Increase Your Sales Without Spending Another Cent
August 21, 2010
Many home business owners lament they don’t have enough cash to pay for online advertising to propel their business forward. Before slipping down this foolhardy slope, make sure you are being the best you can be and doing the best with what you already have.
By ensuring you have the following attitudes and personal behaviors it is possible to increase your retail sales without spending another cent!
1. Stop thinking about making a sale. Would you respond negatively to someone who genuinely cares about helping you find a solution to a problem? Probably not. Your prospects are the same. Stop looking to make a sale, and start looking for people who have a problem that your product can fix. Once you have found them, still don’t think about the sale but rather concentrate on helping solve their problem. The sales will follow.
2. Care for people more than caring to take their money. Call your customers regularly to see if they are getting the results they hoped for from their products. If there are minor problems you can fix them before they turn into something major. Don’t let your primary reason for calling be to ask for a reorder.
One Simple Persuasion Secret That Will Blow The Roof Off Your Sales
July 26, 2010
The next time you’re shopping for clothes in a department store, take a closer look at the price tags. You’ll probably notice that each price tag starts with one price, but then counters with another. They say, "Was $60, Now $30," or, "Regular Price $69.99, Our Price $49.99."
These stores are taking advantage of an incredibly effective persuasion technique called "psychological sequencing." By sequencing the order in which offers are presented, psychologists have found that marketing and salespeople can get customers to purchase more products at a faster rate.
You can use the same process to make a huge impact on your sales. This article focuses on exactly how to do it.
The Psychology of Sequencing Have you ever put your finger into freezing cold water and then put the same finger into slightly cool water? What happens? After putting your finger into the freezing cold water, it provides a "sequencing effect," and the slightly cool water actually feels warm. Your perception has changed.
You can use a similar process to make more money. Infomercials, for example, tell us, "You’d think that this wonderful product would cost $200 or $300, but we’re offering it to you today for only $29.99."
TheTop 10 Reasons Why Salespeople Get Outsold
June 30, 2010
In my business, it has been an interesting and very busy two quarters. I’ve worked with sales managers, marketing executives, professional services practice managers, business development executives, divisional presidents, two dozen sales teams, nine VPs of Sales and directly with 29 CEOs in North America and in Europe. I’ve seen a lot of deals won and more than a few lost.
When I first meet my clients, I find that some really do not know why they have won or lost business, although often they think they do. Their answers to just a few of my questions provides me with a pretty good idea of where to dig in more deeply. (Note: For me to perform a comprehensive diagnosis and provide appropriate recommendations for improvement, a formal win/loss analysis is required.)
In order to help you diagnose why you may have lost one or more deals, I am sharing with you in Letterman-style reverse order, the top ten reasons that salespeople (generally those employed by my clients’ competitors) got outsold during the first part of 2003:
Top 7 Psychological Triggers For Unlimited Sales
June 4, 2010
Did you know that there are specific psychological triggers you can use to influence the decisions of peoples and persuade them to buy what you are selling?
By knowing and using these psychological triggers you will have an edge on your competitions and make more sales in the process.
Here are 7 psychological triggers you can start using in your sales letter today!
Psychological trigger #1: BE SPECIFIC
It’s important to be as specific as possible. Why! Because it make your information more believable and credible. For example: Don’t say that you are in your late twenties, say that you are 28 years old or 29. Be specific! Don’t be vague!
Psychological trigger #2: CURIOSITY
We are all curious! It’s human nature! So, we need to used this trigger to attract more peoples to see or read what we have to offer them. For example: “What is the best way to attract loyal customers?” Are you not curious to find out what the answer is!
Psychological trigger #3: REASON WHY
How To Give Your Sales Job A Strategic Tune-up
May 10, 2010
In happens every year in June.
Six months down and six months to go. What will you do differently during the second half of the year to improve your selling results? If you don’t take time to think about what you’ll do differently, you may not do anything different. Now that’s okay if you’re happy with your year to date results. If however you’d like to do more during the second half of this year you’d better think about making some changes now.
One of the keys to raising the bar is effective sales planning. For most of us selling is fun and planning is not. Remember that selling success doesn’t come from doing what everyone else is doing. The most successful salespeople do the things that few salespeople take an interest in doing. There are two requirements for planning. First set aside some quiet time for creative thinking. Second, be sure to put your thoughts on paper.
