Matthew G. Sikich II is The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Sales Training". You can find complete information on Matthew G. Sikich II and his products by visiting The 5 Buying Habits.
One of the most difficult questions in job interviews is: tell me about your weakness.
Most people find it a very uncomfortable question to answer, because it may affect their image in front of their potential employers. After all, no employer wants to hire a worker who is careless, lazy, ... Views: 1962
The sales manager is the sales rep’s direct line of communication between himself and his performance. If this line is cut, if the sales manager is somewhat incompetent or won’t do his job properly, then the company has a problem. One of the most important factors that could influence a sales ... Views: 1955
We’ve all sat through God-awful boring sales meetings right?
Not exactly a good time, as I’m sure you’d agree…
Has the thought ever occurred to you that your sales reps might feel like this almost every time you call a sales meeting?
“Positively absurd” you say!
Well, if you are one of the ... Views: 1946
Sales Objection Handling - "Send Something in the post"
This has to be one of the most horrible phrases ever heard by many salespeople. In fact it generally goes something like this:
"Send something in the post and we will call you if we are interested"
When many sales people hear this, ... Views: 1945
Facilitating the buying process can be very straightforward and fairly uncomplicated. Yet most professionals have no idea what it takes to guide a potential client through a decision making process. They are completely lost when it comes to effective follow-up and unsure how to best get ... Views: 1943
Ever wonder how your sales team is really doing using a whiteboard in sales with customers and prospects? If your staff is dispersed in regions or working remotely, worrying about performance standards could be keeping you up at night.
Sleepless nights? If nightmares about performance are ... Views: 1936
Telemarketing refers to the process of generating appointments or sales leads over the telephone. While some people love it, most people actually dread it. This marketing strategy requires a lot of hard work because people do not really like picking up the phone in the middle of dinner only to ... Views: 1935
There are many, in fact dozens of reasons having adequate life insurance coverage is important. Remember, when selling life insurance, you're not just out there making a living for yourself and YOUR family, you're laying the groundwork to protect the FUTURE of someone ELSE's family.
If you're ... Views: 1935
Top direct sales companies offer some of the most robust compensation to their direct sales reps. What Does it really take to earn a six figure or multiple six figure income from the comfort of your own home office? How is it done, and are you a person that can do it?
First off earning six ... Views: 1921
Sales Management II – What Managers Should Do for Off the Charts Selling
“A Sales manager’s job is to move sales people to do what works.” This is Part II of III - The “Do” of the key elements – “Move”, “Do”, and “What Works
The “Do”
“Do” means implementing the skills, techniques, ... Views: 1919
Whether you are a corporate sales executive needing to increase company revenues, a sales manager wanting to improve your team’s results, or a sales professional looking to invest in your own self improvement, you need to evaluate any sales or sales management training course properly before ... Views: 1917
In this struggling economy, you can’t listen to the radio, watch television, or read a newspaper without getting bombarded with stories about money woes. In these financial times, we have to challenge the idea of a recession. I believe that a recession can be viewed as more of a perception ... Views: 1914
Protect yourself and your sales team from this sales prospecting technique that is used to trick you into giving away the details of your best sales prospects and customers. It’s devious, underhand, and a scam that can catch out even the most experienced of sales people. In fact the more ... Views: 1914
I always knew in my heart that I had an awesome gift - just as you do. Just as we all do.
For years I secretly hoped that someone would recognize it and discover me. Maybe they would offer me a chance to speak on a big stage or, better yet, a TV show; something that would allow me to get my ... Views: 1914
During many sales training sessions, one of the biggest areas in anyone’s career development is the ability to stay focused. I call it the Focus Charting.
We all have special talents. Some people have more than others, like truly becoming a trusted advisor executing the Quid Pro Quo sales ... Views: 1910
Good writing is only one part of producing copy that converts well. You also have to be familiar with your audience and make them believe you have something they need. The following tips on copywriting will help you do just that.
