This was the first time in Australia we have had the opportunity to come together as a profession and share ideas and discuss important matters moving forward. There have, of course, been industry specific forums held for the profession of selling but not one that brought industries of all kinds together to discuss sales specifically. It’s hard to believe but this was the first time this has occurred in Australia and about time to! It was really about driving a better profession. Many people are unaware of just how skillful you need to be to run a sales team or lead a successful sales career.

The conference was full of important information and we also had the privilege of hearing from the elder statesmen of strategic selling 78 year old Bob Miller of Miller Heiman fame, who pulled no punches and reminded us of the foundations of our success. We also heard from Tom Snyder who is world renowned for his expertise in creating high performing sales teams.

Over the next few weeks I thought I would share with you some of the insights and findings from the conference in more depth but here is a summary of the topics we discussed and where our attention was focused. This might give you some insight into where the world of selling is heading.

• Everybody is in sales: there was overwhelming agreement that everyone in business is in sales – You are either selling or supporting someone to sell. If your people are disassociating themselves with sales then you need to let them know in no uncertain terms we all live by selling something and they had better get with the program or get out.
• New customer behaviours: the economic downturn has changed how customers conduct business and interact with suppliers, while this comes as no surprise there are now new customer behaviours we need to contend with. In particular, the increase in risk aversion was cited as being one of the most contentious issues. This risk adverse approach is leading to indecision by clients meaning that rather than losing to a competitor, nothing happens. So it is critical that sales people are able to work more strategically with clients and challenge them to help them make good decisions moving forward. This requires a more assertive, confident style of sales person.
• The Challenger Sales Person: research by The Corporate Executive Board Company reported that we need to find and cultivate the ‘Challenger Sales Person’ who is best suited for these markets moving forward. Some of the key characteristics of these people are that they always have a different view of the world, understand the customer’s business, love to debate, and challenge the customer’s ideas and perspective; in short they are at their best as commercial educators and bringers of new ideas and innovations to help businesses function better.
• Coaching, coaching, and more coaching: At least 40-60% of a sales manager’s job should be dedicated to coaching their sales people. Yet it still remains an area that is poorly executed. We were shown excellent case studies which demonstrated the financial return of sales coaching. Many of the case studies indicated that a blend of competent internal sales coaching by sales managers supported by external experts in sales coaching was very advantageous to their sales teams’ performance and productivity.
• Role clarity and clear expectations: make sure salespeople and sales managers understand their roles and what is expected of them. Make it explicit and ensure people are adequately skilled to carry out their responsibilities.
• Clear the dead wood quickly: sales managers spend too much time with people who produce too few results. Focus your attentions on those people who are already showing they want to do well and are actually doing their job. You have more hope in getting to your better performers to be much better producers than wasting your time on people who will never perform. As Tom Snyder said “Sales managers are guilty of thinking they can ‘save’ these people from themselves” – his advice is “get rid of them now!”
• Insight and awareness: despite all the skills, tools, and processes around salespeople and sales managers need to be able to develop their own internal guidance and support systems. The ability to reflect on our own performance, be resilient, show empathy, and work ethically was high on the agenda. Personal insight and making a personal commitment to the corporate objectives is also important for ongoing success.
• Connect strategy to activity: your strategy should translate into practical actions people can apply and see results from.
• Marketing and sales unite: marketing needs to support sales and sales must support marketing. There is no in between. Hugh McFarlane from MathMarketing stressed the importance of making sure that all touch points and messages are in alignment.
• Really connect with your key clients: Bob Miller pressed home the importance of being truly connected to your best clients, however he said you cannot have a strategic relationship that is only one way. Your clients must want it as much as you do and there is mutual agreement on the conditions of the relationship. He stated that most companies are very poor at managing this aspect of their business and it leaves them vulnerable to losing major accounts.
• Corporate assets: today’s reality is that in addition to people, property, plant equipment, and IP some of the biggest and most often overlooked assets are companies strategic accounts. They need to be on the agenda of the ‘C’ suite i.e. the CEO, CFO, COO, etc.

I hope that this provides you with some valuable information and insights into what is happening in sales today and into the future. I will go into more depth in the ensuing weeks about these and other topics we covered.

Author: Sue V Barrett
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Digital economy, mobile technology

Despite popular opinion, the sales profession is very skillful with many technical and interpersonal skills that need to be continuously honed and developed. Despite this, most sales people are given no formal training or coaching rather they are often left to work out for themselves how to be effective at sales.

