Sales Training Articles

Success…what does it really mean for you personally and for your home based franchise? When I ask the question to prospects and leads, most times they are not able to tell me what their success would look like. If you don’t even know what success looks like for you and for your home business franchise how will you ever be able to take the actions necessary to actually become a success? So, before we move on; the very first thing you need to do is to get absolutely clear about what you want to achieve in your life.

Recently, many of my “students” have told me they CAN’T set goals because everything is changing and they aren’t sure what tomorrow holds. Changing economies is exactly WHY we should set goals! To start thinking about goals, reflect for a moment on this quote by Diane Scharf Hunt…"Goals are dreams with deadlines." Who couldn’t use a little dreaming today? And once we know our dreams, we need to capture them into specific, written and measurable goals. That is what

The difference between sales performance above expectation and sales performance below expectation is largely determined by small things that a sales manager can do every day to keep his sales team at the top of their game and highly motivated. If you are a front line sales manager, or an owner of a business, or maybe even in a sales training department, you are not out with your sales people all of the time, so you need to have them motivated even when you are not there. We

When people participate in our sales training courses we first ask them a series of questions to find out “where they are coming from.” We asked over 1,000 salespeople, “How do you feel when you are prospecting?” Over 96 percent agreed that they were felt anxious, stressed, under pressure, ...

Do you wake up each morning expecting great opportunities to present themselves to you? When you expect great opportunities they will be there, you only need to be ready to see them. Your attitude determines whether or not you’ll see those opportunities. n n Are you like Bob or Sam? The other day I ran into Bob. When I asked Bob how things were going he said, “terrible with the economy the way it is and living costs on the rise nobody has the money to buy insuranc

You are nature’s greatest miracle!! Think about that statement and realize how true it is. You are completely unique and there is not one other person out there that is like you. Og Mandino’s teaches in the fourth scroll that you are your own unique leader...a leader that people are looking for in their own home based franchise and in today’s age, a leader that people desperately need and want. You have unique qualities and knowledge that no one can teach like you can teach. As soon as you realize your uniqueness and you start to show it and act on it...

In 1999 Neil Rackham, one of the authors behind the sales bible, SPIN Selling, co-authored “Rethinking the Sales Force”, in which he posited that worldwide, the number of professional sales people would be reduced by 50% within 10 years. It’s been 11 years and whether that prediction has come to pass one thing is certain, being a sales rep today is even harder than it was then. In 1899 if you wanted to buy something that wasn’t made locally, you probably had to learn

Contrary to popular belief, to be a successful salesperson, it doesn't matter how much you know about your product or service. It also doesn't matter how much of an industry expert you are. It doesn't even matter how great your mother thinks you are. The only thing that really matters to be successful in selling is your ability to shut-up and listen.n nOn numerous occasions, everyone in sales has heard how important it is to get the customer talking, so it's imperative that t

How do you manage your time? During the last year I have had the honour of working with hundreds of sales people. When I ask the question – Who writes down what they need to do each day – at least half the room admits they do not write down their activities. If you don’t write down your tasks, how do you know if you accomplish them? If you are not documenting your goals and activities; how will you know if you have accomplished them? What is your mental and emotional goal fo

Build the most Irresistible offer of all Irresistible offers for your home based franchise. Remember the Ronco Commercials with their But Wait...There’s More slogan? OK… I am dating myself, aren’t I? But guess what; this method of building irresistible offers continues to work and it can for you and your home based franchise as well. You want to offer your prospects and leads more and more until even the most stubborn person can no longer resist. You might be thinking, but Jen, I can’t afford to do that...how will I ever make a profit in my home based franchise?

You have probably been told that the key to sales is closing. I beg to differ. In this article, a new perspective is shared on how sales really happens. Recently, I was asked to provide my thoughts on sales people and the requirement that they "ask for the business" as a closing technique. ...

