All over the country salespeople are suffering from a verbal virus. It strikes at any time and often without warning. Those who are afflicted say it happens most when talking with prospective customers.
How do you know if you’ve been infected with Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome?
Symptoms include premature articulation of saying the worst thing at the worst time, depression of thinking of the perfect thing to say long after your customer has gone, or nausea from the embarrassment of being at an absolute loss for words.
While there is no cure for Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome, there are certainly remedies to make the symptoms less catastrophic. You can have a nearly complete remission from the verbal virus just by practicing your ability to speak your best.
Get on Your Feet
Frequent attacks of Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome while on the phone can sometimes be calmed just by getting out of your seat. Instead of sitting in your plush office chair and staring at your computer while talking on the phone, stand up. The sound of your voice will naturally follow your body language and the way you feel. If you’re too comfortable in your chair, your voice will sound sleepy and nonchalant, and you’ll find yourself boring or offending your customer.
The simple act of standing promotes healthy breathing, and ensures you are speaking with your best sales voice. By standing, you are changing your tone of voice from lackadaisical to energetic and attentive. You’ll be saying the right thing the right way.
Wear a Smile
Studies have shown that your facial expressions are literally heard in your voice by the person on the other end of the phone. No matter how hard you try to sound upbeat, if your face doesn’t look cheerful, your attitude will sound forced and insincere. Try smiling when on the phone with customers. Your smile will brighten your tone, making your customer as excited about your product as you are.
Monitor Your Progress The warning signs of Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome can be hard to spot if you don’t make the effort to watch out for them – literally. The next time you are on the phone with a customer, place a large mirror on your desk and watch yourself in action.
Your telephone demeanor will completely change as you look yourself in the eye while you are talking with your customers. Having a face-to-face connection (even with yourself) will help you imagine that the person is sitting right in front of you. It will also give you ongoing feedback of your facial expressions and body language. This self-regulating phone training tool gives you the control over the foot-in-mouth tendencies which may keep you from making the sale.
Get it on Tape
If you’re not careful, Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome can spread, severally affecting your ability to communicate even in person. In these cases, monitoring yourself by mirror can be replaced with a simple digital voice recorder. Record all of your customer interactions and prepare for a painful experience as you listen to them in privacy.
Regardless of how many sales you’ve made, how long you’ve been in sales, or how good you think you are at it, you will be horrified to hear how you interact with prospective customers. Hearing yourself in a live sales situation will help you examine your symptoms of the verbal virus and find ways to eliminate them. Make notes of everything from the effectiveness of your tone to your ability to ask intriguing and useful questions.
After a few weeks of watching and listening to yourself in action, you will notice your sales conversations improving. The simple act of monitoring what comes out of your mouth will significantly change the effectiveness of what you say, and how you say it.
Friday, February 9, 2007
It's My Business!
There are so many get-rich schemes. Beware and hold on to your wallet! There are many home-based businesses selling all types of products. How do you know which one to choose? How do you know what to look for? How do you know if the products are really good without spending a fortune to find out? These are all legitimate concerns.
I have been an Avon District Sales Manager for almost 9 years and before that, I sold Avon for over 10 years. I speak from experience — if you have a vision and are determined to reach your goals, Avon can be the vehicle to get you there. Here are some reasons:
Avon is probably the lowest-cost business to start. “The cost of lunch could change your life!” is my motto. Only $10 to start! No inventory! No sales quotas! No stress!
Avon can give you financial freedom — in the Avon world there are hundreds of woman and some husband/wife teams earning a six-figure income. They have taken the career path … not only selling the products but sharing the opportunity through networking Avon to people everywhere.
Avon offers on-line training to all representatives. These courses are absolutely FREE and teach money management, the Beauty of Knowledge, the Power of 3, how to market your products, how to build your business and find new customers everywhere you go.
Avon representatives can have their own website and sell to family and friends all over the U.S.
Avon’s products are guaranteed 100%. If the customer is not happy, the representative can ask for credit and return the product to Avon.