Even if they are able to attend sales training, most sales people do not realise their full potential because nothing was done post the training session to get people adapting their behaviours, skills and performance to the new standards.

Why sales coaching matters

• Without systematic, on-the-job coaching post a sales training program 87% of skills that were covered in the sales training program are lost within 30 days
• With systematic, on-the-job coaching post a sales training program the return on the sales training program is four fold.

Lesson: Sales training without coaching is a cost liability rather than an investment.

Is sales coaching just linked to sales training?

In a word, no. Whether or not coaching follows a formal training program, it is recommended that at least 40-60% of a sales manager’s job should be dedicated to coaching their sales people.

Yet, sales coaching still remains an area that is poorly executed and often ignored.

What is coaching?

Coaching is a process which allows for an individual to strive for excellence in any endeavour through personal insight and purposeful action. At a broad level, the process involves three key elements:

• Feedback: without feedback a person is unaware of the opportunity for ‘change’
• Reflection: relates to what a person thinks about the feedback received; as well as the range of actions they can undertake as a result of receiving the feedback
• Purposeful action: those activities the person may undertake and either adopt the provided feedback or alternatively explain why they will not address the feedback provided

Coaching usually focuses on two key areas of development to achieve excellence: skills and performance. Excellence in performance is knowing the right processes to apply in the right situation, coupled with the personal insight to know how to apply them wisely.

So, how do we get the best out of our sales coaches in order to be our best?

1. Train your sales managers to be effective sales coaches
2. Supply them with proven tools and frameworks to coach successfully
3. Provide ongoing coaching to your sales managers to be better sales coaches (usually external coaching support works well here as it provides an agenda free focus on coaching only)
4. Make sales coaching a necessary part of the sales manager’s job performance criteria
5. Encourage a coaching culture in your business across all levels

What do you need in your sales coaching tool box?

• A coaching framework that guides you through the various coaching steps – this ensures that people are aware coaching is taking place
• The ability to analyse or assess the development needs of an individual or team
• Coaching communication tools and approaches that help you understand, communicate, and connect with the person you are coaching
• Knowledge about the different types of coaching approaches you can use with people i.e. skills, performance, remedial, strategic, or transformational coaching
• Ideally a sales competency based model and sales process framework that reflects the sales skills, behaviours, and attitudes you need to coach your sales people to.
• Skillful and active communication skills
• A positive, trust based, environment
• Clear purpose and intent about what you are trying to achieve
• Consistency

Coaching can happen in many ways

Here are some examples:

• Joint sales visits: attending a client sales meeting with a salesperson – Set up the pre, during and post stages of your coaching session. Decide on what role you will take as a coach: observer, joint call participation, or role model. You need to decide on which role you will play before you enter the meeting so as not to confuse the salesperson or the client/prospect
• One-on-one skills review and action plan: Ideally you would use a competency based model and framework to coach
• Role playing sales activities such as prospecting, client calls, pitch presentations and so on
• Team coaching sessions

4 important points to remember:

1. There are a variety of coaching tools out there, however avoid the one-size-fits-all approach i.e. trying to stretch one tool to fit all situations. You need a blend of tools in your coaching tool box to be able to adapt to a variety of situations such as personal styles, needs etc.
2. You are not a ‘life coach’ or counsellor either. This is a very dubious and potentially dangerous area to get into and should be left to qualified, skilled professionals who work specifically in this space.
3. Make sure you make time to coach and let the person you are coaching know that it is a coaching session and nothing else
4. Many of the case studies at the recent OSF2009 conference indicated that a blend of competent internal sales coaching by sales managers supported by external experts in sales coaching was very advantageous to their sales teams’ performance and productivity.

While many sales managers do not have the framework or tools in place to coach with purpose, skillful coaching can be incredibly rewarding and provide huge benefits for the individuals, team and organisation. It not only makes your sales people perform better, you can also become a better manager as a result.

Author: Sue V Barrett
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Canada duty

What would happen if you as a sales professional focused on your behaviors that the person across from you is reacting and seeing? Possibly, you may need to adjust your behaviors (sales skills) and this begins by adjusting your beliefs.

