Take a Well-Worn Path to Clean Communication

While spending the week with family in Colorado, my brother-in-law, Jason, and I spent one morning traveling the mountainous back country on my father's ATVs. Thrilled by both scenery and speed, we took the hills with that wonderful combination of confidence and naiveté that men on 4-wheelers have.

After about an hour of maneuvering through the well-worn paths of Westcliffe, Jason looked at me and pointed to the mountain in front of us, indicating that we should ride to the top of it. Excited at the challenge, and armed with all the confidence an hour of experience brings, I raced ahead of him onto the base of the mountain.

Shifting into 4-wheel drive, we climbed the steep mountainside. As we reached the rolling flat summit, I threw my arms up like I was Rocky reaching the top of the stairs. A few seconds later, I realized that getting down from the mountain wasn't going to be as easy as getting up had been.

I turned to Jason and asked, "So... how do we get down?" He replied, "Easy, we go this way." As we began to retrace our path, it became apparent we were going to have some trouble getting down safely. The mountainside was too steep and we could feel the ATVs starting to tip over. Throwing them into reverse, we backed up, trying to find a safer path down. With his military experience, I trusted Jason's instincts over my own. Following him to another path, my heart jumped as the back two tires began lifting off of the ground, about to tumble. Looking at the quarter mile downward, I froze.

I dismounted the ATV and pushed it back to safer ground. We repeated the process no less than a dozen times. Jason's confidence and my belief in it had me following him blindly. Finally, I had to ask him straight out, "Do you seriously know how to get down from here?" He replied, "Yes, it's right over there, it's the safest way." Having just spent 45 minutes following him, I asked again in a non-accusatory tone, "Are you sure that's the way?" Jason paused, "No, I have no idea."

Admitting that he had no idea how to get down, we were able to make some progress. We dismounted, sat down, and evaluated the situation. Pooling together our thoughts and scouting out paths on foot, we found the most effective way to resolve the situation we were in.

In business, we encounter situations like this everyday. However, basic business training encourages seeking out "yes" answers and avoiding the word "no" at all costs. Truthfully, we should seek to establish clean communication with our customers, the type that allows the salesperson, and the customer, to evaluate the situation, using all of the information available in order to make the right decision.

Too often we lead our customers down the path of "yes" when the right answer is actually "no." We try so hard to close a sale that we fail to establish a clean understanding of the situation. In the absence of this clean understanding we can drag out the sales process with no acceptable conclusion, or we convince our customer to take a path that is wholly inappropriate. You may get a sale, but you will kill the long-term relationship as you and your customer tumble down in the wrong direction like a top-heavy ATV.

In every sales relationship, you must try to understand where you are at from a communication standpoint. There is great value in taking some time to have a simple conversation about whether you and your customer feel you are on the right course. To receive an honest, productive answer, creating an environment that allows your customer to feel comfortable enough to tell you "no" can sometimes be the fastest way to the sale and the only way into a long-term relationship.

Selling Countdown

What's your selling style?

Ready aim fire . . .

Ready fire aim . . .

Ready aim, aim, aim . . .

Are you ready to sell?

How do you know you're ready?

10 . . .
9 . . .
8 . . .
7 . . .
6 . . .
5 . . .
4 . . .
3 . . .
2 . . .
1 . . .

Lift-off!

Imagine you're the pilot of the space shuttle.

Months of preparation . . .

Months of planning . . .

Months of training . . .

Your goal is nothing short of excellence - 100% mission accomplished.

Finally, launch day, anticipation and the final countdown to the launch.

Ya know salespeople can learn a thing or two from the Space Shuttle Program.

Too many salespeople show up unprepared for sales calls to prospects and customers. It's an easy trap to fall into. Too many voicemails, too many e-mails, too many distractions, and way too many interruptions.

Who in the sales world has time to prepare, plan, and train?

How much better would your selling results be if you had a final countdown before every sales call?

It's your system for getting ready for every sales call and could look like this:

(6-10 on done before the sales call)

10 . . . homework and research completed.
9 . . . written sales call objective.
8 . . . review and rehearse six open-ended sales questions.
7 . . . review product features and benefits.
6 . . . rehearse how you'll ask for the next appointment.
(1-5 on done during the sales call)
5 . . . flip the switch - "Smile on!"
4 . . . attitude check - "Yes I can."
3 . . . establish rapport with a solid introduction.
2 . . . deliver your elevator speech.
1 . . . ask your questions.

How much better would your sales calls be, if you had a system and/or checklist to keep you focused?

How would you feel - probably more confident!

How would your sales prospects perceive you - extremely professional!

How would this impact your sales - like the shuttle, your sales would take off!

Don't follow the herd if you want to achieve unlimited selling success.

The herd is filled with mediocrity.

Become a raging bull!

Remember - the sky's your limit, not the sales quota you're given.

You have the potential to become exceptional in your business.

You get to choose between becoming exceptional or having permanent potential!

Make every day a Masterpiece.

Persuasive Sales Versus Manipulative Closes

On a recent call, one of my protégé students had posted to our forum something that illustrated yet again one of the most important points in selling and that's the difference between persuasive sales versus the manipulative close.

When I was about 19 or 20 years old I owned a health spa which I started from scratch. I was sitting at my desk one day with older gentleman who had asked for an appointment. He wanted to come and talk to me about radio advertising and I agreed because I thought it was an interesting idea with some opportunity. He started off with the typical manipulative, shtick, "If I could show you in 30 minutes time how you can make a lot of money and cut some of your costs you would be interested in this, wouldn't you?"

Ugh. It was already starting badly. Then he pulled out a thick book and began to go page by page telling me about where the company began, who he was, et cetera. It was light on content and heavy on pictures. It was a very slow process where only 10 minutes had passed, it felt like hours.

Finally I said, "Stop. I see how thick this book is and I see that you've already been going for 10 minutes. I'm surprised I've let you talk this long, but if we've got to get through that entire book, you aren't going to be here 30 minutes, you're going to be here for hours, and that simply isn't going to happen. Can you summarize for me what you can do for me? Yes or no?"

He stammered and mutter, "I'm going to show you back here if you'll just give me the opportunity to get there."

I said, "I'm not going to. That's the point. I'm not going to give you the opportunity if you can't give me a yes or no."

He tried to argue, "Well, I asked you for 30 minutes."

I said, "I'm asking you, can you summarize what you can do for me, yes or no?"

At this point, he was unable to come up with anything and I had to ask him to leave. I wasn't trying to be a jerk. Initially, I really did want to hear if he had something I could benefit from, but if he couldn't get to the value of his service, how was it going to benefit me if I only had 30 second radio ads in which to get to the point about my business.

There was no persuasion involved at all in his presentation. By belaboring me, by not being able to come up with anything for me to hang my hat on, and not even bothering to look for what my criteria was, he was the epitome of manipulative sales.

In the vein of the old fashioned, features and benefits kind of selling, Zig Ziglar once said, "This I do know beyond any reasonable doubt. Regardless of what you are doing, if you pump long enough, hard enough and enthusiastically enough, sooner or later the effort will bring forth the reward."

Simple Solutions For Making Sales When You Hate Selling

Do you hate selling?

Maybe you're even one of the many people who hates sales, salespeople and everything that goes along with it. Honestly, these days I don't blame you.

From telemarketers to used car salesmen, we're bombarded with people trying to force us to buy things we don't really want or need. And these rude, non-listening, aggressive types have given sales a very bad name.

However, it's almost impossible to be a successful entrepreneur if you hate selling Because the one thing you have to be able to do in business is sell.

You've got to sell your partner on your ideas...Your employees on doing it your way...Your clients on the value of your products or services...
The list goes on.

The good part is, most of us are already master salespeople. And have been since we were little kids.

Think about it...

Remember campaigning for weeks (or even months) to get that one particular toy for your birthday?

Or hounding your folks until they let you drive, or stay out late?

And at some point you've probably persuaded a friend to go to a certain restaurant, buy a particular item, or wear a different outfit...

Or convinced your child to do their homework, go to bed, or eat their green beans...

In each of these examples, you had to sell someone on something. And I bet at the time you had no issue whatsoever with trying to make the sale. Probably because you felt confident you were persuading each of them to do what you thought was best.

Now let's fast forward to today...

You've got a service and/or product to sell that you really believe in. But maybe you feel uncomfortable telling people why it's so great. Or with actually asking people to part with their hard-earned dough.

That's understandable, but it's also a big problem. Because if you want to grow your business, at some point you are going to have to get clients or make sales.

Thankfully, there are much better, easier, ways to sell than the old used car salesman stereotype implies.

What you really want to do is simply get people to want to buy from you. Because everyone likes to buy, but no one likes to be sold.

Here are 5 of my favorite ways to get people to want to buy from you:

1) Be a problem solver. If you show someone you can solve one of their most pressing problems, you are well on your way to landing a new client (Testimonials and case studies are a powerful way to do this). And if you deliver, you're likely to have a long-term client and a raving fan for life!

2) Be an educator. Anytime you can teach effectively-whether formally as a speaker or writer, or informally to clients and customers-you are automatically seen as a expert. And if the information you give away is helpful people are going to want more of your expertise.

