Posts from — September 2008

The offer phase of a sales talent screening program takes preparation and finesse. The good news is that there are many parallels to sales that can be applied to this phase.

After a lengthy screening process, the hiring committee feels they have found the right sales candidate for the company. Now comes the tricky part, how do you design an offer and go through the offer stage of the process without damaging the relationship with the candidate? Damaging?

One of the biggest mirages in sales is the proverbial rubber stamp. Sales people believe that they have won the business, but have left a deal-killer in play.

It’s September, also known as back to school time. My neighbors and I escort our children to the bus stop for the first day of the new school year. However, we’re puzzled about the location of the bus stop. It isn’t in the same place that it was in prior years. Instead of the children walking down the street, just a few houses, they now had to cross two, very active streets to get to the bus stop.

Do you have prospects that seem to give you the run- around? They expressed interest in your product or service when you first contacted them but now they don’t return your calls, reply to your emails or seem interested in making a buying decision.

Persistence is an essential trait that successful sales people possess. The ability to stick with a specific task, continue in the face of adversity, or use different strategies to achieve your goal is critical if you want a long-term career in sales and business.

Driving a flashier car or having the nicest custom-tailored suit is not going to help you beat your sales quota this month. The best way to increase sales and build life-long relationships with your customers is to understand the factors that affect their world, and gain insight into what they think about you.

The following information provides a window into your customer’s brain, and will help you understand what makes them tick and how you can turn that knowledge into sales.

What are the factors impacting your customers right now?  Read more...

Many companies and their decision-makers require written proposals, and if you are like many sales people, you probably shudder at the thought of this request. However, writing a good proposal doesn’t have to be painful providing you keep a few points in mind.

First, recognize that closing the sale in a business proposal is a process, not an event. It doesn’t occur just because you have asked for a commitment or because you have presented all the features and benefits of your product or service. When a customer or prospects agrees to do business with you after reviewing your proposal, it means that you have addressed their key issues and demonstrated exactly how your solution will benefit their company. This requires a bit of strategic planning.

Let’s face it. We all have those difficult customers to whom we are required to sell. From the demanding, abrasive buyer to the individual who never seems to make a buying decision, we encounter challenging people on a regular basis.

Part of the reason this happens is due to the disconnect we have because of conflicting personalities. This article will look at the four key types of people and how to improve your results with each.

We have been conditioned to believe that in sales there is no such thing as a silver bullet. I can tell you that there is. It is called timing — getting in front of the right buyer at exactly the right time. Research shows that you are five times more likely to make a sale when you have the right timing.

Timing and Buying Modes…

To have the right timing you need to understand that, no matter what you sell or to whom, buyers are always in one of three buying modes:

Have you ever noticed what happens when you buy a new car? Once you buy it, you start noticing lots of the same car on the road. What’s that about?

Or consider this: Jack and Tonya learn from Tonya’s doctor that they’re about to have their first baby. Now, everywhere Jack goes, he sees pregnant women. Fast forward nine months: Tonya has given birth to a beautiful baby girl. Now Jack stops noticing pregnant women so much and starts seeing babies everywhere he goes.