For example, your potential customer expresses a desire and does not call back. Instead of thinking about why the person has not called back, what actions (behaviors or sales skills) are you demonstrating? Are you taking the time to follow up not only with an email but with a phone call?

Currently, I am working a potential qualified customer through my marketing/selling tunnel (yes tunnel and not funnel). To move the potential sale forward, we are waiting for a key decision maker to take action. This individual is very busy as he is the very top management level for this international organization. The last conversation indicated action would be taken within 5 days. When the 5 days came and went, I waited an additional two days before sending an email letting my contact know that action has yet to be taken. Then I followed up 2 days later with a brief telephone call because emails can be delayed to deleted.

My behaviors are focusing on what can I do to move the sale forward and not blaming the potential new client for not taking action. During this time, I am demonstrating the desired behaviors that all sales professionals need to take to truly earn that coveted role of being the trusted sales adviser.

Possibly, part of the reason that sales processes focus on the prospects is because it is much easier to point the finger at others than at themselves. The “ain’t my fault” attitude is quite prevalent in sales even though there is enough research that shows most sales professionals are, quite honestly, lazy. There I said it. Here is another example illustrating lazy sales behavior.

Recently, I received a phone call from a car salesman who by industry standards is exceptional. He sold 25 to 30 cars each month prior to the financial collapse of the late 2008 and early 2009. Now, he wants to now how he can secure some quick results. During our brief conversation, he revealed the following:

• He currently contacted or touched existing clients 2 times a year
• He had no current prospecting activities
• He did not even know about service organizations such as Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.
• He relied on the dealership and past customers for sales

No wonder he now is only selling less than 10 cars per month because he has been lazy and complacent. To take action now requires some effort on his part.

When I suggested that he connect with local service organizations to provide a speech on Lease versus Buy or The Top 7 Service Repairs To Keep Your Car Humming, he response was “That is hard.” Yes, it is hard to do things that you never have done before. The hardest thing is to change your belief. Sales Coaching Tip: For sustainable change, you must change your beliefs before you change your behaviors.

If you, as a sales professional, are experiencing the inability to increase sales, reduced conversions and the inability to achieve sales targets, then look to your own behaviors instead of the behaviors of your potential customers as well as existing customers.

Take this free sales skills assessment to help you increase sales.

Chicago Sales Coach Leanne Hoagland Smith Achieves Your Sales Goal Because the Real Issue Is not Do they Know It (Sales Training), But Do They Want to Do It?

Liked this article? Sign up to receive a special offer for Leanne’s sales coaching book on how to be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits.

Author: Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
US Dollar credit card

Sales tools, information system, sales training program, sales compensation program, sales territory plan, sales automation system, sales management support practices, assignments of markets and customers, sales office assistants, these are all major parts of the sales structure.

Now even the best and most efficient sales teams or sales professional can’t deliver customers by themselves; they have to be acted upon (using qualifiers, rapport, questions and solutions). An action needs to take place. To implement your sales strategy, you need to structure your company for sales success. This means you should do the following:

o Provide the sales force/team with a set of rules and policies for whom to sell to, where to sell to and how to sell to

o Create a methodology that allows your sales force/team to maximize their selling potential

o Develop and deploy the most appropriate tools to qualify your prospective clients, maximize deal sizes and communicate your sales messages efficiently

o Store and share sales information among your sales team/force to ultimately improve their sales knowledge and ability to find and close deals

o Create an environment that motivates your sales team/force to succeed

I recommend taking the following steps to improve your existing sales structure or if you are developing a new one:

o Take some time to really understand how the different elements of the sales structure contribute to your specific sales structure (without this knowledge and understanding, you will not appreciate the importance of each element of structure or know how to prioritize any necessary improvements)

o Analyse how your existing sales structure currently operates – if you have one, then, ask lots of questions on each area of structure to understand how decisions are made, what rules, policies and procedures are currently followed and what actually happens in your company, as apposed to what should happen.

o Develop templates and processes for building an improved new sales structure. Understand that change is often painful, not everyone will like what you propose, and then prioritize the areas, which have the greatest impact on achieving your sales strategy

Developing and understanding the sales structure can sometimes be a full-time job in some organizations. However, for smaller companies, it is a periodic task. These can be expensive changes to make, but if done properly, pay big dividends in terms of improved sales.

