Overcoming Call Reluctance

Everyone in marketing faces it at one time or another - reluctance to pick up the phone and make calls. Logically, it makes no sense to feel that way. We believe in our product or service. We have a script that’s either been given to us or one that we’ve carefully written out. We have a list of prospects that are at least somewhat targeted. We know that when someone says “No”, it’s not directed at us. And still… the phone weighs a ton.
OK. You decide that the pain of being broke is greater than the pain of “cold” calling, so you commit to making calls each and every day. Or at least commit to try. Or try at least some days each week. For a while anyway…
We’ve all been through all of this before, and guess what? IT DOESN’T WORK! We’re still reluctant to make the calls we know we need to. So what’s the deal? Are you just “bad” at calling? Is it that calling only works for some but not most of us?
The answer, of course, is that calling can work for any one of us. It’s a matter of finding the right “key”(s) to open that door of calling success. We need to address why the typical “cold” call isn’t effective. We’ll start with the obvious issue. Calling strangers causes most people some amount of anxiety. Why does it make us feel so anxious and apprehensive? I’ve found that there are four reasons that cause people to feel anxious about calling. If any one of them exists, anyone would feel anxious about making a call. Here they are:
1) We feel that we sound like a telemarketer. Somewhat unprofessional and/or insincere.
2) We aren’t sure how to effectively start the call.
3) We aren’t sure how to effectively steer the conversation.
4) We aren’t sure how to comfortably and professionally end the conversation.
Let’s look at each one of these issues separately and find out how to put them behind us.
1) We feel that we sound like a telemarketer
What makes a telemarketer sound like a telemarketer? Think about it for a moment. You know the drill – we’ve all received telemarketing calls both at home and at work. What is it about that call that marks it as a telemarketing call? There are several factors that make us cringe at these calls. First off, telemarketers are either overly friendly to start with or they sound completely disinterested. Both make the caller sound insincere. Secondly, telemarketers talk and rarely ask. The call is all about their product and service and not about the person who received the call. Thirdly, they usually plow through their script, not allowing us to get a word in edgewise. And fourth, it’s always evident that they’re reading a script to you rather than speaking to you as a person. Those four factors generally mark the call as a telemarketing call.
How do you keep people from viewing you as a telemarketer? Simple. Don’t do those things!
a) When you call, don’t be overly enthusiastic and don’t be disinterested or matter-of-fact in your tone. Speak in an appropriate, natural tone and manner.
b) As you get into your conversation, ask questions. Be consultative. Remember, this is about your prospect, not about you.
c) & d) Practice your script so it is as conversational as possible. I always write out my script so it reads as naturally as possible. It’s usually not perfect writing but it is always natural and easy to say.
2) We aren’t sure how to start the call
The thing that annoys most of us when a telemarketer calls is that they dive right into some sales pitch without even knowing whether we have the time or interest in hearing about what they have to say. The most effective way to be viewed as a professional is to act like one. As an example, here is the way I start my marketing calls:
“Bob? Good Morning. This is Michael Beck. How are you today? (pause) Bob, I’m an executive coach (pause – I want to make sure they understood what I just said) and have worked with insurance managers for a number of years. Do you have a few minutes to chat?”
As simple as the above exchange is, it serves a number of important purposes:
a) In short order, I’ve told him who I am and what I do.
b) I said his name two times. (People love to hear their own name. Read “How to Win Friends and Influence People”)
c) I began to establish credibility. (“I’ve worked with insurance managers for a number of years.”)
d) I asked permission to take some of his time.
3) We aren’t sure how to steer the conversation
We ended the start of our phone call with a question: “Do you have a few minutes to chat?” There can only be three answers to that question – “Yes”, “No”, or “What is this about?”
• If the answer is Yes, you’re off and running.
• If the answer is No, you could say you’ll call back or ask when a good time to call back would be, but why not use the opportunity to get more information? Since you’ve already told him who you are and what you do, why not ask: “Would you like me to call back?” The answer will either be Yes or No! Either way you should be happy. Either you’ll know not to waste your time trying to reach a disinterested prospect or you’ll have a somewhat pre-qualified prospect on your list!
• If the response is, “What is this about?”, have a short explanation of why you’ve called prepared, something like: “I wanted to share some of what I do, find out what your initiatives are, and see whether what I do could help you reach your goals faster and easier.”
Pretty straightforward isn’t it? …
If you approach the meat of your conversation in a way to see if you can help your prospect, rather than sell them something, it’s quite easy to have a stress-free, effective conversation.
No matter what the goal of your call is, at some point the discussion needs to draw to a close with a “trigger” question. “Can we set up an appointment to go over this in more detail?” or “Here’s what we should do next…”
4) We aren’t sure how to end the conversation
How you handle the end of your conversation will determine you well you protect your attitude. We ended the middle of our conversation with a question (see a pattern here?). There can only be three answers to your question – “Yes”, “I need more information”, or “No”
• If the answer is Yes, again you’re off and running.
• If the answer is a request for more information, have a simple process ready to provide prospects with additional information and/or credibility-building materials, get a commitment for a follow-up call, and set it up as an appointment in both your calendar and theirs. Don’t leave the follow-up as a vague process. Inotherwords get a phone appointment and avoid endless voicemails and phone tag.
• If the answer is No, my preference is to thank them for their time and candor, ask them if they’d like me to give them a call back in 6-12 months, and then hang up!
Let me close with a couple of perspectives that have served me and others well over the years.
One perspective is that if you find that any one prospect means a great deal to you, it’s a sure sign that you aren’t finding enough prospects. Put in more effort. Then everything else takes care of itself.
The other perspective that I have found helpful pertains to rejection, and is illustrated in this story:
Imagine you have a recipe for fantastic chocolate chip cookies and bake them to perfection. They’re absolutely delicious! You take a tray of these cookies around to people, asking them whether they would like one. The first person takes one and loves it. The next person you offer the cookies to declines - they are full, don’t like chocolate, or don’t want sweets. Here is the key question: “Does the fact that the second person didn’t want your cookies affect the quality of the cookies or the skill of the baker?” Clearly the answer is no. Their decision doesn’t have anything to do with the cookies or the baker. Their decision was about what’s going on in your their life, not yours.
When you create an effective phone process – knowing how to get into and out of conversations – and understand that a “No” truly is not about you at all, calling becomes more comfortable and it becomes easier to make many more calls. The result? Financial Success!
Copyright 2006 Exceptional Leadership, Inc.

