Entrepreneurs’ Check List – 10 Things to Consider When Starting a Business

Starting your own business is not for the faint of heart. It requires a mix of passion, intelligence, patience and drive. You will notice that I left bravery off the list of adjectives. It is not because I don’t think bravery plays a role it is because an Entrepreneur at their essence is a doer [...]

Presentation Skills Training Video

A Presentation Skills Training by The UnNatural Salesman that cover how to deal with common problems and disruptions presenters face. Tips on how to deliver an effective and persuasive presentation even if you are faced with Audio Visual Problems, Changes in Audience, Interruptions, and Changes in Locations

In Sales What’s Your Brand

Nike. Kleenex. QTips. While these are all household names, we first recognize the Brands because we know the quality behind them. When we shop for these products, we already know that by purchasing them, we will be getting a top quality product, that will last a long time. In most cases, these name brands are actually more expensive than their store labeled counterparts. Most people won’t care about paying a little more. They know that the quality is worth it.

Now…think for a moment about what “brand” your Customers think of when they think of doing business with you and your company. Do you make it easy and comfortable to do business? Do you throw obstacle after obstacle up in front of your customer so that he has to jump through hoops to get his work done? Do you add stress to your customer’s day and fill his email inbox with unnecessary clutter? Or….do you make it easy, simple, safe and comfortable to work with your company? Through every step of the sales process, we never want our customer stepping back and questioning their buying decision. We want them thinking ahead, to future business, because we made it so easy to work us on their last experience.

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Selling in a Tough Economy Part 3

Times are tough less money is being spent which means all your hard work has to go into qualifying opportunities. Be honest you’re going to have to work harder to find them because there are less of them. And here’s the kick the challenge you need to accept is that you need to find more opportunities than in other times.

No you didn’t misunderstand what I just said I said there are less opportunities in the general market and now is the time you have to find more of them. Wait a second it might sound stark raving mad but bear with me because this is the real key to selling more. In a way you’re hedgng your bets.

If times are tough and they are. And people slow their buying it means a variety of things. First there are less orders to go around. Secondly unless you are an infinitely better guesser than me which I don’t doubt you still don’t know which accounts are going to put off purchasing decisions or lose budget funding.

August 8, 2009 0
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Selling in a Tough Economy Part 2

Each and everyone of you have a network out there in the world both personal and professional but chances are most of you don’t use it. Now to address your concern but if I spend all my time with the business you have it won’t grow. Absolutely right and it’s a dangerous thing to have too much business in one place regardless of the economic conditions. So let’s begin building up your network and using it to grow your business. We’re going to cover three area’s that you should be using, your professional contacts, on line, and Events.

Looking at the example of a person who has moved on to a different company. Boy they were a great customer you’re really going to miss them! Are you going to let that person go forever while you just stand there and wave good bye to them like some love lorn lead character on a dock as the ship pulls out to sea like you see in the movies. If so here’s a free hint… really no extra charge…GET OUT OF SALES NOW.

A lot of people do this everyday in a much less dramatic fashion they lose track of their professional contacts as they move on. Now you can become the match maker and benefit all along the way. Send them a note. Put them in your data base and update the records as they move. What if they don’t follow up and send it to you. Well you know where they went because you asked right. You have a few choices. First just call to say hi. Check in to see how the new gig is going. Most of the time you want a real reason to call…in this case finding out how things are going is a real reason.

August 8, 2009 0
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Finding New Business in a Tough Economy

Finding new business is a common theme a lot of times when talking with a sales person or business owner they talk about how their main focus is on getting new customers. That’s great!  New customers are very important you need them to ensure growth, to have a steady stream of business and provide revenue [...]

August 8, 2009 0
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Old Pro's, Green Sales Guys, and New Tricks

So who is this one targeted at the guy who has been a top perfoming sales guy for decades, the new sales person who doesn’t know which way is up or the Sales Manager types? The answer is yes to all of the above.

It all starts with the sales manager. If you’ve been one for a while the measure is the numbers however there are so many sublte nuances you need to account for from keeping the team motivated to keeping the team from killing each other on a regular basis. Great sales people aren’t pacifists but it also doens’t mean that there aren’t a lot of great ones who are more than willing to help.

Share stories told by the team members them selves in sales meetings structre the content but don’t control it completely and let the reps use their words on why they won or why they lost and any other pertinaint customer details. Make it inter active. Once that starts to happen regually then its time to make the next big step in sales training.

So there is an undenaibale benefit of a mentoring program wheter its formal or informal. Call it what ever works but at the end of the day you’re looking for others who are qualified to help to provide ongoing and real world sales training for newer members of the team. Even in grade schools you see kids who have been there for a few years getting kindergarden buddies to look out for and help feel at home. Why should your sales team be any different?

Why would the old pro’s want to help a new guy? They all have their own book or lack of business to worry about? Sure some are just good guys and girls who love what they do and want to share their knoweldge and experience. It can be prestigious, an honor that the leaderships oly picks the top performers who demonstrate the right behavior attitude and work ethic. Self satisfaction is great but the new rep also offers the experienced sale pro womthing just like a customer would fresh eyes, insight, and understanding of what they see.

What makes A Veterna sales guy the right one? Again a great question. First off if you’re not sharing war stories in sales meetings or aren’t doing so in an interactive and positive way.

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What do your customers see when they see you

Do they see a salesperson who is always standing there with their hand out schlepping something or do they see you as a resources to thei
So the gaol of every sales person in their accounts where there is repeat business to be had is not just to become their resource but to be their go to resource.

Its a topics that is often grazed over in sales training for sexiers and more prominates sales speak about cold calling and new business generation and what to do and how to present when you get infront of a client.

Assuning you’ve been selling for a while thenthere is no doubt you’ve worked hard to find out what your customers and prospects need that you have to offer. Have you found a unique way to position yourself as a resource and an asset, worked to improve their business and helped them feel good about doing business with you? Have you done the home work and know your business (product knoweldge that applies in the real world matters) and a good about theirs.

If you haven’t got that last part down quite yet take a few minutes to do a little research, it will help you to build and establish credibility with your customers and prospects. In 30 minutes with the help of the internet and a few well crafted searches you can not only read through their website and press releases but also figure out who their competitors are, uncover some articles on trends and issues affecting their industry and even your individual contacts area of the business.

Well applied knowledge will make you stand out against your competition. It just takes a little time, and a little thought but the effort will be well worth the rewards.

August 8, 2009 0
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Marketing Organizations Are Part of the Sales Team

Now think about a typical brochure for a favorite program, product offer, or sales widget. You go to a trade show and 50 of them are in your bag from the other vendors who are there. Maybe you dump them out on the floor in your room and rifle through them, perhaps you read a couple but chances are most of the get looked at for a few seconds and then discarded.

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