Today's article comes from sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer. It's a great one!
I like reading the Wall Street Journal and I'm often inspired by the articles I've read. In a recent addition, there was an article about Lillian Brownstein Chodash who is now 91 years old. The article describes how she landed a job back in 1938, in the days of the Great Depression.
She'd been out of work and looking for work for 15 months. One day she focused on a nine story office building in Jersey City, New Jersey. She took the elevator to the top floor and started knocking on doors. She was relentless in her pursuit of a new job. She faced rejection after rejection and kept knocking on those doors. When she got to the second floor her luck was about to change.
Did it have anything at all to do with luck or was it just her persistence that turned the tide in her favor?
On the second floor Lillian knocked on the door of a father and son real estate and insurance company. It turns out they just fired their secretary.
After she passed a shorthand and typing test they hired her right on the spot.
It seems to me the big difference between not working and networking is making personal connections.
Whether you're trying to find another job or trying to find new customers it requires a very strong personal commitment.
Let's review what Lillian did and how to apply it to you and your keen interest in finding new customers.
To do this let's use the acronym PROF.
P = Persistence. Lillian didn't stop looking until she reached her goal of finding a new job.
R = Repetition. She was knocking on doors. She kept knocking on doors until one of the doors finally opened for her.
O = Overcame rejection. She never stopped looking for work and you should never stop looking for new business. She quickly got over the last rejection and immediately started knocking on more doors.
F = Formula. Lillian had a simple formula that she followed. She just kept knocking on doors. Remember, not all doors will open for you, but for sure some definitely will
Here are a few more things to consider when you're focused on growing your business.
1. Establish goals that make you stretch.
2. Prepare and practice how you will ask your customers for referrals and introductions.
3. Think like Babe Ruth, who at one time was the leader in both home runs and strikeouts. He had a terrific attitude. Every time he struck out, he believed he was one strikeout closer to his next home run.
4. Plan your work and work your plan. Making sales calls without a plan is a total waste of your time. This isn't selling it's being ridiculous!
5. Skip the morning newspaper and don't listen to the news in the morning. It's 90% negative and won't contribute anything to your positive attitude and sales effort.
The keys to success are in your hands now.
Being a PROFessional sales representative should have a new meaning for you.
If Lillian could knock on doors to find a new job, you should knock on more doors and make more sales calls everyday to find your new customers.
And don't forget to ask the right sales questions when you're talking with your sales prospects and customers.
Jim Meisenheimer is a Professional Speaker and a Sales Trainer . He has just developed and released 2 new Training Programs for Sales Managers and Salespeople. He has worked with 533 Corporations during the last 23 years - and he had 72.7% repeat business last year. Jim delivers practical ideas that get immediate results.
Showing posts with label Jim Meisenheimer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jim Meisenheimer. Show all posts
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Don’t Make These Sales and Marketing Mistakes
Today sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer shares some important tips (and things to avoid!) when selling.
How would you rate your sales and marketing effectiveness?
When it comes to sales and marketing, you can either be effective or ineffective.
I saw an incredible demonstration recently on how to do it right.
Let me explain. Recently my wife and I went to Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota. The show was “George Gershwin Alone.” It was a one man show about the music and lyrics by the brothers George and Ira Gershwin.
It was based on the book written by Hershey Felder who also happened to be the star of the show. What a terrific performance.
Depending on how good the show is there usually are curtain calls.
When this show ended Hershey came out to a standing ovation. But this was different.
After a short minute or two he waved at the audience to take our seats and we did.
He asked the audience to call out George Gershwin song titles for him to play and sing. Then he proceeded to sing some songs and had fun with the audience.
So when he finishes this routine he says the Theatre asked him for his help.
He said in one week he would be doing another limited engagement show, “Maestro – The Art Of Leonard Bernstein.” He told us he wanted us to go to the Box Office right after the show and buy tickets because we would save 20% because we were at today’s show.
Well of course I was the first one in line to buy these tickets.
He said the Theatre asked for even more help. He agreed. He told us he brought just 200 copies of his soon to be released NEW CD and he would donate all the proceeds to the Theatre.
He said he would also be happy to autograph the CDs.
After I bought the tickets to his next show, I also bought his new CD for $50.
Look, Hershey gave an amazing performance and then proceeded to demonstrate the art of salesmanship.
He gave us a call to action. He told us where to go to buy the tickets today.
He gave us an incentive for buying today – save 20%.
He created a sense of urgency with his CDs by saying the supply was limited and he only had 200 copies.
He added more value by offering to autograph the CDs.
I go to a show to be entertained and I was. I also had the opportunity to see a brilliant display of salesmanship.
Let me put this into a business perspective for you.
Some of the biggest sales and marketing mistakes I see salespeople and companies making include the following:
Selling on price. Why sell on price when you can sell on value? I believe the word discount should be eliminated from all marketing and advertising materials.
The word discount should be replaced with the words value and incentives. And whenever possible your value should be quantified in dollars.
If you can’t quantify your value don’t expect your sales prospects and customers to be able to see it.
Selling features instead of selling benefits. This is a huge mistake marketers make. Salespeople also do the same thing and are always talking about features instead of focusing on the product’s benefits.
Let’s take a windshield wiper blade for example. These blades are made of rubber plain and simple. Yes they cling to the windshield and remove rain, sleet, and snow from your windshield.
But what’s the benefit for your customer? Well, the benefit for a senior citizen who has to drive down a mountain to buy groceries and go to church during a winter storm is peace of mind and safety because the windshield wiper blades enable your customer to see clearly and drive safely.
Emphasize the benefits if you want to motivate your sales prospects and customers to buy your products.
No sense of urgency. Tell your sales prospects and customers that, using this example, your supply of wiper blades is limited, just like Hershey did. In fact tell them how many you have in stock and they need to hurry in because they’ll be all gone in a few days.
No call to action. This one is a no-brainer. Do what you can to make it easier for your customers to buy.
Bernadette, my wife, goes ballistic when she sees an article or an advertisement for a product she’s interested in and there’s no contact information.
Be sure to include a person’s name, an address, a phone number, store hours, and a website if your product can be ordered on line.
Tell people to visit your place of business or your website today to get a special bonus product with every purchase.
Make it easy for your customers to do business with you and they’ll keep coming back.
And always say, “Thank you for your business,” enthusiastically!
And I must thank Hershey again for his 2 brilliant and memorable performances.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. Use this link to sign-up for Jim's F-R-E-E The Start Selling More Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report titled, "The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do."
How would you rate your sales and marketing effectiveness?
When it comes to sales and marketing, you can either be effective or ineffective.
I saw an incredible demonstration recently on how to do it right.
Let me explain. Recently my wife and I went to Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota. The show was “George Gershwin Alone.” It was a one man show about the music and lyrics by the brothers George and Ira Gershwin.
It was based on the book written by Hershey Felder who also happened to be the star of the show. What a terrific performance.
Depending on how good the show is there usually are curtain calls.
When this show ended Hershey came out to a standing ovation. But this was different.
After a short minute or two he waved at the audience to take our seats and we did.
He asked the audience to call out George Gershwin song titles for him to play and sing. Then he proceeded to sing some songs and had fun with the audience.
So when he finishes this routine he says the Theatre asked him for his help.
He said in one week he would be doing another limited engagement show, “Maestro – The Art Of Leonard Bernstein.” He told us he wanted us to go to the Box Office right after the show and buy tickets because we would save 20% because we were at today’s show.
Well of course I was the first one in line to buy these tickets.
He said the Theatre asked for even more help. He agreed. He told us he brought just 200 copies of his soon to be released NEW CD and he would donate all the proceeds to the Theatre.
He said he would also be happy to autograph the CDs.
After I bought the tickets to his next show, I also bought his new CD for $50.
Look, Hershey gave an amazing performance and then proceeded to demonstrate the art of salesmanship.
He gave us a call to action. He told us where to go to buy the tickets today.
He gave us an incentive for buying today – save 20%.
He created a sense of urgency with his CDs by saying the supply was limited and he only had 200 copies.
He added more value by offering to autograph the CDs.
I go to a show to be entertained and I was. I also had the opportunity to see a brilliant display of salesmanship.
Let me put this into a business perspective for you.
Some of the biggest sales and marketing mistakes I see salespeople and companies making include the following:
Selling on price. Why sell on price when you can sell on value? I believe the word discount should be eliminated from all marketing and advertising materials.
The word discount should be replaced with the words value and incentives. And whenever possible your value should be quantified in dollars.
If you can’t quantify your value don’t expect your sales prospects and customers to be able to see it.
Selling features instead of selling benefits. This is a huge mistake marketers make. Salespeople also do the same thing and are always talking about features instead of focusing on the product’s benefits.
Let’s take a windshield wiper blade for example. These blades are made of rubber plain and simple. Yes they cling to the windshield and remove rain, sleet, and snow from your windshield.
