Sales advice, recommendations and interesting, useful and fun news from the world of selling!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Eliminating Buyer's Remorse
It's every salesperson's worst nightmare: you've done the presentation, they've said yes, and now you're drawing up the final papers and planning what you'll do with the commission. The phone rings and it's your customers, saying, "I've changed my mind."
So what can you do to avoid this panic-inducing scenario? "Make it easy for your prospect to say yes by 'creating the future,'" says sales trainer Jim Klein.
To do this, "paint a picture of some future date after they have been using your product or service," says Klein. "Explain this picture in detail using lots of adjectives, and explain how the benefits of owning your product or service will change their lives. It's basically a review of the benefits using their emotions to insure them they are doing the right thing."
"I know buyer's remorse has happened to me many times in my life," says Klein. "However, as I began talking to other people about my decision, more times than not, I would get confirmation from others that I had made the right decision. You see, that's really what anyone is looking for; confirmation from someone other than themselves that they made the right decision."
Another way to ensure your client doesn't experience buyer's remorse is to create a future relationship with them. "Let them know you're not just going to make the sale and forget about them, or pass them on to another department in your company," says Klein. "A phone call the day after the sale is a great way to let them know how much you care, and will show them you mean what you say."
"Make the transition to the next step in their purchase a smooth one for them. If there will be a delivery of a product, take the time to be there on the delivery date. At the very least, make a phone call to the prospect to make sure everything went according to plan, and that they are satisfied."
Take time to make sure your clients are comfortable with their buying decision, and you won't run into any trouble down the line.
Jim Klein is the president of From the Heart Sales Training, a company that wants to make all sales "from the heart," rather than "from the hip." Learn more and sign up for his Sales Advisor Newsletter at www.fromtheheartsalestraining.com
Have you been feeling the heat lately? I don't know about your neck of the woods, but San Diego has been unusually hot lately. We're spoiled by moderate temperatures year-round, so any extreme change in temperature makes me feel absolutely miserable.
With the heat on everyone's minds, I felt this article from sales trainer Renee Walkup, where she asks "Can you be more efficient by using the phone?" was very timely. Use these tips to close more business over the phone, and avoid venturing into the sweltering heat wearing pantyhose or a jacket and tie.
Here are Walkup's 5 tips for being more effective over the phone:
1. Convince yourself that customers LIKE the phone. They don't always want to see you. Some of the best sales calls and negotiations are conducted using the telephone as the communications vehicle.
2. Have your notes in front of you to guide the call. If you are checking your email and attempting to organize and deliver a compelling presentation over the phone, you are about to be disappointed. Write out what you need to accomplish in advance and prepare before picking up the receiver.
3. Be quiet and listen. What wisdom or irritation is your customer going through? Are you focused on what he/she is saying that is between the lines?
4. Take notes during your call. You not only will have a record of what transpired, you may also discover what tactics you'll need to use in your next interaction with the customer.
5. Don't forget to ask for the sale! Your call should always end with a close that takes you to the next steps in your sales relationship.
So, shed your jacket, tie, pantyhose, and whatever else is making you sweat, plop down on your comfortable office chair, sit back, and pick up the phone. With these tips from Walkup, you may just close a deal!
Renee Walkup is president of SalesPEAK, a national sales performance company, as well as a well-recognized keynote speaker, sales coach, and author, with a 25-year background in sales, sales team management and training. Learn more at www.salespeak.com
How do you refer to the people you represent? Are they clients or customers? Perhaps you struggle with what you call them, and bounce back and forth from one term to the other, depending on what comes to mind first.
"From my perspective a client is a person whose business you have a vested interest in, and for whom you perform as a partner within their business," says sales trainer Kendra Lee. "Not everything you provide is billable. And not every opportunity you are awarded was shopped with the competition for the best price."
"You are a respected part of your client's business. Every time you meet with your client, you bring a new idea. They value your expertise and recommendations, even seeking them out. While you want to be successful yourself, your primary objective is to make their business successful because you know your success stems from their success."
