Are You a Student of Sales?

Today sales trainer Kelley Robertson gives us a great reminder - never stop learning!

The business world is constantly changing but many sales people don't keep pace with these changes. Instead, they continue to use tired tactics, outdated scripts, and ineffective approaches.

Consider these questions...

--When was the last time you attended a sales training workshop?
--What was the last sales book you read?
--How often do you implement a new technique, strategy or approach?
--What changes have you made in your sales approach in the last three month? Six months? Twelve?
--Are other sales people in your company achieving better results than you are? If so, what are they doing differently? What could you learn from them?

Several years ago I attended a conference and one of the breakout sessions focused on negotiating skills. I struck up a conversation with the guy beside me and learned that he was the chief negotiator for a prominent gravel company. When he told me that he had held that position for more than 15 years, I asked why he was attending this particular program.

"I can always learn something and even if the session only reinforces what I know, it will be worth it."

What a great perspective!

He truly epitomized the concept of being a lifelong learner and reminded me of the importance of keeping an open mind.

To succeed in today's challenging business climate and increase your sales, it is essential to maintain a student's mindset and constantly look for ways to refine your skill and update your knowledge.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

Lost in Translation

Today's article comes from sales trainer Kelley Robertson. Enjoy!

Too often sales people use jargon, technical terms, acronyms, and other language that sounds foreign to their prospect or customer.

When I worked in consumer electronics, sales people constantly referred to product numbers when talking to customers. Because they worked with the products every day, they were familiar with the SKU numbers but their customers were not.

When you deliver a sales presentation (formal or informal) it is critical that you ensure that your presentation doesn't get lost in translation. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing the other person's attention, or worse, alienating them.

Before every sales call or meeting you need to consider the person(s) you're speaking with, their level of knowledge and expertise, and their position. Then you need to adapt your approach accordingly.

Unfortunately, most people don't think about the presentation from their prospect's perspective. They forget that the other person may not understand the terminology. They don't realize that their prospect may not be familiar with common acronyms or other jargon.

Take the time to simplify your approach before every sales call, appointment or meeting. Eliminate jargon, acronyms and other language that may sound foreign to the other person.


Make it easy for your customer or prospect to understand you and your presentation won't get lost in translation.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

The Worst Sales Prospecting Email Ever

Today sales trainer Kelley Robertson shares a prospecting email he recently received - and explains why it's one of the worst! Thankfully, you can avoid these pitfalls with a few simple changes to your emails!

Good Friday Morning,

My name is (I left the sender's name out) and I live in Florida. I would like to know if I could possibly send your company some promotional product options and quotes via email?

We offer over a million items that we can add your company logo to including;

Pens, T-Shirts, Hats, Magnets, Tote Bags, Water Bottles, Eco Friendly items, Mugs, Key Chains, Stress Balls, Trade Show Items, Umbrellas, Flash Drives, and much more.

Please let me know what items you normally purchase or are looking for and I will send you quotes and try to save you money.

Sender's Name
Marketing Executive
Orlando Florida

This was the email that landed in my in-box last Friday morning. Here are a few reasons why it is one of the worst prospecting emails I have ever received:

No attempt was made to identify a potential business problem I might be experiencing.
The sender did not create ANY value.
"Possibly" and "try" are weak words.
The call to action was weak.
There was no website, company name or telephone number.
The sender used a Gmail address.

If you use email to prospect it is critical to demonstrate your expertise, identify a business problem and indicate how you might be able to help.

Avoid sending messages like this one.

Otherwise, your prospects are simply going to hit the delete button a moment after they open your email; if in fact, they actually take the time to open it.

Kelley Robertson is the President and founder of Robertson Training Group. He specializes in helping businesses increase their sales, develop better negotiating skills, coach and motivate their employees, create powerful work teams and deliver outstanding customer service. learn more by visiting http://www.robertsontraininggroup.com

Do the Tough Things First

Time management is something I have always struggled with, so finding tips to help me be more productive is something I definitely search out. I figure many of you will appreciate them as much as I do! Today's tip is from sales trainer Kelley Robertson, wholse advice is always straightforward and practical - just the way I like it!

Ever have one of those days when, despite your best intention, it didn't seem like you made any progress?

Want to know one of the most effective ways to improve your productivity and get more done every day? Interested in learning a sure-fire way to make more sales?

Okay, here it is...

Start with the most important tasks first.

Simple, huh?

Well, it is in theory.