Avon gives every new representative a credit line of at least $100 — (s)he orders the product, it is shipped directly to his/her door and (s)he pays the bill before submitting the next order.
Avon has products for every member of the family. The representative has giftable items, DVD’s, clothing, licensed products like Dora and Bob the Builder and many more items to entice the customers.
Avon’s SKINCARE is the BEST! The Research & Development Department is always finding new technology to combat the signs of aging. Our Clinical line takes the needle / pain / high cost / doctor’s visit out of having botox treatments, laser treatments, collagen injections, and thermal face lifts.
And best of all, the representative can earn anywhere from 20% to 50%, depending on how much time and effort (s)he puts into the business.
I was an Avon representative from 1978 to 1988. My sales put me in the top 10 of my district and made it possible to remodel my kitchen with brand new cupboards and appliances. Our Christmas presents were always Avon products … family and friends loved getting the holiday decorations and jewelry. My sons learned the benefits of hard work and enjoyed helping me tag my brochures and make deliveries. We made long lasting friendships with so many wonderful people.
I have been an Avon District Sales Manager for almost 9 years and before that, I sold Avon for over 10 years. I speak from experience — if you have a vision and are determined to reach your goals, Avon can be the vehicle to get you there. Here are some reasons:
Avon is probably the lowest-cost business to start. “The cost of lunch could change your life!” is my motto. Only $10 to start! No inventory! No sales quotas! No stress!
Avon can give you financial freedom — in the Avon world there are hundreds of woman and some husband/wife teams earning a six-figure income. They have taken the career path … not only selling the products but sharing the opportunity through networking Avon to people everywhere.
Avon offers on-line training to all representatives. These courses are absolutely FREE and teach money management, the Beauty of Knowledge, the Power of 3, how to market your products, how to build your business and find new customers everywhere you go.
Avon representatives can have their own website and sell to family and friends all over the U.S.
Avon’s products are guaranteed 100%. If the customer is not happy, the representative can ask for credit and return the product to Avon.
Avon gives every new representative a credit line of at least $100 — (s)he orders the product, it is shipped directly to his/her door and (s)he pays the bill before submitting the next order.
Avon has products for every member of the family. The representative has giftable items, DVD’s, clothing, licensed products like Dora and Bob the Builder and many more items to entice the customers.
Avon’s SKINCARE is the BEST! The Research & Development Department is always finding new technology to combat the signs of aging. Our Clinical line takes the needle / pain / high cost / doctor’s visit out of having botox treatments, laser treatments, collagen injections, and thermal face lifts.
And best of all, the representative can earn anywhere from 20% to 50%, depending on how much time and effort (s)he puts into the business.
I was an Avon representative from 1978 to 1988. My sales put me in the top 10 of my district and made it possible to remodel my kitchen with brand new cupboards and appliances. Our Christmas presents were always Avon products … family and friends loved getting the holiday decorations and jewelry. My sons learned the benefits of hard work and enjoyed helping me tag my brochures and make deliveries. We made long lasting friendships with so many wonderful people.
Styles Of Negotiation In Selling
Our style of negotiation will be influenced by the style of the other party. If both sides are adversarial; there will be little trust between the two parties, however, if one side decides to be co-operative, there is a danger the other side will use this apparent sign of weakness to their advantage.
Co-operative bargaining has the advantage of being a more efficient style of negotiation, however certain rules have to be followed by both parties for it to work. Let us look at the two styles of bargaining and their features:
Features Of Adversarial Bargaining:
• Each side takes up a position and defends it.
• Opening bids are set at unrealistic levels; too high or too low, in order to give
room for manoeuvre.
• Movement is small or non-existent until later on in the negotiation.
• Tactics are used to gain short term advantage.
• Too much emphasis is placed on trust. .This really is my best price!
• Information is withheld, or misrepresented.
• The outcome is often “win-lose”, or “lose-lose”.
• The more aggressive negotiator usually does best.
• This style does not encourage long term, mutually beneficial relationships.
• Neither side asks enough questions, or explores alternatives in sufficient depth.