3) Be an expert. People seek out experts, and are willing to pay them more. The easiest way to become an expert is by speaking and/or writing. Nothing says expert like your own book or you standing behind a podium.

4) Be a resource. Giving someone a quality referral to a solution or provider builds your reputation as someone who cares and is helpful. And it shows you have a lot more to offer than just your products or services.

5) Be someone who cares. Always be on the lookout for ways to make a difference for others. This could be as simple as offering a free tips sheet or report, or even helping someone carry a stack of boxes. Or it could be as complicated as volunteering with your local non-profit or networking group.

The common thread here...?

Not once did I use the words sales, sell or selling. Instead I've given you 5 ways to pay attention and find ways to help other people.

Because selling is all about you and your needs. But if you want people to buy from you, it's got to be about helping them get what they need. They need to know, and believe, you truly have their best interests at heart.

My guess is you already do. You may have just been so focused on making (or avoiding making) sales you forgot to show others you care about them, their happiness, and their success.

Now I'm not saying you shouldn't focus on making sales and growing your business. Just that this should come in a close second to helping other people.

How to Recession Proof Your Packaging

The news says everyone is worried about the economy and consumers are spending less. Is this causing your product sales to decline? Typically consumers cut back spending during hard economic times. So how can you counteract product doldrums when the economy is in a recession or a slowdown?

The first thing to understand is that consumer still "buy" things. For example 70% of all packaging is food related and people still have to eat. They just buy in different ways. They may cut out fast food or restaurant purchases in favor of home prepared meals. But they still want to purchase the same conditions. In the case of fast food easy to prepare, reheat or ready to eat. Wal-Mart's fresh take home pizza is a good example of fulfilling a need. In my case in place of a restaurant trip its rotisserie chicken that is ready to go with dozens of applications for meal prep. But I still want convenience too and limited meal prep.

To understand how to recession proof your packaging you need to learn to recognize what buying signals will motivate your customer to purchase your products. They still want to spend money they just want to do it cost effectively and to reap some value for their purchases. Or they just may want to treat themselves to something special as a way of feeling better.

Here are a few ways you can influence the consumer purchasing decision though product packaging.

Even though overall purchasing might be down people are still willing to experiment. As a good example they might cancel a planned vacation. Can you products be used to simulate a "vacation" at home? Products could be oriented toward having a lifestyle experience without ever leaving home. You could package that experience as an alternative to a vacation. Words like have a luxurious spa experience in your own home or vacation at home with our X. It's all in how you connect the experience with the desired outcome on your product packaging.

Despite the economy luxury product sales are increasing too. People are willing to spend money to treat themselves or to make a personal statement. What do you package that can be considered
luxurious and a special treat for someone? Is your product packaging glitzy and unique? A good example is the number of companies incorporating Swavorksi crystals into their product packaging or using ultra sophisticated, elegant glass bottles instead of plastic. Other products include people purchasing something unique, different and expensive to make their own branding statement. In this case price is not an object its the "feeling good" outcome that counts.

On the other side of the coin is the switch from branded products to private label usually with considerable cost savings. Almost every retailer now has its own private label line of products.
Can you private label your product for an untapped market opportunity? Literally anything can be private labeled. It's one of the fastest growing market sectors. As consumers look for ways of saving money they are willing to experiment with new brands. private label packaging is now as sophisticated an branded goods.The interesting fact is once they switch and are satisfied they are generally never go back to the branded counterpart. So what can you private label with your packaging?

Another way to capture the consumer is to provide more value. Numerous articles have recently been written about the "shrinking package" on products yet selling at the same price. As I have said when asked, smart marketers would figure out how to offer more value not less. So in McDonald's lingo supersize me. Give me more for my money not less. Call this out on your packaging 10% more for the same price, value pack or even our packaging is NOT smaller. Your customer will be watching what you do and might be buying from someone who is.

I'd like to got back to rotisserie chicken again. This week I bought a chicken at Publix. I was shocked how much smaller it was as a usually much larger chicken but still selling at the same
price ( just like the packaging shrink). I was an unhappy customer for two reasons. I like the chicken from Kroger much better (the store is equally close). Krogers' chicken comes in a resealable ziplock bag that makes it incredibly easy to store while Publics chicken comes in a paper bag which tears easily and isn't airtight making me take an extra step to repackage. Even better Kroger runs the member special with rotisserie chicken at a lower price frequently. That's what I mean about connecting with your core customer: On the same packaged product Kroger is offering value and convenience Publix is not.

Lastly think about repurposing your packaging. This is somewhat similar to "value" in packaging but in this case people will retain your packaging, refill it or use it for something else. Think about how you can give double the reasons for purchasing something by letting your consumer know. You get twice the bang for your buck as you can capture the environmental movement too. Words like our product is reusable, refillable or collectible, or even don't throw it away.

To recession proof your product packaging its all about listening to the consumer. They WILL buy, if you package the right message at the right price with the right value, recession or not.

I'm JoAnn Hines The Packaging Diva. I'm tapped in to the latest packaging news. I can help you assess why or not you should consider changing your product packaging. At the very least I can tell you what your competition is doing.

If you are just chumming the "packaging" waters then be sure and visit and one of my web sites for lots of information and advice or to get your free packaging report "Why Packaging Fails".

Considering that the cost of designing an average retail package is $7,000, what's a few dollars to get it right the first time (or risk spending thousands more to fix it later)! It pays to do your homework!

How Much Traffic Do I Need to Make Sales Online?

This is the question a lot of new marketers online want to know the answer too, I did as well when I first got started online but unfortunately I found out that the answer was not that simple. I am assuming that you want to make more sales with less traffic, in order to do this you need to focus more on the quality of traffic coming to your website.

The average traffic to sales ratio of any website online is anywhere from 1-5%, for a product that sells for less than $50.00. This means that for every 100 visitors you receive to your website, you will make 1-5 sales provided all the other factors are optimized properly. The primary and main factor you want to consider is the quality of the traffic coming to your website. You want to make sure that you are receiving traffic that is targeted. I cannot stress this enough!

The traffic coming to your website has to be traffic that is pre-qualified for what you are offering online. In other words, to be closer to the 5% in this example you want the traffic to already want what you are offering or be interested in what you are offering. Let me give you an example,

You are selling Home Owners Insurance on your website, if it were possible that visitors to your website were interested in buying a home, this would make them more likely to want or need your product or services which would increase the number of sales you would make.

This is the reason why quality traffic is so important to your online business, and can increase the number of sales you make while reducing the number of visitors.

I wasted 17months trying to drive profitable traffic to my website, but you should not do the same. Instead click here to get a copy of my "Quality Traffic Report". In it I will show you my results after testing Content Marketing vs. Google pay per click, you can use the results to start driving profitable traffic to your website and also increase your opt-in rate. visit http://www.qualitytrafficbuilder.com/traffic

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tayo_Binuyo

Increase Sales

Every company's main goal is to increase sales. This is because the rise in sales translates into more revenue which is profitability in a company. Sales are the parameters which are used to figure out the levels of development in many organizations. Due to the importance of sales, the sales departments are put under close scrutiny so as to increase sales and ensure customer satisfaction.

Sales managers are always developing new strategies to increase sales levels. These include actions like advertising, giving discounts, branding and sales promotions. Research is also carried out in a bid to find out if the products they offer meet customer requirements and meet their needs. This is very important in sales increase and management. The sales strategies should always be agreed upon and backed up by facts from market research.

At times, the company may not be in a position to carry out the research on its own. In such situations, it is advisable that the contract a market research company that has been in the research industry for a considerable period of time. This is advantageous since a research company will give the required feedback and give the recommendations that can increase sales as well. These reports are based on the research done and on the experience the company has had from previous researches. More often than not, when the recommendations are applied the sales increase.

Application of marketing strategies that are intended to increase sales should be done in a very systematic manner. This includes identification of the target consumers and their preferences. It also involves regular updates on the market trends and learning about seasonal preferences. Introduction of a new product in the company should be followed up by frequent advertising and reviews. It should also be done when there is high demand for the product. This strategic approach requires one to be very keen on decision making. This is because a new product's main aim is to increase sales. When a sales team is aware of all these tips, they are in a position to apply sales strategies that will increase sales in every season and this will result in great profits for the company.

It is important to keep consulting research companies when an organization wants to apply new ideas to ensure an increase in sales. This consultancy should be from a company that follows the market trends.

Increase Profit

For a business to grow, one is required to derive ways to increase the profit. Planning is the most important thing before any strategy can be set in motion. One must plan the whole profit making exercise, how it will be accomplished, and the necessary steps to take to achieve the plan. The best way to do this is by improving the services offered to the clients. However, there are measures that need considering to increase profit. The changes are vital for the business to improve since if no changes are made then the business will not change, sales won't grow and profits won't increase. Begin by increasing the price of the products slightly but make sure to reduce the production cost and the difference will increase profit.

The company will have to find ways to stay above the competition. This will mean finding ways to differentiate the product or service provided. Enhance effectiveness of the business' systems and methods greatly and this will increase profit. Some changes in business operations might be necessary to enhance the effectiveness of the workers for example time management. Other service improvements like using cheaper raw materials without affecting quality may also need to be made to meet the overall goal of the business, which is to increase profit.

