A Note from the Editor   Quick Business Building Tip. The last quarter of the year is not the time to be winding down your sales efforts. Jim Meisenheimer shares a quick business-building tip that is ideal for closing out the year. Scrap the Small Talk. Cheesy attempts to connect with prospects over family pictures, sports or the weather won't cut it in the Executive Suite. Kelley Robertson has three ways to get your next meeting off to the right start. Voice Mail Don't. In your effort to stay in touch, you may be committing fatal voice mail mistakes. Mark Hunter shares what you must never do when leaving messages for prospects. It's All About Free! Watch your in-box for an email from us later this week. You'll find a fun, free offer from one of our partners that I think you'll like.   All the best,   Tina LoSasso Managing Editor, SalesDog.com Follow Lady SalesDog on Twitter
"We probably wouldn't worry about what people think of us if we could know how seldom they do." – Olin Miller

A Business-Building Tip for Q4
by Jim Meisenheimer

Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at www.StartSellingMore.com.

Building Rapport - Executive Style
by Kelley Robertson

Professionalism Wins! Many salespeople still follow the same old approach of making small talk at the beginning of the sales conversation. While this technique used to be effective, it is not necessarily the best approach in today's hectic business world, especially if you deal directly with C-level decision-makers.

Let's face it, executives are far from stupid. Glancing around their office and commenting about a photo, award, or some other observation is a transparent tactic.

Here are three ways you can develop rapport with executives:

1. Get to the point quickly. Don't waste time on small talk that is unrelated to the matters at hand. Start your conversation with, "I know that you are busy so I'll get right to the point." Your prospect will appreciate this.

2. Demonstrate that you have done some research. Comment on industry trends or refer to information gleaned from your prospect's website or annual report. Executives respect people who do their homework before the sales call.

3. Finish early. If you have 30 minutes allotted for your meeting, finish it in 25 minutes or less. Respect their time and they will respect you.

This will get you started and will help you differentiate yourself from many of your competitors. Now, quit the small talk and get started!

Kelley Robertson is the President and founder of Robertson Training Group. He specializes in helping businesses increase their sales, develop better negotiating skills, coach and motivate their employees, create powerful work teams and deliver outstanding customer service. Learn more by visiting www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

Voice Mail Caution
by Mark Hunter

Loud and Clear Wins. Never leave a voice mail message from a blue tooth or any telephone device you cannot be absolutely certain will deliver a strong clear message. Too many "hands free" devices are simply not strong enough to strongly communicate your voice to a voice mailbox.

Each week I receive at least one voice mail message that I delete because the person who left it is so hard to hear and it is impossible to know clearly what they are saying. I'm sure you've had these messages also. And if the person has an accent or dialect, understanding the message becomes even more difficult.

Although I use only the best phone equipment money can buy, I still do not leave voicemail message with a "hands free" device. I may make the call with it, but as soon as I realize the call is going to go into voice mail, I switch to the regular handset. I do this regardless of who I'm calling. It may be a very loyal client or a prospect, but in my eyes, both deserve the same amount of respect.

Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter", is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com.

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