Features Of Co-Operative Bargaining:
• Each side recognizes that the other has needs and feelings and accepts implicit rules.
• Objective measures are taken of what is fair and reasonable.
• Trust is not an issue as either side is willing to share information.
• This style is friendly, but not soft. There is a willingness to trade concessions.
• There is a clear, communicable strategy.
• Bad behavior is punished.
• This style involves creative problem solving.
• It encourages long term, mutually profitable relationships.
• Each side asks more questions and explores alternatives, rather than taking up fixed positions.
• The usual outcome is “win-win”.
Co-operative bargaining has the advantage of being a more efficient style of negotiation, however certain rules have to be followed by both parties for it to work. Let us look at the two styles of bargaining and their features:
Features Of Adversarial Bargaining:
• Each side takes up a position and defends it.
• Opening bids are set at unrealistic levels; too high or too low, in order to give
room for manoeuvre.
• Movement is small or non-existent until later on in the negotiation.
• Tactics are used to gain short term advantage.
• Too much emphasis is placed on trust. .This really is my best price!
• Information is withheld, or misrepresented.
• The outcome is often “win-lose”, or “lose-lose”.
• The more aggressive negotiator usually does best.
• This style does not encourage long term, mutually beneficial relationships.
• Neither side asks enough questions, or explores alternatives in sufficient depth.
Features Of Co-Operative Bargaining:
• Each side recognizes that the other has needs and feelings and accepts implicit rules.
• Objective measures are taken of what is fair and reasonable.
• Trust is not an issue as either side is willing to share information.
• This style is friendly, but not soft. There is a willingness to trade concessions.
• There is a clear, communicable strategy.
• Bad behavior is punished.
• This style involves creative problem solving.
• It encourages long term, mutually profitable relationships.
• Each side asks more questions and explores alternatives, rather than taking up fixed positions.
• The usual outcome is “win-win”.
Learn to Sell Only to Deserving Customers
What? What are deserving customers? I want to sell to everybody, don’t I? Well… do you?
Smith Manufacturing Company, one of your best customers, regularly buys from you and your company. They order pieces and parts yet seldom yield an opportunity to solve larger manufacturing, production or quality problems, choosing instead to call other companies for these services, some of which may be your competitors. They call frequently, requiring lots of assistance from your inside sales and shipping people. They seem to have many issues too, issues that frequently require your attention and those of your customer service department. They pay late, but they always pay eventually. They buy at a discount and you earn less profit than you should for an account of this type. You call on them regularly, socialize with their managers over lunch and an occasional dinner, and enjoy a good reputation throughout their firm. You may feel this is one of your key accounts.
Does this scenario sound familiar? Or… does it sound all too familiar? We all have them; customers that consume a great deal of our resources. We like them. We like their employees. We spend a great deal of time there. The burning question becomes: Can we honestly continue to justify our current or growing level of investment of our resources in this account?
Jones Medical is also one of your regular customers. Your business here is quite different than at Smith Manufacturing Company. Here, you provide solutions based upon your product mix and your years of experience. Your profit margins are considerably higher and their company pays your invoices promptly, taking advantage of any particular terms you may offer. Your communications with their personnel are typically over the phone or via email. You make quarterly calls on key personnel and may occasionally take a key official to lunch. They operate in a very professional manner causing your inside salespeople, customer service staff and shipping department few problems. Since you are in the business of providing solutions, you often miss their more generic storeroom business since your "pieces and parts" competitor is often there weekly checking bins and drawers for needed low-margin, price-sensitive replacements. You have become an important resource to many key players in this company and they reward you with opportunities to serve them.
Let’s compare both types of customer. In your mind, quickly review your existing customer base. What do you see? Are there more Smith of Jones types of companies? Where do you spend the bulk of your time and resources? Which customers bring more complaints to you from your inside service staff? Where does the bulk of your gross profit come from? Which companies generate more of your costs? What are your opportunity costs? These are tough questions requiring tough decisions.