Reduction of cost will increase profit. Saving time will reduce the labor cost reducing the overall business operation cost. Identify any leaks in the business budget. Slight adjustments to the business budget and overall business plan will lead to better sales thus an increase in profits.

Marketing strategies and advertising are important, as they will create awareness of the product in the general public opening up the market for the business. The more the people are aware of the existence of the business and the services offered the better. Making use the online marketing strategies will attract potential clients as well. If the target audience like the produce or service provided there would be more demand, thus increase profit.

Keep in contact with regular customers. To entice clients to purchase more, one must talk to the customer often. In addition to that, promotions and various discounts will encourage bulk buying of products. Find out about the clients needs this shows that one is interested in their business and individual success. The customer will build up trust and loyalty and will increase business.

If the above strategies are followed properly and implemented then the business will improve, the business will prosper and one will begin to see increased profit.

Sales Productivity

Not getting the bang for the buck from your sales efforts? Crank up the sales productivity the sales activity the energy and the pace. What you will need is first a commitment that this sales productivity program your about to introduce to your sales team is sustainable, a program or an idea de jour will not work.

What are the activities that you expect the sales group to perform on a daily weekly, monthly basis. List them.

What are the quantities of these activities they are currently doing, current sales productivity?

What tools do they have now, what tools do they need to increase sales productivity.

What information do they have now, what do they need.

Where is the low hanging fruit? Where is there room for improvement over current sales productivity?

Now that you have a benchmark you can now work on what you really need to improve your sales productivity.

Set activity targets and collect metrics on performance.

Consider sales productivity tools that will boost your efforts. CRM tools, data collection and reporting tools, most of these should be found in your CRM program, mine the information, re gig the territories consider vertical markets. What is all this information telling you and remember "You get what you inspect not what you expect."

What training do they need ,what are they good at ,what are they lacking in.

Caution: never take you eye off the ball the ultimate sales productivity activity is sales face time or if in a telemarketing group voice time. Time in a selling situation with prospects. See my note on my blog on Suspect, Prospect? That is the question.

Everything that you do from here on should be focused on face time or voice time and if successful with this the sales productivity numbers will sky rocket.

Since sales productivity translates to increased sales then what one must do is close off all active prospects in the sales pipeline and find a source of new leads to keep the pipeline fresh.

In a recent study on sales effectiveness conducted by Accenture, out of 178 senior Executives polled the most-often cited sales performance issues were related to leads.

According to Accenture,"Along with problems with qualifying and managing leads effectively, the lack of performance metrics, inadequate customer data, and lack of capabilities for analyzing customer data rounded out the list of top performance challenges."The study reported that a total of 55% of respondents found it difficult to asess which leads were qualified.

Now what is needed is an accurate sales forecast and this you must inspect with care. If the forecast is not accurate it will trigger certain behaviors and actions that will surely de rail some of your sales productivity activities. As a manager this will be your most challenging task, question everything, from every angle until you get it right. Once that has been accomplished you are well on your way to increased sales productivity.

Strengthen Your Bond With Your Community

In a world filled with massive corporations that span across the globe, their stores in every single country, there is something appealing about the idea of a local business.

Too often companies become so large there is no connection with them anymore. I feel like I am going into a store run by a faceless machine as opposed to real people. There is no sense of the hardships faced by the company and the people who run it.

This is why so many people are drawn to smaller companies, to those owned by people in the community. You can get to know them in a way you never will with the large companies. You know that when you give them business you are helping out the community as well, and that is a very nice thing to know.

I think it also gives people a taste of what can be accomplished. There is a reason why even the large companies make references to their smaller town roots. People like to see what they can accomplish, using these companies as an example.

But local businesses cannot just expect that people are going to come in because of that. You need to market just as much as the larger companies because fewer people know who you are, and you need to promote yourself as a locally owned business that is helping out the community.

Rather than just being a locally owned business, make yourself one with your community. Find events you can sponsor or join up with. Use poster printing to not only boost up your own business but increase public awareness about other local concerns.

If anything is going on in your community try to be apart of it. If there is trouble, lend a helping hand in anyway you can. Offer to donate whatever money you can to notable charities who help out the people in your area.

More on the business side of things find some great locations or local hangouts that you can help promote, and also put up your posters at as well. Poster printing is a good way to get your name all around town for an affordable price.

You need to use your small stature in the business world to your advantage. Sure you are not as big, but that just means you have a better understanding of what people are going through. You feel the pain of economic downturns along with the joy of booming sales.

Put a human face on the front of your marketing, the face of someone who is just as much a part of the community as those shopping at the stores. If you lend your helping hand to your community I think you will find your community being more than willing to give that support right back. Being small is not always such a bad thing.

Sales Volume - Truth Or Myth?

As brokers, managers, and Agents we become caught up in the myth of sales volume. This myth does some of the greatest damage in this industry. We glorify the Agents with high sales volume and promote and encourage other Agents to be more like them. We award Agents and offices based on the sales volume with little regard to the other factors that make up success in life. New Agents look on in reverence thinking the person who has the most production in sales volume is the example to follow. I would like to take an objective look at the true value of sales volume and point out some other factors to consider when evaluating your business and your Agents' business.

Is sales volume the most important number to determine success in sales?

1. Is the better sales person the one with the higher sales volume or the one with more sale units sold and closed?

2. Where does profitability enter the picture? Does it have any importance?

3. Should the amount of time actually worked be considered to compare an Agent's ability?

4. What is the true quality of life for the Agent, i.e. health, time worked vs. time off?

5. How does quality of service to clients factor in?

6. Are we taking the steps to achieve financial independence based on the individual definition?

Let's take a look at the value of these questions; I believe you will have a different perspective of sales volume when you look clearly at these questions.

Is the better sales person the one with the higher sales volume or the one with more sale units sold and closed?

My position is they both possess merit for what they do. The one with the highest sales volume has a tendency to be placed on a pedestal, and the one with the most units sold is about halfway up. In some cases, sales volume can reflect the value of the market, not the value of the Agent. For example, one Agent's average price range is $100,000, so his average commission check is $3,000. That Agent closes 65 deals a year and earns a gross commission of $195,000. Across town there is another Agent whose average price is $300,000, so the average commission check is $9,000. This Agent closes 25 transactions a year and earns a gross commission of $225,000. Who has more options in his business and may be a better salesperson? I think there are strengths to both. Agent A who does 65 deals only needs to raise his sales price because he already knows how to achieve 65 closed sales per year. He has the skills to close 65 transactions. He understands the process, and if he has set up his business properly, he only needs to apply his philosophy and business in a higher sales price range to earn more income. He also did almost three times as many transactions. Usually Agent B, with the higher commission earned, receives all the rewards from peers, brokers, owners, and the company. Agent B is held in high esteem and reverence because he was the high producer in the office. Agent B has a good business but only sold two homes per month. (By most sales standards this is not an earth shattering mark.) Agent B will also need to learn to do more transactions to increase his business, a far harder proposition. Which one really has a business that is posed to go to the next level?

Where does profitability enter the picture? Does it have any importance?

In my career of selling real estate, coaching, and speaking, I have known many Agents who make a tremendous gross income but have little net income. They spend it all back into their business through gimmicks, marketing, gifts, mailings, advertising, overpaying staff, etc. They make decisions based on the idea that, "If I get one more transactions per month, it will pay for this new gimmick." The unfortunate thing is that they evaluate many parts of their business that way. They have five to ten items they evaluate that way. Suddenly, they need about what they make monthly to cover those gimmicks. Every new idea must pay for itself plus generate a return or profit. I wanted at least ten times return for any investments, so if I spent $1,000 on a new idea, I wanted to receive $10,000 in return from it. Most Agents do not factor their time or the staff's time into the cost of this new idea. That is a legitimate cost that must be added to the cost. For example, the cost to mail something is not just the cost of the stamp, like most Agents would factor. It's the cost of the letterhead, envelope, stamp, label, and staff time to prepare it and your time to oversee the process. That's the overall cost. Then you want a ten times return on the whole cost. This is the only way to evaluate to ensure you make a profit. We all work too hard to only earn wages and not profits.

Many Agents have bought themselves a job and never make a profit. A wise man once said, "Profits are better than wages." Profits continue on; they are the extra you have after you pay your wages and all your bills. Profits, if invested, beget more profits, which create financial independence. Wages merely cover the monthly bills.

Agents need to view the whole picture, the gross and the net. If you want the true reality after all the hype and fluff of sales volume, gross commission earned, and all the other ego stroking we do, look at line 31 on your federal tax return. That is reality. That is what you truly made for your labor last year. Do not kid yourself! What you are taxed on is what you made.

Should the amount of time actually worked be considered to compare an Agents' ability?

I know many Agents who work six to seven days a week to produce their income. If they factored the actual time versus what they earned, they would be sick. Their actual per hour wage is nothing to get excited about. In fact, if you asked them if they would work and do what they do for that wage, they would say, "No." If you want real truth, divide your time by line 31 on your federal income tax form. That is what you truly make per hour. That is after all your expenses to run the business and your personal employee taxes. That is what you would earn if you worked for an actual company. For some people, this exercise is too scary to even imagine.

