Sales Conflict Vs. Cooperation

There are two main types of communication that take place in selling situations: conflict and cooperation. Which type of communication you’re using will have a profound impact on whether or not you get the sale.
Conflict takes place as the result of the vast majority of sales processes and especially as the result of those taught in traditional sales training, which usually goes as follows: The salesperson initiates the sales process through a cold call. Because the prospect does not expect or anticipate the call, sales resistance automatically exists and the salesperson is forced to overcome it. This is conflict. When the first appointment takes place, the prospect again has his defenses up in anticipation of a pushy sales pitch. As a result, frivolous objections are thrown out that the salesperson must overcome. More conflict. At the end of the appointment, the salesperson must secure a time for a second appointment in order to present a proposal. The prospect says to call next week for a time, but the salesperson wants to secure it now. Even more conflict. The second appointment takes place, the proposal is presented, the salesperson asks for the order, and now the prospect really has objections. Conflict. The salesperson works to overcome them and then uses a sleazy technique such as the infamous alternate close to again ask for the order. Conflict at its worst.
Now let’s take a look at a sale where the state of mind is not conflict but cooperation:
The prospect learns of the salesperson’s offering through the salesperson’s thoughtful, organized self-marketing plan. The prospect contacts the salesperson and asks for a meeting, to which the salesperson of course agrees. Cooperation. During the first appointment, the prospect willingly explains the need that exists and the salesperson listens and takes down all pertinent information. They mutually agree to a time to review a solution. Cooperation. The day for the proposal appointment arrives and the prospect is excited to finally learn of a way to solve his problem. The salesperson presents it and the prospect agrees that it looks great. More cooperation. There is no need for the salesperson to engage in any ethically questionable closing tactics because the prospect sees the value in the proposal and simply buys. Cooperation at its finest.
Ask yourself, do your sales processes look more like the first or second example? If you’re experiencing conflict instead of cooperation with your prospects, perhaps it’s time for you to drop the old methods of prospecting and selling and learn a new way that fosters goodwill and cooperation. The answer is self-marketing. Instead of annoying people with cold calling and pushing them to buy with tacky closes, it will induce qualified prospects to call you and simply agree to buy.

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By Frank Rumbauskas

Frank Rumbauskas is the author of Cold Calling Is A Waste Of Time: Sales Success In The Information Age and The Sales Mastery Program. His focus is on teaching salespeople and sales organizations how to stop cold calling and replace it with smart self-marketing that will bring in a steady supply of qualified, eager-to-buy prospects. For more information please visit http://www.nevercoldcall.com.

11 Rules for Selling to a Skeptic

Let’s face it: the greatest accomplishment for a member of the sales community is closing a deal with a skeptic. Many who are proficient at this art agree that it is far more gratifying to convince someone who initially felt your product was not necessary that it indeed is, than to complete what the industry terms an “easy sell.” Lucky for us all, plenty of doubters buy products and services everyday. Let us examine eleven of the fundamental techniques used by those who succeed in persuading the worst of cynics.
1. Know your product/service

Know it inside and out, backwards and forwards. You should know its strengths, weaknesses, and any proprietary features. Also understand the factors that influence its supply and demand. All of these will strengthen your presentation and help the skeptic make a more informed purchasing decision. There should be nothing that anyone can tell you about what you solicit. You will definitely be asked questions, so be prepared to demonstrate all aspects of your product/service in response.
2. Know your prospect

Along with knowing your product comes knowing your prospect. Strive to know all you can about your target demographic and potential clients. Make sure you deal with the decision maker. You should know their purchasing habits, what motivation determines their choice, and how long a buying decision takes. You must understand how your product fits into their overall purchasing strategy. When you know the buying habits of your prospect, you can use it to develop a longer-term sales plan—that means repeat business. Put yourself in the most favorable position to get a “yes” by focusing on what most concerns your prospect.
3. Believe in your own words

You will never be effective selling something you do not believe in, particularly to someone who is already skeptical. Your lack of enthusiasm will be an obvious as you attempt to convince your potential buyer. When you emanate passion and confidence, you break down the wall of doubt the cynic has built. To not be a pillar of strength during your presentation is a sure-fire ticket to an abrupt “no.” If you are lucky enough to sell a product you do not believe in, you still lose because you risk killing referral business and losing the trust of your customer.
4. Be transparent

Too often, we give strong pitches with lots of hype and little information. We will say, “If you want these benefits, buy my product.” This is done with the hope that a prospect’s curiosity about your bold claims will be enough to convince them to purchase. The idea that if you divulge too much information, you could dissuade your prospect is a far too common falsehood. Be prepared to give as much information as needed to convince the potential buyer to make a purchase. Transparency builds trust. Things people do not understand will always be greeted with “no.” The more information available when making a purchasing decision, the more likely they are to say “yes.” Another benefit of being transparent is the more resources you divulge free of charge, the more likely you are to generate interest in your product/service.
5. Gain trust by associating yourself with things they respect

By offering endorsements and testimonials, especially from well-known sources that your target market respects, you strike the chord of “trust.” Many a skeptic has purchased based on the recommendations of individuals they respect. Secure associations along these lines and look to align yourself with trusted agencies through strategic partnerships. Major endorsements mean less resistance and lots of sales.
6. Offer a free trial, incentive, bargain, or guarantee

The structure of your offer can play a key role in building trust and enticing your prospect to buy. There are many variations of each, but incentives and guarantees are great ways to gain your potential buyer’s confidence. Guarantees and free trails allow the skeptic to try the product/service before determining if your offer is a good fit. Incentives and discounts are also valuable tactics as they make the cynic feel they are getting a value. People always love the feeling of getting something for free and buying when it is a low/no-risk transaction. By guaranteeing the quality of your product/service, you disarm the skeptic and encourage them to buy. You also communicate an important message that you are confident in what you sell.
7. Compare and differentiate yourself from your competitors

Know the nature of your business. Is it commodity based, where the low price bidder wins? Is the strength of your brand a factor? Is there something unique about your offer? You must understand your competitors and their advantages and disadvantages. Once you have both the knowledge of your competitors and an understanding of the skeptic’s needs, you can choose the most effective marketing angle. We offer such phrases as:

• “The lowest cost”…you play to the desire for value
• “The official”…you validate for authenticity
• “The best”…you show superiority
• “The only”…you offer exclusivity
  

If possible, demonstrate the differences that make your product/service unique or superior.
8. Sell the relationship, not the product

Contrary to popular belief, the best salespeople not only close deals, they foster relationships. Relationships are more valuable to both you and the prospect than a one-time transaction. For the salesperson, relationships bring repeat business and the ability to cross-market your offerings; increased referrals because you gain access to the prospect’s network base, and the ability to charge a premium because of the higher perceived value of your relationship. For the skeptic, relationships help build trust. These bonds let them know they will not be abandoned after the transaction is finished. Ultimately, they are buying a relationship with you and your firm, not the product/service, so approach selling that way.
9. Focus on benefits offered and value delivered

Self-interest is the skeptic’s primary concern, so focus on how your product/service solves their problem, fulfills their need, or satisfies their desire. If your prospect is solely bottom-line focused, your presentation should be centered on how your product or service will make or save them money. If your product satisfies a desire, focus on how it fills an emotional void. Emotional selling differs from bottom-line selling because it focuses on feelings rather than metrics. Remember to focus on the benefits that concern your potential buyer; anything else will make a skeptic lose interest and you lose the sale.
10. Isolate their objection

In life and business, two of the greatest challenges are making intelligent decisions and properly following through on them. One of your fundamental goals as a salesperson is to help people make informed decisions. To do so, ask two types of questions: those to better understand your potential buyer and his/her needs, and questions designed to lead your prospect to buy. A series of well-placed questions will allow you to isolate any objections. You should brainstorm every possible reason a skeptic will not buy from you and comprise an effective solution or rebuttal for each. Any other question should be crafted in a way that allows for only one reasonable answer, and that answer should compel your prospect to agree with you.
11. Don’t seem desperate!