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By Michael J Beck

Michael Beck, "The Insurance Coach" is an Executive Coach and Recruiting Activist, and helps insurance professionals succeed faster and easier. He can be reached at 866-385-8751 or mbeck@theinsurancecoach.com Visit his website to learn more: http://www.TheInsuranceCoach.com You can subscribe to his newsletter here: http://www.theinsurancecoach.com/Subscribe.htm

Sales Managers: Get Your Team Up For The Game!

If you’re a sports fan, or an athlete, as I am, you know when you or your team are “flat” and are just phoning-in their performances, and when they’re juiced, and ready to go.
It makes a crucial difference in sports, as well as in selling.
In both situations, we have to get up for the game, and if you’re a sales manager, it’s your duty to psych up your players before every engagement, whenever possible.
As a former sales manager, and as a sales coach and consultant, I advocate having frequent sales meetings for this purpose. Meet, greet, and motivate your people before every shift, if they sell from inside.
If they’re outside sellers, try to arrange frequent telephone conferences to achieve the same thing,
Remind them of their sales targets, and try to tell inspiring stories, or share recent customer testimonials with them.
Every meeting should give them another reason to feel proud of themselves and what they’re selling.
You can use these get-togethers to review closing techniques, or to introduce better techniques of any kind. And most important, team members can discuss what’s working for them, which their peers don’t get a chance to see and to hear for themselves.
But the key deliverable from a successful meeting is emotion. They should get a boost, feeling higher and more energized than before.
One of my salesmen said to me, after our umpteenth meeting, “Gary, I might be able to make more money somewhere else, but nothing is going to be this much fun!”
Mission accomplished!