I think we all can do more in less time. As a personal example, I switched over four years ago to a four-day workweek, Monday through Thursday. My production increased over 30% each year compared to the previous year. I reduced my time working by at least one full day, and I was rewarded with a financial increase. My skills improved exponentially, and my focus and concentration intensified. I also re-claimed my life for my family and myself. I was able to spend three days a week with my family. I also increased my time investment in personal development, which leads me to my next question:

What is the true quality of life for the Agent, i.e. health, time worked vs. time off?

You cannot be a seven days a week wonder forever. At some point, you need to reclaim your life. You have to control your clients and the other Agents. My philosophy is that earning large sums of money is the easiest area of your life to improve. Working to improve your spiritual, mental, physical, family, and financial areas are far more difficult.

When you schedule your time off and place the same value on it as you do your work time, you will have the opportunity to reclaim your life. Once you do that, your productivity will increase dramatically during your work time. The value of my time with my family is worth more than my work time. If you have that philosophy, you will focus on your family when away from work and focus on work when at work. It is clearly a philosophy you need to implant in your mind. While many Agents are at work, they think they should be at home. When they are at home, they are mentally reviewing their work rather than focusing on their spouse and children. Wherever you are, be there!

How does quality of service to clients factor in?

To create a sustainable business, you need to take care of your clients. The Agent who continually works with new clients and rarely gets referral or repeat business is lacking in service. We all need to spend some of our day finding new clients. Long-term success comes from repeat and referral business from clients who are already sold on our service. Are you doing the job you were hired to do? Do you provide the best service you can utilize in the market place?

Part of providing better customer service is improving your product. The product you are selling is you. If you are not spending significant amounts of time improving yourself, your competitors will eventually pass you. Jim Rohn says that you need to work as hard on yourself as you do on your job. I believe that doing so will lead you to greatness, both personally and professionally. If you are not investing at least half an hour daily in personal development, you will be left behind.

Are we taking the steps to achieve financial independence based on the individual definition?

Everyone has his own definition of what constitutes financial independence. Spend the time to clearly define yours. Invest the time to plan out how you are going to get from where you are today to where you want to be. Too many people fail to plan their future. It has occurred to me that, often, the Agents with the highest gross commission save and invest little or no money. They believe there is always tomorrow, and if they could earn more, they could save more. Develop the discipline to save right now, today. Saving does not get easier when the numbers or amounts get bigger. Instead, the want list gets longer because you think you deserve and can afford it. That is what your mind is telling you. Only you control the destiny of your money. You must create a savings plan today.

When other areas in our lives are out of balance, we spend to reward ourselves. We spend to make up for shortcomings in our unbalanced lives. We must create a savings and balance plan, so we can achieve financial independence. Our goal in life should be to be financially independent. We should all have the desire to amass enough assets to retire comfortably by living off the income or interest they generate. When we get the financial issue out of the way, we can really begin to live life to the fullest.

These are the true measures of success in the real estate business. These are the measures of success in any business. Why should we as REALTORS® be any different? Do not be fooled by the sales volume myth. More Agents have gone down in flames chasing their sales volume tail than from any other myth in real estate.

How to Generate New Clients - A Process Approach

I have been thinking lately about the idea of a "process" in the lead generation world. As sales training folks, we see most sales organizations struggle with prospecting. One problem is I believe they prospect ONLY when they need business, rather than ALL THE TIME. I sometimes feel like we all make prospecting really hard. So here's my advice, if you're feeling like prospecting is difficult:

The First Step

Think Engagement. Not Selling.

Do you have a "process for engagement?" Let's say you meet someone on a trip that might make sense to have more conversation with. Do they go into a process of any kind? Well, they should. Yet most of us don't think about prospecting as a process. We mistakenly think of it as an action.

Creating Prospect Engagement After the First Conversation

As the threshold of free goes up in the marketing world, you must have something that engages the prospect after that initial conversation. Calling them for an appointment might be too much. So instead, write down all the things that you could use to engage them further prior to the next call.

-Do you have a report that you could send them that educates them?

-Do you have an article that addresses the most common problems people similar to him have?

-What about an audio recording of a speech that you made where you discussed trends in the industry?

Creating Your "Sequence of Events"

Think of the process engaging prospects as a "sequence of events" that happens so that when you do call, they're ready. (Or, they call you first--Even better!) And even better, if you have someone in you office that is good with "systems thinking," then have them help you flow chart an engagement process. You'll be surprised at how a prospecting system will help you meet your goals.

Here are some other resources that will help as you learn the content in this article:

http://www.caskeyone.com/blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=B_Caskey

Sales Training For Service Businesses - Why Should I Use You? - Part 1 of 3

It's not always about sales training. The most common mistake I see with Services marketing is the 'it's all about me syndrome'. All of a company's letters, web site, and networking interactions are all about the company and what you can do. Without being too brutal here, most people do not care! They are not too interested in knowing what you HAVE, DO, or KNOW. They want to know what is in for the them.

In the simplest scenario they have a problem and they are looking for a solution. The company that can clearly articulate -

"I understand you, I know what your frustrations are and I know how to solve them." - will be the one that is the most successful. This sounds simple, I know, however the majority of my prospective clients still have an inward way of thinking and say: "this is what we have got and this is what we can do - do you want some?"

At the other extreme many prospective service clients do not always realise they have a need for a service. In this case, only a clear articulation of the beneficial outcomes, and not the process used will spark that magic moment when someone says "we need to meet".

How can service businesses effectively do this?

By focusing on solutions and benefits - in every communication you have with a prospective client.

Specific Targeting:
Much has been written about this and many people pay lip service to it yet most companies I work with can't clearly answer the following questions:

* Target Message: Who exactly are you talking to?
* Problem/Solution: What is the concern of your prospective clients and what is the solution?
* Benefits: What are all of the ways your services help your clients?
* Unique Competitive Advantage: What makes you stand out in a way that makes a difference to your clients?
* Risk Reversal: What are you promising to deliver that reduces the perceived risk of your clients?

I do not underestimate the difficulty in clearly defining these things. Yet if they can be achieved they will make the difference between a good and a truly great business.

A well used example of a service business that used this to catapult them from nowhere to a major worldwide organisation was Dominoes Pizza. Their whole marketing was based around their slogan:

"Hot, fresh pizza in 30 minutes or less, or it's free"

They knew their uniqueness, they invented it!

Note that not once does Dominoes say the Pizza will be tasty. It probably isn't the best pizza available but to their prospective clients it was unique. They knew it would be with them in 30 minutes or it would be free. Their needs have been met. Unlike the competition who would say:

"It could be 90 minutes. I just don't have the drivers and when you get them you can't trust them. And besides I just can't forecast my demand. Any way it'll be with you tonight sometime."

You don't always need sales training but if you do need sales consultancy then I would be glad to help. Look out for part 2 and 3 on this site

Why not sign Up for '21st Century Selling' - The Bi-weekly Sales and Marketing Newsletter. Its's free and easy and it's jam packed with Information to help you make more sales. Use the Easy Sign Up box at Sales Training Also - Have a look at the latest Sales Videos, Techniques and Ideas at the Sales DNA Blog - Sales Blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_O'Donoghue

Sales Training Ideas - Do You Remember That Big Sale You Made?

Remember that big, or critical sale that you made? It may have been a huge dollar amount or it may have been that account that you finally broke into. Either way, it was a highlight in your selling career and it made you feel great. Question: What are you doing to keep it fresh in your mind to stay positively motivated?

Here's a simple, uncomplicated idea:

Have a memento around to remember it by. It doesn't have to be a major item, it can be a magnet, a stuffed animal, anything, but it should have something on it specific to that sale, even if you have to stick something on, and it needs to be somewhere where you'll see it, A LOT, like on your desk or somewhere in your car. That way, every time you look at it, you'll be reminded of that great sale.

Here are the keys, again, they're simple:

1) When you make a big sale, get a memento of some kind.

2) Make sure it is personalized to that sale. Again, if you need to stick something on it or write something on it, that will work.

3) Have it in front of you in your work environment. If you're in telephone sales, it should be on your desk or in a prominent place in your office where you will see it constantly. If you're on the road, have it in your car, perhaps hanging from your mirror.

4) To take it a step further, if you can put yourself back in that sales situation and remember what it felt like, it will help to keep you positively motivated. In the best case scenario, you will remember what you heard, saw, felt, smelled, etc. The more senses you can involve, the better.

Bonus tip - Set your next target by asking yourself what would be a big sale, dollar amount or a certain account, or figure out what else you could do that would have a major impact on your career. Whatever the answer, set that as your next goal. When you get there, you got it, get a memento to remind yourself of it. And now I would like to offer you free access to a monthly newsletter that will give you great tips to use instantly to improve your sales. You can get your access at http://www.completeselling.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Chapin

Be Impressed, Grasshopper, Not Impressive

"Master," the Young Professional addressed his mentor, "You have told us that in order to hire us, a client must Like us and Trust us."

"That is correct, Grasshopper," the Master replied.

"I understand how I can earn a client's Trust," continued the Young Professional, "But how do I get him to Like me in the short time I might be in his presence?"

The other professionals snickered at this simple question, but they were secretly glad their classmate was so bold as to ask it, because they did not know the answer either.