"In contrast, customers are people who you help meet a need," continues Lee. "They have a problem. You address the problem. You may invest long hours in determining the right solution. They may invest a great deal in purchasing the solution, but they don't recognize the value of your recommendations. You don't take time to present new ideas, perform quarterly review meetings, or call them spontaneously."
"While you like customers as people, neither of you are investing in a long-term relationship. Customers may deal with a specific seller so long that a friendly relationship is established, but there is rarely a vested interest to the extent that a business partnership is established."
So, which would you rather have: clients or customers?
"Personally, I'd like every customer to be a client, because it means they respect the full value of what I can bring to them as a consultative seller, and what our organization can provide to their business," says Lee. "I have fun working with clients, and they enjoy working with me. We make each other successful."
The big question is: how do we turn customers into clients?
First, we change how we refer to them. They are clients.
Next, we examine why we aren't doing those things for our customers that we do for our clients, like bringing a new idea to every meeting, helping them identify unique ways to address their strategic business objectives, or holding a project review meeting with their staff.
Finally, we change. We treat our customers like clients. If they don't see the value after all our efforts, they may select different vendors. But then, they really weren't our clients in the first place, were they?
Kendra Lee is author of "Selling Against the Goal" and president of KLA Group, helping companies rapidly penetrate new markets, break into new accounts and shorten time to revenue with new products in the Small & Midmarket Business (SMB) segment. For more information, visit www.klagroup.com
"Excellence is the gradual result of always wanting to do better." -- Pat Riley, NBA Coach with five championship titles
The business of being an NBA coach is much, much more pressure-packed than the sales world. Not only are you living up to the expectations of management, but also the expectations of your team and millions of fans worldwide. It's something few can handle, but those that do, like Pat Riley, are a great example of how dedication, focus, and constant improvement line the path to success.
If you're looking to make more sales, it won't happen overnight. Make small changes to your routine every day, whether its reading a chapter in a book, listening to an audio tape in your car, or making one more call. Making an effort to always do better will put you on the path to excellence in your business.
How many times did your parents and teachers tell you that growing up?
I absolutely believe in the importance of questions - especially when you don't understand something - but there's a time and a place for everything. Peppering a busy CEO with questions while they're rushing out the door for a meeting? Not a good idea. Asking questions during a presentation to feel out what the CEO wants from your solution? Good idea.
"Insightful, well-researched, finely tuned questions can establish your credibility and earn the customer's trust," agrees sales trainer Daniel Adams. "The goal is to listen to the customer instead of launching into reasons why the customer should buy. Great questioning - which provides key information needed to qualify, set strategy, and gain credibility - requires research, preparation and great listening skills."
"Questions can also kill - if they're the wrong ones or at the wrong time," says Adams. "Asking too many questions, or asking questions that reveal you have not researched the company can decrease your credibility. Only ask questions that demonstrate you have done your homework and you know something about the customer's business."
For these reasons, Adams has put together the C.O.W. questioning strategy to help you remember the best way to use questions to further the sale:
C - questions about their current situation (e.g., "What do you like about your current situation? What do you dislike?)
O - questions about their optimal situation (e.g., "In a perfect world, if you could design your own solution for your needs and challenges with unlimited funds, what would that situation look like?")
W - questions about the win that the proposed solution would provide for the corporation (e.g., "How does your company or department win if the optimal state is realized?") or for the individual customer (e.g., "Assuming that these needs and challenges are solved, how would things change for you personally?")
"These personal impact questions are the most powerful;" says Adams, "they provide valuable insights about the customer that can be continually referenced and leveraged throughout the sales process."
"Simply by showing that you have done your homework and by asking powerful and insightful questions, you will begin to understand your customer's world and gain her confidence. You are well on your way to establishing the one crucial element - TRUST!"
Daniel Adams, author of Building Trust, Growing Sales, and creator of Trust Triangle Selling, helps corporations improve their profits by optimizing the performance of their sales teams. He is a frequent and popular speaker at national sales meetings, workshops and association events. To learn more, visit Daniel's website at www.trusttriangleselling.com
All modern technology has its good aspects and its bad aspects - and none more than voicemail. Just ask the harried CEO with 34 messages after lunch, the inside sales rep who never gets to talk with anyone, or sales trainer Colleen Francis.