Your emotional state will be apparent to a skeptic. Never appear as though you “need” a sale. Everyone avoids a hard-pressed individual. Often we are conditioned to give to and buy from those who do not need our money. It is the same principle that makes us more likely give a rich man fifty-cents to make phone call because he has no change, than to a homeless man in need who makes the same request. Therefore, it is imperative that you operate from a mindset of abundance. Understand there is always a bigger sale out there, so you need not be pressed for this one. Your confidence will put the cynic at ease and make them more likely to buy from you.
Once internalized, these 11 points will mesh into an effective sales strategy. You will begin to think of them not as individual points to be mastered, but one comprehensive selling technique. They are designed to compliment each other and give you a thorough footing for selling to those who are naturally doubtful about you and your service. Master them and win!

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By William R. Patterson and Vicky Therese Davis & D. Marques Patton

Vicky Therese Davis, William R. Patterson, and D. Marques Patton are co-authors of the acclaimed business and personal finance National Bestseller, The Baron Son: Vade Mecum 7. Vicky Davis is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Indulgence Jewelry Corp. William Patterson is Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Warcoffer Capital Group, LLC. D. Marques Patton is Co-founder and President of The Warcoffer Capital group, LLC. To receive their breakthrough book and over $3,631 in FREE bonus gifts, visit: http://www.baronseries.com

Selling Luxury Products in a Dog's World

One of the fastest growing industries in the United States today is the pet industry. The industry as a whole has increased 20% over the past 5 years and is projected continued growth in the upcoming years. Over the past 10 years, the pet industry has grown to a $34 billion dollar industry. This exceeds what we spend on candy and toys. The candy industry has become a $25 billion dollar industry while the toys are a $20 billion dollar industry.
Pet owners are now professional couples who are opting for pets versus children, retired couples and empty nesters. All with disposable income to spend on their furry little friend.
The fastest growing category with the most opportunity for growth is luxury for pets. After all, now we can get a massage for our pets, an aromatherapy spa treatment, doggy day care is a must in the city and you can even have them picked up by a Rolls Royce to take them for their weekly manicure pawdicure. Even luxury hotels are now offering special menus for our furry companions.
For pet retailers, it is important to understand what the expectations are of the luxury client. Who is the luxury client and what is it that they have come to expect?
The luxury client shops at Chanel, Gucci, Luis Vuitton, Prada and Neiman Marcus to name a few. She stays in 4 and 5 star hotels. She eats at the finest restaurants. She wears designer and she shops designer boutiques because of the experience. She is not price resistent. So what is the experience that she expects you ask?
1. Know her name when she enters the store. Make sure that you and your staff know and understand her lifestyle. She expects service and expects to be waited on.
2. The luxury client expects to work with knowledgable fashion oriented sales associates that understand how to sell a luxury product and are knowledgable in features, advantages and benefits. These sales associates also have an appreciation for luxury items and often purchase for themselves. Associates such as these are seen as credible sources to these clients.
3. Luxury is about an experience. The experience takes them away from their everyday world. The experience may include a glass of champagne or wine, cheese and crackers or tea and scones. A beautiful scent and soothing music as they enter into the environment helps to enhance the experience.
4. Merchandising a luxury product involves a clean presentation of the merchandise that is dust free and featured beautifully in the boutique. Lighting that highlights the product is critical to enhancing the shopping experience.
5. Follow through and communication with the client is paramount. This would include a thank you note after she purchases or stops by the store. Calling her when new product arrives. Calling her on her birthday, knowing important events in her life such as her anniversary, knowing the name of her husband and children. All are about the personal attention and care that you and your team provide.
Most importantly, understand what designer products mean in the pet world. A handbag pet carrier for example should have an average price point of $600.00+. www.designerpaws.com features carriers made of 100% Italian leather and are handmade. In pet clothing, an average price point of over $150.00, and pet beds should be at an average price point of over $400.00. Too many vendors are promoting designer products which in reality are poor in quality and construction and are priced well below a designer price point. Be cautious of what you carry in your store that is featured as designer as this can very well turn away the client that you are looking to attract. Most importantly, staff your store with people that understand how to attract, sell and grow a luxury client base.

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By Hedy Woodrow

Hedy Woodrow is the CEO of Designer Paws International. Designer Paws specializes in luxury pet carriers that are fashionable for a sophisticated client. Prior to starting Designer Paws, Hedy spent 20 years in the luxury fashion business as a Senior Vice President of Retail for a major luxury brand. Her broad retail experience included managing stores, buyers, visual teams, inventory control teams and planners and distribution teams. She has traveled extensively throughout the US and Europe attending high profile celebrity events that have given her exposure to a very high end client. Her insights come from personal experience both as a leader in the fashion industry and as a client. Her website at http://www.designerpaws.com features luxury products that are unique to the pet industry.

Mobile Truck and Car Wash Fleet Service Selling

If you own a mobile power washing company, a truck washing business or run a mobile car washing and detailing company, you need to concentrate on your fleet sales. The art of fleet washing contract sales is low-pressure and a firm handshake attitude for customer service and complete reliability, as so many mobile washing companies come and go. As you probably realize labor is a huge issue as the work ethic in America is somewhat lacking. You must concentrate on securing reliable and dependable drug free labor first and then do you sales with confidence and conviction of your abilities.
Your basic sales pitch should be simple and too the point; “My company is in the business of washing fleets of vehicles. We have been in the washing business for over “X’ number of years. We can clean and wash your fleet company vehicles on a periodic basis for: $ 30.00 per truck per week. You will also need references of current clients and do not be surprised if they call to check up on you, as the industry has some flighty characters. You might include a statement for instance; “Ask Around! We are the #1 Car Wash service in Little Rock!” or something of this nature.
Once you have the basic pitch, then shut up and listen, they fleet manager will tell you their exact needs which probably will not be what you had originally anticipated, as they will want other things, such as interiors cleaned, forklifts, company cars and every other week instead of weekly. Next go back and put together a bid and make another appointment for a trial free wash. This is your opportunity to tell the fleet manager such things as: We can wash on the day and time of your choice, Every vehicle will be completely dried off so there will be no water spots and that you have Convenient monthly invoicing itemized by vehicle number.
It will also give him the chance to see that your company has professional and friendly clean-cut crew and that you are a first Class outfit with new equipment and that you can even supply our own water.
Be sure to advise them that you are fully insured with a $2 Million total liability policy and that you comply with all NPDES permits for wash water run off and have a state of the art reclaim system too. After you leave you should have the account, but if not reassure him that; “Matching our service to your company needs and saving you time and money is what we specialize in!” This is exactly how I recommend you go about your fleet sales in your mobile cleaning business. Think on it.

