Attract the Right Job or Clientele: Sales Tip #701

March 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Practice Speaking with Confidence

Both hiring staff and prospects need encouragement to either hire or purchase from you.  It is when you are able to speak with confidence about how you are able to fill their requirements and deliver extras that they will give you serious consideration, and be moved to say, Yes!"

Let's assume your confidence has been shot down, there are many competing individuals or companies, and you have lost belief you will be successful.  It sounds dreary doesn't it?  This is the exact reason learning to speak with confidence becomes so important.  

1.  Practice speaking in front of a mirror to see how you come across in body language, facial expression and demeanor.  Do you appear stiff or friendly?  Smiling naturally will help you to come across as friendly and as a team player.  A team player is what most desire.

2.  Relay your experience in story-telling fashion.  Keep it short.  The reason for this is people need help paying attention, and stories grab the attention for you.  They illustrate the points you wish to get across.  So while you are practicing your approach in the mirror, include a 1-2 minute story of how you faced an obstacle while employed or with another client.  Experiement with your tone of voice to conclude with excitement to indicate an excellent outcome.

3.  On the day of a Skype presentation or in-person interview, be dressed in your favorite outfit and colors that make you look vibrant.  How you look is, according to a reputable study, weighs in on a large percentage of the decision making process.

Should the budget be available, enrolling for a public speaking class will do wonders for your career or business advancement.  Selling yourself on interviews as well as business development both become a Smooth Sale!

Please Share and Save the Date:   On April 27th, at the San Francisco Palace Hotel, a new event has been created for those in Career Transition~  "An Evening of Inspiration"  ~ "Be Inspired to Get HIRED!" .  Click the link to the landing page for more information.  And please pass the information along to those individuals and groups you know who will benefit from the information.

For more information, Read:

Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results,
 

HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews.

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Attract the Right Job or Clientele: Sales Tip #590

September 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Make the Phone Your Next Best Friend

Ever imagine @derlum with a mustache? You're welcome Internet
Call Today!

Creative Commons License photo credit: herrea

My "One" person was laughing upon hearing my voice, this morning.  Thirty seconds earlier, I received his email.  The subject line said "Let's talk this week or next."  But, the last sentence of his email said, "Call me!"  

I took "Jim's" last sentence as my cue.  Together, we have a project brewing, and it's on my mind.  Jim is doing the leg work.  In sales, I continually heard, "Strike while the iron is hot", and "No time like the present".  So when Jim answered his phone, I said, "Forgive me I will always be a salesperson."  It was his turn to laugh.

The soft sales approach is fully described in my book, Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results.

Should concern about the news awaiting you make you want to freeze in your shoes, put a new spin on this:  It is best to immediately get bad news dealt with, and t's great to have immediate graitifcation on good news.  Should someone want to cease being your client, it allows room for someone who desires to work with you.  And what if a Hiring Manager wants to say, "You are HIRED!", or a potential friend wants to convert to a client ~ wouldn't you want the immediate news? 

In my case, Jim only got started on our project this week.  So, I wasn't holding out a lot of hope for good news.  I was thinking perhaps he has a question.  Instead, I have a very big smile on my face because it appears he is on his way to securing very good news.  It reinforced all of the sales and business development advice I learned through the years ~ keep moving forward no matter what and eventually you get there!

Adapting the attitude of any news is good news, and making the phone your next best friend, will show you the way to a very Smooth Sale!

 

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Attract the Right Job or Clientele: Sales Tip #570

July 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Bridge the Gap for an Assured Sale

Vulcan Bridge
Creative Commons License photo credit: r-z

Find similarities between old and new careers

 

Last week I had the good fortune to be interviewed by Karen Ellenbecker, Host of Money Sense, WISN 1130.  Today, a listener called to say she took careful notes and became motivated to switch careers but she had a question of me.  She said the career she is after is to teach high school students whereas she now is a teacher's aide helping young disabled students.  She wondered how to overcome not having the exact requirements.