When writing sales copy, it's important not to get carried away ... Views: 1909
One of the greatest gifts my sales mentor ever gave me was the belief in myself that I could be successful. I can still hear John’s Scottish accent ringing in my ear saying, “Once you have done it once, no one can tell you that you can’t do it again!” As he coached our sales team to greater ... Views: 1907
I have a special treat, as I’m pulling today’s article directly out of my 12-point Speak-to-Sell Signature Talk Formula.
This is #10, which is addressing the top three objections your ideal clients are likely to have to investing in your product, program or service. You can also call these ... Views: 1903
Salesmanship - I just love that word.
It's the ability to sell.
It's 50% art and 50% science. Of course that's
my opinion.
Ask most salespeople and they'll say it's 90% art and 10% science.
I know, because that's how I felt years ago. I believe there is a science to successful selling and ... Views: 1903
If you are a young professional entering the world of sales, you will most likely have goals for sales targets you want to reach. You will probably go into this new role with a lot of enthusiasm after watching movies of sales people having all the flashy cars etc… But then something happens. You ... Views: 1897
I received this note from a friend & business associate who is currently hunting for a new senior sales management position. Karen wrote this after attending a networking meeting for job seekers a few years ago and coming away with the impression that many people believe all you have to do is ... Views: 1892
Hypnotic Selling Techniques: Get Their Unconscious Mind to Say Yes
One of the most powerful ways to sell anything is to use the techniques of modern hypnosis.
In a clinical setting, a hypnotist gently guides the client into a trance. Once in that relaxed state, his or her unconscious mind more ... Views: 1892
Sales managers are the key to a company’s selling success. Their job is to move sales people to do what works. This is a three part article that reviews the key elements of the previous statement about a sales managers role – move, do, and what works.
Move
In the book Drive by Daniel ... Views: 1892
It starts off as curiosity about you.
"Hey Marlene, did you just publish a book?" Julia waived me over to join her at the local networking event inviting me into her little cluster of friends that included two guys and another female.
How exciting, I thought. I get to be introduced to ... Views: 1885
Promotional Products Distributors (PPD’s) don’t start out their business planning to fail. They just fail to plan! There are startling statistics of the number of PPD’s that don’t make it in this business. But, why is that? Following is my TOP TEN LIST to answer just ... Views: 1883
Staying competitive and productive is vital to your business growth. That is why reevaluating the lead generation program of your business from time to time is very important.
Is it working effectively? Are your telemarketing strategies still driving desired results? These are just some of ... Views: 1882
Annuity brokerage is a difficult area of sales. For insurance agents accustomed to selling policies, the annuities game could be a rude awakening. Despite the allure of bigger commissions and better rewards, annuities are not an easy path to doing more business. However, they can provide an ... Views: 1880
As a speaker, I present more than 50 times a year in a variety of venues and to a wide range of audience sizes. Whenever I'm attending events, whether it is an annual conference, sales training event or luncheon group, I'm always excited to hear other speakers. But to be honest, I'm often ... Views: 1871
Sales meetings are a fact of life and business and they are important for a variety of reasons. They allow larger companies to address the entire sales team as a group. They offer opportunities to provide additional training (product, skills, and technical). They help keep your team up-to-date. ... Views: 1871
Selling is stressful, and can be downright discouraging
I bet when you started your company you dreamed of freedom, being your own boss and big bountiful earnings. And my guess is you didn’t spend much time wondering how to get clients and polish up your sales skills! So often, my clients ... Views: 1871
Warren Buffett, the world’s greatest dealmaker, has two rules when making big deals: “Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget rule No. 1.”
Money is definitely an important part of the language of deal making. Do you speak in the terms of a big deal? Most sales people don’t ... Views: 1868
Turning a Simple Shopping Trip into a Great Learning Experience
My wife and I are the proud parents of two great kids—a teenage son and daughter. Our daughter is getting
ready to start college next week, and our son is like almost every other 15 year old, living life large with lots of ... Views: 1866
If you are going for an interview as a prospective employee then you should do some research. Read the job description and requirements carefully. Browse the web site to see how the organization presents itself. Search for news items and comments about the company on news sites and ... Views: 1866
To be successful in the direct sales business, you can find many good suggestions and tips online or from other direct sales consultants.