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By Lance Winslow

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

The Sales Force of the Future: It's Not About Selling

Jeff Gitomer coined the phrase at a recent convention: "It's not about what you are selling, it's about what the customer is buying."
In reality, the customer is not buying your product, he is buying fulfillment for a need. Salespeople need to diagnose customers' business needs and create solutions that help improve customers' business performance. What is the customer really buying? Thomas Winninger, America's marketing strategist states it simply with the following examples:
"BMW doesn't sell cars, their customers buy a driving experience."
"Kodak doesn't sell film, their customers buy a magic moment."
"Hertz doesn't rent cars, they get you out of the airport faster."
Nowadays, salespeople must be problem solvers able to generate solutions for customers in their time of need. Therefore, they must possess a great deal of knowledge about their customers' business. Often, they must actually define what those needs are because the customer may not know, nor take the time to explain.
Customers want the "Sales Force of the Future" to have the knowledge and intelligence to comprehend and analyze their problems before showing up at the door. Customers will listen and buy from the salesperson that finds the "pain" and takes it away. They want solution providers, not the "coolest technology" with three adjustable speeds.
The "Sales Force of the Future" recognizes that it's not about what you are selling. It's not all about the product. They are knowledgeable about the customer's problem, what he/she is really buying, and translates the solution into the sale.
Old and New Formulas
As today's sales environment leans toward a more multifaceted atmosphere, salespeople must become strategists with a plan. This plan requires more knowledge about the business, better relationships and better solutions. Some old school salesmen may believe they know what it takes. They have the experience. They've been around a long time. They also may be wrong. The world is changing. The "Sales Force of the Future" is doing things differently. They recognize we can't afford to become complacent. Complacency destroys competitive advantage. As sales professionals, we can't become full of ourselves, no matter how long we've been in the field, no matter how much experience we have. Thomas Winninger emphasizes my point in telling the story of the tortoise and the hare.
In the fable The Tortoise and the Hare, the tortoise didn't win the race. The hare lost it. He lost it because he was stupid. He was too busy looking over his shoulder wondering what the tortoise was doing instead of taking advantage of his strengths. He was better, faster, quicker and smarter - but he forgot, he became complacent.
On the flip side, the "Sales Force of the Future" understands that everyday is a new learning experience. In the old days when I was a salesman growing up in distribution, sales success had a simple formula: Relationship Selling. A mentor of mine drilled that formula into my head.
Formula of Past Success: Develop a strong relationship with your customer, make friends with him, and he will find a way to buy from you.
Relationships alone will not get you the sale today. Of course, they are still very important, especially to get a chance to even apply today's formula for success. Today's formula is just as simple as in the past, but remember, it's not about what you are selling, it's about what the customer is buying. Figure out what he is buying - what solution the customer needs. Formula of the "Sales Force of the Future:" Figure out what the customer is really buying. Become a total solution provider by taking away the pain.
Find the pain and make it go away, even if it has nothing to do with your product. It's about being a total solution provider. Today's formula works because it creates competitive advantage. It is the secret to success for the "Sales Force of the Future."
In times past, salespeople were trained to focus on their product. They knew everything about it - what features it had, the benefits, how long it could last and what the red button did when pressed. Salespeople talked about the product until they were blue in the face. Armed with brochures and warranties, they were ready to attack. But, in today's environment, customers want more, not just the latest technology and the best "widget" a person can buy. They want complete solutions to all their problems. Suddenly, the brochure and other marketing materials are simply support functions. Buyers are more educated, more professional and seek more than just products. They want efficiencies, market share and profit generation.
As Jeff Gitomer says, "You cannot puke all over your customers with features and benefits." In the old days, we were taught to spray the purchasing agent's office with talk about these features and benefits. When they asked questions we were trained to watch their lips, and when they took a breath, that was our sign to talk some more. In contrast, the "Sales Force of the Future" needs to LISTEN more than 80% of the time. UNDERSTAND the customer's behavior, goals, industry, problems, his way of thinking, how he makes money, his customer's customers, and ultimately, their problems. Again, it's about what the customer is buying.
Caution: The Solution May Not Be What it Seems
That is why it is important that the "Sales Force of the Future" understands the customer's customer and the customer's industry. Sometimes a solution that seems obvious is obviously wrong. My eight-year-old grandson, Zayne, drove that point home to me just last week. We got in the car to go down to the store. Being a responsible grandfather, I put him in the back seat and told him to buckle his seat belt. "Gee, Grandpa we're only going down to the store on the corner. Do I have to?" "Zayne," I replied, "It's a proven fact that more than 75% of accidents happen within 20 miles of your home." With the seriousness and pure innocence of an eight-year-old, Zayne looked at me puzzled and said, "Then why don't we just move? "
Finding the Pain
Be more knowledgeable and conscious of your customer's problem. You're no longer selling a product, you're selling a solution to make their life easier, happier, better, less complicated, or more fun. By understanding the customer's business and his customers, you help them make a profit through both cost reductions, improved efficiencies, increased value and increased sales. Those solutions come in many forms and may have nothing to do with your product. That's okay. Look for the pain regardless of what it is and focus on the solution.
Customers don't want products, they want profits - or ways to make profits. They want satisfaction, feelings of comfort, pride, praise and self-esteem. They are people just like us. Well, maybe they don't have the same crazy genetics that we have as salespeople, but they are just as smart, just as caring and have similar personal needs and feelings.
So, how do salespeople find the customer's pain and identify the problem? How do we figure out what they are really buying? You gain much of this knowledge by listening. I mean really listening. You don't focus on pushing product. You focus on the customer and what he is telling you. You research his industry. You talk to his customers and even his competitors, but carefully. Once you have this knowledge and understand your customer completely, you can provide intelligent solutions to almost any challenge. You have raised your customer's expectations of you and your company, which creates competitive advantage. It's all about value - not the value-added built into your product or your service, but it's about adding value to a situation, to your relationship. Do this and you create a real partnership with your customer and his company.
It's Not Rocket Science
Steps to follow:
1. Relationships are still very important - Build them.
2. Analyze the situation - Understand the customer's problem before you talk about the solution. Listen, listen, listen.
3. Be familiar with the customer's past, present and future goals and adjust accordingly.
4. Put yourself in their shoes. What would you want to hear? What would you do?
5. Talk to the "head man" - the hub - the one who makes the decisions and knows the company inside and out.
6. Know the industry - Talk to your customer's customers.
7. Do your homework - Surf the net and do research. Learn your customer's business, his market, his competition, how he makes a profit, his customer and, most importantly, his personal pain in doing business.
As stated earlier, relationships are still important. In fact, there should be multiple layers of relationships between your customer's firm and yours, not just one. What's the difference today? The relationship is just the ante to play in the world of professional sales. Once we've established those relationships, we must manage them well to provide maximum value to our customers.
The lone wolf sales approach of the past, the one I too grew up using, won't work in today's environment. The "Sales Force of the Future" understands that. Times have changed. Consolidations continue to occur. Purchasing is a profession. Customers are smarter. They gain more market power everyday. The "Sales Force of the Future" understands that it is no longer about Power & Politics, it's now about Principle & Process. Success for the "Sales Force of the Future" depends on an architecture aligned with customers' needs and profit opportunities. Remember, it's not about what you are selling!

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By Rick Johnson

Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in strategic leadership . CEO Strategist works in an advisory capacity with company executives in board representation, executive coaching, education and training to make the changes necessary to create competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information. Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois,a Bachelor's degree from Capital University and his PhD in strategic leadership.

The Forgotten Advertising Medium

Too often those of us that own an online business forget that there's another advertising medium that business owners have been using for years, with excellent results.
That medium is Newspaper Advertising. Any online business owner that is not using the option of advertising in newspapers is losing potentially thousands of dollars per year.
Although print newspapers have lost some of their readership to online news sources there are still millions of homes in America that still buy newspapers, either by newsstands or home delivery.
Reading the newspaper is a habit for many families because there is something for everybody--sports, comics, crosswords, the food section, classifieds, etc. You can reach certain types of people by placing your ad in different sections of the paper that would appeal to your target market. People expect advertising in the newspaper. In fact, many people buy the paper just to read the ads from the supermarket, movies or department stores.
As you look through your newspaper, you'll notice some businesses that advertise regularly. Observe who they are and how they advertise their products and services. More than likely, their advertising investment is working if they continue to place ads.
There are many advantages to advertising in the newspaper. From the advertiser's point-of-view, newspaper advertising can be convenient because production changes can be made quickly, if necessary, and you can often insert a new advertisement on short notice. Another advantage is the large variety of ad sizes newspaper advertising offers. Even though you may not have a lot of money in your budget, you can still place a series of small ads, without making a sacrifice.
Before placing an ad in your town's daily newspaper you may want to place a few test ads in the local papers that publish less often and are not as expensive, like the Penny Pincher or American Classifieds (formerly Thrifty Nickel). If you get a good response to your ad in the smaller publications, chances are they will pull well in the larger more well-known papers. If your response is not what you were hoping for try rewriting the ad and placing it again. Since the rate is less expensive for the smaller local publications you should be able to do this as often as needed until you get the response you were expecting.
Some things to know about newspaper advertising:
1. Newspaper circulation drops on Saturdays and increases on Sundays, which is also the day newspapers are read most thoroughly.
2. Position is important, so specify in what section you want your ad to appear. Sometimes there's a surcharge for exact position... but don't be afraid to pay for it if you need it.
3. Request an outside position for ads that have coupons. That makes them easier to cut out.
4. If a newspaper is delivered twice daily (morning/evening), it often offers "combination" rates or discounts for advertising in both papers. You usually can reach more readers, so this kind of advertising may be something to consider.
Other important tips to remember are:
* Before you advertise, have in mind a definite plan for what it is you want to sell.
* Create short, descriptive copy for your ad. Include prices if applicable. Consider using a copywriter or ask your newspaper for free copy assistance.
* Face your products toward the inside of the ad. If the product you want to use faces right, change your copy layout to the left.
* Be sure to include your company name and logo, address, telephone number and website url in the ad.
* Neat, uncluttered and orderly ads encourage readership. Don't try to crowd everything you can in the layout. If the newspaper helps you with the layout, be sure to request a proof of the final version so you can approve it or make changes before it is printed.
* Always make sure you are satisfied with what your advertising says and how it looks before it goes to print.

