Sales Training Articles

You may not realize it, most of us are into sales, even if it’s not really part of your title or job specification. Remember that even if you’re not selling goods or services, you still have to sell yourself and your ideas. Here are more tips and reminders on how to succeed in sales. 1. Follow up on your sales leads.  You’ll never know where new business opportunities could come from. So be ready at all times. And when you already get that lead , particularly if you t

The only referrals that matter are the good ones. Sounds like a no-brainer statement. However, too many people don’t get it. It’s my belief that their thought process is slightly mixed up. They either think that offering a referral (regardless of its quality) will make them look good, or they think if they offer one they’ll get one in return. Either way, it is a bad idea. When you give garbage you do real damage to your brand and your reputation. Not only will people stop trusting you, but they won’t give you any referrals.

You love a good story, I love a good story, everyone loves a good story. Stories are how we learn and how we remember things. Stories simplify the complicated and support our beliefs. And stories are one of the most powerful tools you can use in a sales conversation if you know how to tell a good story. n n A good story must be engaging and brief. Your prospects don’t want to hear some protracted story, and they certainly don’t want to hear a long story that doesn

The trade show floor is full of different types of people with different agendas. Some people have specific goals for attending the show; others do not. As an exhibitor your observation and questioning skills will be your key to determining who may be a viable sales prospect. Familiarize yourself with the various visitor types likely to frequent the tradeshow floor.n n1. Definites. If you have done a thorough job of preshow marketing, definite prospects and customers will vis

When you make contact with a new prospect—either by telephone or in a face-to-face meeting—you have an extremely short window of time to connect with them. If you fail to achieve this they will quickly tune you out. Here are several things you can do to lose your prospect’s attention in the first five seconds of the conversation: 1. Start a telephone conversation with, “Hi, how are you?”rn2. Open your conversation by introducing yourself, your company and what you d

Success is a Choice Achieving sustained success is not all that complicated, unless we choose to make it so. Success is truly a choice. For many, the benefits of success are illusive. These people struggle, search and try year after year to create a life filled with financial security, ...

My wife and I watched the movie Ray a couple of weeks agowhen it came out on DVD. In the movie Jaime Foxx plays thelegendary singer Ray Charles. I was amazed at how Jaime hadcaptured the essence of Ray Charles. Many times throughoutthe movie I wondered if it was Jaime Foxx or Ray Charles I was ...

We are living not in an economic storm…but the Perfect Storm. I realize that there are those of you out there that are shaking their heads at this statement. Because of everything you hear in the media you are afraid to do any expanding in your home based franchise. Because of the global doom and gloom that we hear about on a daily basis we are second guessing every decision and action that we take in our home based franchise.

I would like you to do something for me. Take your left and right index finger and point them to your head. The area to point them at is just behind your ears on each side toward the top of the ear. Now if you push really really hard…. No, that might hurt and not be good for you. But if you ...

Anthony Robles is indeed “Unstoppable.” If he was in sales he'd be an "Unstoppable Sales Professional." He's a one-legged, 125lb, National Wrestling Champion. He beat Matt McDonough in the NCAA National Wrestling Championship. He's 23 and he's already a successful motivational speaker. And big deal - he bench presses 300lb. He only weighs 125 lbs. so it is a big deal. His next adventure is taking up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes. He's also considering the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. This guy is amazing.

What can you say about a minute? That is what can you say about a minute other than it being 60 seconds. Well, what you decide to do with that minute can have a profound effect on your sales career. If you want to be successful, which I'm sure you do, then you must realise that every minute matters. It is a common trait amongst all successful sales people that even though they have extremely busy schedules, more so than most in fact, they always seem to make time for that little extra that make such a big difference in their lives.

Do you have a clearly defined product that you offer to people? I find that a lot of service providers don't take the time to create a package or product offer that is consistent and covers most possibilities. What happens is they price on the fly. They use hourly rates and provide unique pricing for each prospect. The problem with this is that often, these same business owners end up feeling like they didn't price the project successfully. So, what can you do about this? 1. Decide

How to become a good sales manager is what every new manager thinks about. Unfortunately most new sales managers aren't adequately trained before they jump into the new job. So what did I do when I was a new manager? Plain and simple, I just hit the ground running as fast as I could. I did what most new sales managers do under similar circumstances - I improvised. Here's the formula: Instinct + Intuition = Improvisation It's the default position for people who don't have access to the acquisition of new skills - in this case Sales Management skills.