“You’ve got to be success minded. You’ve got to feel that things are coming your way when you’re out selling; otherwise, you won’t be able to sell anything.” Curtis Carlson

Dave has been writing articles online for nearly 3 years now. Not only does this author specialize in health, fitness and relationships you can also check out his latest website on Trampoline Safety Nets which reviews and lists Jumpking Trampoline Parts as well, for safe summer fun and enjoyment.

Author: Dave Vower
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Benefits of electric pressure cooker

Sales are the very heartbeat of a business, as without it, a business would not be able to survive, and thus requires the entity to employ professional sales persons. Sometimes, dubious means can also be employed to convince gullible customers, though even in such instances, it requires good marketing, a quality product, and sales follow-up to convince a customer to buy a product. In any case, a business would not normally flourish with just individual sales to sustain it.

Sales is the practical implementation of marketing and corporations usually have separate groupings and employ specialists who are known as salespersons to affect the sales. The salesperson needs to understand customer needs and help in creating a valuable solution towards that end through informing the customer about the product in a manner that should convince him or her to purchase the product, and assure the customer that the product he or she is buying is an economically viable solution. Sales persons have the primary task and goal of generating and closing leads, educating prospective customers, filling needs, and satisfying their wants in an appropriate manner, and thus transform prospects into actual customers.

Sales are also, as seen from a marketing perspective, a promotion method used by marketers. There are other promotional techniques as well including advertising, sales promotion, publicity, and public relations. In addition, there are many sales strategies that can be employed. There are also consultative sales processes that are also used by companies such as Saturn to sell cars. Sales can also be complex and these sales vary from other types because customers play more pro-active roles.

Sales also includes a number of different activities and a few modes of selling include direct sales or fact-to-face contact, retail, door-to-door or traveling salesmen and party plans. In addition, industrial sales take place where businesses sell to other businesses and there are indirect sales such as telemarketing and mail-order sales. The electronic media also plays its role and sales are made over the World Wide Web or one may sell through an agency in which consignments, multi-level marketing, sales agents, and proforma sales take place. All of these different types of sales transactions are best documented with a professional set of sales forms.

The salesperson should have some qualities that will help in the chosen profession and these include being humble, outgoing, sincere, honest, and tenacious. The sales person must be humble and should not ever try to make a false impression in the mind of the customer. Honesty is a praiseworthy trait that should be ingrained in the sales person, who should also be tenacious enough so that he or she can provide customers with the proper answer, and thus conclude a sale.

The sales person should also be sincere and not be afraid to talk to anyone that is interested in the product that he or she is selling. It is a misconception that the sales person should have the ‘gift of gab’ to be successful. The truth is that most sales persons need to be trained and be good at listening to what customers require.

Sales forms, spreadsheets, business forms, templates, plans, and processes are readily available in the market and finding one should not pose any problem. Sales forms are instrumental in document the flow of the entire sales process, from prospecting to closing the sale.

Wade Anderson is a CPA and operates DigitalWorkTools.com
Click to view a collection of Sales Forms

Author: Wade Anderson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Cellphone, mobile phone

Sales is not a game. Believe it or not, customers resent when they feel like salespeople are putting the sales moves on them. Most customers are aware of all the sales ploys and tricks and they have seen these more than anyone else. These moves reflect what typical salespeople do to try to get people to buy something. In today’s economy this is not what people are looking for. They are looking for professionals committed to helping them solve problems or provide valuable information and ideas. Transitioning to becoming a professional resource that solves problems requires focusing on the challenges and issues customers face and helping discovering ways to help them find what they want and they need. There is no time for games here. Customers have real, very real issues and they are looking for professionals willing to help.

Sales is not salesperson centric. Traditional salespeople want to figure out how to get their prospects to buy from them. What the salesperson wants is not important. Learning or memorizing tactics and approaches is sales centric focused on how to get people to do what they want them to. Great sales skills emanate from within someone, whether it be the heart, or spirit, or soul, if one wants to go that deep. Being genuinely interested in being a valued resource is not a behavior or attitude that can be memorized or programmed. It is a core value that exists with the sales professional. When hiring or developing a sales team, egocentric or me-oriented personalities will not work in today’s sales environment.

Sales is not about wearing people down. Effective sales results in today’s environment is not about chasing deals, fearlessly pitching products, making all the right moves, or relentlessly overcoming objections. In fact, a relationship based, solutions oriented sales process eliminates the need for those tactics. A person who is “such a great salesperson that they could sell ice to Eskimos,” is not a role model in today’s selling arena. That behavior reflects selling something to someone they don’t need. That is not problem solving, that is manipulation. There is no value in manipulative selling today.