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By Sharon Bray-McPherson

Sharon Bray-McPherson is the owner of E-Commerce Made EZ - specializing in Wholesale, Dropshipping and Online Auctions. Be sure to visit our newly redesigned website and expanded services, including the Wholesale RSS Directory. http://www.go2sbm.com/ecommerce

Infomercial Creation: Design To Sell

In infomercial creation, there are a number of different options available to you. You can hire someone to do the work for you or you can do it yourself. There is much to consider about this process though so taking the time to plan and execute each step of it will help you to better achieve the results that you are looking for. For many, infomercial creation is the beginning of selling their product effectively.
Why should you hire a team to handle your infomercial creation? Here are some helpful things to think about when considering this aspect.
• Infomercial creation is designed in such a way that it will sell. In other words, really ask yourself if you are a salesman. Do you think that you can present every aspect of potential that your product has? On top of that, do you think that you can provide high quality sales pitches to your clientele? If you are not sure, just take a look at a few of the good infomercials that have aired and see if you can honestly do that type of constructing of sales.
• Next, consider the stats. One of the things that many infomercials need to do is to convince their audience that their product is something that they need. Being able to say that your product is needed because X amount of people had this problem last year, can be helpful. Infomercial creation companies can handle this for you.
• Lastly, while it may cost you to hire the infomercial company to do the work, it is likely that this cost will be more if you have to do the work on your own. Not only do you need to consider all aspects of design and creation, but also your time investment as well. You may find that this isn’t the most efficient way of saving money after all.

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By Leon Chaddock

for more information please see http://www.infomercial-creation.co.uk

Marketing Plans: Who Needs 'em?

I was working on a new E-Course the other day when I got to the lesson that addresses the importance of having a marketing plan and I immediately thought, "no one's going to want to read this one."
My 16-year-old daughter happened to be in my office at the time, and I explained to her that while most business owners want to be good marketers and be successful, for whatever reason, the idea of having to create a marketing plan turns them off.
Or, they're just not interested in creating a plan, don't know how to create one, or they simply don't think they need one.
So I started thinking maybe I should rename them. What if we called them "Success Plans." Would you dare start the year without one? Especially if you knew that was THE way to achieve success?
Anyway, to help get my point across - that marketing plans are important - my daughter and I started brainstorming analogies we thought people might be able to relate to.
I explained to her that in the introduction to my 10stepmarketing System, I compare a marketing plan to a road map. I asked her, "What do you think would happen if you decided to go on a road trip but didn't have a clear destination or a map?" (she's a new driver plus we travel every weekend to her travel softball tournaments).
"You'd probably get lost," she replied, knowing we HAVE gotten lost when we've taken off on weekends without directions! Then she continued, "You'd end up somewhere, but probably not where you want to be."
"Exactly!" I replied.
I explained to her that a marketing plan is just like a road map. It's the best way to ensure a business will end up where the business owner wants it to be. Whether that's in terms of the type of business it becomes, its size, how many products or services it provides, or how much money it makes.
Then I told her that when I teach, I often use the analogy of going grocery shopping without a list. Now, if you've ever done this you know what happens (especially if you ALSO shop while you're hungry!). You spend twice as much money AND you come home with all kinds of stuff you really don't need.
Operating your business without a marketing plan is sort of like that, too. You very often spend twice as much money and get fewer results, or you end up spending money on marketing activities you don't really need or that don't contribute to achieving the goals you want to achieve.
Why is that? Because you don't have anything to guide you in your decision-making about what marketing to do and what to pass on.
Think about all the things in our lives we DO plan. Birthday parties. Vacations. Weddings. Having children. Buying a home. And yes, even the little things like planning to go grocery shopping by taking the time to create a list of what we need to make spaghetti for dinner on Thursday night.
Many of those things we would never think of doing without first planning them out.
Take going on vacation, for example.
We research the destination. Where do we want to go?
We research transportation options. How do we want to get there? How much money do we want to spend? We then book airline tickets and rental cars or we decide to drive our own car.
We research accommodations. Where do we want to stay? Do we want to camp out or stay in a 4-star hotel? How much do we want to spend? And we make our reservations based on the answers to these questions.
What do we want to do while we're on vacation? What places do we want to visit? Then we make plans or buy tickets so we can do those things while we're there.
We get an itinerary and we follow it. That's how we know we'll make our plane and we know we'll have a place to sleep while on our trip.
All this for a week or two of fun and pleasure! In fact, many people put a lot more effort and planning into a one-week vacation than they do into creating a plan for their business.
While vacations are important (I'm all for playing, especially when you work hard!) your business is your livelihood.
So I've come full circle, back to the question, why don't more small business owners create a marketing plan for their business?
My guess is they may not know how, they may not want to take the time and I'll bet many of them just don't realize what operating without a plan is costing them.
Let me leave you with one final thought ... this is one my daughter and I came up with during our brainstorming (she's 16 years old with a new drivers license and a car so that may explain the focus on cars and driving!):
Would you get into a car without a steering wheel and expect to be able to easily get where you want to go? Probably not.
But that's exactly what you're doing if you're "driving" your business without a marketing plan.
Just something to think about.
(C) Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa

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By Debbie LaChusa

Debbie LaChusa created The 10stepmarketing System to help small business owners and independent professionals easily create a marketing plan so they can attract more clients and be more successful. Register for her free, 10-week Marketing E-Course and subscribe to her free, weekly E-zine at http://www.10stepmarketing.com

The Mathematics of a Marketing Melee

When two companies go head to head, the same principle applies. God smiles on the larger sales force.
Given a virgin territory, the company with the larger sales force is likely to wind up with the larger share of the market.
Once the market is divided up, the company with the larger share is likely to continue to take business away from the smaller company.
The bigger company can afford a bigger advertising budget, a bigger research department, more sales outlets, etc. No wonder the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Is there no future for the small competitor? Of course there is which one reason why this book was written is. (General Motors, General Electric, and IBM don’t need to study Clausewitz to be successful.)
But smaller companies with smaller market shares do need to think like field commanders. They must keep in mind the first principle of warfare, the principle of force, be it military or marketing. “The art of war with a numerically inferior army,” said Napoleon “consists in always having larger forces than the enemy at the point which is to be attacked or defended.”
Custer could have become one of our nation’s most famous heroes if he could have gotten the Sioux to attack over the hill one at e time.
Military generals know the importance of the principle of force. That’s why they spend so much time studying the order of battle of an opposing force. For purposes of morale, however, a general tries to fire up his troops by telling them what good soldiers they are and what great equipment they have.
“Now we have the finest food, equipment, the best spirit and the best men in the world,” said George C. Scott in his role as General George S. Patton, Jr. “You know, by god, I actually pity those poor bastards we’re going up against.”
Many marketing generals do the same thing and fall victim to their own rhetoric. In particular they talk themselves into the “better people” or the “better product” fallacies.

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By Arvind Kumar

This Marketing Idea is published by http://www.nuttymarketer.com Visit us to find more of cheeky gorilla Ideas.

How To Be "Intimate" With Your Prospects And Customers

Tammy also happens to be a subscriber of mine, and she recently sent me in this nice note:
"I just wanted to let you know that I absolutely love the way you end your emails with, "now go sell something"! It always gives me a chuckle, makes me feel like getting busy, and also makes me feel like you are talking directly to me!
How do you come up with endings to emails, or what qualities can we instill in our minds to make our ezines more personal?? I have such a hard time with this. I thought maybe you could touch on this for us?
Thank you, I always look forward to your email..."
Thanks Tammy. I think your question is a good one and it's probably something that loads of other people wonder about from time-to-time.
The truth is, the number one mindset you need to have whenever you're writing something to a "list" or to a group of "subscribers", is that the person reading your message, doesn't care about the rest of your list, and for the most part, at that exact moment when they're reading or experiencing whatever it is you have to say... they aren't even "aware" that your correspondence is even part of any kind of "broadcast," or what-have-you.
See, all your reader is aware of, is your message... and themself. And that's why sales copy is so effective -- it's one of the most intimate forms of communication you'll ever have with your prospects and customers.
After all, how else could you ever communicate with your reader, one-on-one like this?
So the mindset you need to have, isn't that you're writing to your "list", it's that you're writing to each one of your list members, individually.
Make sense?
I was on a consulting call yesterday, as a matter-of-fact, and a client was asking me about this exact same issue.
One thing I suggested is that he have a picture of his prospect sitting right there in front of him to make his mindset and his writing just a little more "intimate".
Hope this helps you out, and thanks again for your question.
Now go sell something,

_____________________

By Craig Garber

If you want to know how to consistently attract a steady stream of fresh new prospects, who are pre-qualified, eager, and excited about buying from you, then Craig Garber -- recognized by his peers as America's Top Direct-Response Copywriter -- can show you exactly how to do this, step-by-step. Garber's written winning promotions across a HUGE variety of industries and you can see them all for yourself on his website at http://www.kingofcopy.com

Get Business Card Deals!