Unfortunately, most people tend to do the more enjoyable tasks first. Whether it's responding to emails, making calls to the customers they like dealing with, or writing a proposal.

However, these are often low-yield activities. You may think they are important but the reality is that they are easy-to-do tasks.

Cold calling, prospecting, and attending networking events usually have a higher impact on our results. But, these activities are seldom fun or enjoyable.

They require effort and considerable mental energy.

Let's face it, dialing for dollars is not an enjoyable task for most people, especially in today's business environment. But, when executed properly and with the right focus, it generates new leads and sales opportunities.

It's easy to get distracted from doing important and tough tasks. Emails from customers, problems that need your attention, and returning "urgent" calls from low-value accounts. These all take your attention away from difficult activities and you justify it by saying, "I NEED to take care of this."

Here's my suggestion for the upcoming week.

Block time in your calendar to take care of your MOST important sales tasks first. The activities that will help you increase your sales. Tasks that are critical to your long-term success.

Shut off your Blackberry. Don't open your email. And don't do anything until those tasks are done.

Start this morning! I guarantee that you will get more done this week.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

Is Mental Baggage Dragging You Down?

I thought this article was especially appropriate after yesterday's quote. Our thinking plays a huge part in our success!

We all carry around mental baggage. It influences us in everything we do, both in our business and personal lives.

Mental baggage is a collection of all the situations we have experienced or encountered during our lifetimes. We carry all this baggage around in our heads and draw from it when appropriate situations present themselves. Unfortunately, is also prevents us from increasing our sales and improving our sales results.

Here's how it affects us in sales.

At one time during your career you have had to deal with a difficult prospect or had to make that tough sales call. You dreaded making the call because you were certain that your prospect would cut you off and wouldn't give you the opportunity to talk. And sure enough, when you made that call, that's what happened.

Or, you prepared for a cold call but your tongue got tied up and twisted in your mouth and you struggled to get the words out. You hung up with your cheeks burning in shame.

Everyone in sales has encountered situations like this from time-to-time and those situations affect and influence your behaviour today.

What baggage is dragging you down and negatively affecting your sales results and preventing you from increasing your sales?

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

Stop Pitching, Start Talking

Sales presentations can be very tricky - that's why I love this article from sales trainer Kelley Robertson. It contains stratgies to help you deliver great presentations, every time!

Here are 7 strategies that will help you deliver a killer sales presentation, every time.

1. Start with a brief summary. Open a sales presentation with an outline of your understanding of your prospect's key issues and immediately capture their attention.

2. Keep it brief. If you have been allotted 60 minutes set a goal of finishing in less than forty-five. No prospect is EVER going to complain that you didn't use up your allotted time.

3. Focus on "must-have" information. Contrary to popular believe most prospects don't want to know everything about your solution; they only want to know what's relevant to their situation.

4. Use stories, cases studies and examples. Weave stories into your presentations that demonstrate how people have benefited from your offering. Use case studies and example that are relevant to each prospect's business.

5. Create a two-way dialogue. Instead of spending your allotted time talking, ask your prospect questions, opinions and perspectives.

6. Conclude with a specific call to action. Don't end with something like, "If you have questions, feel free to give me a call." Tell the decision maker exactly what you want them to do.

7. Practice. The more important the sales opportunity, the more critical it is to verbally rehearse your presentation.

Now, go and modify the next sales presentation you have scheduled and start making more sales!

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

What Are You Putting Off?

Today sales trainer Kelley Robertson shares some important advice on getting things done - rather than putting off what you don't want to do.

If you're like many people in sales and in business, you are probably NOT doing something that you should be.

It might be cold calling, attending networking events, writing an article for an industry magazine, improving your product knowledge, or enhancing your selling skills. Perhaps you need to follow up with a challenging customer or research a new prospect's business so you can properly position your solution.

Let's face it, sometimes-actually quite often-the tasks people put off doing are the precise ones that will help them increase their sales. Unfortunately, these activities are usually less enjoyable so it's easy to procrastinate and focus on doing something that is more enjoyable.

Here's a suggestion.

Each day, focus on completing one activity that you don't particularly enjoy BEFORE you do anything else. Resist the urge to do something more enjoyable and resolve that you will complete that one task. Stick with it until you have finished that activity.

The major benefit of this approach is that your productivity will dramatically increase and your stress level will decrease. If you develop this habit, you will defeat procrastination and notice an improvement in your results.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

11 Things That Irk Decision Makers

Sometimes a quick, to-the-point list is the only way to go. Today sales trainer Kelley Robertson shares a list of things salespeople do that irk decision makers. Yikes! Make sure you're not doing any of these!