The Master smiled gently and explained, "To be liked, you must try to stop being liked."

A look of confusion passed across the students' faces, and although he was blind, the Master could see it.

"We want to talk about our education, our skills and our accomplishments. We want our clients to see how well we dress, and the fine vehicles and homes we have acquired through our efforts. We want them to warm to our smiles and our conversation," the Master explained, "but what our clients want is for us to like them."

"To be Liked by a client, Grasshopper," the Master continued, "the client must perceive that you like him--that you are impressed with his accomplishments, however small they might be, and that you care about him."

"Ah," exclaimed the younger man, "I must be impressed, rather than impressive."

"Good, Grasshopper," the Master said gently smiling. "But it's more than being impressed," he continued, "You must Listen deeply and ask questions with Childlike Curiosity-not just about the problem you were trained to solve, but about his family, his hopes and his dreams."

A light began to grow in the younger man's eyes and, once again, the blind Master could see it.

"What you seem to be saying, Master," he began with excitement in his voice, "is that clients don't care how much we know, until they know how much we care. Is that it?"

"Yes, Grasshopper," the Master replied warmly, "You have learned well."

The younger man bowed, and the blind Master acknowledged it.

Turn Good News Into a Sales Pitch

I recently read an online article by Eric Chabrow on CIO Insight titled "Computer Jobs Hit Record High". While there can be negative news about employment readily available, I thought I'd share with you some signs of a sector with strong economic numbers that might bode well for you and your sales.

The article states "unemployment among computer-related jobs hovers near historic lows as the U.S. information technology workforce tops 4 million for the first time."

It also says that "the number of workers employed by IT services firms rose by 56,100 this past year to 1,414,400, a 4.1 percent increase, according to last month's BLS establishment survey of some 160,000 businesses and government agencies covering about 400,000 worksites."

So what does all this mean?

Chabrow writes: "Why would IT employment remain robust as unemployment rises in most other job categories? IT performs a critical role in business productivity, and the efficiencies it brings are crucial for employers looking to trim costs -- including payrolls -- as fuel and related expenditures soar and the economy and dollar weakens. In addition, companies today cannot operate without functioning IT systems, so certain business technology skills cannot be eliminated if a company wants to remain competitive."

Furthermore, "The increase in IT services employment reflects the continuing need by companies for outsourcers to manage corporate IT infrastructures as well as provide hard-to-find but needed skills to develop and support new applications and systems."

Again, the quote is -- reflects the *continuing need by companies for outsourcers* to manage corporate IT infrastructures.

Besides this good news there are at least a couple of take-aways:

* First, look at ways you can further increase business productivity. Chances are some of your clients are going to trim costs. Help them by making sure there is a technology solution that is going to help them stay efficient.

* Second, it is a good sign that payrolls at IT service firms are growing. It's a sign that many of your customers are looking to save on cost by outsourcing to companies like yours.

From a marketing standpoint I would suggest having your sales reps use the data I've quoted to ask questions about future plans, cost cutting measures, etc. Help them plan by being part of the solution.

The other item from a marketing standpoint is that you can create topics around these data points having to do with saving money, cutting cost, and staying ultra productive and efficient.

Limiting Factor Analysis

Limiting factor is any factor which limits the activities of the organization. The most common limiting factor is the sales volume because a company can not sell the entire product it manufactures.

Limiting factor analysis help companies to identify bottleneck resources and use best combination of available resources to maximize profit. Limiting factor in an organization or a company might be raw material, labour time, machine time. Limiting factor analysis can be applied where there is only one limiting factor involved. In case where there are more than one limiting factor, we have to use Linear programming or Simplex method.

Linear programming involves mathematical model which is solved using mathematical equations. The common area on the graph paper is called Feasible Region. The simplex method can only be solved using spread sheet software such as Microsoft Excel. In limiting factor analysis we calculate each product contribution (sales less variable cost) and then divide the contribution by per unit of limiting factor. Let's suppose raw material N is in short supply (that is it is a limiting factor) For example (Data is based on per unit of each product):

Product A Sales Price : 100$ ; Product B Sales Price : 200$

Variable Costs A : 50$ Product B : Variable Cost 135$

Contribution Per Unit A .......... 50$

Contribution Per Unit B .......... 50$

N used per unit of A 10 Kg

N used per unit of B 20 Kg

Therefore:

Contribution per Kg A ..........50/10 = 5

Contribution per Kg B .......... 65/20 = 3.25

As you can see Product A Contribution per Kg is greater than that of Product B, so every effort should be made to produce as much units of Product A as possible. After producing all units of product if company still has some kg of raw material N, then it should utilize N to produce Product B. In short the Products are ranked according to Contribution per Kg in order to maximize profitability.

Creating Urgency

"Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value." --Jim Rohn

Let me repeat that because it's a building block of persuasion: without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value. That's an incredibly powerful statement and is absolutely spot on. In persuasion, once you've created trust and a feeling of rapport with your prospects and clients, and once you've removed all doubt about you and your product and service, what then? Are you going to make the sale if there's no sense of urgency on the part of your prospective client? Are you going to get ahead? No, you won't.

Some sales people and commercials create a false sense of urgency-- you know the ones, 'act now, only available to the first 100 callers'. . . We all know as a result of our advanced B.S. detectors that this is simply not true. We know that there are more than 100 Thighmasters or Magic Bullets available for purchase and even if you were caller 100,000, you would still have one in the mail to you before the call was over.

Now if it's true, if you only have 12 seats left in your seminar or 12 condominiums left to sell in a particular building, then by all means, use it. Then it's fantastic. There is actual scarcity involved in that case, but for example if you're selling insurance or if you're in real estate, what are you going to say, 'I've only got 12 houses left' or 'There are only 12 more insurance policies available'? I seriously doubt anyone would bite at that.

It depends on your industry as to how many places are left. If you're selling seminars you could genuinely only have a room that seats 50 or 100 or 10. A good friend of mine ran a seminar a couple of years ago, he sold it for $25,000 or $30,000 a head. They sold out. They had 10 spaces, 10 people, that's it. They put an arbitrary limit on the amount of space available because they did not want to give it to very many people. It was a very, very high end, hush, hush marketing strategy and they did not want the world to know about it because it would blow it, but they also wanted to get paid heavily for being able to give that skill that they had proven results with, so they limited it to ten.

How many of you have been on e-mail lists and you see subject lines that after a while they just look like all the other marketing subject lines? They're like, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread, the best thing since sliced banana bread, the best thing since sliced cream cheese banana bread. It's like they're always one upping. It's the best this or that, or the most powerful this or that. I'm guilty of some of that myself, thought I try my best not to. When people do this they are trying to use urgency, they're trying to develop urgency.

We have to create urgency because without it, there's no movement. In other words, they have to believe that their needs are going to be met, that there's some compelling reason to do it now and that's called 'the offer' in sales or in marketing. You've got to come up, what's the offer that would move people that connects to their dreams and values and that moves them off of center.

Creating Urgency

"Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value." --Jim Rohn

Let me repeat that because it's a building block of persuasion: without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value. That's an incredibly powerful statement and is absolutely spot on. In persuasion, once you've created trust and a feeling of rapport with your prospects and clients, and once you've removed all doubt about you and your product and service, what then? Are you going to make the sale if there's no sense of urgency on the part of your prospective client? Are you going to get ahead? No, you won't.

Some sales people and commercials create a false sense of urgency-- you know the ones, 'act now, only available to the first 100 callers'. . . We all know as a result of our advanced B.S. detectors that this is simply not true. We know that there are more than 100 Thighmasters or Magic Bullets available for purchase and even if you were caller 100,000, you would still have one in the mail to you before the call was over.

Now if it's true, if you only have 12 seats left in your seminar or 12 condominiums left to sell in a particular building, then by all means, use it. Then it's fantastic. There is actual scarcity involved in that case, but for example if you're selling insurance or if you're in real estate, what are you going to say, 'I've only got 12 houses left' or 'There are only 12 more insurance policies available'? I seriously doubt anyone would bite at that.

It depends on your industry as to how many places are left. If you're selling seminars you could genuinely only have a room that seats 50 or 100 or 10. A good friend of mine ran a seminar a couple of years ago, he sold it for $25,000 or $30,000 a head. They sold out. They had 10 spaces, 10 people, that's it. They put an arbitrary limit on the amount of space available because they did not want to give it to very many people. It was a very, very high end, hush, hush marketing strategy and they did not want the world to know about it because it would blow it, but they also wanted to get paid heavily for being able to give that skill that they had proven results with, so they limited it to ten.

How many of you have been on e-mail lists and you see subject lines that after a while they just look like all the other marketing subject lines? They're like, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread, the best thing since sliced banana bread, the best thing since sliced cream cheese banana bread. It's like they're always one upping. It's the best this or that, or the most powerful this or that. I'm guilty of some of that myself, thought I try my best not to. When people do this they are trying to use urgency, they're trying to develop urgency.

We have to create urgency because without it, there's no movement. In other words, they have to believe that their needs are going to be met, that there's some compelling reason to do it now and that's called 'the offer' in sales or in marketing. You've got to come up, what's the offer that would move people that connects to their dreams and values and that moves them off of center.

