In our modern information age, it’s very easy to learn a lot about people, businesses, and so forth. Company websites, news portals, LinkedIn, and good old search engines can tell you a lot. When you make an appointment with a prospective client, you have the means to be prepared. Now, during the appointment, don’t go…
A lot of sales people feel that if they know all there is know about their products, they know all they need to know. This is a mistake. Yes, you need to know your product, and you need to know how it compares with the competition’s products, but you also need to know the wants…
In business, you are what you are paid to do. In sales, you are paid to sell. That’s your job. That’s what you do. That’s what’s expected of you. Embrace it for what it is. A lot of sales people, feeling that the label of sales isn’t glamorous enough, disguise what they do with fancy…
“When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal. You do not change your decision to get there.” – Zig Ziglar
Every sales professional needs a plan, a clearly articulated sense of where they are, where they want to go, and what they need to do, step-by-step, to get there. I say “clearly articulated” because a lot of people have a vague idea about these things, which they think constitutes a plan, when in reality they…
Have you ever made a purchase that you came to regret after the initial excitement wore off? Most people have. You spend hard-earned money on a product only to discover that it really doesn’t meet your wants or needs. Sometimes the only one to blame for this fleeting excitement is yourself, but at other times…
It’s your job as a sales professional to help your prospective customers find the product that will work best for each of them. As this is your objective, you do not want to introduce your products by focusing on their specific features. Rather, you want to talk to the prospects and determine their wants and…
Those who are not climbing toward something are descending toward nothing. – Richard Paul Evans
Practice avails the sales professional with risk-free opportunities to develop skills that might not be applied in every moment of actual selling. Think about it: you could try out some new pitch or selling technique during a sale, but if the trial falls flat you’re likely to lose the prospective customer. No, no, no. Scrimmage…
One-on-one coaching sessions provide the ideal forum to encourage employees to communicate with you, advance strategic vision, and attain goals. Here you have a place catered to the needs of your individual employees, where you can focus on each of them in turn, working to improve their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. Your sessions should…