But what’s the benefit for your customer? Well, the benefit for a senior citizen who has to drive down a mountain to buy groceries and go to church during a winter storm is peace of mind and safety because the windshield wiper blades enable your customer to see clearly and drive safely.
Emphasize the benefits if you want to motivate your sales prospects and customers to buy your products.
No sense of urgency. Tell your sales prospects and customers that, using this example, your supply of wiper blades is limited, just like Hershey did. In fact tell them how many you have in stock and they need to hurry in because they’ll be all gone in a few days.
No call to action. This one is a no-brainer. Do what you can to make it easier for your customers to buy.
Bernadette, my wife, goes ballistic when she sees an article or an advertisement for a product she’s interested in and there’s no contact information.
Be sure to include a person’s name, an address, a phone number, store hours, and a website if your product can be ordered on line.
Tell people to visit your place of business or your website today to get a special bonus product with every purchase.
Make it easy for your customers to do business with you and they’ll keep coming back.
And always say, “Thank you for your business,” enthusiastically!
And I must thank Hershey again for his 2 brilliant and memorable performances.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. Use this link to sign-up for Jim's F-R-E-E The Start Selling More Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report titled, "The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do."
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Importance of Up-Selling
How big of a priority is up-selling when you're making sales calls?
There are not too many entrepreneurs and salespeople who can boast a sales increase of 25+ % this year.
So you would think everybody is doing everything imaginable to increase his sales.
If I had to guess, I'd estimate 85% of all entrepreneurs and salespeople leave money on the table every single selling day.
And the reason why is plain and simple. They make no attempt at up-selling at every opportunity.
"Would you like fries with that?"
Go to any McDonald's restaurant and order a burger. There's a very good chance the order taker will respond with, "Would you like fries with that?"
I remember ordering a tall coffee of the day at Starbucks recently. The order taker responded with, "Would you like a scone or a chocolate chip cookie to go with that?" I guess it worked, because I ordered a blueberry scone.
So - this is what is commonly called an up-sell. An up-sell is simply a way to get your customers to spend more money with you.
Nothing wrong with that, is there?
Well, you might be wondering how effective are up-sells? Of course that depends on your products and services and it also depends on how well your up-sell is communicated.
You might be surprised to learn that between 25-40% of your customers will choose to buy your up-sell.
And the reason is quite simple. They've already committed to buying your product and they don't want to miss out on the opportunity to get something special with a high perceived value.
Here's a fact to remember. The more you can add to a purchase the happier your customer will be and you'll also benefit with better selling results. That's a classic Win-Win!
Here are a few up-sell examples which might ignite your enthusiasm to try in your business.
Imagine being a server at a restaurant. Your customer orders the Veal Piccata entrée. You then ask, "Would you like to add a soup or a salad to you entrée? Today's home made soup is Lobster Bisque."
Please don't think this up-selling won't work in your business - because it can work in every business.
Just because you're not doing it, doesn't mean your competitors aren't going to the bank with the money you're leaving on the table.
Here's another example that assumes you just made a sale.
If a part of your product line includes selling supplies you can end every sales call by saying something like this. "Before I leave, what low inventory supplies can I help you restock while I'm here?"
It sure beats saying, "Before I go, are there any other problems I can help you with?" Duh!
Here's what I recommend for the best results. Prepare in writing your complete up-sell. Then practice it a few times before you try it on your customers.
Here's even more advice. After you prepare and practice your up-sell, test it 100 times before you judge whether or not you can make it work in your business.
The more up-selling you do, the more your sales will GO UP.
Jim Meisenheimer shows sales managers and their salespeople how to increase sales, using his No-Brainer Selling Skills process. Salespeople get better selling results when they subscribe to his newsletter, take his on-line Webinars, and by attending his Sales Training Boot Camps. Jim also does in-house Sales Training Programs for companies like Allstate, Cessna, Fisher Scientific, and Hewlett-Packard. Learn more at www.startsellingmore.com
There are not too many entrepreneurs and salespeople who can boast a sales increase of 25+ % this year.
So you would think everybody is doing everything imaginable to increase his sales.
If I had to guess, I'd estimate 85% of all entrepreneurs and salespeople leave money on the table every single selling day.
And the reason why is plain and simple. They make no attempt at up-selling at every opportunity.
"Would you like fries with that?"
Go to any McDonald's restaurant and order a burger. There's a very good chance the order taker will respond with, "Would you like fries with that?"
I remember ordering a tall coffee of the day at Starbucks recently. The order taker responded with, "Would you like a scone or a chocolate chip cookie to go with that?" I guess it worked, because I ordered a blueberry scone.
So - this is what is commonly called an up-sell. An up-sell is simply a way to get your customers to spend more money with you.
Nothing wrong with that, is there?
Well, you might be wondering how effective are up-sells? Of course that depends on your products and services and it also depends on how well your up-sell is communicated.
You might be surprised to learn that between 25-40% of your customers will choose to buy your up-sell.
And the reason is quite simple. They've already committed to buying your product and they don't want to miss out on the opportunity to get something special with a high perceived value.
Here's a fact to remember. The more you can add to a purchase the happier your customer will be and you'll also benefit with better selling results. That's a classic Win-Win!
Here are a few up-sell examples which might ignite your enthusiasm to try in your business.
Imagine being a server at a restaurant. Your customer orders the Veal Piccata entrée. You then ask, "Would you like to add a soup or a salad to you entrée? Today's home made soup is Lobster Bisque."
Please don't think this up-selling won't work in your business - because it can work in every business.
Just because you're not doing it, doesn't mean your competitors aren't going to the bank with the money you're leaving on the table.
Here's another example that assumes you just made a sale.
If a part of your product line includes selling supplies you can end every sales call by saying something like this. "Before I leave, what low inventory supplies can I help you restock while I'm here?"
It sure beats saying, "Before I go, are there any other problems I can help you with?" Duh!
Here's what I recommend for the best results. Prepare in writing your complete up-sell. Then practice it a few times before you try it on your customers.
Here's even more advice. After you prepare and practice your up-sell, test it 100 times before you judge whether or not you can make it work in your business.
The more up-selling you do, the more your sales will GO UP.
Jim Meisenheimer shows sales managers and their salespeople how to increase sales, using his No-Brainer Selling Skills process. Salespeople get better selling results when they subscribe to his newsletter, take his on-line Webinars, and by attending his Sales Training Boot Camps. Jim also does in-house Sales Training Programs for companies like Allstate, Cessna, Fisher Scientific, and Hewlett-Packard. Learn more at www.startsellingmore.com
Thursday, April 28, 2011
In Sales Your Attitude Is Everything About Everything
What an inspirational article from sales trainer Jim meisenheimer - enjoy!
In sales attitude is everything about everything.
Even though a lot of salespeople know this, they pay little attention to keeping their attitude positive on a daily basis.
Selling is never easy. In fact someone once said, "Selling is easy if you work hard at it."
If you have the wrong attitude, achieving selling success is almost impossible.
Your attitude is of course an intangible. It's also the foundation of your selling success.
Too many salespeople don't spend enough time working on their attitudes. You should think about it every day. You should think about it before every sales call.
After every sales call reflect on the attitude you had throughout the sales call.
How's your attitude when someone cancels an appointment at the last minute?
How's your attitude when someone says you’ll have 45 minutes for a sales presentation and he ends the call just after 20 minutes?
How's your attitude when someone takes a shot at your company?
Sure attitude is everything about everything in sales. Never forget this!
How's your attitude when someone starts hammering you on your pricing before you've had a chance to give your presentation?
How's your attitude when someone tells you they only buy on price?
How's your attitude when someone procrastinates and can't make a decision to buy the solutions you're selling?
How's your attitude when you find out the person you've been talking to isn't the decision-maker?
How's your attitude when you get a flat tire during a snow storm as you're driving to a sales prospect's office – an appointment you've been working on for 2 months?
How's your attitude when you're dealing with problems at home?
How's your attitude when you don't feel well?
Your attitude is everything and here's a real life example to illustrate this point.
During the Vietnam War, Air Force Colonel George Hall was shot down and captured in North Vietnam. He was a prisoner of war for 7.5 years.
Even though he was barefoot and dressed in his black prison uniform, shut up in a small cell, he realized that through the power of his imagination he had an amazing freedom. He realized his attitude is everything about everything.
He was able to leave his prison cell everyday dressed in a Polo shirt and slacks. He wore clean golf shoes. He could feel the thick grass under his feet.
The Colonel played each hole of his favorite golf course, starting with the first and ending with the eighteenth. He studied each shot, measured each swing, felt each blade of grass between his fingers as he replaced every divot.
He played his golf everyday in the theatre of his mind.
He noted the sand in each bunker, hit each shot, sank each putt and strode on to the next hole - all in his imagination.
Every day for 7.5 years he played a perfect game of golf on his favorite golf course. The Colonel realized that only he had the power to make a choice between being resigned to his fate, of fear and hopelessness, or he could replay his happiest moments from the past, taking his mind off solitary confinement and setting it free upon a beautiful and famous golf course.
