Must Ask Question to Secure Sale

June 29, 2008 by Leave a Comment

What is your budget?

It just occurred to me most people in the service industry do not know to ask this question. I was just given a proposal and it was way above our projection.

This turned out to be to our advantage for several reasons. The representative did a fair amount of work and is anxious to secure the sale. I was able to state what our expected cost is and she now needs to scramble to get somewhere close to what we are asking. She would have been far better off to ask upfront what our budget is and then offer a couple of solutions coming near to the request and a little above.

When you follow the approach of asking for budget upfront you will be headed for a Smooth Sale!

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Filed Under: Business Development, Relationships, Sales ·

Sales Focused Time Management

June 28, 2008 by 1 Comment

Are you suffering from not enough hours in the day to achieve your sales goals?

Most people complain about not having enough time. They actually do have enough time but unwittingly are wasting at least an hour per day. Imagine the extra sales you can generate by re-capturing an hour per day.

The easiest method is to write your tasks for each day the night before. This eliminates much wasted time trying to remember what needs to be done. The next step is to prioritize your tasks in order of importance. These two simple steps most likely will re-capture an extra hour per day for those of you who have difficulty remembering and/or focusing on what needs to be done in a timely manner.

And when you accomplish what needs to be done in a timely fashion you will be headed for a Smooth Sale!

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Set goals higher to earn bigger sales

June 24, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Are you currently wishing you could reap bigger sales?

Many entrepreneurs this season are complaining about the slow economy. The best advice during slow times is to map out exactly what you wish to accmplish in the next 12 months and into the future. Write your stretch 12 month goal and your long-term vision. Then map out a plan with specific dates and projects of how you will achieve them.

Once you begin the path of focused goal-achievement, you will be amazed and what you may accomplish and what is possible. I spent a year seeking the right person to make a judgment about featuring my book, Nice Girls DO Get The Sale, at an upcoming conference.

That special person was recently found and I’m leaving for the airport in a few minutes. My book was purchased, it will be featured and many execs from corporate America will be there. I now have impetus behind me to go find quality business! It should make for a Smooth Sale.

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Collaboration with Opposites Builds Sales

June 22, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Why are you collaborating with a psychologist?

Several business leaders who know me and my business model of relationship selling asked the above question. They didn’t understand how my new business partner and I would mesh in delivering workshops. Intuitively, I knew it would be a good synergy.

As our WOW workshop unfolded, it was clear that our collaboration was working well. In order to sell well, it is important to understand who you are as a person, what motivates you, makes you happy and with whom you most enjoy working. Once you have answered these questions, you will more easily be able to set your vision, mission statement and your goals for easier and quicker attainment.

The feedback was outstanding, and participants agreed our synergy was impeccable making for a Smooth Sale!

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This Marketing Tactic Lacks Common Sense

June 16, 2008 by 1 Comment

You must take the free gift of an oil filter or you cannot get the discount on the oil!

This response was delivered by the owner of a gas station upon being told his customer had no need for an oil filter. The buyer only wanted the 15% discount for purchasing 5 quarts of oil. He actually told the store owner to keep the oil filter and he would be satisfied with the discount and just the oil.

The statement that he must take the oil filter to qualify for the discount left the buyer scratching his head. He finally took the filter for a friend of his in order to get the 15% off.

When growing your business and implementing new ideas, be certain your strategies make good sense. This will enable you to continue with a Smooth Sale!

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Filed Under: Customer service, Marketing, Sales ·

Time Spent Networking Reaps Rewards for Entrepreneurs

June 11, 2008 by Leave a Comment

An entrepreneur spoke on stage last night about the benefits of showing up to that particular monthly event 57 times.

Was she smart or wasting her time? Everyone in the audience wanted to know the end results. The speaker boiled down the end results to one word: Connections.

The connections she made landed her an entree to getting her book published which now sells worldwide; a column in Bay Area Businesswoman News; and the potential of conducting workshops internationally. By opening her own door to the outside world, others opened their door to allow her in.
My advice is find a group in which to be active and take a leadership role so that everyone gets to know you. And on occasion visit other groups to multiply your connections.