Many of us will find that we have far more customers like the Smith Manufacturing Company while actually needing to cultivate more customers like Jones Medical. How does this happen to be? As human beings, we tend to get comfortable. In fact, over time, we tend to get so comfortable that we actually get stuck in a rut and tend to remain there. Salesmen have told me that they simply don’t have the necessary time to locate and develop more customers like Jones Medical. "It is the Smith’s that pay the bills" they often say. That may look true on the surface, but underneath, the Smith-type companies are actually putting a stranglehold on your sales and earnings, causing the salesperson to experience a somewhat stable or declining income level.
I have found that at some regular interval, it is healthy to review my accounts and determine where we actually invest our precious resources as well as reviewing how much time we actually spend looking for additional customers. What I have found is that we often need far fewer Smith-types and considerably more Jones-types. Our sales and profit growth is going to come from establishing more accounts like Jones Medical and weaning ourselves away from our accounts like Smith Manufacturing. So what are we to do about it? How can we accomplish this?
Often, there may be a junior salesperson or a particular inside salesperson in your company that could be re-assigned these accounts. You might continue to see these customers quarterly to maintain contact and then share the commissions with your inside staff. It may however, be in your best interest to completely shed responsibility for these accounts, thus handing-off these customers to someone else. Alternately, you may be able to locate a new partner, another local company who is interested in servicing your Smith Companies, thus divesting yourself of them altogether. Sometimes, "firing" your customer is the only reasonable alternative.
I have several ex-customers and prospective accounts that I choose not to do business with. That’s right… I choose. While the reasons vary, the common thread is that pursuing their business is not a wise use of my time or company resources. The net profit gained from my selling investments there simply will not justify pursuing or keeping these customers. I choose to allow a competitor to service them. If my competitors are consumed with servicing these Smith-type accounts, I have more opportunities and less competition in pursing additional Jones-type accounts. It really is that simple.
What is required of you is clarity and self-honesty in evaluating your market position and your customer mix and the ability to make the tough choices. Remember, it is your territory, and it is your earnings at stake. Use your time wisely, invest your resources carefully and choose customers that your company can afford to deal with in a profitable manner. This is truly the selling scenario where everyone wins.
Smith Manufacturing Company, one of your best customers, regularly buys from you and your company. They order pieces and parts yet seldom yield an opportunity to solve larger manufacturing, production or quality problems, choosing instead to call other companies for these services, some of which may be your competitors. They call frequently, requiring lots of assistance from your inside sales and shipping people. They seem to have many issues too, issues that frequently require your attention and those of your customer service department. They pay late, but they always pay eventually. They buy at a discount and you earn less profit than you should for an account of this type. You call on them regularly, socialize with their managers over lunch and an occasional dinner, and enjoy a good reputation throughout their firm. You may feel this is one of your key accounts.
Does this scenario sound familiar? Or… does it sound all too familiar? We all have them; customers that consume a great deal of our resources. We like them. We like their employees. We spend a great deal of time there. The burning question becomes: Can we honestly continue to justify our current or growing level of investment of our resources in this account?
Jones Medical is also one of your regular customers. Your business here is quite different than at Smith Manufacturing Company. Here, you provide solutions based upon your product mix and your years of experience. Your profit margins are considerably higher and their company pays your invoices promptly, taking advantage of any particular terms you may offer. Your communications with their personnel are typically over the phone or via email. You make quarterly calls on key personnel and may occasionally take a key official to lunch. They operate in a very professional manner causing your inside salespeople, customer service staff and shipping department few problems. Since you are in the business of providing solutions, you often miss their more generic storeroom business since your "pieces and parts" competitor is often there weekly checking bins and drawers for needed low-margin, price-sensitive replacements. You have become an important resource to many key players in this company and they reward you with opportunities to serve them.
Let’s compare both types of customer. In your mind, quickly review your existing customer base. What do you see? Are there more Smith of Jones types of companies? Where do you spend the bulk of your time and resources? Which customers bring more complaints to you from your inside service staff? Where does the bulk of your gross profit come from? Which companies generate more of your costs? What are your opportunity costs? These are tough questions requiring tough decisions.