Sales people do a variety of things that irk decision makers and prospects and prevent them from moving the sales process forward. Here are 11 of them:

1. Sales people who can't articulate their value proposition.

2. Sales people who call to "touch base" or "check in".

3. Sales people that go overtime during sales calls and presentations.

4. Sales people who misrepresent themselves to executive assistants in order to get connected with the decision maker.

5. Sales people that ask basic questions that could be answered by a subordinate or a quick browse through the prospect's website.

6. Sales people that deliver a canned pitch, presentation or proposal.

7. Sales people who leave a long and rambling voice mail message with little or no value.

8. Sales people who claim their solution is "easy" to implement.

9. Sales people that use outdated closing tactics.

10. Sales people that waste time trying to "build rapport".

11. Sales people who misrepresent their offering.

Hopefully, you aren't guilty of irking your prospects with these. Once you instigate the irk factor, it becomes much more difficult to move the sales process forward.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

Why You Need to Watch American Idol

American Idol isn't just important for keeping up with conversations around the water cooler - it's also a great source of sales tips and inspirations! Here's why sales trainer Kelley Robertson says you should be watching this show:

Here are 4 key lessons sales people can learn from American Idol.

EVERY performance counts. Many think that this "next performance" is their most important one or that it's okay to make a mistake because their previous performances have been good. However, in a competition like this, you seldom get a second chance.

Every sales call or meeting is important which means you need to make a favorable impression.

Winning requires emotional strength. It's not uncommon to see emotional breakdowns and watch people choke under pressure. Selling is no different. It gets tougher every year and the competition becomes fiercer.

You need more than natural talent. The people who progress through the competition listen to the judges and incorporate their feedback into subsequent performances.

How hard do you work at developing your sales talent? Do you read books, attend webinars, workshops and conferences?

Put 100 percent effort. This ties in with the first point but it goes a bit deeper. It is critical to put 100 percent effort into every performance, every practise, and every song. One performer put so much effort into his performance he burst into tears afterwards-he left everything on the stage.

Do you put EVERYTHING into all of your sales calls, meetings and presentations? Are you emotionally drained at the end of a day?

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

Signal Your Intent

One of the most important things to me in the selling process is that the buyer always feel comfortable. I feel better during a sale if they always know where we are and what is going on - and this tip from sales trainer Kelley Robertson accomplishes just that. Today Robertson shares the importance of signaling your intent to your client, and making everyone feel comfortable.

One of my pet peeves is people who don't signal when driving. From a simple lane change to a turn at an intersection, it never ceases to amaze me how many people don't bother to signal their intent.

Sales people should signal their intent, too.

Here's what I mean.

As you start a discussion with a new prospect, outline how you plan to manage the sales conversation by saying something like,

"Rick, I'd like to start by asking you a few questions to gain a better understanding of your situation. That will help me determine if I have the right solution for you.

Assuming I can help you, I will prepare some information and we'll agree on a day and time to discuss it. Does that sound fair?"

Or, if this is a subsequent meeting or sales call you can signal your intent by saying,

"Susan, as we discussed in our last conversation, my goal today is to review the proposal, answer any questions you might have and to discuss the next steps. Does that still work for you?"

You may think that this fundamental step won't affect the outcome of your meeting or sales call. However, it is highly effective because it tells your prospect that you actually follow some sort of process while demonstrating your professionalism, expertise and self-control.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

The Secret Ingredient for Sales Success

There's a secret ingredient for sales success? Sign me up! Sales trainer Kelley Robertson explains.

McDonald's has their secret sauce. KFC has their secret recipe. And, infomercials have a secret formula that help make them successful.

The most successful sales people also have a secret ingredient. An ingredient that is often overlooked, neglected or dismissed by their colleagues or coworkers.

This ingredient separates the average sales person from everyone else. It can help you transform from an average sales person who struggles to meet their monthly or quarterly quota to someone who consistently exceeds their targets.

It's a simple concept. And because it is so simple many people ignore it.

Are you ready? Here it is.

Practice. Practice. Practice.

Anyone who embarks on learning a new hobby, sport, or language quickly learns that practice is the only to master that skill. It's no different in sales. It is ALWAYS difficult when you implement something new into your routine.

When you first begin making cold calls, it will always feel uncomfortable. When you ask new, tough, penetrating questions it will feel awkward. When you deal directly with objections it may seem aggressive. And when you first start asking people for the sale, it will cause your heart rate to increase.