Now, if you have trust and you've removed doubt and you've created urgency, we need to continue to build desire.

Painting Business - Why You Should Sell Benefits Instead Of Features

Benefits are what sell.

What is a benefit?

A benefit is what the buyer will gain or expect to realize about the service.

What our clients care about is what the painting job will do for them.

Like the benefit of using this Super-Fantastic Paint is that this paint will last for 75 years without fading, peeling or chipping.

So what is the difference? The benefit of a painting service is what is of interest to a customer.

Selling the feature first, is like telling your customer that Benjamin Franklin Paint is the best paint because of the old world way it is made. Like such and such a super-fantastic paint is the best paint in the whole world. Sort of like the name of the color, or maybe the spreadibility of the paint
Benefits are how this service will make the clients life better. No one cares about features. Customers care about what they will gain by using your service.

Painting your exterior of your house with Benjamin Franklin Paint or that it was made in their own home town, is not as interesting to a home owner as the benefit of not having to paint again for a long time, that the paint is protecting the house from the deterioration of the sun, and not having to paint again for 75 years.

If you want to be successful selling paint jobs, always think of ways that the client will see their gain, or their upside. Benefits.

It used to make me laugh when the kids would come around selling newspapers and they would say that if you bought a subscription from them they would get a new bike. Granted they probably got a sympathy order on that line because they were a kid, but you and I won't get many paint jobs with that feature.

The First Factor of Successful Selling

The first Instant Success Factor of successful selling is BEING AVAILABLE.

It was our Monday afternoon sales meeting and one of our top salesmen commented that he had been making many sales calls by phone without reaching anyone and no one was returning the voice mail messages he had left.

He said that he was very frustrated with each call because all he heard was a voice mail on the other end. The question I asked him was: 'Are you BEING available when you are making the calls?' He considered the question and then said, 'No, I don't believe I am!'

Often, when we are not getting the results that we want, the tendency can be to look outside of ourselves. We may justify the situation by saying that 'it was a bad time of day to call'. We can console ourselves by saying the other person 'does not have the courtesy to return a call.' Or we can state a 'sales rule' that when you make calls you never get more than 30% answering.

However, if you are being radically personally responsible for your own results in life or in business, you know that looking outside of yourself will not change the circumstances.

If you notice that your customers are not returning your calls or you are not connecting with others, where to place your gaze is on yourself...and consider that perhaps you are the one that is NOT being available.

Increase Sales by Taking Advantage of Your Thoughts

During the last week, actually the last 5 days, I have been working on site in a different state. This has mandated me going to dinner at unfamiliar restaurants and not knowing anyone. Yet, I have received 4 leads and one of which wants to start some executive coaching upon my return to my office in the Chicago area.

My first opportunity happened when speaking at a local chamber event. Even though the attendance was under 20 small business owners, I had exceeded the expectations of at least one of them because he wanted to talk more with me.

The second incredible opportunity happened at a local bar and grill. My colleague and I were enjoying some adult beverages along with two delicious dinners when a gentleman sat down next to me as the bar was fairly crowded. Upon sitting down I made a comment about him actually looking old enough given that the previous individual who had occupied the seat had looked so young. This happens when you age, everyone looks way too young.

When he spoke, I noticed an English accent. Being the curious person, I asked where in England he was from. He shared his hometown and we just started talking. Within several minutes, I learned that he was the new operations manager for a large company that my colleague had been trying to meet with without much success. Further conversation revealed some internal challenges and we exchanged cards and I will follow up. Sales Coaching Tip: Most sales professionals fail to follow-up on leads.

My third opportunity to increase sales happened the next night in the same eating establishment as the food was so incredibly good and reasonably priced. I sat one bar stool away from a woman. Something came on the news and she made some remark to me and I responded. Again, we started sharing and I learned that her brother had a significant medical practice within the area and he was facing some human capital and organizational challenges. Securing a large size health care provider was one of my desired prospects.

During the next day during a training and development session (my reason for being in the area), one of the participants came up to me after the training was over and asked if she could speak with me. Over our lunches, she shared that she was looking for an executive coach. We scheduled a free strategy session to better understand each other and if I could truly help her. Sales Coaching Tip: When you are authentic, you will attract potential clients. You do not need to sell yourself or your products and services.

Who would think in a city over 1,500 miles away from where I live, not knowing anyone, that I would find 3 fairly solid leads and one individual who had expressed a bona fide need for executive coaching? Life truly is just opportunity after opportunity waiting for you to unlock them. All you must do is to have those genuine positive thoughts that are aligned to your goals, your sales skills and your sales action plan.

What I believe has created all of these opportunities are my thoughts of wanting to secure at least 5 more clients within this area during the next 3 months. Tonight I am off to meet with another colleague who had provided me with several leads of which two I have appointments before I leave town. With all of these opportunities, I cannot wait to meet with her. As my executive coach tells me: "Life is great!"

Acquiring Business With Persuasion

So, what's the deal with the power of persuasion? Is it just a good business skill or is it manipulation?

Let's talk about manipulation first. A typical sales pitch involves the motive to manipulate. It will look like a set up, and the one being set up will feel like a caged animal. The seller begins zeroing in on the potential customer's pain. It starts as an introduction and a handshake. Then you pick up an on accent as your target begins speaking, or a ring he is sporting on his right pinkie - something that moves the conversation to a more personal nature. This probing leads to what city the target is from, what he likes to do for fun, and what he wishes he had more time to do...until before you know it, the poor slob is bearing his vulnerabilities to the vulture. And then of course, the manipulator goes in for the kill.

The persuader works differently. His appearance is less slick. You feel comfortable in his presence because, even though you are caught off guard by his inherent confidence, there is something familiar about him. Where the manipulator has a desperate quality that seems to motivate him, the persuader has no hidden agenda, so he is relaxed. The persuader does not have a goal to "find your pain." Instead, a professional presentation is made based upon the persuader's ability to exude success. The persuader is always cordial and professional, and if compliments are given they are sincere. Again, no ulterior motives. The persuader's contact is drawn to him because he knows success follows the persuader. Because of this, the contact wants to give him his business without the persuader having to convince him.

Get the difference? If you have leaned toward manipulation to get the client or deal that you were after, seriously consider reevaluating your approach. To be truly powerful and successful you must always be willing to walk away - not because you are playing a game of Chicken, but because you have integrity. No job or client is worth having to trench through muddy waters.

Many successful business people have degrees in Psychology, or at least make it a point to know the field. When you understand what draws people in, and makes them act or behave in a certain way, it is much easier to get what you want from them. The art of practicing this type of persuasion is to do it in an honorable way. A finesse is required which taps into the best part of who you are.

"The most important persuasion tool you have in your entire arsenal is integrity."

Zig Ziglar quotes (American motivational Speaker and Author. )

A large portion of the population want what they can't have. Taking the example in this article about the business person who is willing to walk out the door, the potential customer will feel even more inclined to come after him. If they do succeed in retaining the persuader, and he is as good as he has demonstrated, then that customer will very likely be his for life.

Canadian Psychologists did a study in which they followed people at a race track. The study revealed that the people making bets on their horses were much more confident after they placed their bets then before. The circumstances hadn't changed, and no new information about the horses had been announced, the people involved in the study simply had taken the act of placing their bets.

The conclusions based on this study revealed that humans are inclined to take a stand once they make a decision and carry through with it. Another mitigating condition is that human beings are influenced by social and internal pressures. This condition points to people wanting to be winners, and wanting to be associated with winners.

And, it just so happens, that winners are masters at the art of persuasion. For this reason it is imperative to start each day with the winner's frame of mind. Start your days off with confidence. If you are not feeling it, fake it. Believe you are the best at what you do, and behave accordingly.

There is no substitute for being branded as an executive or as a company with class. Become an expert in your field, and treat everyone you meet with respect. Persuasion will become less something you do to another person, and more of a way of being. From there, everything will fall into place. Easier said than done, I know. But, the journey will be a whole lot more pleasant when you take the high road.

Cost V Value Arguments in Business to Business Sales

The single most common reason sales people give for losing a sale is that they were too expensive compared to the competition. Strangely this is never the reasons customers give for choosing a supplier. In survey after survey customers give as their primary reason for choosing a supplier is that the supplier met their requirements and/or showed them a return on their investment. Customers in B2B sales almost never give price as the main or even secondary factor. Even given that there will be some reticence to say they bought the lowest priced bidder (excluding the public sector), there is still a huge gulf between sales people and their customers as to why a customer didn't buy their solution which was clearly the best, most functional etc..

The reason most customers give for not buying a particular solution as against another is complex but boils down to a couple of major factors. Customers first of all can see little differentiation between competing brands and therefore choose the one they are most familiar and comfortable with, or one they trust the most. Second, if a B2B customer is to choose a particular product or service then they will choose the one that gives them the best return on investment.

For those of us involved in sales for longer than a couple of years, nothing much has changed. Companies have always bought based on criteria of familiarity, trust and payback. What is different nowadays is the formality with which this is measured by the pragmatic buyer. It would be a great service if Marketers therefore turned their attention to Return on Investment (ROI) messages in their marketing strategies.