When he returned from his captivity, in his first golf game he shot a 76-not a bad score for a professional golfer, but even more amazing for an amateur. When he was asked how he had accomplished such a feat, he said he never had more than 2 putts on a green during the last 7.5 years.
All those years of playing perfect games in the theatre of his mind, had produced a near perfect performance on a very challenging golf course! It was his best round of golf ever.
Don't think about how tough you have it in life think about how tough Colonel Hall had it for 7 1/2 years as a prisoner of war.
If you believe your attitude is everything about everything in your sales career, work on the little things you can do to maintain a very positive attitude every selling day?
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. Use this link to sign-up for Jim's F-R-E-E The Start Selling More Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report.
In sales attitude is everything about everything.
Even though a lot of salespeople know this, they pay little attention to keeping their attitude positive on a daily basis.
Selling is never easy. In fact someone once said, "Selling is easy if you work hard at it."
If you have the wrong attitude, achieving selling success is almost impossible.
Your attitude is of course an intangible. It's also the foundation of your selling success.
Too many salespeople don't spend enough time working on their attitudes. You should think about it every day. You should think about it before every sales call.
After every sales call reflect on the attitude you had throughout the sales call.
How's your attitude when someone cancels an appointment at the last minute?
How's your attitude when someone says you’ll have 45 minutes for a sales presentation and he ends the call just after 20 minutes?
How's your attitude when someone takes a shot at your company?
Sure attitude is everything about everything in sales. Never forget this!
How's your attitude when someone starts hammering you on your pricing before you've had a chance to give your presentation?
How's your attitude when someone tells you they only buy on price?
How's your attitude when someone procrastinates and can't make a decision to buy the solutions you're selling?
How's your attitude when you find out the person you've been talking to isn't the decision-maker?
How's your attitude when you get a flat tire during a snow storm as you're driving to a sales prospect's office – an appointment you've been working on for 2 months?
How's your attitude when you're dealing with problems at home?
How's your attitude when you don't feel well?
Your attitude is everything and here's a real life example to illustrate this point.
During the Vietnam War, Air Force Colonel George Hall was shot down and captured in North Vietnam. He was a prisoner of war for 7.5 years.
Even though he was barefoot and dressed in his black prison uniform, shut up in a small cell, he realized that through the power of his imagination he had an amazing freedom. He realized his attitude is everything about everything.
He was able to leave his prison cell everyday dressed in a Polo shirt and slacks. He wore clean golf shoes. He could feel the thick grass under his feet.
The Colonel played each hole of his favorite golf course, starting with the first and ending with the eighteenth. He studied each shot, measured each swing, felt each blade of grass between his fingers as he replaced every divot.
He played his golf everyday in the theatre of his mind.
He noted the sand in each bunker, hit each shot, sank each putt and strode on to the next hole - all in his imagination.
Every day for 7.5 years he played a perfect game of golf on his favorite golf course. The Colonel realized that only he had the power to make a choice between being resigned to his fate, of fear and hopelessness, or he could replay his happiest moments from the past, taking his mind off solitary confinement and setting it free upon a beautiful and famous golf course.
When he returned from his captivity, in his first golf game he shot a 76-not a bad score for a professional golfer, but even more amazing for an amateur. When he was asked how he had accomplished such a feat, he said he never had more than 2 putts on a green during the last 7.5 years.
All those years of playing perfect games in the theatre of his mind, had produced a near perfect performance on a very challenging golf course! It was his best round of golf ever.
Don't think about how tough you have it in life think about how tough Colonel Hall had it for 7 1/2 years as a prisoner of war.
If you believe your attitude is everything about everything in your sales career, work on the little things you can do to maintain a very positive attitude every selling day?
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. Use this link to sign-up for Jim's F-R-E-E The Start Selling More Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Take the Opportunity to Compliment Others
I don't know about you, but an out-of-the-blue compliment really does a lot for me. Something like that can carry you through the day, or sometimes even the week! Today sales expert Jim Meisenheimer shares a story that made him recognize the power of a sincere compliment - hopefully it will do the same for you!
A few years ago I spent three days in St. Louis attending the National Speakers Association Winter Workshop. I arrived late Friday afternoon and my luggage arrived late Sunday afternoon.
Had that happened to me 15 years ago I would have gone "Ballistic" for the entire weekend. I must be growing up because I treated the "Entire luggage thing" as an inconvenience – and a minor one at that.
During one of the breakout sessions a speaker emphasized it was very important to tell people what they are doing right.
These genuine compliments will make people more receptive to you and your ideas.
I thought it was a good concept and made a written note of it.
The next day I took a seat in the last row to hear the opening general
session. A few minutes into the presentation a woman sat down next to me and introduced herself as K.R.
After the initial introduction she said, "I've been using your 12 Best Questions To Ask Customers for several years with extremely good results." WOW a compliment first thing in the morning! I told her, "That makes my day."
Usually, after a program, I'm "Outa there." This time, however, I stayed to chat with K.R. She told me about the work she's doing and the book she was writing.
She also told me she was related to Albert Einstein, which she has cleverly worked into the title of her first book.
When I go to these National Speaker Association workshops and conventions I usually find myself running like a gazelle between the breakout sessions. The compliment got me to "Simmer Down" and take an interest in K.R.'s business.
Anytime you have the opportunity to compliment a prospect or an existing customer do it. If your compliment is sincere and genuine your prospect may be more receptive and open to investing more time with you and your ideas.
A few minutes before the next session began, we shook hands and said "Goodbye."
I realized I wasn't touched by an Angel but I was touched by an Einstein.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The Sales TrailBlazer Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. To learn more, visit http://www.startsellingmore.com/
A few years ago I spent three days in St. Louis attending the National Speakers Association Winter Workshop. I arrived late Friday afternoon and my luggage arrived late Sunday afternoon.
Had that happened to me 15 years ago I would have gone "Ballistic" for the entire weekend. I must be growing up because I treated the "Entire luggage thing" as an inconvenience – and a minor one at that.
During one of the breakout sessions a speaker emphasized it was very important to tell people what they are doing right.
These genuine compliments will make people more receptive to you and your ideas.
I thought it was a good concept and made a written note of it.
The next day I took a seat in the last row to hear the opening general
session. A few minutes into the presentation a woman sat down next to me and introduced herself as K.R.
After the initial introduction she said, "I've been using your 12 Best Questions To Ask Customers for several years with extremely good results." WOW a compliment first thing in the morning! I told her, "That makes my day."
Usually, after a program, I'm "Outa there." This time, however, I stayed to chat with K.R. She told me about the work she's doing and the book she was writing.
She also told me she was related to Albert Einstein, which she has cleverly worked into the title of her first book.
When I go to these National Speaker Association workshops and conventions I usually find myself running like a gazelle between the breakout sessions. The compliment got me to "Simmer Down" and take an interest in K.R.'s business.
Anytime you have the opportunity to compliment a prospect or an existing customer do it. If your compliment is sincere and genuine your prospect may be more receptive and open to investing more time with you and your ideas.
A few minutes before the next session began, we shook hands and said "Goodbye."
I realized I wasn't touched by an Angel but I was touched by an Einstein.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The Sales TrailBlazer Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. To learn more, visit http://www.startsellingmore.com/
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Two Types of Salespeople
This article from sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer is a great reminder of the power of practice and preparation. Which kind of salesperson will you be?
Actually "There are three kinds of salespeople; those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who are wondering what happened."
You've probably heard that one before. In fact, there are two different types of salespeople and they are very easy to spot.
The first type is the improvisor. He seldom prepares, his preferred style, is to take things as they come. He likes to be spontaneous. He usually relies on his instinct and counts on his intuition to carry the day.
His days are fun filled and exciting, because he literally treats each sales call as an adventure. He's the Indiana Jones of selling, foot loose and fancy free, whatever that means.
The second type is the professional. He also enjoys his work, for different reasons. He anticipates everything, especially the routines and repetitive stuff. He knows the routines which gives him the opportunity to prepare in advance.
For example, he handles recurring objections. He knows he'll get them over and over again, so he prepares in advance how he will deal with them.
He plays with words, until he creates power phrases that work like magic. Once prepared, he knows that to execute a perfect delivery, he must practice what he's prepared until he nails it.
He records his power phrases into a digital recorder and plays them over and over until they are anchored into his subconscious.
His sales calls are different because he treats them as opportunities not as adventures.
There are two types of salespeople and of course they achieve two different results.
Each one follows a pattern, one is unstructured and one isn't.
Each can be seen as a formula. One formula gets better selling results than the other. Here they are:
I + I = I (Instinct + Intuition = Improvisation)
P + P = P (Preparation + Practice = Professionalism)
The secret to achieving consistent selling success is that there are no shortcuts, no quickies just plain old fashioned hard work. These are the formulas and you get to choose. One doesn't require much preparation. One pays better than the other.
Remember this too, preparation trumps improvisation every day of the week.