"We love voicemail because it lets us ignore calls we don't want to take, or prepare for calls we'd rather not take right now," says Francis. "We also hate it because it lets our prospects do the exact same thing - including ignoring calls from us! Like all business tools, voicemail can be a double-edged sword. If you know how to manage it, you'll never again have to blame voicemail for not closing enough business."
Here are Francis' tips to get out of voicemail jail free!
Never leave a voicemail message for someone who doesn't know you. To the prospect, you're an anonymous caller. The chances of this stranger ever returning your call are, at best, about one or two percent! The only time you should ever leave a voicemail for a prospect is when you have been referred to them.
Voicemail should only be used as a last resort. Too often, we give up as soon as voicemail kicks in on a call, either leaving a message (bad idea) or hanging up (better, but not great).
When in doubt, hit zero. You owe it to yourself to try everything you can to either locate them, or at least find out something about them. One way to do this is to hit zero when a voicemail message kicks in. You'll likely get bounced to a receptionist, an executive assistant or a co-worker. Try asking the following question:
"I was hoping you could help me. I'm trying to reach Jane Smith, and her voicemail picked up. Do you know if she's in a meeting, or out for the rest of the day?"
Depending on the response you receive, you can then try one of the following strategies:
Strategy one: Them: "She's in a meeting." You: "Thanks for your help. Do you happen to know when she'll be available? Maybe it's best to call back then?"
Strategy two: Them: "She's away today." You: "Thanks for your help. Do you know if she will be back tomorrow?"
Strategy three: If you speak to your prospect's personal assistant, ask if it's better to schedule a call in advance, and then have them set up a fifteen-minute appointment.
You can't make a sale if you don't talk to your prospect! Give these strategies a try, and let us know how you break out of voicemail jail.
Colleen Francis is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions. Sales and Marketing Management has ranked her one of the "5 most effective sales trainers in the market today." Subscribe to her online newsletter Engaging Ideas and you'll also receive 10 weeks of free sales tips.
I read a great post recently on Paul McCord's blog about how "busy" salespeople can be. This is the same guy who only reads email and answers phone calls at four specific times throughout the day (something I haven't been able to bring myself to do!), so I trust he knows what he's talking about when it comes to productivity.
Here's his story:
"But I'm always prospecting." That was Rachel's response when we began talking about her failure to generate enough business to make the cut with her broker/dealer. Rachel is a relatively new salesperson who has been struggling for months and she and her manager have been trying to find a way to get her on track.
It didn't take long for the conversation to get around to her activities, in particular her prospecting activities. She was baffled by her lack of success because as she said, she was 'always prospecting.'
Rachel showed me a list of several hundred names and phone numbers she had on a call list - a few dozen had check marks beside them, even fewer were scratched through. She showed me the stacks of fliers and letters she had mailed out. She showed me a list of networking events she had attended over the past couple of months. She showed me a passel of follow-up emails she had sent out. She told me that her business card had been added to every corkboard in every restaurant, laundromat, and other business that had a board to display customers' cards.
Rachel had been busy; there was no doubt about that. The problem was although she had been busy, she hadn't been prospecting. In reality she was finding ways not to prospect. She engaged in a great deal of activity, but the activity she engaged in wasn't the activity that would produce business; instead, it was the activity that made her feel good, made her feel productive, allowed her to convince herself that she was being extremely active.
We salespeople tend to focus on activity - after all, activity is what gets us in the door, gets us the business we must have in order to succeed. But activity alone is fruitless. Activity for activity's sake is just as sure a way to failure as inactivity.
Investing time and energy in the wrong activities has killed as many sales careers as inactivity has. As salespeople we have three very basic duties - finding and connecting with quality prospects, working with those prospects to help them satisfy needs or wants, and insuring that they are taken care of during and after the sale. Everything else is busy work and busy work doesn't make a sale, doesn't generate income, and doesn't move us toward our sales or income goals.
Before you engage in any activity consider whether that activity is income producing or not. If it isn't directly producing income, does it really need to be done? If not, move on to an activity that will directly lead to a sale.