There is a technique called bridging; speakers and salespeople use it.  You first speak to the other party's needs and desires, indicate your skills are easily transferrable and then itemize how this is true.  In her case, disabled children no matter what age brings an extra set of responsibilities.  Speaking to the challenges she currently faces, it will be easy to transfer to working with teenagers.  I explained rather than focusing on the differences, she needs to focus on the similarities and how easy the switch will be.  Plus they will gain from her experience in handling difficult situations should they arise.  My listener was very happy with the answer.  i have no doubt she will soon hear HIRED!

The other piece of information comes from my first book, Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results.  The advice of truly understanding your prospect first, treating them as a potential friend and then demonstrating you are there to solve problems, will enable you to more easily get the sale.

Should you have any questions, please write elinor@smoothsale.net, I'm happy to assist and help you achieve a Smooth Sale of your own!

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Attract the Right Job or Clientele: Sales Tip #567

July 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The Art of Giving and Receiving

Italian Delegation, Afghan Entrepreneurs meet at PRT Herat.
Creative Commons License photo credit: isafmedia

Do you accept help?

Growing up I used to constantly hear about “takers” who had no knowledge of giving back.  Interestingly, today I’m meeting more people who give and are reluctant to receive.

Either of these scenarios do not work well in business because someone is always short-changed.  Once again you have to keep “win-win” in mind. In the past, I have traded coaching services with others because we needed insight on each other’s area of expertise.  Today I sometimes need a trusted friend to provide feedback for an intended project.  If you are uncertain how you can help someone, the best route is to ask.

Both of you may not need help at the same time but your agreement should be, “When the time comes you can count on me.”  Having a bank of people whom you can call on any given minute will do wonders for your morale and business.  Apply this same concept to changing jobs or finding a new career to more quickly hear, HIRED! 

Your marketing communication skills affect your clientele, finding the right job and increased sales.  More information on how to implement business growth ideas may be found in my book, Nice Girls DO Get the Sale.  

As you implement correctly, you are headed for a very Smooth Sale!

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Attract the Right Job or Clientele: Sales Tip #549

June 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Face Fear to Create Success

Face Off
Creative Commons License photo credit: left-hand

F.E.A.R. = Frightful Events And Reconnecting

Many times unkind words of others, and bad experiences lead to self-doubt.  The doubt leads to being stalemated on what you really want to accomplish.  In turn, you have no idea of how or where to begin to get past this.

The best advice I've heard is to reconnect with your fear.  How did it first arise, what were the events leading to it and what happened in the process?  Once you can sort this out, you may more easily move beyond.  

I know the corporate world beats many of us up, trying to diminish our independence and creative thought so not to make waves.  It's important to reconnect with your self to get beyond what transpired in the past.  

Your next step might be to consider with whom you connect both personally and professionally.  Are you with supportive people who offer good ideas or are you in an environment where people do not appreciate your success?  It's very important to surround yourself with positive minded people and move your mood from doubt to a positive outlook.  Remind yourself of all that you have accomplished in your life.  Even if you are young, surely you must have done something of which you are proud.

Keep reminding yourself of past accomplishments and your unique talents.  When going on interviews or business meetings with prospects and clients, just prior remind yourself of all of this.  Be in a great frame of mind, energetic and certain to smile.  

These steps will help you to do well on the interview to hear, HIRED! and well in your meeting to be reminded Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results.  The two links are to the books I wrote providing more insight on how to achieve your goals.

Please let me know how I may assist you.  My mission is to always help you achieve the Smooth Sale!  

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Attract the Right Job or Clientele: Sales Tip #545

June 6, 2011 by Leave a Comment

An Open Mind Opens More Doors

Scene Not Herd After Party 23
Creative Commons License photo credit: Canadian Film Centre

How you reflect your brand

The manner in which you accept others is a piece of your brand, so it affects both your business and personal life.  Whether making a sale or at a dinner party, when you attempt to get to know the other people both in their professional and private life, you come to a better understanding, more complete picture and are far more likely to acquire the job, the client or make a very good new friend.