Many of us will find that we have far more customers like the Smith Manufacturing Company while actually needing to cultivate more customers like Jones Medical. How does this happen to be? As human beings, we tend to get comfortable. In fact, over time, we tend to get so comfortable that we actually get stuck in a rut and tend to remain there. Salesmen have told me that they simply don’t have the necessary time to locate and develop more customers like Jones Medical. "It is the Smith’s that pay the bills" they often say. That may look true on the surface, but underneath, the Smith-type companies are actually putting a stranglehold on your sales and earnings, causing the salesperson to experience a somewhat stable or declining income level.
I have found that at some regular interval, it is healthy to review my accounts and determine where we actually invest our precious resources as well as reviewing how much time we actually spend looking for additional customers. What I have found is that we often need far fewer Smith-types and considerably more Jones-types. Our sales and profit growth is going to come from establishing more accounts like Jones Medical and weaning ourselves away from our accounts like Smith Manufacturing. So what are we to do about it? How can we accomplish this?
Often, there may be a junior salesperson or a particular inside salesperson in your company that could be re-assigned these accounts. You might continue to see these customers quarterly to maintain contact and then share the commissions with your inside staff. It may however, be in your best interest to completely shed responsibility for these accounts, thus handing-off these customers to someone else. Alternately, you may be able to locate a new partner, another local company who is interested in servicing your Smith Companies, thus divesting yourself of them altogether. Sometimes, "firing" your customer is the only reasonable alternative.
I have several ex-customers and prospective accounts that I choose not to do business with. That’s right… I choose. While the reasons vary, the common thread is that pursuing their business is not a wise use of my time or company resources. The net profit gained from my selling investments there simply will not justify pursuing or keeping these customers. I choose to allow a competitor to service them. If my competitors are consumed with servicing these Smith-type accounts, I have more opportunities and less competition in pursing additional Jones-type accounts. It really is that simple.
What is required of you is clarity and self-honesty in evaluating your market position and your customer mix and the ability to make the tough choices. Remember, it is your territory, and it is your earnings at stake. Use your time wisely, invest your resources carefully and choose customers that your company can afford to deal with in a profitable manner. This is truly the selling scenario where everyone wins.
There is Gold in Them There Hills
As a sales person how do you know when to give up on a lead. The short answer is never. People’s situation’s and circumstances change. You never really know when you can catch the client at the right moment for them.
I sell life insurance and the Majority of my clients come from a lead program with National Agents Alliance. In my Opinion they have the best lead program I have ever seen. I typically take 10 to 20 leads each week. I place the date I receive the lead and type of lead in the upper right hand corner. I typically will call a lead for about a month after I receive it then I place the lead in a separate pile.
My Goal is to schedule 15 to 20 Appointments each week off of these leads. My Prime calling times for appointment setting is Tuesday and Wednesday morning from 8am to about 9:30am and Tuesday and Wednesday evening from 6pm to 9pm.
Last week I only had about 9 or 10 appointments set with my most recent leads. I went back to my piles of leads and started calling on my leads from September, October and November. I was able to make 7 more appointments which have resulted in 3 sales and 2 follow-up appointments.
This week when I set my appointments I concentrated on the newer leads first and I did manage to set 12 appointments by Early Wednesday morning with leads no more then a month old. I also have 6 additional appointments with leads from September through November.
As a commission only salesperson my activity determines my paycheck. The more appointments I set, the more people I sit in front of. The More people I sit in front of the More Sales I make. The more sales the bigger my paycheck. There really is Gold in them there old leads all you need to do is mine it.
I sell life insurance and the Majority of my clients come from a lead program with National Agents Alliance. In my Opinion they have the best lead program I have ever seen. I typically take 10 to 20 leads each week. I place the date I receive the lead and type of lead in the upper right hand corner. I typically will call a lead for about a month after I receive it then I place the lead in a separate pile.
