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The Painful Old Way of Selling

If you have been in sales for a number of years – and have faced rejection when making sales calls – you will recognize these 7 painful selling mistakes.  This information will be an “Ah-Ha” moment for you. If you love what you do and deeply believe in what you sell, but you are still unconsciously using sales behaviors popular back in the 80’s and 90’s, you are going to burn leads rather than...

Pushy or Persistent?

The perception of a “typical sales rep” is – unfortunately – a pushy person.  You have probably met a few of those “pushy sales people.”  The truth is, buyers avoid pushy sales reps.  Think about this:  there is a difference between being pushy and being persistent. Is persistence important? Yes, but how much persistence is too much? There are three ways you can be pleasantly...

Easiest Breakup Ever

“Your Easiest Breakup Ever.” Last week I saw this headline in the local newspaper and it almost seemed to jump off the page.  It was a small ad in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.  The headline immediately captured my attention, curiousity and interest. I wondered what it was all about. Why it is Critical to Write Great Subject Lines If you are involved in marketing and/or selling, you really...

Telemarketing Sales Training Mistakes

One of my least favorite words is “telemarketing,” only because the word causes most people to cringe, thinking of those annoying sales calls received during dinner.  Unfortunately, 95 percent of typical telemarketing calls are cringe-worthy calls from telesales reps who have not had effective training and who read from a bad script.  9 out of 10 telemarketers make a mistake that lets the potential...

Do Prospects Lie to You?

What?  Prospects lie?  Well, think about it. Have you ever had a conversation with a prospect who seemed very agreeable, nodded her/his head and appeared to love your presentation?  Your prospect may have said:  “That sounds good.”   Then . . . nothing happened.  You never heard from them again.  They did not call and when you called they were “not available.”  You left voice mail...

The Loyalty Factor

Are they loyal to you personally or loyal to the company?  Customer loyalty is one of the “must-haves” for any business. From the executive suite to the sales team to the call center, the drill is often the same: Engage customers enough to make them loyal to our product.  But what happens when those employees succeed a little too well — when the customer ends up being loyal more to the...

Want More Sales? Ask These Questions

While writing about the best questions to ask during the sales process, I did some research online and discovered four very good articles. Questions Are Key to Sales Success The question-answer game in sales is vital not only to find, qualify and close deals, but also to offer the best possible solutions to your prospects and customers. The key in asking the right questions is to keep them open-ended. Statements...

7 Buying Signals

Sometimes buying signals are so subtle, they may not be recognized until it’s too late.  Buying signs can show up within the first few minutes of a conversation; or they may not emerge until the end of the telephone conversation or meeting. In short, they can show up at any time. It’s up to the sales person to hone in on these signals so that s/he can adjust the presentation accordingly and approach the...

The Power of You

Throughout history, international incidents have been created and resolved through the use of specific words. In sales, the right words can win over a new prospect, and the wrong words can alienate a good customer. Recently, in a controlled experiment by a restaurant, servers were asked to use two specific words throughout customers’ meals.  Cocktails, the menu, wine lists, fresh ground pepper, the dessert tray,...

4 Tips When Notifying Customers of a Price Increase

Last week I received this question from one of my e-class participants: “I have a customer that I’m selling a specific product to with a very low price.  How can I increase the price without an objection?  Also, if I happen to increase the price on the invoice, should I tell him or stay silent until he finds out?  By the way, this product has been increased by the manufacturer.” My answer to this...

What is the Real Objection?

The late financier J.P. Morgan once said: “People have two reasons for everything they do: the reason they give you and the real reason.”   When you hear an objection from a prospect – a reason why they won’t buy from you – it is often not the real reason. What is it that stops some consumers from buying?  It is one four-letter word: FEAR.  Fear of buying the wrong product.  Fear...

Cheaper HP Ink On the Way?

Have you seen the Lexmark “Ink Monster” ads?  They are cute and funny.  If you haven’t seen the TV commercial, check it out on YouTube. Lexmark created at least two “Ink Monster” television ads and also developed a version of the campaign that runs on the firm’s Web site home page. From http://www.observer.lyra.com: Lexmark’s decision to join Kodak on the “cheap ink” bandwagon is interesting...

Beware of Words That Derail Sales Calls

Just as a carpenter needs the right tools to do his job effectively, a sales person also needs good tools, and your best tools are words.  A telesales person needs to be able to rely on words because the prospect can’t see you smile or shake your hand. After writing a recent article about words, I received some great emails from readers offering interesting word ideas.  (Thank you to everyone who sent word...

4 Ways Top Sales Reps Sell

When an admirer praised him for Walden, Henry David Thoreau insisted that a greater achievement was within every person’s reach.  “To affect the quality of the day,” Thoreau said, “that is the highest of arts.” This quote is from one of my favorite books, What Clients Love, by Harry Beckwith. There is a valuable nugget of information on nearly every page of this book. I am often asked...

How to Uncover the Hidden Hesitation

Has this ever happened to you?  The prospect needs or wants your product or service.  You’ve made a good presentation and s/he seems interested, but for some reason, the prospect hasn’t placed the order. You think s/he wants to place an order, but you sense a hesitation.  To check and see if you’re on the right track, ask an opinion-seeking question.  The answer will tell you how the prospect feels about...

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