Author of "Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals," and "SuperStar Selling: 12 Keys to Becoming a Sales SuperStar," Paul McCord is president of McCord & Associates, a sales training and management-consulting firm.
Telesales expert Art Sobczak finds sales lessons everywhere. Recently he wrote about a conversation he overheard in the computer aisle of an electronics store.
Customer: "What's the difference between the $400 model and the $675 version?"
Sales Rep: "Well, it has a few more features, but the $400 model does a pretty good job."
The customer agreed to get the $400 model, and the rep went to retrieve one from the back. While waiting, I overheard the customer say to his wife, "I probably would have gone for the $675 version, but I guess we don't need it."
This happens all the time.
According to Sobczak, "When you hear questions about the differences between lower and higher-priced versions of what you sell, what they're really saying is, 'I could buy the higher-end product/service, but I'm not yet convinced of the value. So help me understand why I should get it.'"
Here are the typical mistakes Sobczak sees reps make in this situation, and what you should do instead:
Mistake: Gagging out a data-dump explanation Just like at any point in the sales process, if you present data without knowing what, specifically, they would or could be interested in, it could cause their eyes to glaze over. Worse, you might provide fodder for an objection.
Mistake: Downplaying the higher-priced option For fear of losing any type of sale, some reps play up the lower-priced option while not knowing anything about the prospect's situation. They make an assumption that the person won't buy higher. This assumption takes money out of the rep's pocket.
"Again, keep in mind that when they ask about the higher-priced item they could be saying, 'I can be sold on the higher-priced version...I just need to justify it,'" says Sobczak. "Your first response should not be presenting. Instead, question. Focus questions on uncovering reasons why the top-of-the-line version delivers more value, to determine if that's what they need or want."
For example, "Well, the Deluxe Option has a few nice extras that might be a good fit for you. Let's find out. Tell me, do you ever run into situations where you have to manually extract the additional data you need from your database? I see. Well, this version does that for you. And, how about situations where..."
Or, "I'll be happy to explain. So I can make my comments most relevant, please tell me, how do you plan on using the system?"
"There are many more sales reps who sell on low price than there are buyers who will buy strictly because of price," says Sobczak. "Find out what they need, and everyone wins."
Art Sobczak, President of Business By Phone Inc., specializes in one area only: working with business-to-business salespeople - both inside and outside - designing and delivering content-rich programs that begin showing results from the very next time participants get on the phone. Learn more at www.businessbyphone.com
In the ideal selling situation you deal with the true decision-maker, or economic buyer. This is the person who can approve your proposal without having to get permission from anyone else. Of course, we call it the ideal situation, because it often doesn't happen that way.
"While it would be nice if we only had to call on the economic buyer, we must deal with people in all levels and departments of our customer's organization,"says sales trainer Andrew Sharp with Sales Concepts. "To increase the chances of winning an order one must deal with all of the various influences within an account. These people's risks, both real and perceived, must be discovered, addressed, and resolved."
According to Sharp, "the people of customer organizations can be dissected into four categories: Users, Technical Influences, Coaches and Economic Buyers. This holds true for large corporations, small businesses, educational institutions or the government." Here are the four people categories and how he advises you reduce both their real and perceived risks:
User: The person(s) who will directly use your product or service To reduce their risks discuss and demonstrate training, safety, convenience, ease of use, error correction, time savings, and technical support. Show how you and your company will support them on a daily basis.
Technical Influence: The person(s) who will evaluate your product or service based upon their area of expertise They may include engineers, technical specialists, general counsel, purchasing and other specialists. To reduce their risks present data, specifications, white papers, performance benchmarks, research, studies, charts, graphs, testing procedures, logistics, contracts, pricing, etc. Make sure all questions have been answered.
Economic Buyer: The person who can say "Yes" to spending money on your product, service or solution without getting anyone else's permission They are usually found in the management or executive levels within organizations. To reduce their perceived risk cover cost of ownership, return on investment, cost justification, alignment with their corporate objectives, payback, etc. Deliver a strong business case.
Coach: Anyone who will provide information about the customer or project They can be anyone and can be found anywhere. By definition they generally want to see you win. Their risk is that you don't win, so heed their advice.