1. Never negotiate with anyone who is not qualified to negotiate. If in doubt, ask your contact how they've handled a similar type of negotiating in the past. Listen for names, dates and other details that will provide clues as to their level of responsibility. 2. Never put things into writing unless you're prepared to live with them. Once an item is put into writing, it becomes an anchor either for you or the customer. This is especially critical when negotiating with a prof

Some reasons to provide awesome customer service to your customers are:nnIt doesn't cost you anything, so it's a great way to grow your business for free!nnIncrease customer and employee satisfaction. If you treat people well they will treat you well in return.nnIncrease customer loyalty, and therefore referrals.nnJust listening to your customers may reduce your costs, do it right the first time.nnIncrease competitiveness, market share and profits.nnWord of mouth advertising.

Have you noticed that suddenly you’re negotiating with your customers and prospects through email? They don’t have time for face-to-face or phone meetings. Instead, they’d just like “a few quick questions” answered through email so they can make a decision. As this occurs, it’s critical that sales reps adjust their easy-going sales prospecting email approach to a more formal and professional business writing style to successfully negotiate in this new manner. Here are a few ways in which sales prospecting emails and negotiation emails are different so you know what to change.

Good sales is important to business development, anything that can give you an extra edge is worth thinking about. How NLP can achive a huge increase to your sales conversions is the subject of this article.nnWe make meaning from our experiences, this is what NLP is about. As a sales professional being able to change the meaning your prospect has about your product is extremely useful. You can do this with NLP. Below are a few of the many NLP techniques and how they relate to

This is a big Sales Tip for you. In the mid-19 60s there was a TV show titled "I Spy." The show featured Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. The title of the show got me thinking about intelligence and how it can be collected easily today. Years ago if you want to keep tabs on your competition you ...

Email has become the primary communication tool for sales reps. We use email to prospect instead of cold call. We confirm meetings via email. We follow up on sales calls with an email. We answer prospects’ questions through email. We discuss proposal terms in email. Some savvy sales reps even close the sale through email! For the last two years I’ve guided sales reps on how to write prospecting emails that get a response. I’ve shared all my secret tips and tricks and they’re working for you!

What REALLY drives people to do business with you? You might think it's your expertise, product knowledge, great service, or even competitive pricing. Sure, all these factors are important, but in today's crowded marketplace they are not enough to distinguish you from the others who offer the same products or services as you. The Number 1 Factor in Effective Selling There is one powerful distinction in sales that gives certain professionals a profound advantage: Regardless

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is trying to go for the close too soon. Now I don’t literally mean asking for the sale. What I mean by going for the close too soon is that you jump to your solution or outcome too soon in the sales conversation ruining any chances you have for closing anything. n n Here’s how and why it happens. You and the prospect are having a nice sales conversation. You’re sitting there patiently waiting for the prospect to tell

We all have people in our lives whose contact we welcome, and those whose contact we consider unwelcome. At the "welcome" end of the spectrum are our family and friends. At the "unwelcome" end of the spectrum are telemarketers and spammers. The former we're eager to interact with; the latter we detest and try our best to avoid or get rid of. Then there's everyone in between.

The roots of selling has rooted from hundreds of years ago, the first merchants of the world were featured in our history books, crossing the world with galleons bringing along their merchandise. People bartering things have been the system of their business trade till the emergence of money. People would trade items that are convenient for both parties through negotiation. rnToday, with the fast and increasing modality of the peoples lifestyle, selling merchandises have gone

F.E.A.R. as defined by many personal development gurus (the revered and even the self-proclaimed) is defined as False Evidence Appearing Real. To close big deals, and large clients, especially in turbulent or uncertain times is all about taking the F.E.A.R out of saying yes. Often the ...

Sergio Garcia probably can't teach you much about selling. As a matter of fact, you can probably teach him more about selling than he'll ever need to know. But there is something about Sergio Garcia and the game of golf, which if applied to the game of selling, can be very instructive for ...

