Sales Training Articles

Cold calling would never be my first recommendation for success, but there are times when you may have no alternative. So, why not learn how to do it well if you have to do it anyway. There are a few simple things you can do to do it better and have greater success. n n If you’re fairly new in the industry your sales manager will force you to do it, and if you’ve been in the industry awhile but you’ve never learned how to market yourself you may have to do i

Persistence is good, but not if you're persistently doing the wrong things. That's just being pig headed and stupid. But you do it because you allow yourself to be mislead into thinking that sales is a numbers game and that if you just keeping doing it you’ll eventually get what you want. n n Sales is a numbers game for sales people who haven’t taken the time to set themselves up for success. If you don’t want to keep getting rejected and walking away withou

Everybody likes to buy, because buying is fun. If you don’t believe this, try to find a parking space at a shopping mall, or a seat at an auction, this weekend. However, while buying is fun and exciting, nobody likes to be sold. The truth is: the best salespeople don’t “sell” their customers; they help them buy.nn• Get emotional. When presenting your product or service, do not attempt to appeal strictly to the buyer’s rational mind with a l

A High Quality and Easy Installation TV Wall Mount Bracket mean you'll have your Plasma TV on the wall mounted and looking great in no time. This system is easier for clients to use to buy varied tv stands, lcd brackets and wall mounts.nnPlasma TVs have excellent sightliness from a wide spectrum of angles, LCD Flat Panel Articulating Wall Mount provides a cost effective mounting solution for users. These plasma tv brackets will hold the tv in right place.nnThe adapter plates

When customer retention is falling or returns and cancellations are increasing it doesn't take a genius to determine something is terribly wrong. The exact reason(s) these bad things are happening may be related to actions taken by someone other than you. It really doesn’t even matter whose fault it is, what does matter is that it’s your bank account that is being negatively impacted. n n Your career sales training may not have prepared you for this, but you have

If you believe that line your sales and marketing plan is headed for zero results. Here’s why most ads don’t work: people don’t read ads, you have your picture in the ad and no one cares, your ad doesn’t say anything that interests your potential readers, and your ad doesn’t have a valid reason for your reader to want to connect with you. Consequently you spend a lot of money running ads that get you no results now and will continue to get you zero results as long a

There's plenty of competition for the price shoppers, and you don't want to play that game. Price shoppers are the worst clients you could ever ask for, so why would you ever want to attract them? But that’s exactly what you’re doing when you offer to quote someone insurance. n n Let the price shoppers search the internet or bother your competition for quotes, but don’t let them bother you. There is a very good reason for both you and the customer for not si

Insurance sales success is a real challenge that few can achieve. Why is it so hard, and how can you make it easier for you? Insurance sales success is so hard because you’re asking people to make decisions to avoid a pain that might not happen, and they don’t want to think about, and that they think won’t happen to them. Sitting down with you is like a failing student being called to the principles office to discuss what they’re going to have to do to pass. Does that

Has a prospect ever told you they wanted to buy, and then changed their mind? Or they bought and then almost immediately backed out of the deal, wanted a refund, or canceled their premium. Were you left wondering how that could happen when they seemed so excited and on board? n n If you’ve never experienced this you’ve got to be green. Every beginner and many seasoned professionals experience this and they don’t understand why it happens. The explanation is

The secret of sales successnnThere are number of books written in sales and marketing but all the tricks, techniques and methods narrows down to only few principles. You would have heard over and over again that sales in a number game. Do you know why?nnBecause sales is not about calling 20 times to some one who is not at all interested in your product and try manipulate the buyer. A sale is easy if you know to find the one who is interested in your product and also has the c

The guidelines of the public sale Regardless of whether on the internet or even traditional, online auctions are very well-liked and also have already been a significant appeal with regard to entrepreneurs in addition to typical people also it been around so far as it's possible to find in background. Online auctions possess been around because the beginning of your time, plus they merely ongoing changing together with it's culture. If you're a new comer to auctioning or even