Sales Concepts provides experiential sales training and learning services for people who work in sales, management, customer support, and field service, contributing to the growth and development of these professionals and the companies they represent. Learn more at www.salesconcepts.com
San Franciscans Kevin Whittaker and Cory Jens recently set a new handshaking world record of 9.5 hours, beating the previous record set by two Germans by a half hour.
The two practiced shaking hands, and developed a couple of techniques - "one involves putting both your pinkies out, which allows an opening where air gets in and cools you off. The other is that one of us shakes and does all the work, while the other one relaxes," said Whittaker.
Thankfully for Whittaker and Jens, the Guinness Book of World Records only requires the record-setters to keep their hands moving up and down the whole time. In business, the art of handshaking is much more involved.
You need to convey confidence, warmth and honesty while shaking hands with your prospect, says SalesDog.com publisher Michael Dalton Johnson. While you may not break any world records with your handshake, when properly executed, you will create a good impression. Here are a few of Johnson's tips for a winning handshake:
Avoid the power grip. A handshake should be firm, but not overly forceful. Beware of the unconscious tendency to pull the other person toward you as you shake. This can be interpreted as aggressive, and the prospect's resistance to you will go up a notch or two.
Look 'em in the eye. As you extend your hand, establish eye contact and smile. Show some teeth! A warm and sincere greeting can make you an instant friend - and all things being equal, people prefer to buy from friends.
Get a grip. Never grasp the other person's fingers. Take their entire hand completely in yours, and gently pump it two or three times.
What to say? No handshake is complete without a spoken greeting. You can't go wrong with, "It's a pleasure to meet you." When meeting someone of high rank, such as the chairman of the board or founder of a company, you may want to up the ante with, "It's a great pleasure to meet you." After the initial greeting, your conversation should begin while you are still shaking hands, for example, "John tells me you've made some significant additions to your product line." Your hand should be slowly and somewhat reluctantly withdrawn as the person begins to speak. This slow withdrawal indicates your keen interest in the person and what he is saying.
I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this picture of our friend and Top Dog Sales expert Colleen Francis with Gene Simmons, the legendary tongue-wagging leader of KISS. Colleen was photographed with Simmons while attending a marketing conference. And, believe it or not, she learned a lot from rock's bad boy. Here's what Colleen has to say about Simmons and what he can teach sales professionals:
"What a huge success he is Much more so than I ever knew. KISS holds all the records for record sales for any rock band ever - including Elvis and the Beatles. Their empire is worth over $1 billion and there are over 3,000 branded KISS products on the market today. KISS is a rock BRAND not a rock Band. So what could a sales expert learn form rock's perennial bad boy? Plenty . . . "
Set no limits on what you can achieve. Success is a mind set. Either you think you can have it all, or you don't. Never let someone else tell you what you can and can't achieve. Ruthlessly control those thoughts yourself.
Work hard. Gene Simmons is almost 59, worth hundreds of millions of dollars and everyday he goes to work. Recently he started a new business, Simmons Abramson Marketing which has the exclusive branding contract for Indy. In fact they developed the new "I am Indy" campaign - Gene even wrote the theme song himself. His success is not an accident. Gene Simmons is nothing but disciplined in his approach to his work. (To get more disciplined, check out Colleen's 3-step approach.)
Connect with people. From the stage in front of 1,200 people Gene Simmons connected with people one-on-one speaking their language. German, Yiddish, Hungarian, Japanese, Mandarin. He connects with people on their level. No private jets, no bodyguards (granted he is big enough to take care of himself!) His secret to success is getting close to people and talking to them about them.
There you have it; three timely reminders of what it takes to be successful in sales - from a rather unlikely source.
Colleen Francis, is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions. Sales and Marketing Management has ranked her one of the "5 most effective sales trainers in the market today." Subscribe to her online newsletterEngaging Ideasand you'll also receive 10 weeks of free sales tips.
Yet you do it every day without realizing. How often do you find yourself thanking someone for taking your call? Or, asking for just five minutes of a prospect's time? You may think you're being polite, but you're coming across as begging.
