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