We don’t mean to burst anyone’s bubble here, but there are some excellent ways to get business card deals on the web! You will find a number of options to consider in a wide range of choice. If you are just starting out in a business, you likely do not have the money to spend on expensive business cards but because they are so important to your business, you feel that you need to. No way! There are some excellent ways that you can save money on these items.
And, you don’t need to be just starting out either. Many companies offer business card deals to new customers. Pay for some and get more free or simply just discounts all together. The trick is that there are a number of great companies out there that you can be ‘first time customers’ with and save money each step of the way. Here are some things to look for in business card deals.
• Always shop around. Just because one company is heavily advertised doesn’t mean there aren’t other companies out there that can save you money as well. Shop any of them.
• Look for those new customer deals. Sometimes you can even find that your first order may be free! You can still design your own business cards, choosing your own logos and message. Many even allow you to choose the color and quality of paper as well.
• Look for sales that offer you to purchase larger quantities for less money. Same thing here, shopping around will open many doors including these!
• Don’t forget about the little guys. There are small businesses out there that are doing great at manufacturing the business cards that you want at low prices. You can often have them work with you one on one to get the results you are after as well. This personal touch can be amazing.
When you take the time to look around, you are sure to find many business card deals to fill your needs with. Don’t waste your money!

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By Leon Chaddock

For more information please see http://www.business-card-deals.co.uk

P.A.P. The Basics of Pipeline Management

Pipe Line Management is fundamentally, a time management problem. It begins with answering the following questions.
• Are there alternatives to a sales person spending the majority of their time doing demand fulfillment tasks?
• How much time should be spent on maintenance accounts?
• How much time should be spent on prospecting?
• Do you have a plan for account qualification?
• What is your company’s value proposition?
• What is your competitive advantage?
• Do you have a penetration strategy
Start with Balance
Here’s what should happen….there should be a balance in every field sales person’s territory between prospecting, account maintenance and penetration. Now let’s define the differences.
Prospecting
Prospecting is essentially trying to find an opportunity where you have no sales activity and it may or may not have potential so there’s a constant churning. You don’t know the real potential until the account has gone through a qualification procedure. This is simply a process of questioning that helps determine what the customer is buying and how much of what they buy fits your line card. Qualifying a customer can be done by both inside and outside sales. What you’re trying to do with prospecting is look at the movement and buying influences in your industry. Cold calling is the most unproductive activity a field sales person can undertake. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you develop an inside sales support program for qualification of prospects.
Account Maintenance
Account Maintenance is the services you provide to major accounts where you have received maximum share of spend. Literally, this means there is little or no potential for increasing your sales at this account because they already buy everything they could possibly buy from you. Congratulations, you have done an excellent job at that account. You primary objective at that account is to protect your position and keep the customer happy. Usually, most sales people have but one or two accounts of this nature.
Account maintenance and Prospecting are the book ends of territory pipeline management. However, real growth opportunity, opportunity that has the largest rate of success, is the penetration of existing accounts that have a significant potential for an increased share of the customers spend.
Penetration
I have an opportunity for a significant increase in sales in the next 90 days. – This is important.-- A significant increase in sales in the next 90 days. - This kind of opportunity will only exist at accounts that you are currently doing business with and you have developed relationship equity at these accounts. In other words, they know you; they trust you and they believe in your company and your products. You just haven’t been able to get the maximum share of their purchasing dollars ---- yet. Notice I used the term, yet. There are several steps involved in creating a strategy to increase your penetration at these accounts with high growth potential. They include:
• Make sure you have the “Book” on the customer. You have a complete profile on the customer and their business
• You have multiple contacts within their organization
• You know your competitions strengths and weaknesses
• Determine real growth potential.
Once you accumulated this knowledge, utilize it. Develop your penetration strategy around the customer’s pains. What challenges do they face on a day to day basis? How do they make money? Where can you provide value, increase their ability to make profit. (This does not include price reductions). Employ all the resources in your company that are necessary to accomplish your growth objectives. (email rick@ceostrategist.com for additional penetration tips from the book, T.L.S. – Tier Level Selling – A Penetration Strategy)

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By Rick Johnson

Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership for wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with company executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.
Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor's degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. He’s also a published book author with four titles to his credit: “The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance in Distribution,” the NWFA & NAFCD “Roadmap”, Lone Wolf-Lead Wolf—The Evolution of Sales” and a fiction novel “Shattered Innocence.” Rick’s next book due in November is titled; Lone Wolf – LEad Wolf The Evolution of Leadership

How To Get People To Read Your Ads

Rule One:- The Headline
The headline should summarise the whole offer. It should grab the eye, and make you want to read the subheading. The headline should intrigue and captivate the reader. It's sole aim is to make the reader continue on to read the body text. You should take great time and trouble over the headline. Lets say we're selling a book on home security, yes, I know, boring and you might start with something like this:
"CRIME FIGURES UP"
This is very bad, but typical of an amateur. People don't care about 'crime statistics'. That's boring, they only care about their own house or car being broken into. OK, how about this:
IS YOUR HOME AT RISK?
A bit better, but not brilliant. it does personalise it and does play on peoples fear. It's still pretty weak though. What we need is a headline that will grab you by the throat and force you to read on. How about this:
HOW TO BURGLE YOUR OWN HOUSE AND STEAL YOUR OWN CAR
Now that's what I call a 'killer' headline. You've just got to read on, haven't you? Always think very carefully about your headline. Make it extremely intriguing, interesting or exciting. If you're selling a 'straight' product, then use a slightly different approach, the headline should state what the product is, with a few adjectives in front. Say for a Tea Trolley, your headline would be:-
New, Italian, Fold-away TEA TROLLEY
There should also be a picture of the product. the picture and the headline simply act to grab the eye of anyone who is remotely interested in purchasing this type of product.
Rule Two:- The Subheading
The subheading should expand upon the story hinted in the main heading, and draw the reader inexorably into reading the body text. Subheadings for straight products should outline the main features and benefits of the product. Again, boring, but this is what works, A subheading for the Tea Trolley would be:
"New from Italy, Lightweight, Fold-away Trolley is available in your choice of three colours."
As I say, boring, but this is what works, so don't try and get clever or 'arty'.
Here's the subheading for the security book:-
"I've nicked hundreds of cars and done over fifty burglaries. Would you like to know what I've got in mind for YOUR place?"
Brilliant, or what??!! You've just got to read into the body text, haven't you?
Remember this is the MAIN function of the heading and subheading. Notice the quotes, it seems as though the guy was talking to YOU, the reader of the advert, but the quotes imply that it is just something that this burglar said, some time ago, to whoever it was he was speaking to.
Rule Three:- The Copy
Always overstate the product, but within the bounds of truth and reasonableness!
For some reason long copy, sell books. People will actually read an entire page of text if the story is strong enough. for straight products, the body of the text really just gives the feature and benefits, together with a slight allusion to an improvement in lifestyle.
A classic piece of rubbish for the security book would be:
"We at ACME security have been leaders in the field of home security for over seventy years, winning the Queens award for industry on at least five occasions."
So what? Who cares? What's that got to do with ME?
Here's an important little technique which can be used to fascinate your readers. it's the 'reverse' technique. In this technique, you take what is considered an obvious and well know fact about your subject, and then state the exact opposite in your advert.
We all know that in order to keep burglars out, we have to lock doors. Right? I mean, that's obvious. OK we're going to take this obvious fact and simply state the exact opposite. like this:
Why leaving doors UNLOCKED can sometimes be better than locking them.
"How can this be?" you ask yourself.
Why fitting a car alarm can sometimes result in car thieves flocking to break into your car.
"What's that?!! surely with an alarm fitted, they'll give your car a miss?" Well it depends. There are several reasons why sometimes (which is all I said) the opposite might be true. For example, if you have a car alarm then that means you have something worth stealing. also car thieves are full of machismo and they like stealing difficult cars, they stay clear of the easy ones because there's not enough danger and excitement. Most car alarms can be bypassed. Get the idea?
I hope this helps in your future marketing decisions.