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By Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Why This Car Is Smarter Than Most Customers!

I’ll never forget taking my first test drive in a Mercedes.
The salesman was related to dealership’s owner. And he was anything other than a chip off the old block.
Papa was elegant and cultivated, and very much a gentleman, prone to understatement.
The kid was brash, spoiled, impatient, and a lot of other things you can imagine.
We were driving in a residential area, and I was concerned that the pickup was hesitant.
He told me to push the pedal to the metal, and it didn’t help, much. I thought this car might be able to do 60 in a half-hour, or so, if you timed it on a track.
Anyway, the ride came to a conclusion, but not before I asked a question about the transmission, which seemed jerky, from gear to gear.
Obviously frustrated with me, perhaps partly because I was younger than the demonstrator, he said I could stop worrying about the mechanical integrity, because “This car is more intelligent than most people!”
Hey, I know a compliment when I hear one, and this was anything but.
All I could do was smile. I had never heard of insulting your way to a sale, but this seemed to be just such an attempt. Did he actually expect to earn my business this way?
Recently, I spoke to a sales manager in a different industry, and he revealed that he loves to insult prospects, that they actually seem to appreciate it.
No, he’s not in the whip business, buggy, or otherwise.
All I can say is that the car dealer that insulted me has gone through its share of hard times, because the nameplate it represents has been plagued by quality problems.
Moreover, it has faced excruciating competition from other brands such as Lexus and Infiniti, to name a few.
Now, those are some intelligent cars!

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By Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Increase Your Failure Rate: Go for the NO!