The ugly truth is that most salespeople have poor or non-existent follow-up. And you have all kinds of excuses for why you don't do it. Let’s take a look at them, and you’ll begin to understand that a lot of your sales struggles are the result of your behaviors rather than your skills. n n You collect leads at trade shows, networking events, tips groups, etc. and you never contact the people whose card you have in your possession. These are people that you’v

Top producer’s don’t become top producers by being “also rans” in the business. Sales is risky business, and if you want to succeed you need to be willing to take some risks. Now I’m not talking about willy-nilly risks or life threatening risks I’m talking about calculated risks that present a greater potential for gain than what you’re doing now. Your peers may wonder what you’re doing, but when you start getting great results

Win or lose, how diligent are you in placing a call to get feedback from your clients about why they did or didn’t choose you? There is so much to learn — whether to identify strengths you hadn’t even recognized as such that you can use to win future business, to know what appeals most to your client so you can be extra sure to deliver on that, or to correct misses and prevent them from happening to sink future deals.nnEven if you ask for feedback and get ju

The Law of ReciprocitynThe Law of Reciprocity means to give and take mutually, to return in kind or even in another kind or degree. The law of reciprocity simply means that when someone gives something you feel an obligation to give back.nStephen Covey, author of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, uses the phrase “emotional bank account” to describe the principle of reciprocity and the corresponding credit-withdrawal process in relationships. Using the met

How many times have you met with a prospect, heard what they said, and then offered a solution only to be told “no”? More often than not, right? Well you may be causing yourself to get a “no” when you should be getting a “yes”. n n Of course, you don’t want a “no” but you don’t realize what you’re doing that is causing the “no”. So let’s replay the scenario and discover where you’re goin

CREATING A BUSINESS PLAN LIKE THE “PROS”nnnA business plan is like a blue print. Without one, the structure of your business becomes unsound, without focus and a haphazard project. Every sales professional, no matter what the basis of his or her business is, must build a business plan for success, and think like the CEO of their company. nnIt’s easy to brush aside the concept of a business plan. It is not enough to have an “idea” of how to do bus

Can’t you tell when somebody wants something from you? I certainly can. And it usually feels inconvenient and intrusive. n So you can understand, then, why potential clients will often run for cover when your cold call is only about "making the sale." n Most people sense that cold calls are self-serving to the person calling. You can almost hear the unspoken thought, "You want something, right? Otherwise why would you be calling?" This triggers almost immediate resistance.

Her name was Cindy, but around the office, she was better known as "Solitaire Cindy." Whenever I walked by her desk, the Solitaire screen on her PC was running. Frankly, it bugged me. Why should Solitaire Cindy game her day away while I busted my hump in my job, along with my fellow employees? I asked her manager how she felt about that. She sighed, "For what we pay Cindy, she does a decent job, so she's earned the right to futz around." nnI even talked with Cindy myself, hop

You probably think creativity is something those artsy aesthetics types have. You may be surprised to know that creativity is a learned skill. And you may be ever more surprised to learn that creativity can be a skill that leads to improved sales techniques. n n Creativity is just a thought process that produces ideas. To become creative you need a positive attitude. And you need to be open to allowing yourself to be creative. nn A lot of creativity is inspired by observing h

nMany sales professionals never consider the opportunity to do workshops and presentations in front of the public. If you are one of them, then you are missing a golden opportunity. nnPublic speaking and doing workshops is my number one strategy in capturing potential clients. Speaking allows me to get in front of prospective clients. It allows me to showcase my knowledge and expertise. Many times, I have captured clients, even before I leave the room.nnBy speaking on a regul

When someone calls to ask about your product or services, you know exactly what to ask, what to say, and how to follow up. Are you as confident, and effective, responding to an Internet inquiry? Without the benefit of talking with the prospect directly, the contact can feel colder than a cold call. As more consumers and businesses research and purchase via the Internet, you can’t afford to mishandle these inquiries. To respond in a professional manner, and convert more