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By David Bell
# 1 Internet Marketing Agency-Online Advertising Agency
Advertising research and development center

Sales Commission – What Return Should You Expect On Your Sales Compensation Investment?

This article answers the following questions:

• How do most companies look at return on investment (ROI) for their sales compensation expense?
• What portion of sales compensation expense do companies allocate to managing existing accounts versus pursuing new accounts?
• Do most companies expect their salespeople to generate new, additional gross profit each year that is equal to or greater than their compensation?

One conclusion I have reached after working with many different kinds of companies is that there is little commonality in how they establish the desired return on investment (ROI) from their sales compensation investments. Every company's circumstances are different; as a result, what might constitute an acceptable ROI for one company will not be considered acceptable by another company.
Here are some questions to consider as you determine the desired sales compensation ROI for your company, and how that ROI should be split between existing accounts and new accounts:

• What is the value of each sales dollar produced? Is the value different if a sales dollar is produced by an existing account versus a new account?
• How does the time and effort required to maintain (and grow) existing customers compare to the time and effort required to bring on new accounts?
• Do accounts operate pretty much on "autopilot" once they have been brought on board, or must your salespeople continue to invest significant effort (in terms of internal prospecting, opportunity qualification, proposal generation, relationship management, etc.) to maintain sales volume and profitability?
• Once an account has been brought on board, can ANY salesperson manage the relationship, or is there something special about the relationship that exists between the current salesperson and the account?

I have seen cases where management held the opinion that ANYONE could manage and maintain the volumes of business that were being produced by major accounts. They questioned why they should continue paying high compensation to the salespeople who were managing those accounts.
In some cases management chose to reduce commission rates, which caused the salespeople who had been managing the accounts to leave the company. In other cases management simply switched account assignments and assigned less "expensive" (in terms of compensation) salespeople to the major accounts. Far too often the outcome from either approach was a slow decay in revenue that eventually added up to millions of dollars in lost sales.

Why did this decay in revenue occur?

Close inspection identified two key reasons:

• The replaced salespeople had enjoyed truly special relationships with key players in the accounts. The key players' loyalty was to the salespeople, not the salespeople's employers. When the salespeople left, the key players saw little reason to continue to favor the salespeople's (previous) employers with their business.
• The replaced salespeople were extremely responsive and provided extraordinary levels of service. In some cases these salespeople were unusually successful in navigating their employers' informal networks. This enabled them to solve problems and do favors for their customers with a timeliness that other salespeople could not match.

If you determine that some of your salespeople DO have enough bandwidth to bring on new accounts, here are questions to consider as you set their "new business" goals:

• What level of market penetration has your company achieved to date?
• How much additional market penetration can your company reasonably expect to accomplish within a specified time frame?
• How many potential prospects exist in each sales territory?
• How do these potential prospects compare to your existing customers in terms of revenue potential?
• How many new prospects will a salesperson need to close to make any appreciable difference in their numbers?

Here are some final questions for you to consider:

• What percentage return are you currently receiving on your sales compensation investments?
• Do your salespeople produce multiples of their compensation in terms of profits back to your company?
• Is it really reasonable to expect your sales compensation ROI to grow every year?
  

Conclusion

The questions asked in this article can help you determine the desired return on your sales compensation investment, plus develop targets for ROI from existing accounts and new accounts. Don't let the fact that some salespeople earn high compensation cause you to set your ROI goals too aggressively. Instead, focus on the question, "How much return do we receive on the sales compensation we pay?" A solid return on your investment means you are completely justified in making that investment!
Copyright 2005 -- Alan Rigg

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By Alan Rigg

Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Selling: Why Most Salespeople Don't Perform and What to Do About It. His company, 80/20 Sales Performance, helps business owners, executives, and managers DOUBLE sales by implementing The Right Formula™ for building top-performing sales teams. For more information and more FREE sales and sales management tips, visit http://www.8020salesperformance.com.

Marketing and Advertising – How Much Should You Be Spending?

Whether you’re a startup or an established small business, one of the toughest decisions that you will make is how much money you are going to spend on your advertising and marketing communications. Prospects need to be acquainted with you, need to know what you do and how your product or service will benefit them. They need to know where to find you, and how to contact you. But how much should you spend to get that word out?
For companies who are just beginning a communications program, the tendency is to decide where you think you need to advertise, and then spend whatever it takes to get to be there. You rely on your instincts to tell you what communications vehicles you ought to be using, and then price out what it costs to use them. Perhaps you do know your market very well, and you won’t waste a lot of time, money and energy in the wrong places. However, this approach has a definite flaw. You are not taking into account either what your company can really afford, or the dynamics of the marketplace, both of which are important factors that should play strongly into your thinking.
There are other, better ways of determining your marketing budgets, and at least one of them just may fit better into your company’s strategies.
1. Take a look at what your competitors are spending, and establish your budget based on the competitive marketplace. This approach works well when your competitors are around the same size that you are, and when they are pitching the same size accounts that you are pitching. If everyone is spending at a fairly similar rate, then you can be comfortable that you know what the price of entry is into the market. You don’t necessarily need to use the same promotional vehicles that your competition uses, but you do want to try to capture a comparable share of voice in your prospect’s mind. The downside of this approach is that it really cannot be implemented effectively if there are only one or two very big spenders in your particular area. As a smaller business person, you cannot outspend or even match their big budgets, and so you must find a more creative way to gain mindshare among your prospects.
2. Take Approach #1 one step farther, and factor in your relative position in the market compared to the competition. For this method, you still have to be aware of what your competitors are doing, but now you must also acknowledge that you need to be spending somewhat more if you are a late-comer to the market, or if your goal is to improve your market position. Conversely, you can spend less if you are already one of the leaders in your market. Take a look at what the average spend rate is in your product category, matching your geography and target audiences, if you can. Then think about using a dollar range that is 5% plus or minus that average, depending on whether your position is where you would like to be or not. Once again, you can be successful here if everyone in the market is around the same size, and you can be comfortable in their spending patterns.
3. Base your communications budgets on a percentage of your projected gross revenues. Now you are taking into account what kind of monies you will have available for communications, and also you are leaving yourself the flexibility to revise and adjust your budgets as your situation changes. If your program is very successful and sales increase, you can increase your budgets. In slow times, you can cut back, but still maintain a presence in your marketplace. You won’t spend yourself out of business, but you still need to take into account your particular market. The percentage that you will want to work with will vary by industry, but you should think about what it will take to be visible in the advertising media that your industry uses.
Any of the three methods outlined above will bring a sense of discipline to your marketing program. Whether you choose one of these options, or choose to work out a combination of techniques, you can feel more confident that your marketing efforts reflect a prudent business base, and that they integrate well into the personality of your company and the dynamic of your marketplace. And those are ultimately the keys to a successful marketing communications program.

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By Linda Riley

http://lindarileymedia.com
For over ten years, we have been providing our clients with creative media strategies and cost-effective media buys. We don't stop until you have the best possible program for the lowest possible media costs. For more information, email Linda at lriley@lindarileymedia.com.

Sales Management – How to Define Your Company's Sales Job – Part 2

Here are seven additional factors to consider as you define the parameters that produce success in your company's sales job. If you are a salesperson, you can also benefit from considering these questions, as they can help you identify target prospects and further refine your sales approach.

9. Administration

• Which sales job functions require attention to detail? (Examples include making accurate forecasts, providing timely updates to the corporate CRM system, analyzing customer records to determine sales strategies, and ensuring regulatory compliance.)

Some companies have support personnel that perform administrative tasks on their salespeople's behalf. Other companies expect their salespeople to deal with a certain amount of administration. If a tolerance for process, detail and administration is necessary for success in your company's sales job, some amount of Tolerance for Administration is desirable in your salespeople.

10. Communication

• How important are verbal and written communication skills to sales success in your company?
• Are your salespeople required to make presentations?
• Are they required to compose letters or proposals?