My Goal is to schedule 15 to 20 Appointments each week off of these leads. My Prime calling times for appointment setting is Tuesday and Wednesday morning from 8am to about 9:30am and Tuesday and Wednesday evening from 6pm to 9pm.
Last week I only had about 9 or 10 appointments set with my most recent leads. I went back to my piles of leads and started calling on my leads from September, October and November. I was able to make 7 more appointments which have resulted in 3 sales and 2 follow-up appointments.
This week when I set my appointments I concentrated on the newer leads first and I did manage to set 12 appointments by Early Wednesday morning with leads no more then a month old. I also have 6 additional appointments with leads from September through November.
As a commission only salesperson my activity determines my paycheck. The more appointments I set, the more people I sit in front of. The More people I sit in front of the More Sales I make. The more sales the bigger my paycheck. There really is Gold in them there old leads all you need to do is mine it.
Customer Service Starts in Selling
After some initial how-are-you, rapport building conversation, your prospect brings up what they called you about: “I called you because I don’t like the results we’re currently getting. I’ve heard you have something you can help us with.” What an opener for someone who provides a product or service to improve whatever the problem is! Maybe; if the provider or seller listens and understands first.
At this conversational juncture the meaning of the adage “Selling ain’t telling, asking is” takes on life form with buyer and seller face to face. It’s time to get to know the specifics of what’s said and not to respond with a sales presentation because you are eager talk just about what you can do!
One of the most difficult tasks a consultant, a salesperson, a manager or anyone tasked with the role of solution provider is to effectively influence a person to clarify their expectations.
Most customers, clients or buyers need help in clarifying what the issues are! Most may even need help in clarifying their objections. Sometimes they know and can’t express it. Sometimes they just don’t know.
An early task for a salesperson with a customer service spirit is to assess if a solution you have is the appropriate resolution to a potential customer’s situation. This requires that we ask questions and as a listener, help the client turn their statements and objections into specific information we can work with. It’s sort of like taking a lump of clay and then molding it into recognizable art.
Getting the specifics of a personal experience as opposed to our assessed or judgmental interpretation gives us information from the clients point of view. It helps them clarify their language when appropriate. If you want to travel from where you live to San Francisco, California, you would use a map which goes to San Francisco, not to Atlanta, Georgia. Use your client’s map of experiences. Leverage your personal experiences to explain things in your clients' way of understanding.
How will this knowledge about listening and clarifying of information cause power? It might not. To be effective at influencing our clients and to clarify what it is they want to achieve requires us to put in action skills such as listening and questions. This requires more than good intentions. It requires commitment. Commitment to understand first, and then to be understood.
At this conversational juncture the meaning of the adage “Selling ain’t telling, asking is” takes on life form with buyer and seller face to face. It’s time to get to know the specifics of what’s said and not to respond with a sales presentation because you are eager talk just about what you can do!
One of the most difficult tasks a consultant, a salesperson, a manager or anyone tasked with the role of solution provider is to effectively influence a person to clarify their expectations.
Most customers, clients or buyers need help in clarifying what the issues are! Most may even need help in clarifying their objections. Sometimes they know and can’t express it. Sometimes they just don’t know.
An early task for a salesperson with a customer service spirit is to assess if a solution you have is the appropriate resolution to a potential customer’s situation. This requires that we ask questions and as a listener, help the client turn their statements and objections into specific information we can work with. It’s sort of like taking a lump of clay and then molding it into recognizable art.
Getting the specifics of a personal experience as opposed to our assessed or judgmental interpretation gives us information from the clients point of view. It helps them clarify their language when appropriate. If you want to travel from where you live to San Francisco, California, you would use a map which goes to San Francisco, not to Atlanta, Georgia. Use your client’s map of experiences. Leverage your personal experiences to explain things in your clients' way of understanding.
How will this knowledge about listening and clarifying of information cause power? It might not. To be effective at influencing our clients and to clarify what it is they want to achieve requires us to put in action skills such as listening and questions. This requires more than good intentions. It requires commitment. Commitment to understand first, and then to be understood.