Interview with Richard Fenton as he talks about striving to get "no" instead of a "yes" when sales pitching. Read on!!
Reader Views is please to have with us Richard Fenton, author of “Go for No!” With the world being inundated with books that give sales training techniques for getting to the “yes” Richard recommends the opposite – going for the “no.” Welcome Richard.
Irene: First of all, what inspired you to write “Go for No!”?
Richard: Basically, Go for No is my personal story. Most of my life I have allowed the fear of failure and rejection to rule my actions, so much so that I wasted years not pursuing my dreams. Of course, this is not to say that I have “mastered” the art of courage. Courage requires daily focus; in that way I am clearly a “work in progress.” And I’ve always wondered what it would be like to meet the person you will one day become, say 10 or 20 years in the future. What would they (you) be like? What could they teach you? What advice would you give yourself if this were actually possible? And, since I think most people have a fear of failure and rejection… as I do… I decided to make that the main theme of the book.
Irene: How did you pick the characters for your book?
Richard: Eric Bratton, both as the main character and his alter-ego “future self”, is me. The first EB is the person I was; the second is the person I am becoming. I guess you could say the “real me” is somewhere in the middle.
Irene: Does the “real me” continue to fluctuate between the two alter-egos?
Richard: Absolutely! I would love to be able to say that the strong me is present all the time. But, even though I know better and literally wrote the book on this, I still slip into weak me mode sometimes. But that’s what being courageous is all about. Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in the face of it. Without the fear, there is no courage.
Irene: Did you base any of the characters on your own life experience?
Richard: Yes. Harold, the manager who tells Eric to “go for no” is a real manager from my past who had a profound effect on my life by telling me exactly that. All the rest are simply vehicles for the concepts I wanted to express.
Irene: The writing style is different from most books in this genre, yet the message is as powerful, or more powerful, than books that are written giving techniques and tools for improvement. Why do you believe readers will “get it” with your book as compared to others?
Richard: First, thanks for the compliment. As to your question, yes, I hope so. I’ve always responded more to stories that keep me engaged, where there is a vested interest in a character and curiosity as to what will happen next in the story, like in movies or novels. It’s also a lot more fun to write, which is important to me personally.
Irene: You focus on the “no” aspects. We are taught to direct our thoughts to the “yes” aspects, the so called positive focus. Tell us how “no” actually is a positive after all.
Richard: We are all taught, directly or indirectly, that “yes” is the destination in life, to get what we want, whether we’re selling a product, asking for a raise, convincing the guy or girl of our dreams to marry us, or getting our kids to eat their spinach. What we’re not taught is that the willingness to hear “no” is how we get there. In that way, yes and no are not opposites; they’re simply opposite sides of the same coin.
Irene: Most of us don’t want to hear “no” for an answer. It starts in childhood and continues throughout life. You are proposing a concept that is hard to switch to. What are your suggestions for changing a mindset that has been integrated into the thought pattern throughout the lifetime?
Richard: This is an interesting question. We get a lot of letters from people who’ve read the book, many who say they were immediately able to make the switch, and others who struggle with it. It’s important to realize that courage is a muscle like any other physical muscle; building it requires exercise! This is not to say it’s easy. Success is simple, but it’s never easy.
Irene: As a key-note speaker you present a step-by-step process for setting “no-goals” to increase productivity. Again, this is against the rule. Explain to us how your theory actually does work.
Richard: Let me use how we “sell” my speaking services to our clients. To make the living I want to give 50 keynote presentations a year, basically one a week. Statistically, from our experience, each of those dates (the “yeses”) involves us getting turned down (the “noes”) approximately 100 times. So, we have two choices; one is to go for 50 yeses per year, the other is to go for 5,000 noes. That’s our “no” goal: to get rejected 5,000 times per year. If we do that, the yeses take care of themselves.
Irene: This all reminds me of the statistics courses I struggled through in college. It is finally making sense. However, most of us have rejection issues. What are your suggestions on facing 5000 noes just to get 50 yeses. That is a lot of rejections to face and the self-esteem could really be stretched.
Richard: One of the most important things to realize is that “no” isn’t personal. When we personalize it – meaning that we see the no as a rejection of ourselves – then, yes, the constant rejection can take a chunk out of our self-esteem. So the key is to not take it personally. For example, I attended a workshop recently and one of the things we learned was to think “SWSWSW” whenever someone says no to us.
Irene: Which means…?
Richard: Some Will, Some Won’t, So What?! The rejection has nothing to do with you – it’s only personal if you allow it to be. Or, as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.”
Irene: A lot of us have a fear of failure. Most of us don’t want to admit it or don’t even realize that is the basis of non-success. Please give us some insight on how we can address our fears.
Richard: Wow, what a wonderful segue to mention my next book, co-authored with Andrea Waltz, called “The Fear Factory” which is due out in May, 2006. While I’ve got you, want to buy a copy? I figure the worst that could happen is that you’ll say no.
Irene: I’m sure your next book will be as revealing as “Go for No!” Is there anything else you would like the reading audience to know about you or your book?
Richard: Go for No! is a life philosophy… we urge anyone who wants to do more… or be more… to get it and read it. And let us know about how the go for no philosophy has affected them. This is more about me and my book… I want to help the world to go for no! Readers can find us at http:www.goforno.com