Another advantage of hearing everyone out is you learn what is of most interest to the other person and may learn something new.  Last week we were invited to a home where the person was an expert in candy making.  

We were fascinated by the stories she shared both about the art form as well as some of the talent possessed by her students.  Afterward, it was to my amazement that another was disgruntled that candy was the chosen topic of discussion.  The unhappy person could have participated in the discussion to learn more or made an analogy on several occasions to a topic more in alignment with their interest.  Instead they sat at the table in silence and with a frown on their face.   

Of course, had this been a job interview or a prospect who might become a client, then the next step would be to qualify whether you wish to work for or with the person in question.  In any relationship you have to feel synergy between one another and recognize similar goals.  Should you wish more information about this, consider reading HIRED! or Nice Girls DO Get the Sale –  both best-selling books.  

In your community, acceptance works best.  In either scenario you will be headed for a Smooth Sale!

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Attract the Right Job or Clientele: Sales Tip #537

May 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Precise communication acquires precise clientele or job

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 Finding common understanding is key to getting the sale or finding where your time will best be spent.  Today I'll make fun of myself yet demonstrate why it's important to clarify when approaching a prospect.

I attended a green technology fair.  One of the vendors was a business book store.  It "appeared" to be a perfect fit for my two books, HIRED! and Nice Girls DO Get the Sale.  To my confusion, the gentleman said, "We are a green bookstore."

Confusion set in because there were hard copies on display.  I wondered if the materials were recycled.  Moving the conversation along this theme, I responded, "My books are in digital format for all types of digital readers."

Bob patiently said, "No, I mean the theme is green companies."

To which I replied, "Forgive me, I'm a salesperson so I have one more question.  How about my book, HIRED! so that people can learn how to interview best for a green career?"

Bob laughed, and said "Great try!  However, the theme of the book has to fit the model too."

The lesson here is that you must try all levels of communication to find if there is a fit or know to move on.  Today it just wasn't to be.  I found a number of wonderful leads which I will follow-up on next week.  Persistence is key in sales and you need to view yourself as a mediator – finding the common bond that ties you to one another.  

When you successfully communicate in this manner, you will attract the right job or sale ~ and it will be a Smooth Sale!

 

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Attract More Sales: Tip #336

September 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Are you encouraging one-time clients or a returning and referring clientele?

An associate pointed me to Richard’s site to review his social media services and pricing. It quickly occurred to me that Richard is asking very high prices for a tiny piece of the puzzle. For thousands of dollars you are able to partake of his services.

Sadly, once the money is spent the realization will hit his clients:
On-going support is lacking, and Knowledge of how to best utilize what Richard installed – are the two biggest missing pieces from his “package”. I predict frustration and dis-satisfaction will set in. These clients will be one-time only with no further traction.

Now imagine a social media university where for a modest monthly fee, you can get all of the information you need. This would include not only how to set up your groups but how to attract more prospects, clients, and sales. You would get the support you need when you have questions and continue to learn the latest techniques for growing your business.

On the next level but no extra money, you would be a part of an international collaboration of like minded entrepreneurs striving to help others grow in their endeavors. You would be learning far more than what you pay for and perhaps even find new budding joint ventures as well as new services to offer.

When you partake in a community whose motto is “give first” and they practice what they preach, chances are you will soon learn to build valuable relationships and develop your own returning and referring clientele. You will soon be seen as the expert in your field and take on a leadership role as your marketing-communication messages become refined.

If this sounds “too far out there” and “impossible”, I especially invite you to visit Whispering Energy. This collaboration is exactly as I imagined above and made a huge difference for the outlook of my own business. WE are unveiling a brand new social media university of which I am one of the faculty members. Take a serious look to see if our modest fee of $67 per month will be worth your while in terms of education and value for your long term business goals.

Above all, I wish you always a very Smooth Sale!

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