Sales roles that rely heavily on high quality verbal and written communications require salespeople that have healthy doses of the attributes Communication Skills and Reasoning Ability.

11. Pre-Sales Support

• What support resources are available to help your salespeople manage specific steps of the sales cycle?
• How effective must your salespeople be when managing these resources?

The availability of support resources has a significant impact on the attributes required for sales success. If your salespeople have access to quality internal (employed by your company) or external (employed by suppliers or partners) technical resources, they don't need to invest a lot of time learning technical details. This frees them to focus more time and energy on prospecting and opportunity qualification. By the same token, if your company employs technical writers who can assist salespeople with large proposals and bid responses, there may be less need for your salespeople to have strong Communication Skills.

12. Post-Sales Support

• Are your salespeople expected to provide technical or operational support to customers, or do other personnel provide this support?

If your salespeople are required to deliver post-sales support, it would be desirable for them to have a lower Sales Drive, be less Competitive, and have a higher Service Drive.

13. Training

• What kinds of training does your company provide to salespeople?
• How much training does your company provide?

Companies that provide a lot of training may have the luxury of being able to hire inexperienced sales candidates and "train them up from scratch". This is extremely valuable in markets where highly qualified sales candidates are scarce and/or prohibitively expensive. However, if your company is going to employ this approach, you should seek candidates with strong Learning Rates.

14. Sales Manager's Style

• What are your sales managers' styles?
• Do they lean in the direction of being Field Generals (who prefer selling to coaching) or Administrators (who excel at mentoring and administrative duties)?

The desired levels of the attributes Sales Drive, Service Drive, Assertiveness, Competitiveness, Independence and Tolerance for Administration will differ based upon each sales manager's style.

15. Career Path

• What is the career path for your sales position?
• From small ticket item sales to big ticket item sales?
• From sales to management?

If your sales team is a source of candidates for other positions in your company, you may want to consider whether your salespeople and sales candidates have the attributes required to be successful in those other positions. Why? Because the attributes required to succeed in those other positions may not be the same as the attributes required for sales success!

Consider this example: Most small ticket item sales cycles are shorter than big ticket item sales cycles. Per Question #7, the desired amount of Sales Drive differs based upon the frequency of opportunities for presentation and persuasion. A successful salesperson in small ticket item sales is likely to have a strong Sales Drive. Will they become frustrated by the reduction in opportunities to present and persuade that could result from a "promotion" to big ticket item sales?

Similarly, the attributes required to be an effective manager are often quite different from the attributes required to be an effective salesperson. Success in management can require more attention to detail and the willingness to delegate and mentor. These requirements impact the target ranges for the attributes of Sales Drive, Service Drive, Assertiveness, Competitiveness, Independence and Tolerance for Administration.

If you keep the fifteen questions discussed in this two-part article in mind, you will be able to more accurately define the parameters that will lead to success in YOUR company's sales job(s).

Copyright 2005 -- Alan Rigg

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By Alan Rigg

Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Selling: Why Most Salespeople Don't Perform and What to Do About It. His company, 80/20 Sales Performance, helps business owners, executives, and managers DOUBLE sales by implementing The Right Formula™ for building top-performing sales teams. For more information and more FREE sales and sales management tips, visit http://www.8020salesperformance.com.

Sales Management – How to Define Your Company's Sales Job – Part 1

Wouldn't you agree that every sales job is unique? Aren't there significant differences in products and services sold, target markets, target geographies, company cultures, lead sources, sales cycle lengths, and more? Given these many differences, how can you accurately define the parameters that will produce success in your company's sales job?
The questions asked in this article do not identify every possible factor you should consider as you analyze your company's sales position(s). However, reviewing these questions should spark useful thoughts concerning desirable salesperson characteristics. At minimum, if you carefully consider each question, you will become more consciously aware of key requirements than you were previously.
If you are a salesperson, you can also benefit from considering these questions, as they can help you identify target prospects and further refine your sales approach.

1. Nature of the Customer

• What are your target markets?
• Are they horizontal or vertical?
• Do you sell to consumers, corporations, schools, state and local governments, etc.?
• What level(s) in the organization do you sell to? (Purchasing, Engineering, Business Unit Manager, C-Level Executive, etc.)

Target markets drive numerous sales parameters including the typical sales cycle length, prime selling seasons, and specific knowledge or experience that may be required to earn credibility with prospects and customers. Wouldn't you agree that selling effectively to C-level executives (CEO, CFO, CIO, etc.) and other high-ranking officials requires different attributes and skills than selling to purchasing agents?

2. Nature of the Offering

• Are your offerings complex or relatively simple?
• Are they tangible or intangible?
• Do they consist of stand-alone products or services, or bundles of products and services?
• Does your company have a small portfolio of offerings or a large portfolio of offerings?

The nature of the offering(s) will determine the most effective Sales Style (see item #5), the importance of Learning Rate to sales success, and desired prospecting and opportunity qualification approaches.

3. Sales Environment

• What kind of environment do your salespeople work in?
• Are they office-based or home based?
• Is most of their selling done over the telephone or in person?

Salespeople that work from a home office usually perform best if they are independent self-starters, whereas office- based salespeople may have the option of receiving more frequent direction and support from their sales manager.

4. Geography

• How many sales locations does your company have?
• Where are they located?

Different sales approaches are usually required to sell successfully in different locales such as downtown Manhattan (NY), Baton Rouge (LA), and Los Angeles (CA).

5. Sales Style

• Which sales styles (Consultative, Relationship, Display, Hard Closer) are most effective in your target markets?

The nature of the customer and the complexity of the offering(s) should be considered when answering this question.

6. Relationship Preference

Is your company more concerned about:

• Finding new customers?
• Increasing account penetration and/or managing long-term relationships?
• Both?

If both, please estimate a percentage for each.

Salespeople usually prefer one type of sales role to the other. If you truly want to accomplish both new business and account penetration sales goals, you may want to consider staffing two different sales positions.

7. Sales Cycle Length

• How often do your salespeople have opportunities to close sales?
• Several per day?
• Several per month?
• Several per year?

If a salesperson receives gratification from closing sales, he or she won't be happy in a role that offers just a handful of opportunities per year to exercise this skill. This kind of salesperson is often better suited to selling products or services that have shorter sales cycles and higher volumes of opportunities.

8. Prospecting

• Do prospects come to your salespeople, or must your salespeople seek them out?
• If the answer is "both", estimate a percentage for each.

If your sales position requires a lot of outbound prospecting, your salespeople will need more energy, mental toughness, and a positive attitude.
Seven additional parameters are covered in Part 2 of this article.
Copyright 2005 -- Alan Rigg

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By Alan Rigg

Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Selling: Why Most Salespeople Don't Perform and What to Do About It. His company, 80/20 Sales Performance, helps business owners, executives, and managers DOUBLE sales by implementing The Right Formula™ for building top-performing sales teams. For more information and more FREE sales and sales management tips, visit http://www.8020salesperformance.com.

Hiring Tips for Business Owners

I have encountered so many rude customer service people over the phone. Those rude and impatient people shouldn't have been hired to be there in the first place. I learned over the years to only hire high quality people to run your company and business.
If you hire the wrong kind of people to do the wrong kind of job, that’s when your business and company will suffer the consequences sooner or later. If you hire the right kind of people to work for you, your company will flourish and your customers and clients will want to do more business with you in the future.
These are 5 qualities that you want the most from your employees:
#1 HIRE ONLY HAPPY & POSITIVE PEOPLE!
Happy people creates happy atmosphere at your work place and they will treat your customers will friendly, happy and kind attitude. Happy people tend not complain too much! They are happy to do their job! Negative attitude is very infectious, it's like virus, it will spread very fast! One person with negative and ungrateful attitude can make other people's life miserable in your company. Make sure when they look happy, they are not on drugs or drunk.
#2 HIRE SMART & GO-GETTER PEOPLE!