Here are a few of the most common ones:
* Set goals and work to achieve those goals.
* Network. Continually develop new contacts and ... Views: 1863
First things first. As an aspiring top sales manager, get your sales group to buy into the fact that achievement is the only permanent value of work and achievement only comes from relentless effort and commitment.
Say this in a group setting at first (at your first sales meeting to establish ... Views: 1862
First, what is lunch bucket mentality? Usually this phrase is referenced with football players and their approach to the game. “Rough, tough, lunch bucket group of guys”, is how the sportscasters and critics describe the best of the best players. They’ll do what ever it takes to win, a “real ... Views: 1857
Have you ever wondered why it's always the same people who are making the sales? While you know your pitch quite well, have studied the product inside out and attend every sales training invented? Throughout my career in sales I have observed many successful and unsuccessful sales people and let ... Views: 1856
I get so many requests asking me how to handle objections, that I thought I’d go ahead and give you the secret method that I reveal in my in-person trainings – the definite way you should handle and deal with all objections.
This is a Top 20% favorite and it works because you are not ... Views: 1855
We’re talking about how telling your story can reach your potential client. I want to you imagine that a sales representative for a soft drink company – let’s say, Pepsi – walked up to you and said, “I’d like to sell you one of my beverages.”
“All right,” you say. “What’ve you got?”
He ... Views: 1853
I want to talk about how to deal with one of the most frustrating and demotivating things that happen to people- the slump.
We all face them at one point or another, and how you handle yourself through a slump or “losing streak” determines how quickly you get out of it. As Dr. Suess says, ... Views: 1852
Your clients are in different places geographically, financially, and in their mindset. So when you’re looking for ways to meet them where they’re at, you have to be thinking about all three.
For example, we know that not everyone is going to be able to show up in Las Vegas next Thursday for ... Views: 1852
Manually entering contact information into a database is a tedious and distracting task to busy sales professionals. Focused on that month's target and existing deals in the pipeline, crucial contact information is often entered inaccurately or not entered at all. That partial or missing ... Views: 1847
Rapidly increase your sales this Christmas!
It's Christmas time, time to prepare yourself for the next round of explosive sales!
It’s easy to maximize your sales when you add more customers to your list. As this is the peak selling season, its time now to look for new customers ... Views: 1847
Sales ignorance is nothing to laugh about. In fact salespeople who are ignorant seldom realize it. Ain't that amazing?
Ten quick ways to becoming a sales ignoramus - really:
1. Keep everything in your head. Never write it down. Do you think it's possible to remember everything you ... Views: 1846
OVERVIEW
How would you like to leverage sales into a largely untapped market segment of potentially lucrative customers for your business that number in the millions and are convenient to target? The segment we recommend is the growing U.S. Hispanic market. According to the current U.S. Census, ... Views: 1845
You have the ability right now to learn what it takes to earn whatever income you want. That’s a pretty strong statement, but don't discount it until you've read the rest of this article.
Do you know that the majority of today’s leaders in business were in sales at one time or ... Views: 1830
Purchasing and sales pros alike are fascinated by commercial law. We should be; it is part of our daily experience and we need to be masters of it. The purchase and sale of goods is a matter of contract law and a PO is a contract. Yet very few of us have any formal education or training in ... Views: 1829
Are you and your teams giving effective PowerPoint sales presentations? Or are you guilty of putting audiences to sleep?
While sales professionals have the best intentions, poor sales presentations often stems from poor planning. It’s not that you are intentionally abusing your audience. But ... Views: 1827
Managing account activity of your sales reps is crucial especially if targets are missed on a regular basis. However sales managers must delve deep beyond mere account activity. They should determine how the particular account activity has progressed over time. The managers must find out how the ... Views: 1827
At one point or another, most of us have experienced that feeling of wanting to be “discovered” for our area of expertise. We secretly hope that someday, someone is going to recognize our brilliance and tell the world about it.
I have felt that way too. For decades, I secretly waited for that ... Views: 1826