The key is to practice these new procedures until they start feeling comfortable and natural. Only then will they start to work. Make the time to practice new concepts and you WILL improve your results.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

Stretch Yourself

It's time to start planning your 2011 goals (if you haven't already!) and I love these tips from sales trainer Kelley Robertson. Try them out and let us know how they work for you!

It's that time of year when self-help experts and sales gurus suggest that you establish goals to achieve for the upcoming year. I, too, am a big believer in setting goals. However, instead of the typical advice to set SMART goals (Specific, Motivational, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-framed), I am going to suggest something slightly different.

Go ahead and start by determining the main goal you want to accomplish this year. Write that goal down on a sheet of paper. Read it. Look at it. Consider it.

Then ask yourself, "Is that what I REALLY want to accomplish?"

If you're like most people, myself included, you probably want to achieve a more. But, I suspect that there's a little voice inside your head saying, "Oh, you can't do that!" or "You won't be able to achieve that goal." That is the voice of limitation.

Here's what you do.

Keep that original goal in mind. It's important. However, it is now your base target. The goal you feel confident reaching. The target you have a high chance (85%+) of achieving. A target that will still push you but allow you to stay in close touch with your current comfort zone.

Now, write down what you REALLY want to accomplish. The goal that will take much more effort to achieve. The target that will push you outside your comfort zone. Ignore the voice that tells you can't achieve it. Write it down even if you don't think you can achieve it. Go ahead—write it down now!

Here's the power behind this approach.

You have, in essence, now set two goals. A primary target and a secondary objective which is your stretch target.

As you progress toward your first - and reasonably achievable goal, you will gradually start to look at your stretch target and give it more consideration. Eventually you will start to think about your ambitious goal more often. You will wonder if you can actually achieve it. You will start to focus on it. And you will begin to believe that you can reach that goal.

That's when an interesting mental shift occurs.

You will start losing interest in achieving your initial goal and begin striving for your stretch target. Before long your base target becomes incredibly easy to achieve as you focus your energy on attaining that bigger, grander, and more ambitious goal.

What I love about this approach is that you really can't lose.

At the very least, you will likely achieve your first goal and that is rewarding. You can look at yourself in the mirror knowing that you were successful in achieving your target.

However, in many cases, you will actually reach that stretch target which will inspire you, motivate you and boost your confidence. You will begin to feel like anything is possible - and it is. Even if you don't reach your stretch goal, there is a strong likelihood that you will exceed your initial goal which is also inspiring and motivating.

I learned this technique from a former boss and was amazed how effective it was in helping our company achieve highly ambitious sales quotas. I later applied it to my own business and experienced a significant increase in my revenues in a single year. I strongly encourage you to use this approach in your own business or life. It will make a tremendous difference.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

Earn the Right

This is a great article from sales trainer that reminds us that we have to work to earn the respect of our clients!

A sales manager I used to work with often used the phrase, "Earn the right." He was an old-school sales guy who correctly believed that it was essential to earn the right to not only ask for the sale, but to move through the sales process. Here are four situations when you should "earn the right."

Earn the right to ask for an appointment by changing your opening dialogue to reflect your expertise and credibility. Pique your prospect's attention by outlining a potential problem they may be facing and how you might be able to help.

Earn the right to ask tough penetrating questions by demonstrating that you have done pre-call, pre-meeting research. Don't waste a decision maker's time by asking weak questions that could have been answered by a five minute browse through their website.

Earn the right to discuss your product, service or solution by showing that you have listened to, and fully understood, your prospect's situation, concerns, and issues. Before you begin talking about your solution, briefly recap your understanding of these issues.

Earn the right to move the sales process forward by clearly demonstrating how your solution will benefit your prospect or customer. Avoid discussing elements of your offering that have little or no relevance to your prospect's situation

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

The Worst Way to Open a Sales Presentation

It seems easy enough to assume that you should open a presentation by talking about your company - after all, that's how you open an interview, which is just another form of a presentation. Right? Wrong! Sales trainer Kelley Robertson explains the detriments this tactic makes to your presentation.

Contrary to popular belief, telling your prospect about your company is NOT an effective way to open your conversation or presentation. In fact, it the worst way to start a sales call or presentation. Here's why.

Your prospect doesn't care about you or your company.

The only thing they want to know is how you can help them. Talking about your company simply does not accomplish this.

Look at it this way...