There is no hiding place for the organisation that proposes products and services based purely on features. Firstly there are too many messages assailing companies, too many competing claims and far too many broken promises, for any customer to make decisions based on claim and counterclaim.

In the most recent example we have some experience of, a company had four bids for a software infrastructure project. The bids were, £400K, £500K, £800K and £1.3M. The company chose the £1.3M bid because the supplier was the only one who provided them with a Return on Investment argument. We could have expected the customer to choose the middle bids, especially since one of those bids was their incumbent supplier!

Marketing strategies need to be developed to take account of value, not simply cost or product features, and marketing programmes need to support this. Sales people need to be furnished with the tools to help them to put forward strong ROI arguments, otherwise suppliers will find their customers moving to the competition who do.

The message is clear and unequivocal. Business to business suppliers must focus on the value their products and services bring. Remember, customers only buy for three reasons to make money, save money or fulfil some intangible need.

One last point - for those of you who base your sales strategy on a compliance argument then beware if customers have to comply with a law or regulations, then they are likely to buy the cheapest option available look no farther than car insurance for proof. Companies who sell on the basis of compliance therefore still need to focus on value rather than price, if they are too avoid the trap of downward spiralling price negotiations.

What Are You Offering?

It's all about the offer. It doesn't matter what kind of advertising you're talking about. If you don't have a good enough offer people aren't going to care about you.

So what are you offering people?

The exact nature of the offer is likely to change quite a bit depending on what type of industry you're in, but it will always depend on the customer base. You're offer needs to be centered completely around what their needs are and what you can do to best provide for them.

The form of color printing you use will also have an impact on your advertising. Take for instance a postcard. By nature a postcard is small and has to have a very short, to the point message. You simply don't have much room to tell people more.

That means your offer is likely going to be a discount of some kind. If you're sending out postcards to generate more sale leads, tell them that they'll get a discount on the first purchase or first service they buy.

For the longer styles of color printing you'll likely go with something a little different. Take a brochure as an example. Often the thing you're offering a person with brochures is information rather than a discount on something.

A good example of this is a tax service. You can give people an offer that is two fold in order to promote your services.

Send a brochure explaining some of the more complicated tax laws to them. Taxes are something that everyone has to deal with, so you'll grab their attention by giving them some simple, easy to understand details about them.

But what this also does is gives them reason why they should use your services. By laying out what all those different tax laws are like, you're informing them while also saying this is why you need to hire an accountant, because this stuff is complicated.

The best offers are going to be the ones that work twofold by providing both you and the customers with something helpful.

Every kind of advertisement you print needs to have a worthwhile offer. And you can be creative with what that offer is. You might give away some free items or if you sell a popular kind of clothing you're offering to give them a great new style that will appeal to them.

Take the time to do the research into your customers to know what kind of offer will resonate the most with them. You need to know plenty about your customers before you'll be able to give them anything they'll need.

If your offer is good enough, people won't be able to help but give you some business. You just need to be sure that the situation is a win for everyone involved.

Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of developments in color printing industry and how these improvements can benefit small to medium-scale business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kaye_Marks

5 Essential Ingredients That Make Straight Commission Compensation Appealing

In a recent piece I outlined 5 tip-offs that reveal when straight commission jobs are rip-offs, or at least "opportunities" you should decline.

But that article left me feeling I created a vacuum. I didn't disclose the five ingredients we should look for, so here they are:

(1) There needs to be a SUBSTANTIAL payoff for success. You're taking on a lot of risk, and of course the primary one is that you'll invest your time, talent, effort, and ego in an utter loser and emerge with zilch. There is a simple balancing formula that investors use for evaluating an opportunity: Does the reward substantially outweigh the risk? If not, then pass.

(2) The ultimate compensation must be greater than that being offered for a safe, no-risk sales job. Imagine at Company A they're offering a commission-only job that has the potential of yielding $100,000 per year. At Company B, they'll stake you to a guarantee, to a draw or a salary of $100,000. It's a no brainer; you'd have to go with B. The realistic earning potential of A has to add up to, minimally, 150% to 200% of what is being tendered by B.

(3) Management at the commission-only outfit has to be seasoned and trustworthy. Have they met a payroll, before, or are they in a seat-of-the-pants, gee-golly-gosh start-up mode with no financing? Are you working with a Fortune 1000 company, which is image conscious and aspires to earn a berth on one of those "Best Places to Work" lists, or is it a firm run by a lone wolf or by a partnership that couldn't care if it is sued right and left for unpaid wages and for stiffing vendors? The burden of proof is on novices to demonstrate that they are NOT flakes.

(4) There needs to be a short sales cycle, preferably measured in days or a few weeks. If you're self-financing, which is what a straight-commission arrangement requires, you need to see cash flow and fast. You can't go out on a limb and invest months in the hope that you'll make your first sale.

(5) Ideally, others are on board, making a steady, big income doing exactly what you're going to do. I spoke to the head of a company who asserted that he had a USC college student selling deal after deal, making about $4,000 a week. Why did this sales master leave? Where is he now? What were his methods? This sounds a lot like that big fish tale about "the one that got away."

Keep these five criteria in mind as you screen sales jobs or any pay-for-performance situation.

Commission-only deals can be lucrative, but you need to turn the tables and to qualify those that are offering them. You should hitch your wagon to them only if they can pass a stringent test.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a portfolio careerist: An attorney, real estate broker, college professor, best-selling author, TV commentator, professional speaker, and management consultant. He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com and his profile can be read at: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/a91/833

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Gary_S._Goodman

7 Essentials For MASSIVE Success!

Mind: We all know that we produce great results when our thinking is in the right place. It isn't hard to see when things are "headed" south. Flip-it-up and keep your head in the game!

Action: Some people like to "think on things." Mull it over before getting started. It's the top-producers that get moving quickly. Champions master the art of thinking while in motion. Sure... some mistakes will happen in the beginning, but in time, it becomes an inevitable force of forward progress!

Strategy: When our mind is in the right place, and we are moving ahead with positive forward action, we quickly begin to understand what works and what doesn't. Combine the things that work with the right resources and build a plan to keep everyone on track.

Season: Develop a belief that you are always "in season." While others base their success on the time of year, you come up with reasons why you can be successful year round. Use your strategic plan to stay ahead, and find yourself at the top month after month... year over year. Remember, your future success depends on what you are doing right now!

Intentional: Everything you do is for a purpose. As you think through your daily activities, your sales process, your follow-up strategies, recognize reasons for why you do it "that way." You will create principles for success that will shape your behaviors and decisions for life.

Vigorous: So much of our success comes from an ability to remain strong through adversity. Ironically, it is also important to remain strong through our victories. In other words, don't lose focus just because you are winning. Impose your will and achieve your goals.

Endurance: True greatness is the ability to succeed over a long period of time. Durability comes with the strength to overcome pain and fatigue. When other people think that your success is temporary... Show them that your MASSIVE success is permanent!

How do you create MASSIVE success?

Doyle Slayton, Executive Director & Sales Strategist at http://www.SalesBlogcast.com

Join the community where sales professionals network, share best-practices, and just get better! Receive new articles and interviews throughout the week. Participate in sales, leadership, and business discussions. Subscribe today... it's FREE! http://www.SalesBlogcast.com

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The Five Words That Could (and Should!) Kill Your Sales Career

There I was, the proud owner of a beautiful new washer and dryer set. Cherry red, front-loading, state-of-the-art; they were everything my wife and I wanted. There was just one problem: the units were nowhere to be found. I had blocked out a portion of my Saturday to make the 45-minute drive to the Home Depot where we had purchased the set, excited to get them set up and running. To my disappointment the units hadn't been delivered to the store yet; worse, no one from the store had even bothered to call and save me the trip down. In fact, when I had called the store earlier in the day to check whether the units had arrived, I was assured they had. You can imagine my frustration.

Now I'm a pretty reasonable guy: I understand that trucks sometimes get delayed or orders get misplaced or a warehouse is out of stock. No problem. The problem was that everyone I talked to (the customer service clerk, the salesman I had purchased the set from, and even the store manager) responded to my dilemma with what I consider to be the five lamest words in the English language: "There's nothing I can do." A couple of them went so far as to add an "I'm sorry" to the beginning of the statement, but somehow that didn't make me feel any better. I was given a long list of reasons why no one could do anything, but this, too, failed to improve my mood.

My options were to come back in a couple of days to pick the units up or to wait for the store to deliver them the following week for an additional charge. Since my old unit was broken and the laundry was piling up, I opted to make another trip to pick them up myself. I left the store frustrated, annoyed and certain that my next appliance need would be met elsewhere.

I share this story with you because it highlights a growing problem in the fields of sales and customer service: failure to recognize the importance of the customer. I've said before that the customer is the most important person in any transaction, but I'd like to take that a step further and say that the customer is the only important person in a transaction. After all, no customer, no transaction.

You see, I did have a third option: I could have asked Home Depot for a refund and taken my business somewhere else. The only reason I didn't was that it would have created a greater inconvenience for me at the time; however, you can be sure next time I will probably opt for one of their competitors. Remember that your customers have this same option available to them, as well. No matter how good you or your products or services are, your customers can always get similar or better products or services from one of your competitors, and probably for a lower price. If you resort to the use of the five lamest words in the English language, you can be sure they'll exercise this option. So what if there really is little or nothing you can do to resolve a customer's complaint?