Smart & go-getter people can find a way to solve problems even if they don't even know the answer. If they are only smart, but they are not a go-getter, sometimes, when they get stuck with a problem, the smart people won't even try to solve the problem, but if they are both smart and go-getter, they will try hard to find a solution for every problem you give them to solve.
#3 HIRE PEOPLE WHO CAN CONTROL THEIR MOUTH!
There are so many potty mouth people out there and it seems like swearing and cursing habit is becoming an acceptable behavior. Swearing and cursing habit is not an acceptable behavior! Can you imagine having your office or business being run by bunch of potty mouth people and they run around your office or business? Your customers will judge your business by the quality of your employees' vocabulary. It makes costumers and other employees feel uncomfortable to have someone who keep swearing and cursing in your office and business. What comes out of their mouth really tells you how smart they are and their level of their intelligent.
#4 HIRE PEOPLE WHO ARE MATURE!
If you hire kid mentality people or people who are not mature, they tend not to do their job unless you watch them while they are doing their job and tell them that you will punish them if they don't do their job. It's like telling a 3 year old child to clean up after his/her toys, "Mommy or daddy will spank you if you don't clean up your toys." If your case, you will tell them "I will fire you if you don't do your job!"
People who are mature also know how to control their temper and volcanoes! You really don't want to have bad temper people running around your business or office. You don't even want impatient and bad temper people to deal with your customers either, they will scare your customers away!
People who are mature have the gift of discretion; they don’t go around gossiping and backstabbing other people by talking bad about other people in the office and business. They will create distrust in the people within your company and organization. They must know how to control their tongue!
#5 HIRE PEOPLE WITH GOOD LISTENING AND COMMUNICATION SKILL!
Have you ever been frustrated by someone because he/she is not doing the job you tell him/her to do? You tell this and they do totally the opposite of what you told them to do! The worst part is, you tell them something today and three weeks later the job is not done and they will start making excuses on why the job is not done. It will drive you crazy!
I learn over the years that sometimes it’s best to have your employees write down the things you want them to do, so they know exactly what you want them to do on the paper, so there will be no more misunderstanding or miscommunication. It is all written down.
I personally make the habit of writing 6 things that I want to accomplish every day. I learn to prioritize the 6 things that I’d like to do daily. You can teach your people how to do this, write down 6 things that they want to work on that day on a piece of paper, go through the list and make sure the 6 things are done that day.
Make sure your employees understand what you want them to do! Never ever assume that your employees understand and exactly know what you want them to do, it is best to make them repeat the instructions you give them couple times and write them down!
People will good communication and listening skills will automatically write your instructions you give them down and they will listen to your instruction will with full attention! They will even ask you if they are not clear with the instruction. When they ask you, please don’t do the drill sergeants style management like “DIDN’T YOU GET IT THE FIRST TIME?” If you’re like a drill sergeant manager who loves to scare your employees by threatening and intimidating them, I can assure you that your business and company will go down the drain in no time.
Make sure the people you hire to do a specific job are qualified with the skills and the experience that is needed to do get the job done!
I hope these tips will help you to grow a better and bigger business. We wish you the best and remember what Dale Carnegie says “People have signs on their forehead that says treat me as I am important.”

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By Entjik Jeffrie

http://www.pebden.com/

Kids Shopping Cart Cars

Certainly by now you have seen those new ultra-long SUV type shopping carts, where the kids sit in the plastic car in front and pretend to steer down the isles? They are excellent for Store Managers as it keeps kids from pulling items off the shelves. This causes unnecessary spillage, product loss and time to clean up the mess. Makes a lot of sense and the kids seem happy, stay out of the way and do not get run over by fast moving shoppers like you and I. Zooom!
One thing you may not have thought of is that retail merchandisers are now putting kids type products on the lower shelves. And companies selling things that kids like pay to be on those lower shelves instead of only at the normal eye level of kids sitting in shopping carts, which is closer to the eye level of adults. This means they are freeing up some of that high rent space and able to put more items lower, which they can charge for also, this is helping their shelf space programs that they sell to manufacturers of retail products.
Those who sell products may wish to be thinking here if you are selling to spoiled children who are now riding lower in the carts yelling; “mommy, I want, want!” In essence the children’s department at the grocery stores is now split to two levels and the grocery stores are loving it in more ways than one. Think on this.

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By Lance Winslow

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

Selling Without a Script

"Get into selling and make your fortune" the headline shouted at me from the classified page. It went on to explain how anyone could become rich by learning how to sell.
As a gullible young man just out of the Air Force and looking for a job, I was hooked on the idea of a sales career despite suffering from a general lack of confidence. On top of that my near panic at the thought that now I had to survive in the big outside world on my own. No morning bugle call to kindly let me know that breakfast was being served.
No more shouting in my ear about the condition of the nice suit of clothes they give you to wear. No more marching in parades to a destination unknown, you need only follow the leader and wait until you hear the order to halt.
Worst of all, no more free meals and a bed, the reason I joined up in the first place. I had become institutionalised. From that point forward I would need to think for myself for the first time in years.
Solely on the merits of my Air Force discharge papers, I landed a job as a trainee salesman with a well-known office machine manufacturer. They kindly sent me to sales training school for a whole month after which you are supposed to be a whiz at selling. Not so for me, because after a couple of months I had managed to sell . . . nothing.
Hugely embarrassed and demoralised, I resigned. However, I continued to hold to the belief that "selling can make your fortune", perhaps because as a kid I had been quite a successful street urchin.
My ideas about selling as a career were reinforced when by chance I read a news item about a janitor who became a commission salesman. Two years later he bought the apartment block where he had previously been the janitor.
I must try again to become a salesman, and I did without much success. Most of the direct selling outfits simply gave me a pre-typed script to learn. I tried the scripts, but several of my prospects simply asked me how long had I been doing the job. One asked me why I was speaking so unnaturally, I wasn't aware of it. Perhaps I speak with a different tone when reading out loud from a script.
Perhaps I could learn to sell by trying retail in-store sales, I pondered. So onto the retail circuit. The Company boss had a store for each day of the year 365 stores. He sent me as a trainee to a store where I was asked to push the sales of some fridges that had no motors. I was astonished. How can a fridge not have a motor? I asked the store manager for a brochure that might help my understanding of a fridge with no motor, so he dug around under the counter and thrust a buch of grubby papers into my hand.
"You're supposed to sell them, not read about them" he complained.
Anyway I did read about these fridges, and discovered that not only did they have no motors but the energy consumption was less than an ordinary light bulb. I found it all quite extraordinary. and simply voiced my amazement about them to everyone who entered the store. Not as an intention to make a sale, but simply because I was actually very impressed with the technology.
However, a strange thing happened: People started buying fridges. Each day more people came to me to ask about them and more sales resulted. Weekly deliveries of fridges to this single store out of 365 stores alerted the Head Office due to the unusual delivery rate.
Incredibly, the company extended the premises to accommodate more fridges. I have often wondered how they filled the space when I moved on to pastures new.
So there I had learned the two most important ingredients for selling which if mastered will enable anyone to be proficient in sales.
Just these two for starters: Enthusiasm and Product Knowledge.
The third ingredient will be borne of the above two which is "confidence"
Armed with enthusiasm for a product and thorough Product Knowledge, you will surely brim with confidence. Most of your prospects will not see you as just another Sales Person but as an expert they can trust. Why will they trust you? Because as you should have discovered yourself in life that it is always patently obvious when someone knows what they are talking about, You know instinctively when a person is telling you the truth. You also learn to know instinctively when someone is talking nonsense.
Now here is a truth:
People will only buy from those they trust. The emphasis is on the ONLY.
Since then I have sold just about everything under the sun, including double glazing, windows, home improvements and several years in Life Insurance. I learned some truly fascinating secrets on selling and how to sell effortlessly.
Truly "Selling" is easy, when you know how. Look out for my article entitled "Selling effortlessly by Numbers" you could be amazed.
Naturally, I moved up in my sales career and bought my own stores. Selling the very product I found impossible to sell just a few years earlier, Office Machines.
I can never forget a major sale I made a few years ago to the Managing Director of a large corporation. He bought a very expensive product and gave me his company cheque there and then without question. However, just as he was leaving he mentioned that one of my competitors WGS was selling the exact same product at ten percent less. Being a bit puzzled, I asked him why he did not buy it from WGS.
"Because I preferred to buy from you" He replied
There you have it, as you must surely know deep down, even from your own experiences: People will only buy from those they trust.
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site as long as you leave the author’s copyright in place and the links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed below.
© Harry S Richards

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Article by Harry S Richards. Founder of Beauforts PC Trading. Learn from his experience: Go to: http://www.beauforts.biz Harry also runs a unique Trade MART at http://www.themartuk.com