Sounding pathetic is one of the surest ways to ensure that your customer will lack confidence and respect for both you and your organization, says sales trainer Tim Connor. People buy when they are ready to buy, not when you need to sell. You'll project a lack of confidence when you say things like:
"What time is convenient for you?" Instead of, "Let's see if we can arrange a mutually beneficial time."
"We're the best in the business." Instead of, "Let's see if our product or service will solve your problem."
"When can you let me know your decision?" Instead of, "Let's set a time to discuss your decision."
"Can I call you in a few weeks to follow-up?" Instead of, "I'll call you in a few weeks to discuss your questions and further interest."
These are just a few of the ways you may be sending prospects the message that you lack credibility and confidence in your ability to perform. Incorporate Tim's suggestions into your sales dialogue and enjoy the respect that is sure to follow.
A Florida couple received this unintended slight when Spirit Airlines' CEO hit "reply all" instead of forwarding their e-mail to an employee. The couple, already upset about missing a concert due to a flight delay, posted the e-mail on a blog that has been discussing the airline:
From: Ben Baldanza [mailto: xxxxxxxxx@SpiritAir.com] Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 1:02 PM To: Christy; Martin; John; Pasquale Subject: Re: Complaint
Please respond, Pasquale, but we owe him nothing as far as I'm concerned. Let him tell the world how bad we are. He's never flown us before anyway and will be back when we save him a penny.
Yikes! As this story illustrates, it's all too easy to slip up on the Internet. While your e-mail mistakes may not put you in a media hot seat, they do make a poor impression on prospects.
"Wanting to respond quickly is no excuse for poor grammar, misspellings, and bad form," warns Tina LoSasso, Managing Editor of SalesDog.com, and contributor to Top Dog Sales Secrets. "Proofread your response carefully before sending it out. It's easy to miss errors on a computer screen. Try this: print out your draft and read it aloud to catch any mistakes, missed words, or poor syntax."
A final word of caution: Don't enter the recipient's e-mail address until you have written and proofread your e-mail.
Got a great e-mail tip? Share it by posting a comment.
"Samson killed a thousand men with the jaw bone of an ass. That many sales are killed every day with the same weapon." - Unknown
Take a minute to think about what you're missing by jumping into your sales pitch before listening to your customer. Sales guru Ari Galper has done just that.
As Ari states in Top Dog Sales Secrets, "Most of us work hard to distance ourselves from the negative image of a high-pressure salesperson. By launching into a discussion about our product before we've established integrity and trust, we create pressure, which inevitably causes prospective clients to retreat." Ari offers a solution to this common problem, saying "Instead of relying on your product knowledge to spark prospect interest, try creating a conversation focused solely on discovering if prospective clients have a problem they want solved, and if they'll consider allowing you to solve it."
Sign up for our weekly newsletter for advice to ensure you don't make an ass of yourself at your next sale!
Buying gas in San Diego is always an interesting experience. Not only is this a commuter city with limited public transportation, it's also an expensive city - the gas prices reflect that, and you never know what you're going to get at the pump.
Lucky for the gas companies, they don't have to speak directly to their customers when they raise prices. Unfortunately, at some time, you as a salesperson may have to do so.
Dave Kahle is a veteran of communicating price increases. Here's some of Dave's advice to help you make the transition with ease.
How do you manage to pass on a price increase without losing business or giving away margin dollars? Anxiety abounds: "Will the customer refuse to accept it? Or solicit prices from a competitor? Will I have to give away gross margin and absorb the price increase in order to keep the business?" These kinds of doubts lead to anxious and intimidated salespeople, declining sales and shrinking margins.
Here's a series of seven specific ideas to help you effectively manage price increases.
1. Set up the situation.
The announcement of an 8% price increase on a major product line shouldn't come unexpectedly out of the blue. Of course the customer is going to react strongly to the suddenness of the information. Nobody likes to receive price increases, and even worse, nobody likes to receive them without any indication that they are coming.
It's like the day I received a bill for health insurance which was 60% higher than the previous month was. No prior notice, no hint of the increase, no letter explaining it was on the way, no preparation - just a much higher premium. I reacted conventionally, and immediately picked up the phone to complain and solicit other sources. The sudden nature of the bad news fueled my negative reaction just as much as the details of the increase.