First, realize there is always at least one thing you can do and that is to empathize. To empathize means to identify with another person's feelings or difficulties. A simple statement like, "Mr. Kennedy, I understand how you feel, and I can assure you I will do everything in my power to resolve this situation to your satisfaction," would have gone a long way toward making me feel better about my experience. At least I would have known that someone cared. You can always do at least that for your customers: let them know you care and that you will exhaust all your options to rectify the situation.

Of course, you have to follow that up with actually doing everything in your power to resolve the problem. In other words, you should be an advocate for your customer. If he or she has a problem, take ownership of that problem and see it through to resolution. Fight for your customers, argue for them, bend or even break the rules for them, but never, I mean never, be caught telling them "There's nothing I can do!"

The Painting Business - Tough Economy, What Do You Do?

The first thing so many painting businesses do is to run around and low ball every estimate. Why?

Because they firmly believe that painting customers buy exclusively on price. But, studies show that for the most part that is not true. Painting customers want the best value.

Best value and that is? Think about what reasons you buy for. Try to get into the mind of the customer. If you have a really nice home in an upscale community, and you want your home to look good, the finish to last (good paint jobs are not cheap, even the cheap ones are not cheap) and actually sometimes cheap things cost more, the first time that you buy, and you pay the second time to do it the right way first. And they want the painting contractor to start and stay until done, not to take the deposit and leave only to work in dribs and drabs, until the owner finally throws the bum out. They want value, and this means a good job relatively priced, from someone they perceive to be honest, hardworking, going to do a good job and is not going to kick the dog, drink on the job and smoke in their house.

People buy for the most part on their emotions; people buy because they like you. Or they trust you. If you take a $5000 paint job, one guy quotes $5000; the other guy quotes $5050. And the client needs to pick one. The first guy looks sloppy, he was late for the appointment, and when he got out of his truck a beer can fell on the ground. The other guy is clean, came on time, and his truck looks like it was just washed. Which will they pick? The low ball painter only thinks the one who is low bidder will get the job. But if you were buying something this big, and you had doubts, would you buy from the low ball or the painter that you were confident in?

What if the prices were $5000, and $5051? Is that enough of a difference? This is supposed to be a 10 year paint job. Spread $51 over 10 years, does it matter then?

What if the prices were $5000, and $5100, at that point what is another $49? What about $5000 and $5200? $5300? Maybe if they need to buy that job badly enough, and they could not feel good about the low ball painter no matter what the price difference, they might even pay a few thousand more.
I have heard the catcalls, at a PDCA dinner that was for getting new members, from the cash painting contractors were sitting at the table all the way in the back. When the speaker was telling the audience about his hourly rate. It was (4 years ago) $65/hour. The goons in the last table were hooting and laughing, the last thing I heard was them saying he was "full of it", and he would never get that price here. And here was Princeton, NJ. If anyone knows the Ivy League Schools and the towns and communities around them. They know that this area has some of the highest paid people in the states. What was funny to me was that I had been talking to this painting company owner, for a few months prior to this dinner and, I was then charging $65 per hour in that exact area.

It is all in the mind. What do you perceive? What does the client perceive? What is their perception of you? If you want to win more jobs at a higher price than your competitors, then think Value, not low price.

By the way just today, I quoted on a new porch and deck that a decorator referred me to. She also referred 2 other respectable painters. I talked for a while about the benefits of the job, (keeping my estimate hidden), never mentioning price. Talked about the benefits of a quality job, from the primer on the new cedar rail, and what to use on the new mahogany deck, mostly emphasizing quality. I felt that they liked me. Finally they asked me for the price, at which time I told them verbally, without the estimate. I said $2196 for the porch work, and $850 to bleach and rinse the house to clean the mildew off. They said, "how do you explain that Harold quoted $1400 and $450 to bleach the house"? Saying nothing negative about Harold, (actually he is a pretty good guy), I just explained what we would do and how much time it would take. Then they said Steve quoted $1800, after that I just said I don't understand their prices.

Long story short, he said can you do both the porch and the wash job for $3000?

I walked out of there with a $1000 deposit. And this happens a lot to me.

Last year in another part of town, I took a $10,000 exterior paint job, my competition was $6000, but I got the job. And hey, we are good.

Having Trouble Finding Customers For Your Staffing Agency

Your competition has a big affect in your ability to find and secure new accounts with Hospitals or Medical Centers. Each staffing agency spends a lot of time in business development with the purpose of finding business. The problem with new staffing agencies is they often approach a Hospital without really knowing the internal culture or what makes the facility tick.

Lets look at some of the key factors that prevent many staffing agencies from finding new business or the first contract with a Hospital.

1. Are you familiar with the competition and how they are approaching the Hospitals?
2. Are you sure you are approaching the decision makers in the facility?
3. Have you identified your market challenge regionally?
4. Have you identified the accurate pay rates your competition is charging?
5. Have you identified the top accounts in the Hospital?
6. Have you identified the weaknesses your competition is experiencing?

These are just a few of the many variables that new staffing agencies need to identify before they begin walking into a facility and trying to secure accounts.

These variables will help you form a strategy to secure new accounts. Each strategy must be detailed with the goal of entering the marketplace, but not eliminating the competition. Don't approach the marketplace with the idea that you want to eliminate the competition.

Work with the competition and align yourself with the decision maker to enter the staffing arena as a backup. This technique has many opportunities that will be seen as time passes.

This is just one of many techniques you should use to secure clients and begin making money from your staffing agency. Too many staffing agencies make mistakes at the beginning that prevents them from surviving past the first year.

Many staffing agencies never actually make it past the first year, the problem is that they don't know the barriers to finding clients, and given enough time and money you will find the answers. The problem is again: how much time do you have and how much money do you have?

Five Tips For Beginning Sales People

1. Educate Yourself
Don't wait for managers or anyone else to give you the sales education you need. Unfortunately, the automobile industry has been stuck for years in a, "Throw them in and see if they can swim mentality." Some dealerships take new recruits to a meeting room and have them watch training tapes for a day and expect them to be trained. Neither of these options will increase your odds for success.

Begin a massive self-education program that will continue your whole career. Combine visual, auditory and experiential learning. Listen to sales and motivational material every day on the way to and from work. Read, watch DVDs and then put it all together by role-playing with a manager or fellow sales person. Education Creates Motivation - Motivation Breeds Perspiration - Perspiration Creates Elevation.

2. Avoid Cancer
Attitude is everything in sales and life. All companies are full of people with negative attitudes and limiting beliefs. These beliefs and attitudes begin to perpetuate into a culture that is counterproductive to all sales people and potentially deadly to the new sales person. You can insulate yourself from the cancerous attitudes by taking the following steps. 1. Avoid smoke-and-joke circles. There has never been a positive conversation in one of these pity party circles, and there never will. Avoid them like the plaque. 2. Utilize motivational material daily. Nobody can be fully self-motivated all the time. You need tools to assist you. CDs, DVDs, pictures, music, books, quotes, spiritual material, mentors and mastermind circles are all tools that you should use.

3. Utilize a Follow-Up System Religiously
Pick a manual or software system that you will use from day one. Every customer, every prospect, every time. When you start with an organized system, you will be focused on the fundamentals that will make you successful both short- and long-term. Collect as much data as you can on each prospect and customer and organize your follow-up by using post cards, letters, gifts, newsletters, e-mail auto-responders and sequential auto-responders. Persistent = consistent.

In sales and marketing, you must always remember the order of importance of potential sales. Your current customers will always provide you the most return on investment. So often, new sales people are in a constant mad dash for new customers and forget to maximize the potential of the ones they just sold. It's easier to maintain a good system that was created from the beginning than it is to start a new one later on.

4. Take Massive Action
It's all about action management, not time management. You have 1,440 minutes in everyday. Success is determined by the actions you take in those minutes. Avoid the time trap of getting caught up in the stuff. Stuff are the things that are minor in nature that we spend most of our day in that create little results. Don't major in the minor. Continually ask yourself if what you are doing will contribute to a sale either now or in the future. Keep the main thing, the main thing. Each day you must evaluate your actions and create a stop-doing list. After reviewing your day, determine what actions you should lessen or eliminate. Start your day with major actions so it sets a trend for the day. Jump in, don't wade in.

5. Be Your Own Marketing Manager
Don't expect any business or anyone to bring you customers. You must take the mindset from day one that you will provide 100 percent of your own customers and anything your company provides is extra. Start by creating your own brand. What will your slogan be that defines you? Utilize your picture, caricature and slogan on all marketing materials and business cards. Create your own Web site as a benefit to the customer that can be integrated with all marketing material.

Next, determine your ideal customer base that buys your product. You can purchase lists of people who drive your brand of product from one of many different list providers. Begin a multi-step marketing approach to these potential customers. Read as many books on copy writing as possible to learn the secrets of getting people to take action from your words. Educating yourself on marketing and copywriting will pay you more dividends than any other single thing you can do.

Sales people are made, not born. It's the people who do the work, who learn to market themselves, follow-up, handle rejection, persist and maintain a winning attitude that win in the sales profession.