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21 Ways to Bring in the Business
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. ... -
Tearing Down The "Wall of Defensiveness"
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 ... -
7 Ways to Cut Loose from Old Sales Thinking
Sooner or later, we all backslide into old ways of thinking about selling that lead us down the wrong path with potential clients. A few weeks ago, I had a phone conversation with Julie, who has been struggling with the old-style selling methods that her manager insists are the only way to sell their company’s technology solution. Regardless of what product ... -
The 5 Secrets of Setting Short Term Goals
When I talk to people about goal setting, I'm often surprised by their reactions. A lot of people tell me that they haven't gotten around to setting life-time goals and identifying their values and coming up with specific, measurable bench marks, etc. They tell me that goal setting takes too much time and energy, and that it will require days and ... -
7 Ways to Avoid Small Business Failure
Do Your Market Research Just because you build it or sell it doesn't necessarily mean anyone will buy it. The first essential step is to research your potential market. Who needs what you are offering? Is there space for your product or service in the market or is the market saturated? Is the market national? Is it a niche? Can you ... -
7 Ways to Avoid Small Business Failure
Yes, there are thousands of businesses you could start, with more emerging daily thanks to new technology and good old-fashioned ingenuity. Yet despite the vast universe of possibilities, there are a few essential steps you need to take before starting a business, any business. Get Started! -
7 Ways to Guarantee Your New Offering Flops
New products and services are the lifeblood of organizations. The sales force eagerly awaits their arrival, hoping for a short-term competitive edge in a cut-throat marketplace. Yet when new products or services are launched, many sellers become their own worst enemy. They make these seven critical mistakes that slow down or even totally derail their best sales efforts. h4. Mistake 1: ... -
The Don Quixote Approach To Opportunity Assessment
Emerging salespeople typically believe that all business is good business and to an extent, I can understand this viewpoint. If you are trying to make a name for yourself, being put under pressure by your sales manager to get “runs on the board” and earn the respect of the more experienced and successful members of the team, it is difficult to ... -
Use the Right News 2.0 Tools to Stay on Top of Your Industry
In today’s information-rich world, there’s no excuse for not staying current with the goings-on in your field, whether it’s real estate, technology or Web marketing. But while every industry and industry niche is awash in news sites and publications, you can uncover even more information by adding industry blogs and user-generated news sites to your reading list. Despite the proliferation of ... -
Set Your Goals With Cascading Performance Indicators
Performance indicators in most organizations are not aligned to the goal of the organization. In addition, they are rarely designed to measure a single process and be unaffected by factors outside the single process. The usual result is that members of the organization only concern themselves with high level process indicators. For example, the value of sales ($'s) or the quantity ... -
A Secret Method for Setting Goals
Most people have a goal at sometime or other. Children have a goal; to go to school, to do well at school, to do well at sport, to leave school, to get a job. Adults have goals; to get a better paying job, a more fulfilling job, to buy a car, to buy a house. From time-to-time though having attained a ... -
Selling in a Weak Economy
Pick up any newspaper and you’ll find stories about how bad the economy is. Foreclosures are snowballing, the unemployment rate is inching up, gas prices are soaring, there are fears of runaway inflation, food prices are way up, layoffs are increasing, the stock market is down, the world as we know it is coming to an end. For salespeople, this onslaught ... -
How To Conduct A Formal Account Review
Obtaining continual feedback against a set of established criteria is vital if an organisation is to retain its existing top clients and seek to improve its standing and the quality of its service levels to them. h2. There Are At Least Six Benefits Of Regular Feedback. 1. Feedback reveals your customer’s current and future plans. 2. Seeing your business from ... -
Still Trapped in the Old Numbers Game?
The other day, I got a call from Brian, who was a first time visitor to my website. He told me during our conversation, "I see other people at work playing the old numbers game. You know, they make as many calls as they can, hoping that a few will turn into sales. "And they are making sales. Ari, if the ... -
7 Ways to Stop Chasing Decision Makers
You probably know this scenario well: Your main contact at a company has expressed interest in possibly purchasing your product or service. You’ve had the pleasant conversations, you’ve heard “Yes, we’re definitely interested” and “Yes, I’m the decision maker,” and you’re excited about making the sale happen. You’ve put your heart and soul into doing what you’re best at -- explaining ... -
7 Ways to Sell and Retain Your Integrity
Making more sales while retaining your integrity - is it possible to do both? Based on e-mails I continue to receive daily, the answer is a resounding "yes." Eliminating traditional sales thinking and tactics does take effort, because the messages of the sales "gurus" you've read over the years can continue to bubble up in your mind, especially when you're in ... -
Cults, Sales Gurus, and Being True To Yourself
Dear friend, During my teen years, my father who is a Psychologist, dedicated a few years of his career as a specialist helping parents get their adult children back from being brainwashed into cults. He was one of a handful of experts who was skilled at “deprogramming” these cult members and helping them transition back into a normal family environment. I ... -
Top 7 Ways To Diffuse Cold Calling Pressure Points
Stop your expectations from sabotaging cold calls Sales pressure is a mighty saboteur. And it comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. Beginning any conversation with the anticipation of a sale puts the whole conversation under pressure. This doesn’t normally create good outcomes. It usually triggers pressure, resistance, and tension. 1. People have received so many calls with such a strong ... -
Selling at the Executive Level
There is a profound purpose to selling at the executive level and winning over the relevant leaders. Obtaining quality leads and closing sales are two of many benefits for establishing these senior executive relationships. Intuitively you know being connected at the top has its advantages, but you may argue that you’ve made plenty of sales without ever meeting the senior executives ... -
The Salesperson's One-Word Job Description
When I present to sales organizations searching for the Holy Grail to sell in this economy, I start with a very basic question. "What is your job as a sales person?" Usually, that question is met with silence for a moment; and then I'm peppered by a plethora of descriptions. "Sell something to someone!" "Generate revenue!" "Hit quota!" I'm always amazed ...
