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By Irene Watson

Irene Watson is the managing editor of Reader Views http://www.readerviews.com

Picasso's Five Sales Strategies

Pablo Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the last century, no question about it.
The other day I spent some extra time at the Norton Simon Museum, in Pasadena, checking out his paintings, and then his sculptures, and I got to thinking about what he could teach salespeople.
There are at least five solid lessons:
(1) Picasso put "The Law of Large Numbers" to work. (See my audio program with this title, published by Nightingale-Conant.)
He was extremely prolific, having created, literally thousands of works over his career. Compare that to DaVinci, whose significant output was extremely limited, however brilliant. Salespeople should be constantly opening new accounts, more than they think they need to reach their quotas and to have a nice living. Push yourself to create a lot, every day, that’s the Picasso way!
(2) Picasso, as you may know, used various expressive styles. He had a “blue” period, dabbled in cubism, realism, minimalism, and so forth. There are lots of ways to communicate with your public, so become adept at all: phone, face to face, voice mail, email, etc.
(3) Ignore your critics, internal and external. If you watch the movie about Picasso, starring Anthony Hopkins, you can see how self-confident this guy was, especially in his romances and work. He didn’t indulge in self-criticism, and he had no time to listen to his external critics. In fact, he probably outlived most of them!
(4) Lead, and let others follow. Emerson said to be great is to be misunderstood, and while Picasso did enjoy commercial success during his lifetime, he set his own course, boldly creating styles unique to himself. One of the sculptures I like a lot at the Norton Simon Museum actually looks a hundred years ahead of our time, and he shaped it in 1909! I think it may take audiences that long to really “get it,” but so what?
(5) Enjoy yourself! This guy loved life, and was filled with energy and vitality. He left nothing un-done; you can see this in the movie about his life. Work should be involving and enjoyable. If it’s drudgery, it’s not just killing your creativity; it’s probably killing you.
Most great artists outlive everyone else, except great comedians. We could do worse than to model our careers after luminaries such as Picasso, Erte, and Dali, to name a few.

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By Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Practical Tips to Motivating Employees

Some employees are true self-starters and seem to motivate themselves to excel. But even with your highest flyers, there could be times where he or she hits a funk and needs some positive motivation. Look to these tips to help you through the trial:
Make sure the goal is crystal clear - The first step in motivating an employee is ensuring he very clearly understands the goal and when it needs to be met. If goals aren’t clear or if you can’t articulate the goal yourself, spend time getting clarity with both yourself and the employee.
Put them on the same side of the table as you - Design your rewards (financial, prestige, etc.) around attainment of the goal and get them working with you as opposed to against you. Putting some tangible rewards around goal attainment will allow the employees to see the fruits of their labor.
Don’t be afraid to expose poor performance - If progress isn’t being made against the goal, be very explicit and deliberate about showing objective performance measures and progress against the measure. Objectivity is very important here; if you are concerned about being objective, use a trusted colleague or HR representative to cross-check you.
Clearly articulate the consequences of continued poor performance - Ensure the employee knows what can happen if performance doesn’t improve. It could be loss of financial reward, a lower job title, or in extreme cases, termination. Again, be objective and use a trusted colleague or HR rep if necessary.
Follow through - Don’t make idle threats or statements that the employee knows you won’t follow through on. If you set a goal to be achieved by a certain date and both your reward and consequence are clear; be prepared to follow through on either the reward or consequence.
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By Lonnie Pacelli

Lonnie Pacelli has over 20 years' experience with Accenture and Microsoft and is currently president of Leading on the Edge™ International. Lonnie's books include "The Project Management Advisor: 18 Major Project Screw-Ups and How to Cut Them Off at the Pass" and "The Truth About Getting Your Point Across". Get the books, leadership products, other articles, MP3 seminars and a free email mini seminar at http://www.leadingonedge.com