Sales is not getting people to buy something. Great sales helps people discover and obtain what they need and want. Effective selling behaviors today are about helping people get what they need in a way that is most beneficial to their business. At the end of the day in a relationship based, solutions oriented sales model, there is no buyer’s remorse or trust issues. There are no endless objections to overcome as the process focuses on helping people find what they want or need. The sales professional working the effective side of the street is seen as a credible and trusted resource for helping customers solve their problems.

Sales is not based in the old stereotypes. Nothing is more obvious or more telling than in the interview process when someone sits down and starts making all the old sales moves taught in traditional sales class. Moves and tricks are not today’s sales. There is no sincerity, integrity, honesty, or demonstration of character in those charades. Worse, they demonstrate and reinforce the stereotype of the typical sales guy that everyone resents. The new landscape of sales is relationship based, solutions oriented. Anything else that reflects the playing of a game, is counter productive in today’s sales arena. End the perpetual cycle of hiring the same old stereotyped sales “guy” by not hiring the person that behaves with the sales personalities we all dislike.

Sales is not deaf, unaware or ignorant. The three words that best define the great sales model of today are: listen, know, and understand. Salespeople must understand that all information of value is provided by the customer. Effective salespeople have to spend time listening and learning about what their clients need and discover how to help them. The real value is not in the product and service offered. The real value comes from understanding the challenges, the issues, and the frustrations associated with their business or situation and how to be a resource to them. It is the effective application of what was shared and learned in providing a solution that meets those needs that make effective sales behaviors work today.

In today’s economy, businesses are not looking to spend money. They have no desire to be relentlessly pitched and sold. However, every business recognizes that they may have to spend money for innovation and solutions that may be critical to their ongoing success. Many are potentially willing to invest in products, services and programs that make their business better. It is the obligation of the sales professional to uncover what these businesses need, what they are trying to accomplish, what the obstacles are, and how they can find the products and services that will help eliminate those problems. Salespeople must behave and engage their clients as highly reliable, professional resources. Accomplishing this requires knowing what people need, knowing why it’s important to them, and how their needs and issues can be best dealt with. Learn to connect, learn to listen, and learn to solve. It is the most productive approach to effective sales and does not require playing any games.

Dave Cooke is the CEO and Founder of Strategic Resource Group, LLC (http://www.salescooke.com) – a business committed to helping businesses find the sustainable and profitable road to growth through effective sales strategies. He leverages his 25 years of sales and marketing experience in conjunction with effective social media tools to educate and enlighten his clients and contacts with a direct and informative approach to effective business and sales tactics. He is most famous for his sales persona, Sales Cooke, and has an active blog and video blog that can be found at http://www.salescooke.com

Dave is also a member of the cast of The John Adam Show heard weekly in the Phoenix, AZ market. You can contact Dave at dave@salescooke.com.

Author: David W Cooke
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Humorous photo captions

Generating leads that do not translate into profitable sales is a waste of time and money. So improving your sales effectiveness before you invest in additional marketing just makes good sense. And here’s the best part. You can make improvements in sales without spending a lot of money.

What weaknesses are sabotaging your sales efforts and eroding your profits? While actual statistics vary depending on the research you use, consider the following:

98% of sales people (or owners) do not follow a consistent sales process
93% of sales people volunteer a discount without being asked
87% of prospect inquiries are never followed up on
90% of sales are made after 4 or more contacts
82% of sales people cannot differentiate themselves or their services from competitors

Easy, Low Cost Ways to Improve Your Sales Effectiveness

Clarify your sales purpose. Is the purpose of sales in your organization to generate revenue or build long-term relationships? This is not a trick question, but goes to the core of what sales is all about. Because every prospect is a person first, I would argue that the real purpose for sales is to build relationships that ultimately create revenue, referrals, testimonials and customer loyalty. Which do you want – a single sale or a lifetime of sales and loyalty? It all starts with your purpose and goals.

Create a sales process and use it. Does your sales process (or sales management system) support your purpose to build relationships? Is it easy to implement? Does it deliver the ‘first impression’ you want to deliver? Does it compliment your marketing messages about your company?

