BusinessBrief.com » category » Sales & Marketing

5 key reasons customers leave


March 19, 2010 by Ken Dooley

Why do customers take their business elsewhere? Sure, sometimes it’s about dissatisfaction with the quality or price of the product or service. More often, though, it’s about dissatisfaction with people. More…

Do your salespeople forget these fundamentals?


March 8, 2010 by Ken Dooley

 At the beginning of every football season, the great Green Bay Packers football coach, Vince Lombardi, would gather his players into a conference room. Walking into the room, he would hold up a ball and say “Gentlemen, this is a football.” There was a good reason for his approach. More…

Why do customers really buy from salespeople?


March 3, 2010 by Ken Dooley

Ask your salespeople to come up with reasons why their customers buy and they’ll probably come up with four common — and wrong — answers. More…

The keys to successful negotiation


February 16, 2010 by Ken Dooley

Here are five tips that will help your salespeople set clear objectives and get the information they need to meet them. Bring them up at your next sales meeting. More…

The giant that’s pushing more businesses to become greener


February 9, 2010 by Fred Hosier

Who’s really driving the green movement for businesses? It’s not environmental groups or government agencies. More…

Seven tips to overcome buyers’ objections


February 9, 2010 by Ken Dooley

Some salespeople consider objections as signs there’s something missing or wrong in the product or service. Experienced salespeople recognize that objections provide a valuable window into the prospect’s thinking.

Here are seven effective ways to meet objections head-on and answer them point-by-point. Share them with your salespeople.

  1. Listen to the objection carefully. Once you’ve developed the ability to recognize the reason for the objection, you may be able to counter them.
  2. Ask for clarification. By asking the prospect to go into more detail about the objection, you’ll be in a better position to establish what’s really at issue.
  3. Recognize that prospects may cover their true objections with a smoke screen. Use questions to get to the real objection.
  4. Track the objections you hear and at what point in the presentation they occur. You may find prospects are reacting to something you’re saying (or not saying).
  5. Prepare a list of common objections and responses in advance. Practice the responses, so when objections arise, the conversation will continue to flow naturally.
  6. Stay in control by asking questions. Ask your prospect for suggestions about how you can move the sale forward.
  7. State that you understand the prospect’s position, even if you don’t agree with it. Center your thinking on solutions to their problems, as opposed to stewing over your presentation being thrown off course.

Adapted from Guide to Handling Sales Objections (Career Press, Franklin, NJ) by Barry Farber.

Retaining customers in tough times


February 4, 2010 by Ken Dooley

Customers today are bombarded with more attractive offers all the time. If they see a better deal based on price, quality or service, they may feel pressure to leave you for a seemingly better offer. More…

And the best place to hold a business meeting is …


January 29, 2010 by Jennifer Azara

Before you put the kibosh on those business lunches and industry conferences, read this. More…

What salespeople often forget during a presentation


January 28, 2010 by Ken Dooley

When your salespeople make a presentation, they could be so focused on the sale that they forget one of the basics. More…

The key to ‘24/7 service’: Your sales people


January 21, 2010 by Ken Dooley

One of the hottest phrases in business today is “24/7.” Recognizing that we’re in a very competitive and very global economy, there’s a growing awareness that we have to be available around the clock to meet customer needs. More…

Strategies for negotiating when the customer holds all the cards


December 30, 2009 by Ken Dooley

When it seems as if customers hold all the cards — as in today’s market — negotiating with them can be difficult. Difficult, yes. Impossible, no. More…

How 6 companies used social networking to revolutionize sales


December 29, 2009 by Bob Hill

Some sales organizations are skeptical of social networking’s ability to increase revenue. But these six no-cost business models prove it’s a resource every salesforce can capitalize on: More…

Reducing opt-outs while gaining trust


December 22, 2009 by Christian Schappel

Worried that a prominent opt-out link in an e-mail may encourage more prospects to unsubscribe? Don’t be. More…

Show me the leads! Small biz says social media won’t deliver


December 18, 2009 by Julie Power

When it comes to generating valuable business leads, small business execs have not drunk the social networking Kool-Aid. Very few say it’s More…

Linking social media with your bottom line: Tips from successful firms


December 14, 2009 by Ketura Persellin

More than at any other time, retailers are using social media this holiday season to connect with shoppers.  The customer-relations tactics retailers have developed probably can help almost any business, including yours. More…

6 ways to get more out of e-mail for less


December 11, 2009 by Julie Power

E-mail marketing is mainstream, with 46% of small businesses using it and 36% planning to start within the next 12 months. Yet few are satisfied More…

Getting your salespeople past the gatekeeper


December 2, 2009 by Ken Dooley

The greatest barrier many salespeople face is known as the “gatekeeper,” the one who figuratively holds the key to the decision-maker’s door. More…

(Uncomplicated) Facebook marketing that works


November 30, 2009 by Jim Giuliano

Maybe someone mentioned it: “You should be using Facebook to promote your business.” OK, what, exactly, does that mean? A new book explains it. More…

Is Apple risking its rep with new advertising ploy?


November 27, 2009 by Bob Hill

Apple wants to patent technology that would allow it to display advertising on just about everything with a screen. It’s also exploring ways to force consumers to view the ads, whether they want to or not. More…

Dealing with prospects who stall the sale


November 18, 2009 by Ken Dooley

Indecisive, stalling prospects can be frustrating, especially when they have every reason to buy your product or service, but fail to do so for no good reason. More…


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2010-03-19 11:09