acted upon. In order to do this it must attract attention, warm the interest of the reader, create a desire for your product or service and cause your prospect to take positive action.
Before They buy What You Say - 10 Steps To Selling Yourself
You are the product
Instead of Discounting, Back Some Value Out of Your Proposal
Last minute discounting has become so prevalent that many companies have come to depend on it as their default sales strategy. Employing a go-to-market strategy of being the lowest cost provider is one thing, but dramatic, tactical discounting on every deal will erode your company's margins and leave you digging a deeper and deeper hole in which your company will ultimately bury itself.
I don't want to give you the impression that discounting is never appropriate. I can think of three scenarios where it is required:
Can You Use Hynotic Like Statements To Sell More Products?
As I become more successful with my internet business I have become interested in ways to move my business to the next level.
Solution-Sell is a Myth!
Who among us is not already up to here with the omni-smarts who wax poetic the benefits of "Solution Selling." Now it may seem strange for me, the author of the book "Up Your Income! Solution Selling for Profitability" to cast aspersions on the merits of this approach. Nevertheless like so many things in the real world, theory is one thing, application thereof is quite another.
Top Seven Ways to Write An Order-Pulling Sales Letter
Ready to put your Web pages up? Ready to sell a lot more products and services? If you're not getting the sales, you want you may want to think "makeover." Whether you're just starting or doing a web makeover, you need to Power Write your sales letters.
A Brief History of the Sales Profession
The formula for defining a "profession" is similar throughout many disciplines, including: accounting, education, engineering, law and medicine. These professions all have codes of ethical conduct, a definition of their scope, and standards of practice for their members, which include some or all aspects of academic preparation, accreditation, certification and/or licensing.
Morris L. Cogan addressed the definition of forming a profession in business in 1953. After reviewing all the literature on the topic, he offered the following comprehensive distillation, which is submitted here, as a fine summary of the previous definitions:
A profession is a vocation whose practice is founded upon understanding the theoretical structure of some department of learning or science, and upon the abilities accompanying such an understanding. This understanding and these abilities are applied to the vital practical affairs of man. The practices of the profession are modified by knowledge of a generalized nature and by the accumulated wisdom and experience of mankind, which serve to correct the errors of specialization. The profession, that serves the vital needs of man, considers its first ethical imperative to be altruistic service to the client"(Vollmer et al., 1966).
Why is the definition of a profession so important to selling? The professionalism of a group establishes the power that is recognized by others within the business community and outside the profession. With the sanction, approval, and authority intact, the profession attains higher status in the eyes of the clients. In this case, the clients of the seller would need to recognize and sanction, and approve the authority of the sales professional. Due to the nature of the buying-selling relationship, many individual buyers do not feel comfortable giving or otherwise recognizing this power in the sales professional. The question becomes: if doctors and lawyers receive money for their work, and indeed must sell and market their services, why then, are they seen as "more professional"?
All of these definitions of a profession provide insight into the ideals and behaviors, which are needed to be considered "professional" by members of the business community. In learning to become a "professional", many occupations are taught in school. When a student studies any new subject matter, their first objective is to understand an overview of the entire subject matter. For example, when studying medicine, students first understand all the systems of the body, the different medical terms, and a high level overview of the entire field before they ever operate on anyone. Once any student studying a new subject understands this high level overview, they then move in depth into each specific area of that profession.
Some sales professionals have entered the field by joining a large and established company. Others have grown up in the field by learning the "hard way". Still, others have done a combination of both. With over 15 million sales professionals, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the United States alone there was no set standard upon which to measure and advance the entire profession until the United Professional Sales Association standards were created at the turn of the century.
With these standards, thousands of sales professionals are discovering that they are indeed a part of a "True Profession."
Gic Number For Writing Sales Letters
When I write sales letters for my clients, one rule I always start with is The Rule of 7.
How A Simple Greeting Or Post Card Can Turn Into Cash ? Guaranteed
I've been using a technique that has helped me to get business I otherwise wouldn't. This will get you more business also. It's so easy you're going to kick yourself for not thinking of it sooner.
Eighty Percent of Success is Showing Up
The above quote, "Eighty percent of success is showing up." is from Woody Allen. It was particularly appropriate this past weekend.
Complacency and Fear are Sales Busters
Prospecting is the engine that propels anyone in sales. Without consistently initiating contact with prospective customers to talk with, your sales will plummet and everybody loses. Studies confirm that 80% of all salespeople fail in their first year because of the fears associated with prospecting. 40% of veteran producers with more than five years -- experience severe sales slumps due to fears associated with prospecting.