Here is an example to demonstrate this. Your company has positioned itself as one that truly cares and listens to customers to deliver the best solution possible – and it’s reinforced in all your marketing materials. As a result, a prospect contacts you by phone, web or other means. But alas, no one follows up or calls back. Imagine what this prospect now thinks about your company – despite what your marketing says about you. Not only did you miss the sales opportunity – your actions (their experience with you) contradict your message. Make sure your sales process supports your purpose and positioning – then follow it consistently.

Here are some common pitfalls to avoid when creating your sales process:

Create a variety of sales processes to cover every possible situation and source of leads. Instead, keep it simple and systemize as much as possible with templates – so you can be consistent when it comes to implementation.

Assume you can and should serve everyone. You cannot be all things to all people without sacrificing profit, so screen upfront and build your process for your target customers. Be willing to let some ‘opportunities’ go when there is not a fit.

Assume you can sell with one touch. Few businesses, particularly today, create a sale with one contact – most require multiple touches. Higher priced, more complex products and services require more touches, so build this into your process and stay connected.

Articulate what makes you different. Don’t rely on your marketing to make the sale for you. You (or your sales team) must be able to communicate why your company is the best choice in order to turn initial interest into sales. This starts with clarity on three things: Who are your ideal customers? What issues or problems do they face in their business or life? How do your products or services fill a need and solve their problems – better than other alternatives in the market? In other words, what benefits will they receive from choosing or working with you.

Without a clear understanding of buying motives for your customers and compelling reasons to choose you, customer objections are typically met with ‘discounts’ in an attempt to ‘get the sale’. Do you believe your customers only care about and buy based on price? If the answer is yes or you are not sure – then it’s time to talk with your customers. Ask them why they do business with you. The answers may surprise you and will go a long way in developing a compelling message to motivate others to buy!

Question skillfully and listen carefully. While we often associate sales people with being social and talkative, effective sales people and relationship builders take the time to understand and help people. In other words, uncover needs and provide solutions by questioning skillfully and listening carefully. Questions are a problem-solvers best weapon – in sales and in life. Just remember to ask open-ended questions, dig deep to understand why and really listen! You will be amazed at how much you learn – and how easy it is to help people. And of course, you’ll enjoy greater success when you stop trying to get what YOU want, and start helping others get what THEY want.

How much profit are you leaving on the table through weaknesses in your sales efforts? Remember, improvements in sales conversion cost you very little – but pay off big on the bottom line.

Joan Nowak, business coach and founder of Hybrid Business Advisors, helps solo and small business owners create the lifestyle that fits their dreams from a business that is simple, fun, and profitable. Through easy, proven systems, a step-by-step approach, collaboration and support, Joan helps clients achieve more sales, profits, control and freedom.

For more information on coaching and consulting services to grow your small business, visit http://www.HybridBizAdvisors.com or call (856) 533-2344.

Author: Joan Nowak
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Alternative energy

Being able to qualify customers is really duo skill set of marketing and selling or sales skills. The marketing message must Attract potential customers while building Interest and Desire. In all effective marketing messages, there should be a call to action as well and that begins the sales skills.

When sales professionals are marketing, they are seeking to separate the potential customers from everyone else. This first step is part of the qualifying process.

One of the unintended outcomes of better qualifying customers is that earning the sale becomes somewhat easier. I use the word earn because I truly dislike the word close. Please let me explain. During the last several years through my sales coaching practice, how to close the sale ranks in the top 5 sales challenges. When I hear this word, I literally freeze inside. Do you think that possibly your customers are feeling the same way?

Earning the sales is the natural conclusion of the sales process. It should not be forced. If there are stalls or objections at this point in the sales process, this suggests that somewhere a fumble was made within the sales process.

Sales is a game that requires flawless execution each and every time. When you play the game well without any fumbles, sacks, errors or simply speaking mistakes, you will earn the sale every time.

Yes it does take time to qualify potential customers (a.k.a. prospects). However does it not make sense to front load the effort at the beginning of the process before you get to the end and find that:

This was not the real decision maker
There were no budgeted and available dollars
The need was not well defined or miss defined
There was not urgency at this time to take action

To better qualify your potential customers begins with closing your teeth. “When you are telling, you ain’t selling” as one of my colleagues has so often shared. Of course, this also means that you must have a clearly defined target market and stop playing Captain Wing It by spraying and praying your marketing and sales skills all over the place.