The following story tells how a customer experience went from funny to sad in less than 24 hours, and five secrets to creating an outstanding customer experience.nnRecently, Joy and I were invited to go to a local comedy club. It was one of those clubs where you eat dinner while listening to the comedians.nnWe had a very enjoyable evening with our hosts. The comedians were funny and the meals were delicious. The server gave us our check for the meals and, after perusing the b

There is a lot of articles on the internet about what NLP is, how great it is for improving just about everything and why we should all learn something about the subject. Whilst I agree with all of this I think that there is a need to sometimes explain what makes NLP so great. This article sets out some of the reasons why every sales professional would do well in attending a NLP practitioner course.nnSelling with NLPnnAny good NLP Practitioner course would be great for a sale

All sales managers know it takes more than the gift of the gab to make a great salesperson. There are many characteristics to be taken into consideration in a prospective employee, if goals are going to be met, business relationships are going to be effective and sales pitches are going to be productive. Insight focus and fire There is usually a long journey before a sales pitch takes place - a journey that has to be visualised initially and then carried out. Because a salesp

Like most business people, I receive my fair share of cold calls. During a more recent call, the person calling said that she worked for one of North America’s largest website developer. She then asked me two questions; nn“Was I the person in charge of web design for my company?”n“Did I currently have a website?”nnAfter I responded positively, she began blabbering on for a several minutes and it was evident that she was reading a script. Of cours

Setbacks are your opportunity to make powerful comebacks. Throughout your working years as a service business owner you will experience adversity from both internal and external forces. If you lack persistence and determination you will crumble and lose it all. n n With persistence and determination, and belief in yourself you will overcome all adversities and succeed. It’s now who you know or what you know it’s your determination and persistence that will guarant

What makes one tradeshow exhibit memorable and another so-so? What can exhibitors do to get attendees talking after the show? What can motivate visitors who may have had no previous intention of visiting your booth decide that they definitely have to stop by?nnEntertainment! According to tradeshow research, live presentations are the third most important reason why people remember the exhibit. Numbers one and two? Booth size and product interest. If you've got a limited exhib

When you open your appointment book does it look like your bank account? Empty! Can you sit in your office for hours on end with no interruptions in the form of phone calls from potential prospects and suspects dropping in? Feeling as lonely as the Maytag repairman? n n Well, at least you know what the problem is. You don’t have enough prospects or you aren’t able to secure an appointment with the prospects you do have. Either way there’s one simple reason t

Still can't make a decision in your home based franchise, even after everything you have seen and read? I can understand that and in fact, indecision is one of the biggest reasons of failure. I recently wrote an article for JBS Communications...the newsletter I publish every other week and it talks about the 4 questions that I personally ask myself when making any major decision. I thought I would pass it along right now...to help you in your decision making process for any major decision that you face. The term “decision” is thrown around a lot.

You probably hear it all the time: You must be willing to fail in order to win. As you probably suspected, most people are not are not willing to take the failure walk for their home based franchise and that is what stops 97% of entrepreneurs dead in their tracks. The fear of failure has people giving eulogies to their goals, hopes and desires. Recently, I came across some very powerful information that I’d like to share with you this week.

Establishing maximum value for your price is never easy. In today's volatile economy, it's even more of a challenge. For most companies, costs are increasing, yet the ability to pass them along to the customer is fraught with numerous roadblocks. The customer's response to a price increase is rarely positive, with the usual line of objections that go along with it. In addition, there are the concerns that a competitor's price may undercut yours or that the customer may choose

In sales effectiveness is doing the right things to produce the desired result which is more sales. Your effectiveness is dependent on your actions, and the relationships you form with clients and prospects. You can’t be effective if you don’t understand your client’s and prospect’s goals, and you won’t discover those goals if you can’t form relationships. n n Your relationship and credibility is what provides you with the opportunity to ga

The best of the best sales people find managing their sales leads through the sales cycle challenging, but essential. Controlling activities at each stage of your sales cycle is key to success in sales. The Sales Cycle is a great model to use to help you to plan, to set goals and to increase success in sales. Success comes from managing each stage of the sales cycle effectively. This involves having a personal management system, where you sit down at least once every week to

You've read many books and articles on why having specific goals is so important. Goals help keep you focused, keep you motivated, reinforce progress, etc. And I'm sure you're all familiar with the rules of goal setting -- make them specific, write them down, put a timeline on them, keep them ...