By the way, the speaker on stage last night was me. In essence networking is very efficient because it is a form of marketing and selling all at the same time. When you make these connections, others are automatically sold and transactions become a Smooth Sale!

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Filed Under: Business Development, Entrepreneurs, Marketing, Relationships, Sales ·

Are Your Sales Ready for Rain?

June 9, 2008 by Leave a Comment

With thick panchos on, we were walking in an unexpected near-hurricaine condition in Costa Rica.

The sun had been out earlier. By the time we were about to leave the hotel it began to sprinkle. Just in case we purchased heavy duty panchos from the hotel. They were so big they covered us entirely. It was the best decision we made on the trip because no one anticipated the torrential rains. We were prepared.

It got me to wondering how prepared entrepreneurs are today. With the economic slowdown, are these businesspeople taking advantage of the slow times by learning new techniques and polishing what they already know in order to be ready for the next storm of business?

Education, mentoring, coaching will all lead to a Smooth Sale when the time comes!

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Elevate Your Prospects’ Status and Sell More

June 8, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Treat your prospects and clients as if they are world famous.

The above sentence was heard at a business event by keynote speaker James Michelli. Years ago, his own client owned a fish store in Seattle WA. The store was struggling to the point of going out of business. The owner asked his fishermen if they had any ideas how he could save his business. He had run out of ideas.

One of the fisherman said simply and eloquently, “Treat everyone who walks into the store as if they are world famous.” Prospects and clients alike loved the world-famous treatment and began to tell all of their friends about the best place to buy fish.

Soon business was booming and the owner was able to invest wisely. Eventually the owner sold his highly successful store which made him extraordinarily wealthy. He then went on to build other businesses of world-famous notoriety.

This story was of particular interest to me. During my corporate sales career, my clients said they purchased from me due to my treating everyone, no matter their position in the company, like royalty.

This theme of elevating your prospects’ status will ring true for you too. And the simple gesture will help make yours a Smooth Sale!

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Filed Under: Customer service, Entrepreneurs, Marketing, Mindset, Relationships, Sales ·

Firing A Client Defines Your Sales Niche

June 5, 2008 by Leave a Comment

By all means, at times it is necessary to fire a client, as you point out, Jonathan.

My previous post was cautionary that prior to firing a client, one should take the time to fully understand the client’s point of view before making this decision. Sometimes a misunderstanding can easily be resolved and the client-vendor relationship resolved.

On the other hand, when the client becomes rude, unreasonable, unethical, or makes requests out of one’s realm of expertise (to name a few scenarios), then by all means it is time to fire the client. In my opinion, life is too short to have to put up with that. No amount of sales income is worth the aggravation these events bring.

The benefit of firing clients who are difficult is that this practice allows you to remain focused on your ideal sales niche. You continue to enjoy your clientele and life is good. This makes for a very Smooth Sale!

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Two Sides to Every Sales Story

June 3, 2008 by 1 Comment

You aren’t my ideal client and I am glad we are discontinuing services.

The client was in disbelief upon hearing those words for the following reasons:

1) Upon problems with delivery of goods the provider did not communicate
2) There was potential for long-term business
3) Services were always paid for promptly

Personally, I welcome the potential for long-term business and prompt payment. And to ensure this take place, I strive to satisfy delivery of goods and services. When something out of the ordinary arises, I quickly take action to make certain my clients are once again satisfied. It is the only way to continue to build rapport and your business.

Years ago, a sales manager said to me, Sometimes you have to fall on your sword and say I am sorry. This is excellent advice for every sales and business person to heed.

Given the above scenario, the service provider should have asked, How may we resolve the situation? Always take into consideration the client side of the story and you will be headed for a Smooth Sale!

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Filed Under: Business Development, Customer service, Entrepreneurs, Relationships, Sales ·
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