Try Selling The Finer Things In Life

I started my career by selling newspapers on street corners and then when I was old enough, I landed a job with Time-Life Books, promoting their best-selling nature, science, and food libraries by phone.
Since then, of course, I’ve sold a lot of other things. But the thread that runs through my career, what I really enjoy, is creating and selling knowledge: seminars, consulting, coaching, books, tapes, newsletters, and the like. I suppose I just have an affinity for learning and teaching.
Others may like technology or travel or agriculture or boating.
I bring this up because you should sell items for which you have a good temperamental fit, goods and services that you respect or personally enjoy. If you don’t, I believe you’ll underachieve, and worse, you’ll be unhappy. And you might blame the profession of selling for your woes, instead of identifying the real culprit.
If I were in the car business today, I’d sell Porsches. I drive one, and I wouldn’t mind collecting them, when I have a close encounter with a ton of extra money!
But I wouldn’t be happy at all, selling average cars. While they have their place, they simply don’t inspire me.
There are cars on the market that cost as much, if not more than Porsches, but I know, from direct experience, that their engineering is vastly overrated, and they spend too much time on hoists. They’re not for me. I’ll have nothing to do with them, given a choice.
Call it snobby, but I know myself. I’d be a misfit if I had to sell something I didn’t respect or enjoy.
I’ve often thought about the maxim that a salesperson must “believe” in his product. I’m not sure that exactly captures what I’m referring to. I think appreciate, admire, enjoy are closer to the mark.
I knew a fellow manager at Time-Life who, on more than one occasion said, “If they didn’t pay me to do this, I’d hang around for free, just to watch!”
If you feel that way about what you’re selling, or about the company for which you’re working, then that is one of the best rewards you can get.
Then, you’re selling one of the finer things in life.
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By Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

The Wrong Time to Promote?

This might be a given for some people, but it still needs to be said. If someone has not specifically asked for your information, don't send it. Simple as that. Not only are you wasting time, you are wasting money as well. It could also have an impact on your image, so just don't do it.
Often times on message board was see someone simply say "I want to work for home" and is bombarded with offers. The correct thing to do in this situation is to first find out what kind of interests they have. You may want them as a recruit, but you don't want them if they have zero interest in your products and will quit in just a few short months.
Another example of a wrong time to promote was a snail mail we received. This person had good intentions I'm sure, but what they did not realize is we have other businesses. The business information this person sent was in direct conflict with one of these other businesses. If you were a Mary Kay rep, would you purposely send business information to an Avon rep? I would hope not, but it's amazing how many do this every day without realizing it.
Finally another point we need to bring up is articles. While they are a far cry from business information and don't even fall into the same category, we can't tell you how many articles we get a day that have absolutely nothing to do with our publication. If you write articles, which you should in any business, make sure you know where your articles are going. Gardening has nothing to do with a business newsletter, so don't send it there. Read publisher guidelines, and the publication if you can before submitting. Avoid auto submissions that don't tell you where your article is going.
The bottom line is - if it's not asked for, don't send it! Your reputation, time, and money are at risk when you send information at random.

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By Kara Kelso and Anita DeFrank
Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank are two busy wahms, and the owners of Direct Sales Helpers. For more Direct Sales Success Tips, visit: http://www.directsaleshelpers.com/newsletter.html

Want Sales? Take-It-Or-Leave-It Pay Plans Should Get-Up-And-Go!

I was chatting with a national sales manager for a growing company who expressed interest in attracting top sales and management talent.
When I asked him about the compensation he offers, he detailed a plan that consists of a super-low, guaranteed salary plus reasonable commissions, based on performance.
Then, I probed to determine what alterative pay plans he had in place, and he seemed shocked at the question.
“This is our plan,” he emphasized.
I went on to tell him that what he outlined is incredibly unattractive to someone of high caliber, and he should come up with more exciting alternatives, if he is sincere about attracting top talent.
It amazes me how inflexible managers become once they have formed a pay plan that at least a few people will work under, without complaint. They adopt an “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality.
Which is very, very shortsighted for one simple reason: people in sales, particularly, are motivated differently. For instance, some folks thrive in a commission-only environment, while others need a hefty, set salary before they feel they can relax and give their best.
You have to allocate your incentives to fit the beings you’re working with. If they need security, but they’re good, adjust the mix so there’s a healthy guarantee. If they’re daredevils or folks who are used to being on the high wire, working without a safety net, then back-load the incentives so they’re paid nicely based on results.
But also appreciate that they’re judging you, and your company. Salespeople and managers with excellent track records will see everything about you, from the quality of the shoe leather on your feet to the permanent or temporary feeling of the furniture in your office.
If anything about you says, “Fly by night,” they’ll insist on up-front pay, and they’ll doubt strongly if you’ll be around to remember your promise of lofty commissions in the hereafter.
In other words, if company like IBM or Exxon says it will honor your future achievement with big bonuses, you have a right to believe them, and you know they’ll be around to collect from, if you have to hold their feet to the fire.
When it comes to health benefits, more and more companies are going to a “cafeteria” format, enabling people to pick and choose, and to trade off one good thing for another.
Try applying this modern sensibility to compensation and you and your company will be handsomely rewarded--with performance.