Have you ever met someone at a networking function who talked and talked and talked? Okay, maybe they only talked for a few minutes but if that conversation was focused on them, chances are you tuned them out real quick.

The same principle rings true for your prospects.

You have very little time to capture a decision maker's attention. That means you should open your presentation with something that demonstrates your knowledge or understanding of your prospect's situation, their business, or a potential problem they may be facing.

Many sales reps have been instructed by someone in their company to open their sales meetings and presentations with an overview of their company. In some cases, this amounts to a five-slide presentation that takes 2-8 minutes to deliver.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

Call Me Back, Please!

Today sales expert Kelley Robertson shares some great advice for getting prospects to call you back!

Are you finding that your prospects seldom return phone calls?

Getting someone to return your call is challenging at the best of times. Think about your own situation for a moment. How many calls do YOU return? I receive many calls from people trying to sell me a product or service but I rarely call these people back.

Decision makers are inundated with people calling trying to sell their product or service. A typical executive in corporate America receives dozens of calls everyday. Most of them get 150 emails in their in-box every day. Plus, they spend the bulk of their 12-14 hour days in meetings.

Try this tactic.

Make sure your message focuses on a specific problem they may be experiencing and allude to a way they can resolve it. For example:

"Mr. Prospect, Kelley Robertson calling. I read in today's newspaper that you are merging with XYZ Corporation. Our research has shown that employee sick days increase by as much as 38% during a merger; however, one of our clients was able to reduce this to just 9%. Call me at 905-633-7750 if you want to discuss how they did this."

Most voice mail messages focus on the seller's product or solution. But this doesn't show your prospect how you can actually help them solve a problem. Change your approach and improve your call back ratio.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

Are You Referable?

We talk a lot about the importance of referrals for your business, so I thought this guide from sales trainer Kelley Robertson was a great tool. Make yourself more referable by following his easy tips.

Referrals are one of the best ways to generate new sales. Here are five ways you can become more referable.

You can effectively articulate what you do. I have met numerous people at networking events who have failed to help me understand exactly what they do. To become referable you MUST be able to clearly state your value proposition.

You can describe your ideal client. At a recent networking meeting, I was asked what type of companies I work with. My answer was somewhat vague because I work with a wide range of organizations. It would have more effective for me to state who my ideal client is instead of listing the different industries I have worked with.

You refer people to others. One of the best ways to become more referable is to refer business to others. When you meet people, look for ways to connect people in your network to those individuals. When you refer business, you generate business.

You acknowledge the referrer. I have recommended other trainers and speakers to people and even though those individuals secured business because of that referral, I haven't always received thanks for that referral.

You consistently execute. Whether you sell a product or service, people want to know that you can deliver what you say you will. That means offering value or creating an experience that meets or exceeds your customers' expectations.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

I'm Sorry, What Was Your Name?

Today sales trainer Kelley Robertson shares a few tips to help you remember people's names when you first meet them - a small, but incredibly important thing!

Names are VERY important to people and being able to recall a name can help you improve your credibility and earn the respect of others. When you meet people - from customers to prospects - you can differentiate yourself by remembering their name.

While this sounds simple, I have encountered many people at networking events who forget a person's name a few moments after they meet.

Here are three strategies you can use to prevent this embarrassment.

1. Make the effort. To recall someone's name, you need to focus on hearing it when you are first introduced. Instead of thinking about you will say, listen carefully to the other person as they greet you. If you don't hear their name or you can't understand it, ask them to repeat it by saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

2. Repeat their name. After they introduce themselves say, "It's a pleasure to meet you, (insert name here)." This helps drive their name into your memory bank.

3. Use it a few times. During your conversation, look for two or three opportunities to use the other person's name. This is an excellent way to prevent you from forgetting it.

This is not a typical "sales skill" but it is helpful to create long-term relationships with new prospects and people you meet at networking events.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. He specializes in helping businesses increase their sales, develop better negotiating skills, coach and motivate their employees, create powerful work teams and deliver outstanding customer service. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

How to Sell to C-Level Executives

Sales trainer Kelley Robertson recently attended a webinar with guest speaker Jeffrey Hayzlett, former Chief Marketing Office of Kodak. Here are 4 of the several key insights he shared:

Stalk them (professionally). You need to be extremely persistent and use a variety of approaches to get their attention. Hayzlett mentioned that he often directed his team to say no to everyone and then wait to see who took the initiative to make additional contact.

Develop a 118 second elevator pitch. The average elevator ride in a metropolitan city is 118 seconds. You have 8 seconds to capture the executive's attention and 110 seconds to sell them on continuing a conversation with you.