Consider, just focusing your time on 5 key potential customers. Do you homework. Let everyone know that you wish to meet these folks. Use social networks to education based marketing to spread the word. The end result will win more sales and truly enjoy what you are doing.

Take this free sales skills assessment to help you increase sales.

I would like to believe that you found this article of interest. If so, the please consider signing up to receive a special offer for my first book on sales coaching “become the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits.” Thank you, Leanne Hoagland Smith, sales coach.

Author: Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Unix inter-process communication (IPC)

Unfortunately, what we hear and the people we talk to these days are not very positive. It is time to take control of the present and future of your sales profession. You are the only one who can make the necessary changes in order to achieve your goals and dreams and start feeling good again about selling. Over the last year, I have implemented my own success formula that I would like to share with my fellow Sales Animals.

Get back to basics

When times get challenging and difficult we tend to take short cuts and forget the basics. It’s easy to get away from what has made us successful sales professionals. We feel pressure to perform at levels we are so use to performing at. So take a few minutes and remember what has made you successful and get back to it. Below are a few reminders:

Prepare for your sales call

Do your research about your prospect.  90% of all sales calls are won or lost before the sales professional sees the customer… Because the call is never planned. There is a reason why “A” students do their homework.

Understand their business. What does my prospect sell or manufacture? 

If possible, use your network to get introduced to the decision maker…nothing like a referral.

Practice, Practice, Practice your sales presentation. Remember successful sales professionals ask great questions, anticipate objections and listen more than they talk.

How can my product or service solve their problem and benefit them?

DON’T BE AFRAID TO CLOSE AND ASK FOR THE ORDER. So many sales professionals do all the right things, but many fail to close. Asking for the order is the toughest part of selling for most sales professionals.  Remember the famous quote by Alec Baldwin in the movie Glenngary Glenn Ross, “Always Be Closing?”

Set Goals

Goal setting is probably the most overlooked and neglected component to selling. Many sales professionals do it during the onset of their sales career, but as time goes on, it becomes less and less of a priority. We just think it is something we know we need to do and assume it is being done automatically…WRONG! We need to look at goal setting as part of the sales success formula and it needs to be done with a systemic approach and reviewed on a continuous basis. From time to time, goals need to be adjusted accordingly. Sometimes our goals are set too high or too low. The only way we know if we have miscalculated is to monitor them.

Know your numbers

How many sales calls per week, month and year do I need to make to make quota?

What are my weekly, monthly and yearly quota numbers?

Activity drives sales…make sure you are doing the right things to generate sales. You MUST be selfish with your selling time. Look at your past sales successes and what activities made you money and duplicate them.

Understand your commission plan and how you can blow out the plan. You wouldn’t believe how many sales professionals don’t even know how their commission plan works.

Personal Goals help motivate the sales professional. I feel it is important we know what they are. Visualization is a great way to get you up in the morning and motivate yourself…think about what it would be like making a six-figure income, buying lots of nice toys, going on fabulous vacations, the kind of things we all dream about.

 Knowledge

One of my favorite areas of successful selling is learning. I have an appetite to continuously learn and become knowledgeable not only about sales, but about anything to do with business. A question I always ask on a sales interview…What was the last book you read? I usually get the proverbial “Deer in the head lights look”….book I read? Usually, it is the successful sales professional who needs self-development the least that utilizes it the most. WOW…I wonder why. These days there are so many resources that a sales professional can obtain access to in order to help enhance their sales career. Don’t use the excuse I don’t have a library card…we now have the internet and Google.     

• Read (books, magazines, newspapers, internet)
• Use your IPOD not only to listen to music, but to listen to audio books and podcasts.
• Sales Blogs  and Sales Communities…http://www.salesanimals.com
• Sales Training Seminars
• Sales Conferences
• Exercise

I have always been a believer that one must not only be of sound mind but also of sound body. I guess I am lucky because sports and athletics have always been a part of my life. From playing High School and College baseball, to making exercise a part of my life and career, it is has been a big part of my sales success formula. If you don’t have some type of exercise program implemented into your sales success formula, I highly recommend that you do. As always, before starting any exercise program check with your doctor first.