Are you tired of hearing "no" and "not now" when the answer should be "yes"? Accept responsibility and start getting "yes". There are three reasons you’re being told “no” and “not now” when the answer should be “yes”. n n The first reason is you fail to prepare. It isn’t like you don’t know the possible objections you’ll hear. Make a list of every question, concern, or objection the prospect could possibly throw at y

The second reason you can’t sell is because you don’t understand why your prospects don’t want what you have. You have exactly what they need it’s as plain as day yet they just don’t get it. How can that be? Are they just stupid or lazy or what? None of the above, you are approaching things the wrong way. n n Your prospects don’t want what you have because you haven’t taken the time to learn about them and their wants. It’s that simple. If you want to be a sal

There are two ways to make it in this business, the hard way and the smart way. Most agent’s think if they just work hard enough and pay their dues they’ll make it. Yet the statistics prove that’s far from the truth. Working yourself to death doesn’t get you wealth. It just burns you out and destroys your self-confidence and leaves you broken with little to show for all your hard work. Doing “what everyone else does” isn’t how you wor

You became a financial advisor because you wanted to help people, but you aren't getting enough people to help. Now you find that you're struggling to get appointments and sales are few and far between. You know people need what you have and that you can really help them. So, what’s wrong with this picture? n n First, you have to realize that most of the people you meet with are skeptical and leery. A recent commercial about the consumer who’s thinking aloud and w

Are you working hard, but not getting the results you want? If you’re a professional salesperson and you’re not selling, it could be because:nn• You are boring. Do customers cut you off in mid-sentence, or jump in when you pause for breath? Chances are, you’re boring them. Paint a vivid picture and put them in it; use an example or interesting case history to illustrate your point. Whip out some visuals to show them how much they will save.nn• Yo

What happens when you’ve made a cold call and your prospect invites you to make a sales presentation? At this point, you might have a hard time creating a two-way conversation because you’re forced to go in with a canned sales pitch and try to get them to buy your solution. After all, you do believe in your solution don’t you? You can help most people, so all you have to do is show them how. Oh, and in the end, get them to buy. Be sure to ask for that order at the end o

You don’t set appointments for the right reason. The only reason to set an appointment with a prospect is to explore how you can do business together. Yet, many of you are setting appointments for any reason you can think of because you think if you can at least get them to meet with you at some point you’ll be able to get them to do business with you. If that’s your thought process realize this is a guaranteed way to keep you really busy with little or any production t

I can’t count the number of offers I get from desperate insurance agents offering a free insurance review. What’s the objective of these offers? To get an appointment and then beat the other guys price, right? What on earth are you thinking? Do you really want to deal with price shoppers? If you ever want insurance sales success you want to avoid price shoppers like the unwanted plague they are. n n You can’t build a successful insurance business on a foundation of pric

A high value is placed on leadership skills in sales. As Sales Representatives, leadership development is certainly a topic that is discussed during our year-end evaluations. Tasks and projects designed to allow us to exhibit and enhance our leadership characteristics are a large part of our skill development plan for the year. And the leadership we show in performing these tasks and projects determine to what extent we are deemed as “management potential”. Why? Because S

You struggle with insurance sales success because you think everyone is your prospect. No, everyone isn’t a prospect and most of the people you try to appoint aren’t even suspects. You can change your success by changing who you try to appoint. n n Your insurance sales success increases when you only appoint prospects and qualified prospects. In the world at large there are people who have no need for what you have to offer. There are people who are suspects. Susp

If you want investment sales success you will need to develop the right associations. There are three types of associations that will be the most valuable to you: other successful people, networking affiliations, and experts to guide you where you need to go when you need to get there. You absolutely want to avoid: people with negative or defeatist attitudes, never looking outside your profession for help and guidance, and trying to fit where you don’t feel comfortable. n n