The Selling Process is a Sales Map to Success
If you have a GPS, Global Positioning System in your car, you already appreciate the value of knowing where you are at all times. We don't have one of these GPS systems and I'm thinking about investing in one for our next vehicle. Although, I have a wonderful sense of direction, really, I prefer to rent a vehicle with a GPS system when traveling. A GPS system is invaluable on the road with the system alerts that notify you when you get off track or as you approach an important off ramp. The satellite system is a great tool for people on the move. If you think driving is the only way to use a GPS system, think again. A GPS sales system saves a business time and lost customers. The built in prospect and customer tracking system reduces the loss of opportunities and customers. It is almost like tracking a FEDEX package across the country in that you will know where the sales opportunity is all the time.
The Sales GPS System
One of the reasons salespeople get lost in sales is they don't have a map. Having a map is critical to ending any journey with success. Unfortunately, many business owners and salespeople don't have a sales or marketing map.
I have to confess, there was a time when I didn't have a sales map. Naturally, I got lost many times. It was a challenge of not knowing where I was or where the prospect was in the sales process. Remember, I mentioned earlier, my sense of direction is good. Well, it wasn't working during the early stages of my selling career. The routine of making sales calls and doing the sales activities just didn't get the results I was looking for. It would be years later that I would fine tune my sales process and develop the GPS and mapping system of selling. The evolution of this system is what we offer today.
If the words, sales process and sales map are foreign to you or you can't tell where you are with each prospect, there are ways to calculate your position. NO, the answer isn't in the stars. Let's make it simple and position you in a two step selling process.
* If you have more questions than you have answers about a prospect, you are in the discovery phase. This is the first phase of selling and you should ask more questions than speaking.
* If you have more answers than you have questions for the prospect, you are in the development phase. This is the second phase of selling and you must have a few answers to the problems the prospect has. You have this because you asked good questions in the first phase.
This simple test will tell you where you are in each step of a selling process with prospects. If you want a better description of how to know where you are in sales, we encourage you to join our webinar on "the game of sales." We regularly share our success secrets about the selling process and the game of sales.
Once you understand the selling process and your sales map, selling gets easier. You will also discover that there isn't much difference between a GPS and our Selling Magic sales acceleration program. Both systems will help you stay on track with reminders and guides. Both systems are automated and will save you time while helping you reach a successful destination. Each of these systems is simple to operate.
The Sales GPS System
One of the reasons salespeople get lost in sales is they don't have a map. Having a map is critical to ending any journey with success. Unfortunately, many business owners and salespeople don't have a sales or marketing map.
I have to confess, there was a time when I didn't have a sales map. Naturally, I got lost many times. It was a challenge of not knowing where I was or where the prospect was in the sales process. Remember, I mentioned earlier, my sense of direction is good. Well, it wasn't working during the early stages of my selling career. The routine of making sales calls and doing the sales activities just didn't get the results I was looking for. It would be years later that I would fine tune my sales process and develop the GPS and mapping system of selling. The evolution of this system is what we offer today.
If the words, sales process and sales map are foreign to you or you can't tell where you are with each prospect, there are ways to calculate your position. NO, the answer isn't in the stars. Let's make it simple and position you in a two step selling process.
* If you have more questions than you have answers about a prospect, you are in the discovery phase. This is the first phase of selling and you should ask more questions than speaking.
* If you have more answers than you have questions for the prospect, you are in the development phase. This is the second phase of selling and you must have a few answers to the problems the prospect has. You have this because you asked good questions in the first phase.
This simple test will tell you where you are in each step of a selling process with prospects. If you want a better description of how to know where you are in sales, we encourage you to join our webinar on "the game of sales." We regularly share our success secrets about the selling process and the game of sales.
Once you understand the selling process and your sales map, selling gets easier. You will also discover that there isn't much difference between a GPS and our Selling Magic sales acceleration program. Both systems will help you stay on track with reminders and guides. Both systems are automated and will save you time while helping you reach a successful destination. Each of these systems is simple to operate.
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