Recently, during a conversation with friends, someone wondered aloud why we are often more polite and patient with strangers than with those closest to us. It really is a great question, and one, I am sure, many of us can relate to. Perhaps familiarity does bread contempt, perhaps we feel ...

I know we talk a lot about understanding the value of your product or service. Today I’d like us to explore your value. Do you really appreciate what your product or service does for your clients? Do you believe you are pricing it appropriately? It is really easy to decide for your clients how much they can afford or wish to pay. However, that is not the best way to price your product/service. And here’s why. 1. Chaos

As sellers, we know that one of the keys to opening doors with new prospects lies in positioning our solutions as something different from the competition. In fact, sales and marketing departments spend a significant amount of time trying to determine exactly what their company's unique selling proposition is, and the best way to explain it to potential clients. But is it possible there's more to the equation? What many sales reps don't realize is that they have another competitive advantage, and one that no one else can match: their own skills, talents, and expertise.

Integrity in sales starts when you look someone in the eye, shake their hand and introduce yourself. If you start off the relationship by being disingenuous about your position why would anyone want to buy from you? Since the early 90's the word "consultant" has become the buzz-word for sales ...

Learn to Listen WellnnA vital key to sales success is listening. The ability to listen well is absolutely indispensable for success in all human relationships. The ability to be a good listener in a sales conversation is the foundation of the new model of selling. It leads to easier sales, higher earnings and greater enjoyment from the sales profession.nn Being A Good Talker is Not Enough nMany salespeople have been brought up with the idea that, in order to be good at your p

A disconnect exists between sales managers and recruiters that causes challenges for both. Together, they can resolve this issue by creating their company’s Sales Talent Screening Program. Candidate screening is one of the most difficult tasks that recruiters and managers face. Most will ...

Journal entry: December 10, 2009rn“My calendar is full and my sales are on track. Looks like I’ll end the year ahead of target. This means my boss will finally stop bugging me to get my sales on track. After several years of developing my client base, I’m making headway. That means I can finally relax and start taking it a bit easier. I can’t coast but the momentum should carry me well into next year and by then I’ll have even more customers to which will make it ea

When I took my coaching training, I had spent many years on my own self-growth as I simultaneously assisted others with life challenges. I thought I was pretty self-actualized. I gave myself permission to do most everything that appealed to me, including moving across the country at age 40 and going back to school to formalize my counseling training at age 49. But nothing prepared me for the turnarounds that happened during and after my coaching training. I discovered that I

You mean to tell me another time extension is needed to get this done. Haven’t you already had two extensions and increased budget for this project asks the president. Yes we have and there have been all kinds of problems that have come up, we are not getting the support from the other ...

We all know selling in a tough economy can be challenging, but there ARE things you can do to ensure you prosper during these trying times. Here are five more tips for actions you can take to help unlock the potential of your sales activities over the next 90 days. 1. Give something of value today. When we talk about value, we don’t necessarily mean you have to give something of huge monetary away. It also doesn’t have to be your product or service given away. Information

© 2004nhttp://www.marketingwords.com nnIt only makes sense. You have an e-commerce catalog site. You want lots of visitors to come to your site and buy. The best (and most cost-effective) way to do that is with great search engine placement. However, search engines are text machines, and most catalogs don’t have a lot of text, so herein lies the problem.nnThe obvious answer is that you need more copy on each page. However, the pictures of your products are just as importan

Even the most sales savvy among us have had to fight back the nerves that materialize whenever we are faced with telling a customer about a price increase. Talking about it never makes for an easy conversation. When discussing a price increase in a business-to-business environment, it is important to remember that our customers have probably had to have the same discussion with their own customers. A company exists only as long as it earns a profit and it can only do that if

For those of you who don't know - I come from VERY humble beginnings. I grew up in a little town so small it was actually called a HAMLET! There are so many advantages to growing up in a little place like that. You're surrounded by people who KNOW WHO YOU ARE. (now as a kid and especially a ...