People buy based on emotion, but you have to provide them with the logic to explain their emotional decision. Expecting the buyer to do it for you isn't a good plan. If you’ve done your job right you’ve gotten the appointment with a qualified prospect. You’ve uncovered what they really want. But if you’re still being told “no” or “not know” you have some work to do to increase your insurance sales success. n n If you’ve go

In a more challenging economy clients’ decision processes often become more protracted. You think that salespeople would jump on every possible lead.nnYet our research and experience show that, even today, many leads are too easily discounted. For example, some salespeople mistakenly discount a lead because the level of the contact isn’t high enough. Yet research shows that many opportunities begin at the operational level.nnMore over, as much as 80% of leads that

Are you finding it difficult to find enough people to have a selling conversation with? Are the people you do have selling conversations with really good prospects for you? Could it be that your marketing is the source of the lower than wanted and needed sales results you’re experiencing? n n But the company I work for does all the marketing and I’m not allowed to market myself because of compliance issues, so you say. Well if the marketing your company is doing i

Face it most people don't really understand insurance and they don't want to. When you make the complicated simple people will buy and they will buy from you. And there are two very good reasons for that. n n First, when you make it simple you remove a lot of the risk involved in a buying decision. People don’t want to look stupid, feel foolish, waste their money on the wrong thing, spend more than they need to, or buy things that don’t get them what they want. An

How to be Outstanding in Sales - Part 1 nnAs you may be aware, one of the keys to success in sales is to build trust with your prospects and clients. The best way of building trust is by listening to people talk about their problems and their needs. The only sure fire way to do this is by listening and then asking questions. One of the first lessons I learnt when I started out in my sales career was ‘you have two ears and one mouth - now use them proportionally!' nnThe very

Every sales executive has heard how important it is to set sales goals. Don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you with why you should set sales goals. But I am going to suggest a somewhat radical, new change to the way you currently set goals so you can achieve higher sales performance. And that radical change is this:n n Beginning right now, stop setting “YES” goals that revolve around results and productivity and start setting “NO” GOALS instead. n nYes, you heard

Master the foundation for cold calling successnSometimes the finest solutions are the simplest. Focusing on relationships when making cold calls is one of them. It keeps us genuine, and eliminates our dread of making cold calls. We’re real people talking about real things. We’re interested in the conversation, and it shows. nMost of us dislike putting on our “salesperson persona” when we make cold calls. We think it’s needed, however, because we&

In today's world, sustainability is more than just a buzzword—it's a necessity. As we confront the pressing challenges of climate change and environmental degradation, renewable energy sources like solar power are at the forefront of the solution. A critical component in advancing this green revolution is the concept of "Exclusive Solar Appointments." These tailored consultations are not only transforming how solar energy is adopted but are also setting a new standard for s

In the vibrant world of teen fashion, one trend that consistently stands out is the popularity of superhero and cartoon character t-shirts. These graphic tees are more than just casual wear; they are a statement of identity and fandom. In Singapore, this trend is booming, thanks to advances in graphic tshirt printing . Let's explore what's currently in fashion for teens and why these t-shirts are so beloved. The Popularity of Superhero T-ShirtsrnSuperhero t-shirts have always

As the world continues to shift towards renewable energy sources, the solar industry stands at the forefront of this transformation. With increasing awareness about environmental sustainability and government incentives for clean energy, the demand for solar solutions has surged. To capitalize on this growing market, solar companies are constantly seeking innovative strategies to enhance their sales efforts. One such strategy that has proven to be highly effective is buying s

Handling exclusive solar appointments is a crucial step in the sales process for solar energy companies. These appointments are often with highly qualified leads who are already interested in solar solutions, making them valuable opportunities. However, mishandling these appointments can lead to missed sales and tarnished reputations. Here are five common mistakes to avoid when managing exclusive solar appointments to ensure success and maximize your conversion rates. 1. Fail