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By Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Dr. Gary S. Goodman © 2006

How To Turn Regrets Into Opportunities

It's time to take inventory. What worked for you and what didn't work for you throughout 2005?
When you think about last year what are the things you regret not doing? Will you also regret not doing these things in 2006?
The best way to turn regrets into opportunities is to set them up as personal goals. It's always worked for me and I'm sure it can work for you.
For example, write down five things you regret not doing last year. With this in mind create another list. What are the five things you'd like to accomplish in 2006 personally and professionally?
Putting your list on paper is very important. You see, most people don't do this and it's the biggest reason why 92.5% of all New Year's resolutions never get done. 92.5% of all New Year's resolutions become individual regrets. That's no way to start the New year, especially if you're in sales.
There's a little space in your mind and it's called - imagination. Everyone has one but so few people engage it.
The more vivid you can imagine yourself achieving something the more likely you will be able to achieve it. Pretty simple stuff huh?
If you can't see yourself (Clearly) doing something why in the world would you expect to achieve it. The plain truth is if you can't see it you won't do it.
It all starts with you. Crank up your imagination! The world is waiting for you to claim your share of the available abundance.
It's not so easy to imagine yourself being very successful and wealthy. It's even more difficult trying to imagine a new life for you and your family.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Everyone has an inner voice that speaks to him, but very few people listen to it." I'm paraphrasing this based on my memory of it from 20 years ago. After reading that quote 75 times I began listening to what my inner voice was saying.
I turned my life upside down. I walked away from a six-figure income, a big job, a corner office, a big bonus, a company car, stock options, and at the time, all the security that came with a corporate job.
The decision to leave my job and start my sales training company was the most courageous decision I ever made - including the decision to volunteer to go to Vietnam.
It doesn't take courage to fire up your imagination. It takes courage to live the life you imagine. You and I are here only temporarily. Why not make the most of it?
Dream big!
Imagine vividly!
Establish goals that will light the way for the life you deserve to live.
The only acceptable place you'll find people with no problems and no goals is a cemetery.
Some people die early (Mentally and attitudinally) and get buried later.
Take hold of your life. Grab the wheel. Establish goals to eliminate future regrets.
I don't think it's the person with the most toys who wins.
I believe it's the person who dies with the fewest regrets.
You have my best wishes for a healthy, happy, and deliriously successful 2006.
If you're at a crossroads in your life and would like to talk to someone (Me) who has been there and done that successfully take a quick look at this link. I have enough wiggle room in my calendar to talk one-on-one with only 15 people.
Here's the link: http://www.meisenheimer.com/sales_coaching/oneonone.htm
Let's go sell something . . .

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By Jim Meisenheimer

Jim Meisenheimer publishes The No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income.
Use this link to sign-up for Jim's F-R-E-E No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report titled, "The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do." http://www.meisenheimer.com

