SalesHQ

Despite your desperate hopes and prayers, business isn't just going to wander into your business. You need to get out there and hustle, and we've got the tips to help you do it. The Basics 1. Create quality marketing tools. This doesn't mean you need to allot 75 percent of your budget to printing costs, presentation slides and a Web site. ...

I don’t know about you, but I can always tell when a telemarketer is cold calling me. From the moment they begin speaking, “Hi is that Mr. Brooks?” to the way they fumble through their scripts, I have them pegged before they get past their first sentence. And like I’m sure it is with you too, I am immediately not interested. ...

Before you make a cold call, do you "gear up" first? Do you get excited about your product or service, and try to anticipate making the sale? Well, if you're following the old traditional cold calling mindset, that's probably what you've been trained to do. But what you don't know is that enthusiasm and confidence usually backfire on you. Why? Because ...

More and more e-mails are arriving in my in-box from people who hate cold calling. Here's what they're saying: • “Cold calling terrifies me.” • “The phone feels like a 10,000-pound weight.” • “Every time I have to make a cold call, I freeze up.” • “I feel like a fraud when I’m cold calling.” • “I can’t take the rejection ...

Dick Clinton had wanted to be a professional trumpet player, but that didn't work out. But after 50 years of selling life insurance for MassMutual Financial Group, he wouldn't have it any other way. "I love what I am doing," said Mr. Clinton, 72. "I'm in this business because I enjoy it, and I truly enjoy my clients." He said the ...

Over the past decade, we've seen positive thinking employed in various ways: to stir American nationalism during wartime, to perpetuate free market economies despite signs of an imminent market crash, to encourage people to reject victimhood in the face of staggering financial setbacks. In her latest book, "Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America" (Metropolitan Books, $23), ...

Have you gotten into a new selling field?  Are you struggling to make your first sale?  Or simply make the next one? I'm not going to give you a magic script that works all the time; no one can. I'm not going to give you a magic prospecting formula so that all your prospects (I know, dirty word these days, but ...

What are you doing with those prospects that are in your database that aren’t ready to purchase yet? Are you in the process of establishing trust and good will—or are you demonstrating that you aren’t trustworthy or that you really don’t have anything of value to offer? Or what about your existing clients? Are you teaching them to pay attention to ...

We lost several notable celebrities in the latter days of June: "Charlie's Angels" star Farrah Fawcett, broadcaster Ed McMahon and, probably most notably, prolific musician Michael Jackson. But I've noticed that within the teen community, the most upsetting news was the death of that brusque, burly, bearded TV pitchman Billy Mays. Mays, 50, was found dead in his Tampa, Fla., home ...

So how would you like to start your prospecting campaign today? It’s Monday morning at 9 AM and you say to yourself should I block out and hour for cold calling or should I go see the dentist for a root canal? For many the level of pain is the same. The majority of sales professionals avoid cold calling like ...

In the old way of making cold calls, we offer a sales pitch to a perfect stranger, cross our fingers, and hope for the best... isn't that right? This really doesn't work very well in building a business relationship (or any other relationship, for that matter). This is done best by stepping into the world of the other person and finding ...

1. Focus on Helping the Other Person It's against our nature as human beings to create an uncomfortable situation with another person. That's the core reason many of us get that knot in our stomach when we start dialing a cold call. When we're only focused on making the sale, this is not a natural meeting place for both people. We ...

Well, I would like to offer up some information for thought. I have been in the sales industry for 10 years and in every genre, for every company, for every product I have ever worked with I have always been told if the customer tells you "NO" or is rude that its probably not you. Most likely they are having a ...

Have you ever gotten frustrated when you realize that your prospects keep stereotyping you as a "salesperson"? And because of that, they don't give you the trust and openness that you deserve, and that are essential if you're going to help them solve their problems? That's what's been happening to Michael, who calls companies to set appointments with decision makers. "I ...

Denise and I were getting ready to wrap up our weekly coaching call. She’s been a salesperson for about 18 years and recently took a new position in media sales. I sensed there was something going on with Denise that was getting in her way; some limiting or dangerous thinking that was sabotaging her selling efforts without her even knowing it. ...

 Hiring Smart Hiring effectively is the seeding of a high-performance sales organization and a huge challenge. It seems natural to focus on hiring only when the need arises. However, recruiting is a commitment that should consume 20 percent of the sales leader's time. And the process should be methodical and yield consistent, positive results. Too many companies use inconsistent interviewing techniques, ...

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. —Mark Twain We hate to admit it, because we personally feel that clothes shouldn’t matter. In a perfect world, a person would be judged at their workplace based solely on their performance. Unfortunately, that’s not how the world works. How you choose to dress each morning reflects how ...

What is selling like when you are at your very best? How do you feel? How do you behave? How do your customers react? I asked a group of high tech salespeople and field service engineers those questions at an Orlando seminar. Here are some of their replies: h4. When I'm at my best, I: • Feel connected with the ...