Do you have a sales strategy plan for growing your business and bringing in more sales? The dictionary’s definition of a “strategy” is a plan of action intended to accomplish a specific goal; a method of making, doing, or accomplishing something. Your sales strategy plan is a very clear statement of what your business has to do for you to achieve your sales goals. The wonderful thing about having a plan is it gives you a sense of control over the direction of change in your life. Now, the type of pla I’m talking about is a plan for growing your sales and clients.

Recently, I found myself dealing with a retail salesperson who was attempting to explain to me the benefits of the item I was looking to buy. As I stood there listening to him, I was struck not by what he was saying but how he was saying it. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the ...

You get a call from a new prospect who wants to meet with you and discuss your solution. He gives you a 30 minute time-slot four days from now. Unfortunately, you didn’t take the time to ask this new prospect any questions during your brief telephone conversation and now you’re concerned because thirty minutes isn’t much time to fully explore his situation AND present your solution. Here’s how you can master that sales meeting. First, your main objectives are to gain

How would you like to become a better sales manager? Keep reading this and you’ll get some ideas on how to do it. Okay, one day I'm a sales representative and the next day I'm a sales manager. I can't begin to explain how excited and scared I was. My goal had become my reality and frankly, after a few days, it scared the crap out of me. It's a little bit like joining the U.S. Army on Monday and Wednesday they give you the keys to a Blackhawk helicopter. And they expect you to be able to fly it.

You hear it all the time -- if your price is higher than your competition you're told to “build value." You’re instructed to stress the quality, the warranty, the features, etc. But your prospects have heard all that before, haven’t they? Want a better way? Let’s face it -- prospects will ...

One of the most effective ways in getting more business is following up with the prospect. Sadly, 80% of sales opportunities are missed because people do not follow up consistently. Studies have shown that most prospects, who do not buy short-term, usually make a purchase within 12 months. When ...

According to Wikipedia the "Unique Selling Proposition (also Unique Selling Point) is a marketing concept that was first proposed as a theory to explain a pattern among successful advertising campaigns of the early 1940s. It states that such campaigns made unique propositions to the customer and ...

Our thoughts tend to be always at the foundation of our behaviors. If our thoughts are fixed on the aim of making a sale, then we’re certainly not being forthright. We’re not centered on the chat or the reality of the situation. We’re going after persons -- or at least going after the sale. Let us discuss four critical ways to assist end this “chasing game” in the cold calling efforts. 1. Avert reading from a script Life is not a script, nor are regular conversation

Being able to overcome the ill effects of rejection is vital to success in sales. This technique for handling rejection comes from one of my mentors, Tom Hopkins. If you focus on this sales prospecting technique when you get rejected you'll turn the bad feelings into good feelings. If you're ...

I'm sure you'll agree, establishing rapport and trust with your prospects is one of, if not the most important presentation skills you can learn. It's been said many times, people only buy from people they like and trust. Have you ever had an experience with a salesperson and you have said to ...

Do you know that the word can’t is the most frequently used word out of an unsuccessful home based franchise entrepreneur’s mouth? I challenge you take a look at this unfortunate word and really think about how many times you might use it in one day. The word can’t is a word that I detest, is the worst of the four letter words and I do not tolerate it’s usage in my house or in my home based franchise. Most people use it far too often, very casually and most importantly...they use it inaccurately. Truly, think about when you use can’t.

Last year I was in the process of selling my House and had invited a number of Estate Agents around to show me why they should be get my business. The process was an eye opener and one that left me totally unimpressed with some of the Agents I met. They were there to sell me on the benefits of why I should place my house on the market with them yet they could not even sell themselves. One Agent even delighted in telling me: "Oh no, I'm not a salesman.

This article is intended to explain how and why you need to start and use your own eBay store. After reading this article you should be able to easily understand the importance of having an eBay store and know how to set one up.nnAccording to eBay, "over 75% of eBay store owners say that opening an eBay store has significantly increased their sales" (eBay, 2007). Quite simply, if you buy and sell on eBay, either as a hobby or full time job, you are falling behind if you don't