For most women, becoming a mother is a turning point in their career. It’s a time in one’s life that’s rife with challenges, frustrations, and uncertainties, but it’s also when many of life’s most rewarding achievements and miraculous moments occur. What many new moms figure out rather quickly ...

“It’s not in the budget.” Sound familiar? This is probably the number one objection most salespeople have experienced the last two years, and it’s not a smoke screen. What do you do when your prospects tighten their purse strings? The primary reason sales people encounter this objection is because their product or solution isn’t a high priority. Businesses highest priorities are their Critical Success Factors (CFS). If anyone of these factors fails, the business will eventu

At first glance, there’s no connection between Disney’s Winnie the Pooh and tradeshows. The same is true of Piglet, Tigger, and the rest of the gang. What could this cuddly group of childhood favorites possibly teach us about exhibiting?nnnnSurprisingly, quite a bit. There are some very strong similarities between Winnie the Pooh and the other inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Woods and many tradeshow exhibitors. Don’t believe me? Take a look and see how many of your staf

When in Rome… Do as the Romans Do Ask any CFO what their first impression is when they hear the words ‘Sales Training’ and they might communicate back their ‘Real world’ vocabulary of ‘un-accountable’ and ‘un-measurable’. Simply put, they ...

The market today is flooded with options and even when you want to purchase a camcorder you can be confused by the number of brands and configurations. When you want to but a camcorder, think about what you intend to use the camcorder for and how extensive your use will be. Don’t just buy the most expensive because it takes your fancy.nnThe World Wide Web is the most comprehensive source for buying camcorders. Online e-commerce sites offer a wide range of camcorders manufac

by Karon Thackston © 2007, All Rights ReservednnIt's one of the worst things to ever happen in the search engine copywriting field: the discovery of keyword density. I won't venture off into a discussion about whether keyword density is still a valid measure of search engine optimized (SEO) copywriting success. I will say, however, that the mere introduction of this concept led to the mutilation and destruction of innocent copy all across the globe. Without any regard to flo

Albert Einstein formulated the theory that says that space and time are relative concepts rather than absolute concepts. For example, consider a car speedometer reading at 65 miles per hour. How fast is the car going? This question seems like the beginning of the joke of who is buried in Grant's ...

In this episode we are going to teach you about enthusiasm as a sales manager. And what every sales manager ought to know, but nobody will tell you about sales management. On our continuing series on motivational profiles in your sales people, what we talk about today what we talk about will particularly helpful in the people motivated by the people-social interaction affiliation motivational profile as well as the praise and encouragement profile that you can get only inside

My kids taught me a lot about marketing communication when they were teenagers. My son had me playing 20 questions. When I asked what he'd done at school or out with his friends the night before, I'd get one of two classic teenage responses; "Stuff" or "Nothing". I'd have to pepper him with questions to learn any more. With my daughter, I could hardly get a word in edgewise. She's a great storyteller, but she wanted to tell me everything about everyone. Neither of them were

© 2004nhttp://www.copywritingcourse.com nnI have to admit, I was curious. When I saw previews of a new show called “The Apprentice,” it made me want to at least watch the premiere to see what was going on. Immediately, I was hooked. The whole idea of candidates - from all walks of life, not just college grads fresh from their commencement ceremonies - vying for a position in one of Donald Trump’s organizations piqued my interest. What kept my interest were the real-lif

© 2004nhttp://www.copywritingcourse.com nnI was in shock. Honestly, I shook my head when I read his email. I meant no disrespect; I just couldn’t believe he really felt that way.nn“Karon, I want you to write the sales letter for my site. How much will it cost me?” read his note. After looking at his home page and evaluating his target audience, I didn’t feel a sales letter would be the best type of copy for his site. When I sent him my suggestion he replied with some

© 2004nhttp://www.copywritingcourse.com nnI was in shock. Honestly, I shook my head when I read his email. I meant no disrespect; I just couldn’t believe he really felt that way.nn“Karon, I want you to write the sales letter for my site. How much will it cost me?” read his note. After looking at his home page and evaluating his target audience, I didn’t feel a sales letter would be the best type of copy for his site. When I sent him my suggestion he replied with some

Do you ever shake your head and wonder why so many prospects fail to pull the trigger when you've clearly made a compelling case for them to do so? To those of us in Sales, it makes no sense - it's clear as day that they should. But for some reason we can't fathom, it often doesn't appear to be ...

