4 ‘musts’ of a successful sales strategy
February 1, 2012 by Bob Hill
Here are four innovative ways to better understand your customers needs, and provide the type of service that leads to more business: More…
February 1, 2012 by Bob Hill
Getting the most out of every customer: It’s a matter of metrics
January 27, 2012 by Bob Hill
All customers may have been created equal, but they don’t have equal value to you. In fact, some may not be worth your time at all.
7 ways to lose a sale
January 24, 2012 by Ken Dooley
There are a lot of excuses for lost sales. And then there are real reasons — that the salesperson can control.
10 ways to increase sales to present customers
January 12, 2012 by Ken Dooley
Successful salespeople know the driving principles that build credibility and trust with customers and lead them to buy more from you.
8 tips for effective after-sale service
December 30, 2011 by Ken Dooley
Effective after-sales service is not a slogan, advertising program, a button that everyone wears, or a banner touting a “we care attitude.” It is a mindset that good salespeople develop to improve customer satisfaction and retention.
4 ‘triggers’ that make sales easier
December 27, 2011 by Bob Hill
Studies show that prospects who are in the midst of a “sales trigger event” are eight times more likely to agree to buy. So, what’s a sales trigger event? And how do you recognize one?
10 social-media tips that will increase sales in 2012
December 19, 2011 by Bob Hill
Social media have become the valuable sales tools — if you use them correctly.
How to botch a sale in 1 easy (early) step
December 13, 2011 by Ken Dooley
In their haste to satisfy customers, many salespeople make a big mistake.
Five Myths That Hurt Sales
December 6, 2011 by Ken Dooley
Here are 5 bits of common sales wisdom and the myths that lurk within them:
- Selling is selling – a good salesperson can sell anything. We’d like to believe this one, but large sales and small sales require different skill sets – and not every salesperson has them.
In small sales, salespeople do most of the talking and may win the business thanks to their high energy, enthusiasm and glowing product descriptions.
In large sales, the customer may do most of the talking. Salespeople who listen well and ask revealing questions that move the sale to a closing may involve a complex business solution.
- Always call high. Just because salespeople can get appointments with top management doesn’t mean they will close the sale.
Research clearly shows that the most successful salespeople don’t call at higher levels than less successful salespeople. They start their calls at the level where the problems are, which is generally lower in the organization.
Once they understand the customer’s problems, they move up the ladder or get someone on the inside to carry their sales message – and solution – to the top for them.
- To get more orders, make more calls. There are two sides to this one. If you sell lower-cost products and services, making more calls generally translates into more orders.
But on the high-end side, there may be a negative correlation between the number of calls and the number of sales. Reason: To increase the number of calls they make, salespeople may cut back on researching prospects and call preparation.
- Ask open-ended questions. Some salespeople have an unshakable faith in the power of open-ended questions. Problem is, research shows, calls high in closed-end questions are just as likely to lead to sales.
In theory, open-ended questions result in open answers and closed questions in one-word answers.
In practice, 60% of closed questions during sales call result in answers of more than one word. About 10% of open questions get one-word answers. Also, closed-ended questions tend to be sharper focused and result in a specific answer.
- You never get a second chance to make a first impression. First impressions are critical in the small, one-call sale. But in larger, complex sales, there’s no correlation between openings and sales success.
You still want to make a good impression, but prospects will overlook a poor first showing, if they think the salesperson can solve the problem.
Adapted from Getting Partnering Right: How Market leaders Are Creating Long-Term Competitive Advantage by Neil Rackham.
6 keys to dealing with a super-productive pain in the neck
December 1, 2011 by Bob Hill
What do you with an employee who excels at getting the job done but drives everyone else in the company absolutely insane? More…
The newest trend in online advertising
November 29, 2011 by Bob Hill
You know those Web ads that give you the option to skip them? There’s a method to that madness. More…
How to avoid the price-driven sale
November 11, 2011 by Ken Dooley
If it seems that all your customers care about is price, maybe your customers aren’t the problem.
4 ways to turn more social media users into buyers
October 21, 2011 by Bob Hill
Here are four proven strategies companies have used to tap new markets, generate leads and close more sales via social media: More…
The 3 new customer demands
October 20, 2011 by Ken Dooley
Customers used to be satisfied with a fair price, a quality product and reasonable after-sale support. Today, they demand a lot more.
Most say initial sales call has ‘little or no value’
October 10, 2011 by Ken Dooley
Conventional wisdom says the first impression is the lasting one. Potential customers often say something quite the opposite.
Creating demand: The key to thriving in a down economy
October 4, 2011 by Ken Dooley
The strategy of proving to the prospect that your solutions are better than the competition’s may not work, because demand may evaporate in hard times. A better step: creating demand.
6 steps to focused sales proposals
September 26, 2011 by Ken Dooley
When nothing less than a formal written proposal will do the trick with potential customers, make sure yours has these crucial elements.
Setting up sales territories: Ask these 3 questions first
September 22, 2011 by Bob Hill
Whether a “territory” for your company is a city block or a geographic region, you can ensure getting the most out of it by asking three questions prior to assignment:
8 ways salespeople get into a dangerous rut
September 15, 2011 by Ken Dooley
It’s easy for salespeople to get stuck in one of a number of comfort zones when it comes to behavior, performance, techniques or attitudes. Here are eight of the most common ones that may put your salespeople in a rut and keep them there.
- Selling only the products or services they make the most money on, know the most about, or are the easiest to sell.
- Slowing down their sales activities at certain times of the month or year.
- Adjusting their performance once they have exceeded their quota or their manager’s expectations.
- Avoiding new applications of their products or services.
- Spending too much time with customers with whom they have a lot in common, despite their limited purchasing potential.
- Having non productive routines that keep them away from the real role of selling.
- Spending too much time in after-sales service issues that keep them from selling more to new prospects.
- Calling only on customers who like them or whom they like.
List the areas
List the areas in which they feel they’re being locked in a comfort zone, and then answer the following questions:
- How long have you had this behavior or attitude?
- How is it sabotaging your sales success?
- If continued, how will it impact your career in the short and long term?
- What can you do to change it?
Adapted from 97 Mistakes Smart Salespeople Make, by Tim Connor.
The trait 42% of buyers demand
September 9, 2011 by Bob Hill
If your company hasn’t implemented this long-term safeguard, nearly half of prospects say they won’t sign a long-term contract. More…