Develop and work your network. CXO's are more likely to meet with someone when they are referred by a colleague. Develop and nurture relationships with everyone who might help you connect with that individual.

Sell the executive assistant. These individuals often determine whether or not you meet their boss and their reputation is at stake. Treat the EA with dignity and respect and work under the assumption that they ARE the decision maker.

Selling to executives is challenging but you can improve your results by implementing these four strategies.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. He specializes in helping businesses increase their sales, develop better negotiating skills, coach and motivate their employees, create powerful work teams and deliver outstanding customer service. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

Secrets to Creating a Sales Proposal That Doesn't Suck - Part 2

Yesterday we started a two-part article from sales trainer Kelley Robertson about creating a sales proposal that actually gets you the sale! Do you have any tips to share? Let us know in the comments!

1-Avoid the word "I" or "we". The more times these two words show up in your proposal the more evident it appears that the proposal is about you, not about your prospect or their business or company. This also includes mentioning your company name. Keep your proposal focused on your prospect and use the word "you".

2-Use titles or headings. This is particularly important if your proposal is relatively long although it is an effective approach with short proposals too. Headings make it easy for your prospect to find key information. Heading also break up the page and make your proposal easier to read.

3-Include at least one testimonial. Testimonials remain one of the most effective sales weapons and you need to incorporate them into your proposals. I like to add these in my P.S. after my signature although I know people who include several testimonials throughout their proposals.

4-Include a summary. Many people will skip the details of your proposal and flip to the last page. Effective proposals include a bullet-point summary of the services you will provide to your prospect.

5-End with a call to action. I used to close my proposals with, "If you require any additional information please feel free to contact me." Boring! Tell the prospect what you want them to do next. By the way, the next steps should ALWAYS be discussed BEFORE you write your proposal.

The purpose of a proposal is to demonstrate that you and your company have the best solution for the prospect's problem. Apply the concepts that were mentioned in this article and stand out from your competition.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. He specializes in helping businesses increase their sales, develop better negotiating skills, coach and motivate their employees, create powerful work teams and deliver outstanding customer service. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

Secrets to Creating a Sales Proposal That Doesn't Suck

After working in sales and sales training for years, sales expert Kelley Robertson has seen it all when it comes to sales proposals. The good, the bad, and the just terrible. Thankfully, he's here to share his expertise and give you the tools you need to secure the sale. This is a two-part article, so be sure to check back in tomorrow for more great suggestions!

Here are ten strategies you can use to ensure that your proposal stands out from your competitors.

1-Open effectively. The vast majority of sales proposals start with information about the seller's company. I have never figured out the rationale of this approach. Your prospect doesn't care about you or your company. They don't want to know how long you have been in business, what awards you have won, or what other companies you have worked with. Effective proposals always highlight the problem that the prospect is facing and the impact that problem has on their business. And they do this early. Not on page two, three or nine. On the first page. If you feel obligated to include this type of information place it near the end of the proposal.

2-Address their situation early. An approach that I have found very effective is to begin with a one paragraph summary of my prospect's situation followed by the key objectives they want to achieve. This demonstrates that you have a good understanding of your prospect's problems and concerns. I like to state the objectives in bullet-point form because it is easier to read and absorb.

3-Show the value. This does not mean expanding at great length about your solution. Instead, it requires that you identify exactly how your prospect will benefit by implementing your solution. A technique I learned many years ago is to include several bullet points with each point stating a separate value proposition.

4-Avoid corporate-speak or marketing mumbo-jumbo. The best proposals are written in plain, easy-to-understand language. Many sales people (and marketing departments) think that it is important to use ten dollar words when a simple word would suffice. Never, ever use terminology that might be difficult to understand. Although this is a simple concept, too many sales people include wording or technical information that just isn't necessary. I learned this lesson when I submitted my first proposal many years ago. After earning the business I asked my client why they chose me and she said, "Your proposal was easy to understand."

5-Keep it brief. I once read a proposal for a sales training program that spanned 24 pages. Decision makers are far too busy to read a long proposal. I understand that some proposals require a lot of information and detail, especially if you are recommending a complex solution. However, the longer your proposal the more likely it is that your prospect will skim through it and flip ahead to the investment. It is much more effective to write a short, concise proposal and provide back-up information if needed.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. He specializes in helping businesses increase their sales, develop better negotiating skills, coach and motivate their employees, create powerful work teams and deliver outstanding customer service. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com