Also remember, your customers can tell the difference between "Improvisation" and "Preparation." When you combine preparation with practice you get professionalism
which enables you to meet with a success you never before imagined.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The Sales TrailBlazer Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. To learn more, visit http://www.startsellingmore.com/
Actually "There are three kinds of salespeople; those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who are wondering what happened."
You've probably heard that one before. In fact, there are two different types of salespeople and they are very easy to spot.
The first type is the improvisor. He seldom prepares, his preferred style, is to take things as they come. He likes to be spontaneous. He usually relies on his instinct and counts on his intuition to carry the day.
His days are fun filled and exciting, because he literally treats each sales call as an adventure. He's the Indiana Jones of selling, foot loose and fancy free, whatever that means.
The second type is the professional. He also enjoys his work, for different reasons. He anticipates everything, especially the routines and repetitive stuff. He knows the routines which gives him the opportunity to prepare in advance.
For example, he handles recurring objections. He knows he'll get them over and over again, so he prepares in advance how he will deal with them.
He plays with words, until he creates power phrases that work like magic. Once prepared, he knows that to execute a perfect delivery, he must practice what he's prepared until he nails it.
He records his power phrases into a digital recorder and plays them over and over until they are anchored into his subconscious.
His sales calls are different because he treats them as opportunities not as adventures.
There are two types of salespeople and of course they achieve two different results.
Each one follows a pattern, one is unstructured and one isn't.
Each can be seen as a formula. One formula gets better selling results than the other. Here they are:
I + I = I (Instinct + Intuition = Improvisation)
P + P = P (Preparation + Practice = Professionalism)
The secret to achieving consistent selling success is that there are no shortcuts, no quickies just plain old fashioned hard work. These are the formulas and you get to choose. One doesn't require much preparation. One pays better than the other.
Remember this too, preparation trumps improvisation every day of the week.
Also remember, your customers can tell the difference between "Improvisation" and "Preparation." When you combine preparation with practice you get professionalism
which enables you to meet with a success you never before imagined.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The Sales TrailBlazer Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. To learn more, visit http://www.startsellingmore.com/
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Forget Doing Quotes. Create Personalized Proposals To Win More Sales
According to sales expert Jim Meisenheimer, "Closing the sale is much easier when you present your sales prospect a professional sales proposal instead of a quote." Read on for his advice on how to create a stand-out proposal!
First, if you are doing quotes, stop it. Don't use those automated run-of-the-mill quotation forms or programs. Instead, create value-packed sales proposals.
As an example, let's say you are working with a prospect and you're dealing with a committee of five decision makers. Also imagine they are seated around a conference table for a meeting to determine who gets the business. You're not there by phone or in person to represent yourself. What's left is your sales proposal. In order to stand out from the others it has be spectacular.
Let's assume there are four suppliers involved. Three of the suppliers have submitted boring boiler-plate quotations that scream out, "Hey, here's my price."
These are the people who are perceived as "vendors." The person who likely gets the business is the one who is perceived as adding value, at THEIR price. This is accomplished with a dynamic proposal.
Here are three ways to add pizzazz and value to your sales proposals.
1.The cover page is your headline. If there are five decision makers, be sure you have each person's name in large type on the front cover. Add a line that says
"Especially prepared for____." Put the date of the decision making meeting on the front cover too, not the date you send it. This also forces you to find out
when the decision is going to be made. (You are asking that, aren't you?"
2.Include an organization chart. Create a chart that includes the names of six to eight people in your organization who are most likely to have some interaction
with your potential customer. Traditional organization charts usually include names and titles. Go beyond that and include telephone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses, direct dial extensions and a digital photograph the size of a quarter situated in the box.
Including this contact information draws attention to the accessibility of all key people--exactly what you want. Having pictures adds faces to the names. You can score some major points by introducing your support team.
3. Include a Benefits Page. At the top of this page, in very large type, put "(Their Company) Benefit Page".
List seven facts or features about your company and or products. But of course facts are simply facts. Under each fact express a benefit. This benefit statement should be indented, bold faced, slightly larger type, and printed in red so it jumps off the page at anyone who is looking at it.
Begin each benefit statement with these words: "Which means."
This will increase your sales and multiply your personal income. This page should be positioned as the page before your first page of pricing. What this means is your potential customer gets to see your benefits before he sees your pricing. That's a smart move and makes closing the sale easier for you.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The Sales TrailBlazer Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. To learn more, visit http://salestrailblazer.com/
First, if you are doing quotes, stop it. Don't use those automated run-of-the-mill quotation forms or programs. Instead, create value-packed sales proposals.
As an example, let's say you are working with a prospect and you're dealing with a committee of five decision makers. Also imagine they are seated around a conference table for a meeting to determine who gets the business. You're not there by phone or in person to represent yourself. What's left is your sales proposal. In order to stand out from the others it has be spectacular.
Let's assume there are four suppliers involved. Three of the suppliers have submitted boring boiler-plate quotations that scream out, "Hey, here's my price."
These are the people who are perceived as "vendors." The person who likely gets the business is the one who is perceived as adding value, at THEIR price. This is accomplished with a dynamic proposal.
Here are three ways to add pizzazz and value to your sales proposals.
1.The cover page is your headline. If there are five decision makers, be sure you have each person's name in large type on the front cover. Add a line that says
"Especially prepared for____." Put the date of the decision making meeting on the front cover too, not the date you send it. This also forces you to find out
when the decision is going to be made. (You are asking that, aren't you?"
2.Include an organization chart. Create a chart that includes the names of six to eight people in your organization who are most likely to have some interaction
with your potential customer. Traditional organization charts usually include names and titles. Go beyond that and include telephone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses, direct dial extensions and a digital photograph the size of a quarter situated in the box.
Including this contact information draws attention to the accessibility of all key people--exactly what you want. Having pictures adds faces to the names. You can score some major points by introducing your support team.
3. Include a Benefits Page. At the top of this page, in very large type, put "(Their Company) Benefit Page".
List seven facts or features about your company and or products. But of course facts are simply facts. Under each fact express a benefit. This benefit statement should be indented, bold faced, slightly larger type, and printed in red so it jumps off the page at anyone who is looking at it.
Begin each benefit statement with these words: "Which means."
This will increase your sales and multiply your personal income. This page should be positioned as the page before your first page of pricing. What this means is your potential customer gets to see your benefits before he sees your pricing. That's a smart move and makes closing the sale easier for you.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The Sales TrailBlazer Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. To learn more, visit http://salestrailblazer.com/
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Going For The Gold
When I saw this article from sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer I just knew it had to follow yesterday's quote - enjoy!
Going for the gold is what Lindsey Vonn was doing in the downhill Alpine skiing event at this year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She achieved her goal and had this to say about it. "This is everything I wanted and hoped for. I gave up everything for this."
When you find your passion, it's not work, it's pure love.
Unfortunately winning isn't only about having passion, it usually involves a good deal of sacrifice.
About 30 years ago I saw an interview with a Texas billionaire. He was asked by a CBS reporter, what advice he would give to the graduating college seniors that year.
He didn't blink, he didn't bat an eye, and he didn't hesitate a nanosecond to respond. He said, "You have to do three things. Determine what you want. Determine what you're willing to sacrifice to get it. Then just do it."
Most people have the capacity to dream big, but they lack the will to sacrifice anything to get what they want. That's just too bad and so sad!
Back to Lindsey for a second. She skied showing no signs of any discomfort even though she skied with a bruised shin. Think about these questions as you watch the Winter Olympics.
How successful do you really want to become?
What sacrifices are you ready to make today?
On a daily basis, are you doing what it takes to achieve your ultimate success - regardless what it might be?
Do you have to be twice as good as your best competitor? I don't think so. Here's the proof.
In the women's downhill event these were the times:
Gold: 1:44.19
Silver: 1:44.75
Bronze: 1:45.65
To win you need an edge, advantage, leg up, nose out, slip by, squeeze by - and all by the narrowest of margins. While the margin of difference between gold and silver is slim at best, the difference in effort is probably humongous.
You have one life to live, and it's not a dress rehearsal is it? Why not go for it?
Go for the GOLD!
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The Sales TrailBlazer Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. To learn more, visit http://salestrailblazer.com/
Going for the gold is what Lindsey Vonn was doing in the downhill Alpine skiing event at this year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She achieved her goal and had this to say about it. "This is everything I wanted and hoped for. I gave up everything for this."
When you find your passion, it's not work, it's pure love.
Unfortunately winning isn't only about having passion, it usually involves a good deal of sacrifice.
About 30 years ago I saw an interview with a Texas billionaire. He was asked by a CBS reporter, what advice he would give to the graduating college seniors that year.
He didn't blink, he didn't bat an eye, and he didn't hesitate a nanosecond to respond. He said, "You have to do three things. Determine what you want. Determine what you're willing to sacrifice to get it. Then just do it."
Most people have the capacity to dream big, but they lack the will to sacrifice anything to get what they want. That's just too bad and so sad!
Back to Lindsey for a second. She skied showing no signs of any discomfort even though she skied with a bruised shin. Think about these questions as you watch the Winter Olympics.