Don't let that happen to your customers. Don't wait until the price increase is a fait accompli to inform the customer. Weeks before, have a conversation with that customer about the trends in the economy toward more price increases. Share the big picture with him. Then mention other price increases that you have received in the past few months. Be specific with names of manufacturers and products to which he can relate. Mention the soaring price of oil and the inevitable downstream effect that has on all kinds of products. Mention that you are expecting an increase from XYZ component or manufacturer.
Build into your customer the general expectation that prices are going to go up, so that when the deal happens, he isn't blind sided by the information.
For the rest of Dave Kahle's tips for communicating price increases, click here.
Dave Kahle is a consultant and trainer who helps his clients increase their sales and improve their sales productivity. He speaks from real world experience, having been the number one salesperson in the country for two companies in two distinct industries. Dave has trained thousands of salespeople to be more successful in the Information Age economy. He's the author of over 1,000 articles, a monthly ezine, and six books including: 10 Secrets of Time Management for Salespeople and Transforming Your Sales Force for the 21st Century. He has a gift for creating powerful training events that get audiences thinking differently about sales.
His "Thinking About Sales" Ezine features content-filled motivating articles, practical tips for immediate improvements, useful resources and helpful tips to help increase sales. Join for NOTHING on-line at www.davekahle.com/mailinglist.htm.
You can reach Dave by e-mail at info@davekahle.com or by phone at 800-331-1287. Check out his website at www.davekahle.com
When was the last time you bought something from someone you didn't trust? If you're like most people you only buy from those you trust. Sales trainer and human behavior expert John Boe has some useful advice on how to establish trust so you can make the sale.
Use active listening skills. The quickest way to destroy trust and rapport is to dominate the conversation. Successful salespeople take notes, listen attentively, and avoid the temptation to interrupt, criticize, or argue. To develop and encourage conversation, use open-ended questions to probe the meaning behind your prospect's statements. Occasionally repeat your prospect's words verbatim. By restating their key words or phrases you not only clarify communication, but also build rapport.
Adjust to your prospect's temperament style. Research indicates people are born into one of four primary temperament styles: aggressive, expressive, passive, or analytical. Each of these four styles requires a unique approach and selling strategy. For example, if you are selling to the impatient, aggressive style, they prefer a short warm up and expect a quick, bottom line presentation. While at the other extreme, the cautious, analytical style is slow to warm up and is interested in every detail. Once you learn how to identify each of the four primary styles, you will be able to close more sales in less time by adjusting to your prospect's buying style.
What sales activity do you dread the most? If you're like most sales professionals, it's cold calling. Picking up the phone and talking with a perfect stranger (who has the power to reject you) can strike fear in the heart of even the most confident salesperson.
Fortunately, Wendy Weiss, "The Queen of Cold Calling" (and one of the featured authors in Top Dog Sales Secrets) has outlined 8 strategies to guarantee your cold calling success.
Cold Calling Strategy #1: Make telephone calls
No one will buy from you if they do not know of you, your company/products/services. Every sale has its own cycle. Depending on what you are selling, it could be a short cycle of a day or two, or it could be a long cycle of a year or two. Your call is your introduction and the start of your entire sales process. Without that initial prospecting call, you will not close any sales.
Wendy Weiss is a former ballet dancer who set appointments for clients as her day job. She was so effective, one of her clients dubbed her the "Queen of Cold Calling." The title stuck. When injuries sidelined her dance career, Wendy transformed her day job into a full-time career as a sales trainer, coach and author. Her clients include ADP, Avon and Sprint.
SalesDog.com, the internet's number one sales success destination for more than seven years, works with America's leading sales experts to bring practical selling tips and strategies to salespeople, sales managers, business owners and entrepreneurs. Over 30,000 sales professionals rely on its free weekly newsletter to keep them abreast of cutting-edge developments impacting their profession.
Jim Klein is the president of From the Heart Sales Training, a company that wants to make all sales "from the heart," rather than "from the hip." Learn more and sign up for his Sales Advisor Newsletter at www.fromtheheartsalestraining.com 
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