4 "Sale Thieves" You Need To Be On The Lookout For

Many successful marketers began their careers as children setting up a lemonade stand or selling newspapers. Years of experience and exposure to more mature and intricate marketing techniques change a lot of things, but there is one aspect that is no different between selling glasses of lemonade and Internet marketing... customers have the power to decide whether or not to buy your product.
Yeah, the products and marketing methods are changing constantly, but the driving force that motivates sales remains unchanged... so do the 4 things that steal sales right out from under your nose.
1. The “I don’t need it” attitude. Let’s face it... need has little to do with what people buy or don’t buy in the American culture. Want has everything to do with whether they do or don’t buy. The most crucial aspect of getting a high number of sales is targeting the right market. It does little good to advertise to people who really aren’t interested.
What are you advertising? Where are you advertising? These two questions go hand in hand. If you’re trying to sell hunting gear, it would make little sense to target mothers with small children. Sure a FEW of them hunt, but your return for the cost of advertising is going to be pretty low. Pay attention to what your target audience reads, and invest your advertising bucks wisely.
2. The "I can’t afford it" attitude. In a few rare cases, that may be true, but usually “I can’t afford it” can be interpreted as, It’s not high on my list of priorities.” We can usually find the money for the things we really want.
Go ahead and MAKE your product or service a priority. Dramatize the benefits they’ll experience, sweeten the deal until it’s irresistible, and put a deadline on it. Make it “too good to pass up!”
3. The "I’m in no hurry" attitude. Procrastination is criminal in the marketing world. Yeah, procrastination steals money right out of our pockets! The customer comes... he sees... he wants... but when he puts it off, he never does get around to buying!
What happens in the short time after he walks out without the purchase? Time quietly fades the emotions that were driving the sale, and the desire to shell out the dinero for your product soon fades away entirely.
Don’t let them leave without making the purchase. Now you can’t put a gun to their head and force them to buy, but you can make a deadline on the special. A “take it or leave it” offer just might inspire the procrastinator to act now.
4. The "I don’t trust you" attitude. Buying is risky business, and most people fear making a foolish investment more than they fear never getting the product. You can allay those fears simply by implementing a few tactics that evoke trust and confidence for the buyer.
Offer an unconditional money back guarantee. You’ll effectively eliminated the risk factor that holds many consumers back.
Use testimonials to let prospective customers know that you do deliver, and a satisfied customer can say it way better than you ever could.
Be open to communication. Hey, when they know someone is willing to answer any question they have, the uncertainty evaporates.
Don’t let these four thieves steal any more of your profits. Deal with them effectively... get them out of the way!
Copyright 2006 Cutts Group, llc

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By Allyn Cutts

Who is Allyn Cutts, and why should you care? Allyn has spent over 24 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales to current customers. Allyn is a marketing and sales fanatic, providing measurable marketing solutions that drive huge results for small-to mid-size business clients. Allyn works personally with clients to design and deliver off-line and on-line direct marketing strategies that focus on metrics and measurable results. You can learn more about Allyn Cutts at http://www.AllynCutts.com and you can call 610.437.4106 between 10 AM and 4 PM Eastern Time Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Sales Words To Use & To Avoid

I come from a long line of communicators, salespeople, entrepreneurs, and even one telegraph operator.
All of them took language very seriously, and if you look at how they did in their careers, it worked out pretty well for them.
With this legacy in mind, please pardon me if I also show sensitivity to the impact of language. It's in my genes!
I suppose, if you want to be a word-nerd, it doesn’t hurt having a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School For Communication, at USC. (Occasionally, it can even get you some football tickets!)
Anyway, I’ve had such great responses to my articles about wimpy versus winning sales language that I thought I’d treat you to more examples of sales words to use and to avoid.
Typically, it is good sense to avoid using these weak-at-the-knees, trembling, weasel words and phrases:
I’d like to…
Perhaps…
Possibly…
Maybe…
Do you have a minute to talk?
I’m not interrupting anything, am I?
Substitute the following positive terms and combinations:
What we’ll do is…
What we do…
What we’re doing…
I’m sure you’ll find…
Definitely…
Certainly…
This will just take a second…
I’m a strong believer in the “Try it, you’ll like it!” approach to selling, and so I encourage you to put these improved words to use, every day, in your presentations.
And then tell me how you do, okay?
Dr. Gary S. Goodman © 2006
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. A frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide, Gary’s programs are offered by UCLA Extension and by numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. Gary is headquartered in Glendale, California. He can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.