How successful do you really want to become?
What sacrifices are you ready to make today?
On a daily basis, are you doing what it takes to achieve your ultimate success - regardless what it might be?
Do you have to be twice as good as your best competitor? I don't think so. Here's the proof.
In the women's downhill event these were the times:
Gold: 1:44.19
Silver: 1:44.75
Bronze: 1:45.65
To win you need an edge, advantage, leg up, nose out, slip by, squeeze by - and all by the narrowest of margins. While the margin of difference between gold and silver is slim at best, the difference in effort is probably humongous.
You have one life to live, and it's not a dress rehearsal is it? Why not go for it?
Go for the GOLD!
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The Sales TrailBlazer Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. To learn more, visit http://salestrailblazer.com/
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Selling Value In A Recession
While we're often told we need to sell on value, it can be hard to figure out what that actually means. How do you determine the value of your product, and how do you go about presenting those values in an enticing manner? Today sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer shares a few examples and gives some ideas to get your value pitch flowing.
Imagine what it would be like trying to sell $35,000 luxury watches during this recession. Well for starters, it wouldn't be easy. Old selling skills have to be modified and new skills adopted. For example, you're showing a potential customer an expensive watch. Customer says, "How much?" A typical response might be "$8500." A better response would be "The value is $8500." Instead of saying, "Would you like to try it on?" You want to avoid questions that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No." A better response would be "I invite you to try the watch."
Jean-Marie Brucker, is CEO of a company that specializes in luxury-sales consulting, and these are some of the sales tips he shares with his clients.
Personally I believe all salespeople should avoid using the words "discount" and "price." Use the word "value" instead of price.
Good ole Elmer Wheeler probably said it best in 1938, when he said you have to sell the sizzle not the steak. And the sizzle of course are the benefits. Jean-Marie Brucker refers to the same concept as selling "the romance."
What are you selling?
--Are you selling safety?
--Are you selling performance?
--Are you selling productivity?
--Are you selling quality?
--Are you selling luxury?
--Are you selling fear?
--Are you selling pleasure?
Here are two things to think about if you want to improve your selling results during this recession.
1. Determine what you are selling.
2. Prepare presentation statements that wrap your "Value" with romance and/or some sizzle.
Since selling value doesn't come naturally to most salespeople I encourage you to practice what you prepare.
Your sales prospects and customers won't get emotional about what you're selling until you get emotional and excited about what you're selling. Get excited and show some emotion and enthusiasm for your prospects, your products, and your company. It really makes a difference.
Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at www.meisenheimer.com
Imagine what it would be like trying to sell $35,000 luxury watches during this recession. Well for starters, it wouldn't be easy. Old selling skills have to be modified and new skills adopted. For example, you're showing a potential customer an expensive watch. Customer says, "How much?" A typical response might be "$8500." A better response would be "The value is $8500." Instead of saying, "Would you like to try it on?" You want to avoid questions that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No." A better response would be "I invite you to try the watch."
Jean-Marie Brucker, is CEO of a company that specializes in luxury-sales consulting, and these are some of the sales tips he shares with his clients.
Personally I believe all salespeople should avoid using the words "discount" and "price." Use the word "value" instead of price.
Good ole Elmer Wheeler probably said it best in 1938, when he said you have to sell the sizzle not the steak. And the sizzle of course are the benefits. Jean-Marie Brucker refers to the same concept as selling "the romance."
What are you selling?
--Are you selling safety?
--Are you selling performance?
--Are you selling productivity?
--Are you selling quality?
--Are you selling luxury?
--Are you selling fear?
--Are you selling pleasure?
Here are two things to think about if you want to improve your selling results during this recession.
1. Determine what you are selling.
2. Prepare presentation statements that wrap your "Value" with romance and/or some sizzle.
Since selling value doesn't come naturally to most salespeople I encourage you to practice what you prepare.
Your sales prospects and customers won't get emotional about what you're selling until you get emotional and excited about what you're selling. Get excited and show some emotion and enthusiasm for your prospects, your products, and your company. It really makes a difference.
Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at www.meisenheimer.com
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Nine Ways to Jazz Up Your Sales Presentations
Yesterday sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer shared with us four ways to start and end presentations to keep prospects interested. Today, he's back with nine ways to jazz up your presentations and keep them interested the entire time!
1. Always prepare and rehearse the first 25 words and the last 25 words of every presentation. Practice until it sounds spontaneous.
2. Start with your expectations. Tell them specifically what the take-aways will be early in your presentation.
3. Never read your presentation. Never. No exceptions. It's the quickest way to put your audience to sleep.
4. Show that you're alive by being animated. Remember it's easier to be yourself than trying to impersonate someone else.
5. Pay attention to your hands. Nothing will make you look more awkward than unnatural hand movements.
6. Keep slides to a minimum. They should emphasize and reinforce your key points - not tell your entire story.
7. Use large type, so everyone in the room can clearly see what's on the screen. Darken the screen as often as you can. You want the audience looking at you - not at the screen. To darken the screen hit the letter "B" on the keyboard. Hit the letter "B" again to turn the screen on.
8. Don't worry about making mistakes. Actually, mistakes make you human. Have fun, sharpen your sense of humor, and be sure to tell stories. Your stories are the quickest way for your audience to connect with you.
9. After every presentation, ask yourself, "How can I do it better next time?" Then next time, be sure you do it better.
Take it from someone who gives a lot of sales presentations, and had to overcome a fear of public speaking, these nine suggestions really work.
Adopt these as your own and I'll bet your next stand-up presentation will stand-out!
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. Use this link to sign-up for Jim's F-R-E-E The Start Selling More Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report titled, "The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do."
1. Always prepare and rehearse the first 25 words and the last 25 words of every presentation. Practice until it sounds spontaneous.
2. Start with your expectations. Tell them specifically what the take-aways will be early in your presentation.
3. Never read your presentation. Never. No exceptions. It's the quickest way to put your audience to sleep.
4. Show that you're alive by being animated. Remember it's easier to be yourself than trying to impersonate someone else.
5. Pay attention to your hands. Nothing will make you look more awkward than unnatural hand movements.
6. Keep slides to a minimum. They should emphasize and reinforce your key points - not tell your entire story.
7. Use large type, so everyone in the room can clearly see what's on the screen. Darken the screen as often as you can. You want the audience looking at you - not at the screen. To darken the screen hit the letter "B" on the keyboard. Hit the letter "B" again to turn the screen on.
8. Don't worry about making mistakes. Actually, mistakes make you human. Have fun, sharpen your sense of humor, and be sure to tell stories. Your stories are the quickest way for your audience to connect with you.
9. After every presentation, ask yourself, "How can I do it better next time?" Then next time, be sure you do it better.
Take it from someone who gives a lot of sales presentations, and had to overcome a fear of public speaking, these nine suggestions really work.
Adopt these as your own and I'll bet your next stand-up presentation will stand-out!
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. Use this link to sign-up for Jim's F-R-E-E The Start Selling More Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report titled, "The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do."
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Creating Exciting Sales Presentations
One of the things sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer talks about the most is being different. Think about how many sales calls your prospect gets each day - who's he going to call back, the person who leaves a message with no value, or the person who devises a creative way to reach out to him? The same thing goes for sales presentations. Prospects see the PowerPoint go on and they immediately tune out. Start them off with a story or provocative question, and you're on the right track. Today, Meisenheimer gives us the four best ways to start and end a sales presentation. Then he'll be back tomorrow with nine ways to jazz up those presentations once you've started.
"Most salespeople are strong conversationalists when sitting down and talking with customers," says Meisenheimer. "When asked to deliver a presentation standing up, the dynamics can change dramatically for you if you're not prepared. You can easily make every stand-up presentation a conversation with your audience, regardless of size. Here's how."
The two most memorable parts of a stand-up presentation are the beginning and the end. The four easiest and most powerful ways to begin and end your presentations include:
1. Start with an exciting quotation that you can link to your presentation.
2. Begin your presentation with a compelling statement. Seven years ago, I gave a sales presentation titled, The 12 Best Ways To Increase Sales, Earn More Money, And Have More Fun. I began my presentation with, "There's not a single thing I can do for you today, to show you how to increase sales, earn more money, and have more fun. Not one thing ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to share 12 creative ideas with you today."
3. Start your sales presentation with a rhetorical question that creates a transition into your presentation.
4. One of the best audience grabbers is to start your sales presentation with a short story. Beginning your presentation with a success story that involves someone in your audience is even more powerful.
The next time you're preparing how to begin and how to end one of your sales presentations consider one of these proven approaches.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. Use this link to sign-up for Jim's F-R-E-E The Start Selling More Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report titled, "The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do."
"Most salespeople are strong conversationalists when sitting down and talking with customers," says Meisenheimer. "When asked to deliver a presentation standing up, the dynamics can change dramatically for you if you're not prepared. You can easily make every stand-up presentation a conversation with your audience, regardless of size. Here's how."