Sales Predator Or Professional Sales Rep
April 14, 2010
From a customer’s perception, it’s easy for a salesperson to come across as a predator. If the customer views you as the predator, he probably sees himself as the prey. Your initial impression will greatly influence if there is going to be a lasting relationship.
In a recent survey conducted by Target Marketing Systems, Inc. they listed fourteen criteria that indicate how effective a first meeting is likely to be. Here are four of the factors, not in order of priority, with some of my observations.
Listens before giving solutions - If you’re not listening carefully, you’re probably not asking good questions. Some salespeople have all the answers before they ask the questions. Avoid the trap of talking too much, especially during first call. Try to get the customer talking for at least 75% of the time you spend together during the first call. Don’t talk about your products before your customer talks about his business.
Has knowledge of industry - Do your homework before you make the sales call. It’s never been easier and quicker to do homework. Using the internet makes this not only a practical step but an easy one. If you don’t want to come across as a master of nothing, don’t skip the homework.
The Quickest Way To Increase Your Sales
March 21, 2010
The quickest way to increase sales is to make things happen - not to let things happen. Let me explain.
You can speed up the selling process and decrease the selling cycle time when you have a written game plan. Your game plan should include three key elements. These elements are your objectives, the strategies, and your tactics.
Your objectives and for these priority accounts should include what you want to sell, how much you want to sell, and when you want to sell it by. The “what you want to sell” includes the mix of products that make the most sense for your prospects situation. The “how much you want to sell” is the dollar value of this product mix. The “when you want to sell it by” is your target date for asking for the prospects commitment to purchasing their products.
The strategies in detail “How” you’re planning to achieve your objectives. The key to developing strategies is to have enough of them. Remember strategies and so the question “How.”
How #1
How #2
How #3
How #4
How #5
How To Go Perpendicular In Your Sales Territory
February 23, 2010
First and foremost are you thinking Strategically? "Do you have what it takes to do what it takes?"
1. Did you achieve all of your personal goals in 2004?
2. Did you achieve all of your professional goals in 2004?
3. Did you have double-digit sales growth in 2004?
4. Are you expecting to achieve double-digit growth during 2005?
5. If not why not? (You’ll need some QUIETIME for this one)
If the skills you used during 2004 weren’t sufficient to enable you to over achieve your sales plan what makes you think last year’s selling skills will enable you to achieve your sales plan during 2005?
What’s needed is some radical thinking - let me explain. One of the best ways to outfox the competition is to stop thinking like them. For example, you might want to consider Christopher Columbus (1451 - 1506) as a role model. Back in those days - sailors sailed close to the coastline. Rumor has it that the deck hands on those early ships used to panic whenever they lost sight of the coastline. Naturally they feared for their lives because they believed, they all believed that the world was flat.
Are You Doing What It Takes To Win More Sales
January 29, 2010
What does it take to be a WINNER during these challenging times? Do you really know what it takes to win more sales?
It takes . . . Uniqueness. Being boring, bland, and benign is out. Being different is your first step to being better. If you’re different and you’re better, you’ll be remembered. Type INC. after your name. For example, Jim Meisenheimer Inc.
Don’t view yourself as a person. Think of yourself as a brand or even as a company. How are you positioning yourself? When your customers think of you, how do they think of you? Create a list of ten things that make you different from your competition. If this is a tough exercise for you, you should invest some strategic thinking time. Blending in is out, standing out is in.
How Salespeople Can Create Immediate Believability And Credibility
January 3, 2010
It pays to be specific. I believe that statement is true. If it is true, why do so many salespeople pepper their sales presentations with phrases of generalities? There are two primary reasons. One is habit and the other is instinct.
So many people in and out of sales speak in generalities. It’s really hard to pin them down for the details. If speaking in generalities comes so naturally to so many people - it has to be instinctive. In sales it’s tempting to impress new and prospective customers. One of the ways salespeople do this is with their product and service presentations.
These presentations often include references to the following:
=> How many products are in your product line?=> How many years your company has been in business?=> How many customers you have worked with.=> How much of your business is repeat business?=> How much of a discount you’re planning to offer to get the business?=> How much your product improves productivity?=> How much your product reduces the cost of doing something?
