SALES RESOURCES - SELLING TECHNIQUES, SALES TOOLS, SALES TIPS ...

Sales Coaching Lessons From Business Owners

What I Learned From A Successful Small Business Owner About Sales Yesterday I stopped in a large Fortune 500 retail chain to make a small purchase. As I was checking out, the clerk was looking at an inventory list that she was working on when I came to the counter, she hardly looked up, and then proceed to check me out. She muffled an obligatory "Thanks." and handed me my receipt quickly as she began to look back at her inventory list. I thought to myself, wow, if I was the CEO of the company, I would not be happy with the customer service. As a consumer, however, I quickly shrugged it off and accepted it as poor service that was not out of the ordinary, until today. Today, I stopped in a small business and made another small purchase with a very different customer service experience. I was greeted with a friendly "Hello" and smile from the owner right when I walked in and was told to ask if I needed any help. I was then left to myself to complete my shopping. I checked out an

Salesmanship And Empathy

One of the simplest ways to increase your productivity as a salesperson is to tune into your buyers point of view. When you are in tune with your buyer you have empathy. This means that you can identify with and understand their situation, feelings, and motives. When you are in tune with your buyer everything you say or do seems to be right on the mark. The buyer gets the feeling that you really understand them and the road to a successful sale lights up like an airport runway. The opposite is also true. When you are not in tune with your buyer nothing you can do or say will seem to be right. When you push they pull and vice versa. Master salespeople know the importance of empathy and tune in to their buyers as quickly as possible. Novice salespeople on the other hand, rarely make the effort. This lack of empathy between buyer and seller accounts for much of the negative experiences many consumers experience. This kind of selling requires a genuine desire on the part of the s

Anatomy Of A Bad Sales Letter

As a professional salesperson, you often find yourself, whether in your personal or professional life, on the other end of a sales pitch. When that sales pitch is delivered to you in person or over the phone, its fairly easy to pick up on rookie mistakes and see through any blatant hyperbole. But how good are you at picking up on these issues when the pitch is delivered in writing? Its an important question, because you may be guilty of including these weak spots in your own sales letters without even knowing it. Following is an example of an awful sales letter - one thats amateurishly executed and riddled with communications mistakes. Next to each mistake is a bracketed number that corresponds to an explanation of the mistake, which appears below the letter. See if you can figure out the error before checking the answer. Dear Friend: [1] Give me 5 minutes of your time and Ill show you a product that will change your business forever! [2] XYZ Widgets h

Feedback: Some People Cant Handle The Truth

Are you the type of individual who values sincere feedback and welcomes constructive criticism from customers, associates, and family members? Sometimes getting feedback can be an unpleasant experience, especially when it hasnt been requested! Without timely feedback, its utterly impossible for a person to accurately identify his or her shortcomings, correct bad habits, and profit from mistakes. I cant think of any professional athlete or top-producing sales rep who have become successful by avoiding critical feedback. In fact, even the greatest professional golfer in the world, Tiger Woods, understands the value of seeking out advice on club selection from his caddy before taking a swing at the ball. Unsuccessful people often reject feedback and avoid taking personal responsibility for their actions. They have difficulty admitting weaknesses and when confronted, theyll frequently respond to feedback by lashing out in anger to deflect blame or deny responsibility. Unfortunate

Relationships Are Everything

Your Foundation for Success Relationship Selling is the core of all modern selling strategies. Your ability to develop and maintain long-term customer relationships is the foundation for your success as a salesperson and your success in business. Relationship selling requires a clear understanding of the dynamics of the selling process as they are experienced by your customer. Propose a Business Marriage For your customer, a buying decision usually means a decision to enter into a long-term relationship with you and your company. It is very much like a "business marriage." Before the customer decides to buy, he can take you or leave you. He doesnt need you or your company. He has a variety of options and choices open to him, including not buying anything at all. But when your customer makes a decision to buy from you and gives you money for the product or service you are selling, he becomes dependent on you. And since he has probably had bad buying experiences in th