The two most memorable parts of a stand-up presentation are the beginning and the end. The four easiest and most powerful ways to begin and end your presentations include:
1. Start with an exciting quotation that you can link to your presentation.
2. Begin your presentation with a compelling statement. Seven years ago, I gave a sales presentation titled, The 12 Best Ways To Increase Sales, Earn More Money, And Have More Fun. I began my presentation with, "There's not a single thing I can do for you today, to show you how to increase sales, earn more money, and have more fun. Not one thing ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to share 12 creative ideas with you today."
3. Start your sales presentation with a rhetorical question that creates a transition into your presentation.
4. One of the best audience grabbers is to start your sales presentation with a short story. Beginning your presentation with a success story that involves someone in your audience is even more powerful.
The next time you're preparing how to begin and how to end one of your sales presentations consider one of these proven approaches.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to helping you grow your business and multiply your income. Use this link to sign-up for Jim's F-R-E-E The Start Selling More Newsletter and to get your copy of his Special Report titled, "The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do."
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Golden Rule Of Salesmanship
As I've mentioned before on this blog, I think stories are one of the best ways to really learn something. I've often found that someone else's real-life story makes me think of my own experiences and where I might be making the same sales mistakes. This story from sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer definitely got me thinking - hopefully it does the same for you!
"I started thinking about the golden rule of salesmanship the last time I got my hair cut," says Meisenheimer. Let me explain.
I get my haircut every two weeks - it's been a habit of mine for the last 20 years. The person who cuts my hair now is Amir. I guesstimate he's in his mid-20s. He's personable, enthusiastic and usually gives me a good haircut. His routine is to cut the hair, wash it, dry it and finally style it.
Last week he has my back to the mirror so I couldn't see what he was up to. When he turns me around to face the mirror I almost screamed. The sides of my head are brushed forward and the top spiked - I mean really spiked. He said, That's the way he likes it. Unfortunately he didn't pay for my haircut - I did.
He said it made me look 10 years younger. A couple of shots of Botox would make me look 10 years younger - but not his haircut.
Remember - I get my haircut every 2 weeks. Do you think he has any clue what the lifetime value of my business is? If I were Donald Trump I'd be tempted to say, "Amir - you're fired!" Well, I'm not Donald Trump so I'm going back to see Amir on Friday for another haircut.
Before he gets his scissors working I'll ask him to read this newsletter. Better yet, maybe I'll wait until he finishes my haircut.
As a result of thinking about all of this I think it's fair to say, at least in my opinion, the golden rule of salesmanship is "Know thy customer."
When you know your customer it makes it easier for you to give them what he wants. Don't ever make the mistake of giving your customer what you want. It's not about you, it's about your customer. The customer writes the checks and pays your bills.
You can really shake up your thinking about the value of your customers by doing some simple math. Calculate the lifetime value of your customers. Determine what each customer is worth over your lifetime. As soon as you determine the lifetime value of your customers you'll probably start treating them differently - I know I did.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The Start Selling More Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to showing salespeople how to start selling more. To subscribe and receive a copy of his special report, The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do, visit www.StartSellingMore.com.
"I started thinking about the golden rule of salesmanship the last time I got my hair cut," says Meisenheimer. Let me explain.
I get my haircut every two weeks - it's been a habit of mine for the last 20 years. The person who cuts my hair now is Amir. I guesstimate he's in his mid-20s. He's personable, enthusiastic and usually gives me a good haircut. His routine is to cut the hair, wash it, dry it and finally style it.
Last week he has my back to the mirror so I couldn't see what he was up to. When he turns me around to face the mirror I almost screamed. The sides of my head are brushed forward and the top spiked - I mean really spiked. He said, That's the way he likes it. Unfortunately he didn't pay for my haircut - I did.
He said it made me look 10 years younger. A couple of shots of Botox would make me look 10 years younger - but not his haircut.
Remember - I get my haircut every 2 weeks. Do you think he has any clue what the lifetime value of my business is? If I were Donald Trump I'd be tempted to say, "Amir - you're fired!" Well, I'm not Donald Trump so I'm going back to see Amir on Friday for another haircut.
Before he gets his scissors working I'll ask him to read this newsletter. Better yet, maybe I'll wait until he finishes my haircut.
As a result of thinking about all of this I think it's fair to say, at least in my opinion, the golden rule of salesmanship is "Know thy customer."
When you know your customer it makes it easier for you to give them what he wants. Don't ever make the mistake of giving your customer what you want. It's not about you, it's about your customer. The customer writes the checks and pays your bills.
You can really shake up your thinking about the value of your customers by doing some simple math. Calculate the lifetime value of your customers. Determine what each customer is worth over your lifetime. As soon as you determine the lifetime value of your customers you'll probably start treating them differently - I know I did.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The Start Selling More Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to showing salespeople how to start selling more. To subscribe and receive a copy of his special report, The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do, visit www.StartSellingMore.com.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Consummate Sales Professional
Sometimes you just need a little inspiration to make it through the day, and this amazing true story is just that. I read about it in Jim Meisenheimer's newsletter - take a few minutes to read it and see it inspires you to bring some enthusiasm and creativity to your day!
Ben Feldman started selling life insurance just before World War II. The rest as they say is history. He almost single-handedly changed the insurance industry. And he was just a sales person - but what an incredible and extraordinary sales person he was.
It's been said that he didn't look like a salesman, didn't sound like a salesman, and didn't act like a salesman. Ben was different in every imaginable way. You should be too! If you want to succeed in sales you have to be different.
Here's some background on Ben Feldman. He was born to Russian, Jewish immigrants that settled in eastern Ohio. At his father's insistence he dropped out of school to sell eggs for $10 a week. After selling insurance to all his friends and relatives, he then targeted businesses in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Without going beyond a sixty-mile radius, he often sold more insurance in a day than most agents would sell in a year.
In the 1970's it was reported that he personally sold more insurance than 1,500 of the largest 1,800 life insurance companies. Imagine that - he single-handedly outsold 1,500 entire companies. During his lifetime, he sold insurance policies with a face value over $1.5 billion. One-third of it was sold after he turned sixty-five.
According to many, Ben wasn't ordinary - he was exceptional. Harry Hohn, Chairman of New York Life at the time said, "Ben really felt everyone in the world was underinsured." He believed passionately in his product and how it could help and benefit his customers.
You see, he was genuinely excited about his products which in turn got his sales prospects and customers fired up about his products too.
Ben knew how to really WOW his customers. His words were his craft. According to Rick Hampson, an AP writer, "He'd sit up late, crafting the pithy sayings that he called power phrases and rehearse them with a tape recorder." He knew perfection came from practice, not improvisation. And boy did he ever practice.
"He sold life insurance by talking about life, not death. People didn't die, they walked out, as in, when you walk out, the money walks in - the insurance money," according to Rick Hampson. Taped inside the front cover of his presentation binder were a $1,000 bill and several pennies. He would tell his customers, "For these," pointing to the pennies, "you can get this" - the bill.
In 1992, New York Life created an insurance selling contest they called "Feldman's February." The program was to commemorate his fifty years of selling life insurance. The national contest was of course in honor of Ben's history with the company.
Obviously no one told that to Ben. He viewed it as a challenge and won the contest himself. He was eighty years old and in a hospital recovering from a cerebral hemorrhage during the month of February. That February, he sold $15,150,000 worth of insurance from his hospital bed.
Ben had an incredible selling attitude. He never gave up.
Listen to some of Ben's phrases and how his words worked magic. Imagine hearing them as you consider making a decision to buy insurance.
"No one ever died with too much money."
"Do you know anyone who has a lease on life? It isn't a question of if; it's a question of when."
"Put me on your payroll. The day you walk out, I'll walk in and pay your bills."
"The key to a sale is an interview, and the key to an interview is a disturbing question."
"Most people buy not because they believe, but because the sales person believes."
For Ben, success wasn't fleeting - it was consistent. He loved his product. He loved his customers. He loved his company. He loved his work. Here's something for you to think about. If Ben Feldman sold for your company, how would he do it? How well would he do it?
Ben's gone now. His legacy, however, should serve as an inspiration to all that call sales a profession.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The Start Selling More Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to showing salespeople how to start selling more. To subscribe and receive a copy of his special report, The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do, visit www.StartSellingMore.com.
Ben Feldman started selling life insurance just before World War II. The rest as they say is history. He almost single-handedly changed the insurance industry. And he was just a sales person - but what an incredible and extraordinary sales person he was.
It's been said that he didn't look like a salesman, didn't sound like a salesman, and didn't act like a salesman. Ben was different in every imaginable way. You should be too! If you want to succeed in sales you have to be different.
Here's some background on Ben Feldman. He was born to Russian, Jewish immigrants that settled in eastern Ohio. At his father's insistence he dropped out of school to sell eggs for $10 a week. After selling insurance to all his friends and relatives, he then targeted businesses in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Without going beyond a sixty-mile radius, he often sold more insurance in a day than most agents would sell in a year.
