Dealing With a Difficult Prospect

When faced with a difficult prospect most salespeople avoid the real issue. Why cost yourself business when with one simple statement you may be able to turn them completely to your way of doing business.

The Art of Listening

Listening is more than being quiet when the client is talking. That is just a start and anyone who makes it in sales can do that fairly well. Effective listening is what you do with what you hear

7 Tops Tips to Increase Sales Force Training Results for Your Business in 2007

Sales force training is important in today’s highly competitive market place. These 7 tips may help you may the 2007 bottom line even better than your 2006 business year.

Is It Easier To Create Or Discover The Sense Of Urgency?

Urgency means the prospect needs a solution, answer, product, service NOW. Price is not the issue, terms are not the issue. Your ability to deliver according to their needs or expectations is the ONLY issue.

Do You Know Who Your Competition Is?

There is a tendency of many salespeople to see their competition as only those businesses selling a similar product, service or idea. In other words, salespeople selling computers tend to see their competitors as other computer stores, retailers or manufacturers. People selling insurance, travel, furniture – you name it, whatever you sell, your competition is not just your direct competitors, but anyone and everyone who is trying to get a piece of the corporate or consumer dollar.

The Keys To Improved Performance

I am often asked by my corporate clients how to improve sales or management or overall organization productivity. It is never a simple answer, as you can see from the above list. And that is not the complete list of issues that must be considered when you are evaluating productivity.

Want Better Performing Teams?

Any of these can be difficult to administer. Team leadership requires: finesse, tact, skill, patience, courage, a firm hand, good people skills, outstanding sales skills, ego control, judgment, effective communication skills, and planning – lots of planning.

Snap Out of It - 13 Tips for Breaking Out of a Slump, and Getting Back on Track

Sales people who have a poor start at the beginning of a year, often find themselves struggling for the rest of the year to catch up. The good news is, whatever you're experiencing, we've all been there at least once. The bad news is, most of us don't know exactly how to snap out of a slump, and start making sales. To help you snap out of a slump and get your year back on track, try some of the following tips.

Are You Marketing or Selling?

Once upon a time there was a deaf salesman named Aesop. He tried to sell his wares to the blind brothers Grimm, but no matter how much he elaborated on the features of his wares, the brothers Grimm could not see the benefits. The brothers tried to explain to Aesop that they could not see the features that he described so eloquently, and that they would like to hold the wares so they could appreciate them from their own perspectives. Unfortunately, Aesop was busy talking and could not hear their requests, so the parties separated in mutual frustration and disappointment. How could the grim results of this fable be avoided?

Why Traditional Sales Processes Reduce Sales Results

Why sales people lie to their clients, and why clients lie to salespeople!

Are Your Prejudices Getting In Your Way?

Because holding on to prejudices and judgments can seriously undermine your effectiveness as a manager, your challenge is to let go of them. Prejudices can take many forms, but generally are the result of your expectations, personal philosophy, experiences, life outlook, and personal agendas.

Alarm Sales is a Science and an Art - It's Not a Numbers Game

My training programs are specific to the security alarm business, so when I run into a common problem that is costing dealers and representatives of alarm companies many man hours, it is easily identified.

Measuring Training's Value: Metrics Lite

Being a sales consulting and training company, clients and prospects often ask if we can measure the impact of our training, and occasionally whether we can guarantee increased sales. While we have confidence in our consulting, instructional design and facilitation abilities, and understand the importance of these questions from both management and training perspectives, quantifying training’s impact can be a slippery slope for any training company.

Are Your People Busy or Hiding Out?

Over the years, I have observed many salespeople and their routines – daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. It is my belief that many salespeople waste a great deal of time. Some of the common time wasters are (there are many others, this is just a quick list):