• Join a gym
• Hire a personal trainer
• Start running, biking, walking, etc.
• Get on the Treadmill, Elliptical or Stairmaster
• Weight Lifting
• Yoga

Family, Friends and Fun

And finally, let us not forget why we do all these things to be the best sales professionals that we can be. Sometimes we get so lost in trying to be successful that we forget about what is really important in life. Make sure you make time for family and friends. They can be your biggest support system when trying to achieve your goals. The road to success is not always smooth and we all encounter bumps along the way. Having family and friends there when you need them is quite helpful.  Enjoy family vacations, barbecues, Little League games and holiday get-togethers among other special occasions with your family and friends. Make time to reward yourself and have fun…be it a night out to dinner and a movie, a vacation to the Caribbean or just taking a day off to go to the beach.  Balancing all of these components is a very important part of the sales success formula…so get started today and do what you have always done…sell and succeed like a sales animal!

For more information and more FREE sales and sales management tips, visit http://www.salesanimals.com.

Carmine has more than two decades of experience in building high revenue-producing sales teams. He founded Corporate Information Systems (CIS) in 1987 to address the recruiting needs of venture capital-backed startups, pre-IPO businesses, and Fortune 500 corporations – specializing in the high-tech industry. His extensive roster of long-term clients includes such notable organizations as Salesforce.com, Information Builders Inc., and Software A.G. As the recruiting industry, technology and corporate requirements change, Marinaro continues to seek new avenues for enhancing his industry niche. Most recently, this includes launching multi-niche career web sites. The venture currently incorporates technology and executive recruiting, “high touch and high tech” as Marinaro has coined it, as the foundation of what will change the online career community. Marinaro’s vision for SalesAnimals involves access to top talent for employers; and online training, products and services. Marinaro earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Farleigh Dickinson University. He has been a member of the Entrepreneurs Organization and served as President for two years of the New Jersey Chapter of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization. He has been cited as an expert source in The New Jersey, Star-Ledger and the Edward Lowe Report, and earned the distinction of being named among the “40 Under 40″ in both NJBIZ and New Jersey Monthly magazine.

Author: Carmine Marinaro
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Advice on AdSense

You receive a call from a sales person. You have a choice to:

• Accept the call and be interested
• Accept the call and be dis-interested
• Accept the call and be polite
• Accept the call and be impolite
• Decline the call altogether

Each of these choices can affect your goal to increase sales.

Every day sales professionals make these choices and many more such as:

• To return calls
• To secure appointments
• To attend meetings
• To actively network
• To increase professional knowledge
• To review sales number
• To reflect upon the day’s events

The question is: “Are they the right choices if you goal is to increase sales?”

A choice is really a decision in action or simply a behavior. When a choice is made, another choice is also made. By taking action through the one choice you are also taking action against at least one to many other choices.

For example, many have written about choosing an attitude. An individual has the choice to choose a positive attitude or a negative one. In sales choosing a positive attitude is a critical action, but a positive sales attitude is not enough to increase sales.

Great sales professionals make choices based upon their sales plans, their sales goals and their existing sales results. They demonstrate these choices through their actual behaviors (think sales skills) that are observed by others. If you want to increase sales, then watch those who are having real sales success and listen to what others say about these same sales professionals.

Use this activity to better guide the results from the choices you make. Take a piece of paper and separate it into 3 columns. Label the first column, Choice. Write down the choice such as To return phone calls. Then label the second column, Behaviors. Write down the behaviors specific to that choice. Continuing the example of returning hone calls, the behaviors would be to physically dial the number and speak with the person. Finally, in the third column label it Results. Write down the results from those behaviors. Again using the same example, the result might have been secured an appointment.

By tracking your actual behaviors, you can avoid “confusing motion with progress and activity with results” as my friend Doug Brown as remarked. Also, you can begin to really see the direct relationship between your choices and your actions.

Sales Coaching Tip: The choices you make today, as a sales professional, will determine your sales success tomorrow. If you are confused by some of those choices, you may need to consider a sales skill assessment that looks at the attributes associated with your decision making style.

Take this free sales skills assessment to help you increase sales.

You probably do not want to be uncomfortable. Who does? Yet, you want to increase sales and to stop all that stress. Now is the time to give me, Leanne, a call at 219.759.5601 to schedule a free business coaching training or sales coaching strategy session. Experience how being uncomfortable can help you actually increase sales.

P.S. Learn more about how to maximize your sales results based upon how you make choices or decisions.

Author: Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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