In the 1970's it was reported that he personally sold more insurance than 1,500 of the largest 1,800 life insurance companies. Imagine that - he single-handedly outsold 1,500 entire companies. During his lifetime, he sold insurance policies with a face value over $1.5 billion. One-third of it was sold after he turned sixty-five.
According to many, Ben wasn't ordinary - he was exceptional. Harry Hohn, Chairman of New York Life at the time said, "Ben really felt everyone in the world was underinsured." He believed passionately in his product and how it could help and benefit his customers.
You see, he was genuinely excited about his products which in turn got his sales prospects and customers fired up about his products too.
Ben knew how to really WOW his customers. His words were his craft. According to Rick Hampson, an AP writer, "He'd sit up late, crafting the pithy sayings that he called power phrases and rehearse them with a tape recorder." He knew perfection came from practice, not improvisation. And boy did he ever practice.
"He sold life insurance by talking about life, not death. People didn't die, they walked out, as in, when you walk out, the money walks in - the insurance money," according to Rick Hampson. Taped inside the front cover of his presentation binder were a $1,000 bill and several pennies. He would tell his customers, "For these," pointing to the pennies, "you can get this" - the bill.
In 1992, New York Life created an insurance selling contest they called "Feldman's February." The program was to commemorate his fifty years of selling life insurance. The national contest was of course in honor of Ben's history with the company.
Obviously no one told that to Ben. He viewed it as a challenge and won the contest himself. He was eighty years old and in a hospital recovering from a cerebral hemorrhage during the month of February. That February, he sold $15,150,000 worth of insurance from his hospital bed.
Ben had an incredible selling attitude. He never gave up.
Listen to some of Ben's phrases and how his words worked magic. Imagine hearing them as you consider making a decision to buy insurance.
"No one ever died with too much money."
"Do you know anyone who has a lease on life? It isn't a question of if; it's a question of when."
"Put me on your payroll. The day you walk out, I'll walk in and pay your bills."
"The key to a sale is an interview, and the key to an interview is a disturbing question."
"Most people buy not because they believe, but because the sales person believes."
For Ben, success wasn't fleeting - it was consistent. He loved his product. He loved his customers. He loved his company. He loved his work. Here's something for you to think about. If Ben Feldman sold for your company, how would he do it? How well would he do it?
Ben's gone now. His legacy, however, should serve as an inspiration to all that call sales a profession.
Jim Meisenheimer publishes The Start Selling More Newsletter, a fresh and high content newsletter dedicated to showing salespeople how to start selling more. To subscribe and receive a copy of his special report, The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do, visit www.StartSellingMore.com.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Separate Yourself From the Pack
Yesterday sales trainer and author Jim Meisenheimer gave us some ideas on how to differentiate yourself from other salespeople, and make more sales in the process. He's back again today with more ideas - we hope they inspire you to see how different you can be.
1. Prepare differently.
Being prepared doesn't take the fun out of being spontaneous. In fact being prepared makes your spontaneity more appreciated. Prepare written sales call objectives. Prepare and practice the benefits of your products and services. Prepare and practice how you will handle the dreaded price objection. You can also prepare "Knock your socks off" sales proposals.
2. Ask different questions.
Try asking questions that don't include "Ahs" and "Ums." This is almost impossible to do when your questions aren't prepared prior to the sales call. When you ask a question and the customer responds with, "What do you mean?" that's a clear indication it wasn't a very good question.
Ask this question and see what kind of response you get: "What would it take to win your supplier of the year award?" And remember the better the question, the better the response will be.
3. A.B.T.D.T.
Always be trying different things. Look for the differences in people and things. Note what works and what doesn't work. Try taking small chances on a daily basis. Try doing things a little differently on a daily basis.
Here are a few more ideas from Meisenheimer to get you started - try brainstorming your own list today!
--Send 3-5 handwritten notes to internal and external customers every day.
--Thank everyone personally who helps you make a sale.
--Send birthday cards with the sound of music.
--Do one good deed everyday.
--Order personalized M&Ms.
--Say yes I can!
--Be positive!
Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at http://www.meisenheimer.com/
1. Prepare differently.
Being prepared doesn't take the fun out of being spontaneous. In fact being prepared makes your spontaneity more appreciated. Prepare written sales call objectives. Prepare and practice the benefits of your products and services. Prepare and practice how you will handle the dreaded price objection. You can also prepare "Knock your socks off" sales proposals.
2. Ask different questions.
Try asking questions that don't include "Ahs" and "Ums." This is almost impossible to do when your questions aren't prepared prior to the sales call. When you ask a question and the customer responds with, "What do you mean?" that's a clear indication it wasn't a very good question.
Ask this question and see what kind of response you get: "What would it take to win your supplier of the year award?" And remember the better the question, the better the response will be.
3. A.B.T.D.T.
Always be trying different things. Look for the differences in people and things. Note what works and what doesn't work. Try taking small chances on a daily basis. Try doing things a little differently on a daily basis.
Here are a few more ideas from Meisenheimer to get you started - try brainstorming your own list today!
--Send 3-5 handwritten notes to internal and external customers every day.
--Thank everyone personally who helps you make a sale.
--Send birthday cards with the sound of music.
--Do one good deed everyday.
--Order personalized M&Ms.
--Say yes I can!
--Be positive!
Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at http://www.meisenheimer.com/
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Selling What's Different
Company CEOs are bombarded every day with phone messages, emails, faxes, letters, and sales pitches from salespeople. And you know what? About 95% of those messages sound exactly the same.
That's why you need to stand out to make sales. If no one notices you, they'll never notice your solution. Read on for some advice from sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer on how to differentiate yourself from your competition.
1. Talk different.
I'd give anything, almost anything, to have a genuine/authentic British accent. Nothing makes you sound more different than a good accent. I was born in Brooklyn and so I have a slight accent. Okay - it's not slight, it's Brooklyn. Now get this, for the longest time I tried to hide my Brooklyn accent. When I moved to Chicago not a single day went by without someone pointing out the fact that I had a Brooklyn accent. So instead of accepting my different accent I try to avoid it, until one day I realized my accent made me different.
2. Look different.
In one of my sales training classes last week a woman told me her shoes make her different. Apparently she has quite a collection and her customers recognize this as a point of difference. It could be a very unique/handmade briefcase. It could be bow ties for men. It could be a very unique and eye-catching fountain pen. It could be you always favor one color. It could be anything you want it to be.
3. Do different.
Do things in a different way. You could develop a signature way to end every sales call. Many years ago NBC had an evening news program starring Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. Every night they ended their program with "Goodnight Chet. Goodnight David. And goodnight for NBC News." It was their signature. It worked for them and it can certainly work for you.
We'll be back tomorrow with some more ideas from Meisenheimer on how you can differentiate yourself from the pack.
Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at http://www.meisenheimer.com/
That's why you need to stand out to make sales. If no one notices you, they'll never notice your solution. Read on for some advice from sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer on how to differentiate yourself from your competition.
1. Talk different.
I'd give anything, almost anything, to have a genuine/authentic British accent. Nothing makes you sound more different than a good accent. I was born in Brooklyn and so I have a slight accent. Okay - it's not slight, it's Brooklyn. Now get this, for the longest time I tried to hide my Brooklyn accent. When I moved to Chicago not a single day went by without someone pointing out the fact that I had a Brooklyn accent. So instead of accepting my different accent I try to avoid it, until one day I realized my accent made me different.
2. Look different.
In one of my sales training classes last week a woman told me her shoes make her different. Apparently she has quite a collection and her customers recognize this as a point of difference. It could be a very unique/handmade briefcase. It could be bow ties for men. It could be a very unique and eye-catching fountain pen. It could be you always favor one color. It could be anything you want it to be.
3. Do different.
Do things in a different way. You could develop a signature way to end every sales call. Many years ago NBC had an evening news program starring Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. Every night they ended their program with "Goodnight Chet. Goodnight David. And goodnight for NBC News." It was their signature. It worked for them and it can certainly work for you.
We'll be back tomorrow with some more ideas from Meisenheimer on how you can differentiate yourself from the pack.
Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at http://www.meisenheimer.com/
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Third Quarter Planning
Nine months down, three to go. Are you where you want to be? Have you exceeded your quota, or are you working to close a deal - any deal? Whatever the case, it's important to view the third quarter just like you would any other, and that entails effective sales planning. Sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer says, "At least once a year professional salespeople should dedicate a minimum of one day to strategically think about their business." If you haven't already done so, make a plan for your third quarter and how it will propel you into the New Year. Use these tips from Meisenheimer to begin your planning, and you'll be on the path to success.
"Begin your planning process with these six critical questions," suggests Meisenheimer. "Direct these questions at your business, your territory, your accounts, your customers, and naturally your competitors, and consider this process a success if you end up with more questions than answers."
1. Where are you are now? Where are you now relative to your selling results and sales skills? How's your performance? What's your relative rank within your region and within your company?