I have a friend who is a sales professional and he is very successful in his field. I asked him about the secret to his meteoric success.nnIf you are selling products that everybody needs, apparently everyone is your prospect. This is what happens to my friend. Everybody he sees is his potential customers.nnHere is the secret what my friend told me. When he first started his business, he made a lot of cold calls. He walked into a shop and made friends with the owner or staff

Closing the sale has always been what we have been told to do - the "ABC of selling" and "lots of little Yes lead to a big Yes" were designed to do just that. These tactics can work for low-end consumer sales, very small business sales and industries where you do not rely on repeat business or ...

Jed (a hypothetical salesperson) keeps getting what sound like positive buying signals with his prospecting calls. Somehow, though, he's not getting very far. "People tell me to call back in two months, four months, six months, when they will be looking at this problem" he says, perplexed. "When I call back, I get people telling me how glad they are that I called ... but my close ratio is low, and my sales cycles are way too long. What's going on?" In response, I would give

It's not always about sales training. The most common mistake I see with Services marketing is the 'it's all about me syndrome'. All of a company's letters, web site, and networking interactions are all about the company and what you can do. Without being too brutal here, most people do not care! They are not too interested in knowing what you HAVE, DO, or KNOW. They want to know what is in for the them. In the simplest scenario they have a problem and they are looking for a solution. The company that can clearly articulate -r

I was at an event recently and one of the scheduled speakers failed to turn up. Never being short of something to say or a desire to help other business owners I volunteered to do a 10 minute 'open floor.' When asked what the most pressing sales challenges in the room were, One of the other attendees put his hand up and said: "Everything else is Fine but I always have trouble closing" Now this is a statement or questio I hear quite a lot. It can be caused because of a number of reasons but I thought we would start at the beginning and asked:

We live in a quick-fix society so it’s no wonder that many salespeople look for the magic cure or band-aid solution to increase their sales. However, I believe that success in sales follows a basic set of rules.nnFill the pipeline. Many people experience tremendous peaks and valleys in their sales because they do not consistently prospect for new business. This frequently occurs when a sales person is busy. They neglect to prospect because it is the least enjoyable aspect o

A Different Mindset for Successful Realtorsn572 Wordsn4 - 5 Minutes We have trained hundreds of Realtors and Brokers. Most of them were already quite successful before they enrolled in our sales training courses. And, all of them had previously been trained by one or more of the well known ...

Sales lessons can be discovered anywhere including a 10 day cruise to the Caribbean. Be adette, my wife, and I drove from our home in Lakewood Ranch Florida to Fort Lauderdale the day before ship was to leave port. We stayed at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel just minutes from the Port Of ...

Survey the crowd at any trade show, and one trend immediately makes itself apparent. Attendees are getting younger. The infamous Baby Boomers are preparing for retirement, and Gen X’ers have moved into upper management positions. Now we’re exhibiting for Generation Y.n nThe members of Generation Y were born between 1977-1994. It’s a huge demographic, with over 68 million individuals, 40% of which are already employed full-time. While it’s always unwise to indulge in s

My silent fish tank was no more. Enough water had evaporated to make the filter gurgle. It was highly annoying and I knew I wouldn’t be at ease until it was silent again, so I filled the tank. Did I fill it to satisfy a want or a need? Does it really matter? Probably not. The gurgling tank was an unacceptable problem that required a solution: more water. I was able to solve the problem on my own. If it had turned out that my fish tank gurgled because my filter was broke I w

Do you ever get frustrated with your marketing? Are you putting in a lot of effort but not getting the results you want? Don't you wish you could just hit a switch and get a better response from your mailings, sales calls and web site? You hear a lot about breakthroughs; is it all hype, or can you really create a breakthrough in your marketing and sales? I know that you can. I spent last weekend skiing in Vermont with my spouse, nephew and his finance Sonia. We were all hav