What kind of overall growth do you have in your territory and in your top 10 accounts? Where are your competitors making inroads in your accounts? How well are you managing your time in your territory? What are your biggest challenges and best opportunities for growth? Please be specific.
2. Where are you headed if you don't change anything? What's the implication for you if you don't acquire new skills? What happens to your overall performance next year if you don't make up the loss of your second-largest customer?
How will your customers react to a strategy that is really based on a "More of the same" philosophy, especially when your competitors are becoming more creative in their approach? With more work and less time available, how are you planning to manage next year when your business is expected to grow 7% across the board?
3. Where should you be headed? Do you have specific personal and professional goals? Are these goals specific and clearly defined? Are they in writing? Do you have completion dates established? For each of your top 10 accounts do you have specific objectives for sales, margins, growth rates, product mix, etc?
4. How will you achieve your objectives? You really can't "do" a goal or an objective. What you can and must do is create a written action plan detailing how specifically you plan to achieve the goals you outlined when considering question three.
For example, if your goal is to increase your sales by 6.5% in your largest account, how specifically will you do it? How many "how's" will it take to achieve your goal?
5. What are the specific details involved? The details refer to: who, what, where, why, when, which, and how as they relate to initiating and implementing your strategies. In sales, minor adjustments often create big impacts.
6. What should you measure? Always measure what matters most. One of my favorite old sayings is "What gets measured gets done." To keep you on your stated course (objectives) how will you measure your progress? What key elements of success should your review monthly? Personal growth and development are often the result of careful measurement and evaluation.
"The difference between first-place and second place is often a very narrow margin," says Meisenheimer. "It's time for a tune-up if you're serious about making this year's 4th quarter your best 4th quarter ever."
Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at http://www.meisenheimer.com/
"Begin your planning process with these six critical questions," suggests Meisenheimer. "Direct these questions at your business, your territory, your accounts, your customers, and naturally your competitors, and consider this process a success if you end up with more questions than answers."
1. Where are you are now? Where are you now relative to your selling results and sales skills? How's your performance? What's your relative rank within your region and within your company?
What kind of overall growth do you have in your territory and in your top 10 accounts? Where are your competitors making inroads in your accounts? How well are you managing your time in your territory? What are your biggest challenges and best opportunities for growth? Please be specific.
2. Where are you headed if you don't change anything? What's the implication for you if you don't acquire new skills? What happens to your overall performance next year if you don't make up the loss of your second-largest customer?
How will your customers react to a strategy that is really based on a "More of the same" philosophy, especially when your competitors are becoming more creative in their approach? With more work and less time available, how are you planning to manage next year when your business is expected to grow 7% across the board?
3. Where should you be headed? Do you have specific personal and professional goals? Are these goals specific and clearly defined? Are they in writing? Do you have completion dates established? For each of your top 10 accounts do you have specific objectives for sales, margins, growth rates, product mix, etc?
4. How will you achieve your objectives? You really can't "do" a goal or an objective. What you can and must do is create a written action plan detailing how specifically you plan to achieve the goals you outlined when considering question three.
For example, if your goal is to increase your sales by 6.5% in your largest account, how specifically will you do it? How many "how's" will it take to achieve your goal?
5. What are the specific details involved? The details refer to: who, what, where, why, when, which, and how as they relate to initiating and implementing your strategies. In sales, minor adjustments often create big impacts.
6. What should you measure? Always measure what matters most. One of my favorite old sayings is "What gets measured gets done." To keep you on your stated course (objectives) how will you measure your progress? What key elements of success should your review monthly? Personal growth and development are often the result of careful measurement and evaluation.
"The difference between first-place and second place is often a very narrow margin," says Meisenheimer. "It's time for a tune-up if you're serious about making this year's 4th quarter your best 4th quarter ever."
Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at http://www.meisenheimer.com/
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
A New S.P.I.N. On Selling
Sales trainer Jim Meisenheimer has a new spin on Neil Rackham's SPIN Selling.
Meisenheimer suggests you consider S.P.I.N. as four pieces to the selling puzzle:
S = Shrug it off
"Right now most of the world's news is negative," says Meisenheimer. In the USA the real estate market is hurting, financial markets are in chaos, and just when you think gas prices can't go any higher - they go higher. Shrug it off. That's right, dismiss the bad news or it will eventually consume and overwhelm you."
Meisenheimer suggests you consider S.P.I.N. as four pieces to the selling puzzle:
S = Shrug it off
"Right now most of the world's news is negative," says Meisenheimer. In the USA the real estate market is hurting, financial markets are in chaos, and just when you think gas prices can't go any higher - they go higher. Shrug it off. That's right, dismiss the bad news or it will eventually consume and overwhelm you."
"If the news gets you down, do something that picks you back up. You can't afford to be down and negative when you're working with your sales prospects and customers. Change your routine. Exercise more. Read motivational books. And stay away from negative people because it's amazing how contagious negativity can be."
P = Preparation and practice
"Inject a little preparation and practice into every selling day," says Meisenheimer. "For example, when you're planning sales calls for the next day, you can prepare several questions in writing. While you're driving to the account practice them. If you don't practice what you're going to say before you get to the account you end up practicing on your sales prospects and customers. Nothing could be worse!"
I = Initiative
"The initiative I'm referring to is personal initiative," says Meisenheimer. "This word covers all aspects of professional selling. When times are tough it requires that you become tougher."
"Doing things the way you've always done them will not differentiate you from your competition. Take the initiative to learn more about personal salesmanship and selling skills. Literally - hit the books."
"Take the initiative to pick up the telephone and schedule more appointments. Take the initiative to allocate more face-to-face time calling on sales prospects which represent new business opportunities for you." And take the initiative on every sales call to exceed your sales prospect's and/or customer's expectations."
N = New
"Focus on what's new, not what's problematic," says Meisenheimer. "Get excited when you're talking about what's new to your sales prospects and customers. If you're excited, they'll become excited."
"It's not easy being positive when all the news is so negative," he explains. "You have the ultimate control over your thoughts. So choose optimism over pessimism, positive over negative, sunny versus gloomy, and winning over losing."
"You'll be glad you did and so will your customers. Growing your business, increasing your sales, and making more money is easy when you put the right S.P.I.N. on it."
"Inject a little preparation and practice into every selling day," says Meisenheimer. "For example, when you're planning sales calls for the next day, you can prepare several questions in writing. While you're driving to the account practice them. If you don't practice what you're going to say before you get to the account you end up practicing on your sales prospects and customers. Nothing could be worse!"
I = Initiative
"The initiative I'm referring to is personal initiative," says Meisenheimer. "This word covers all aspects of professional selling. When times are tough it requires that you become tougher."
"Doing things the way you've always done them will not differentiate you from your competition. Take the initiative to learn more about personal salesmanship and selling skills. Literally - hit the books."
"Take the initiative to pick up the telephone and schedule more appointments. Take the initiative to allocate more face-to-face time calling on sales prospects which represent new business opportunities for you." And take the initiative on every sales call to exceed your sales prospect's and/or customer's expectations."
N = New
"Focus on what's new, not what's problematic," says Meisenheimer. "Get excited when you're talking about what's new to your sales prospects and customers. If you're excited, they'll become excited."
"It's not easy being positive when all the news is so negative," he explains. "You have the ultimate control over your thoughts. So choose optimism over pessimism, positive over negative, sunny versus gloomy, and winning over losing."
"You'll be glad you did and so will your customers. Growing your business, increasing your sales, and making more money is easy when you put the right S.P.I.N. on it."
Former U.S. Army Officer Jim Meisenheimer is an author, speaker and sales trainer with years of successful selling experience. He publishes the bi-weekly No-Brainer Selling Tips Newsletter, which is packed full of information to help you win bigger sales and KO the competition. Learn more at www.meisenheimer.com Friday, November 30, 2007
SalesDog Quick Tip
Nothing burns a customer more quickly than a broken promise. Don't make promises you can't keep 100% of the time.
Here's an easy way to remember this: Be slow to commit and quick to deliver.
Today's quick tip comes from sales expert Jim Meisenheimer.
Here's an easy way to remember this: Be slow to commit and quick to deliver.
Today's quick tip comes from sales expert Jim Meisenheimer.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Smile All the Way to the Bank!
Telephone Sales Tip -
Use a 5 X 7 mirror positioned next to your telephone to make sure you're smiling throughout the entire sales call. It makes a huge difference. You'll always make more money when you're smiling!
This Salesdog quick tip was brought to you by sales trainer, speaker and coach Jim Meisenheimer, one of 50 top experts featured in Top Dog Sales Secrets. For more great tips, check out his website at www.meisenheimer.com
Use a 5 X 7 mirror positioned next to your telephone to make sure you're smiling throughout the entire sales call. It makes a huge difference. You'll always make more money when you're smiling!
This Salesdog quick tip was brought to you by sales trainer, speaker and coach Jim Meisenheimer, one of 50 top experts featured in Top Dog Sales Secrets. For more great tips, check out his website at www.meisenheimer.com
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