Quote of the Week: Destiny and Decisions

Quote of the Week

"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Your destiny is in your hands. All of it! Your business life and your personal life are all determined by the decisions you make and the actions you take.

Who do you want to become? And what steps will you take to get there? Got any tips for how all us Sales Dog can determine our success? Tell us in the comments below! 

Coffee with the Dog: Is Cold Calling Really Dead?

Let's Talk About Cold Calling

In this week's Coffee With the Dog newsletter, SalesDog founder and CEO, Michael Dalton Johnson, is giving you the lowdown on cold calling.

If the idea of making the first move and calling your prospective clients sends shivers down your spine, you're not alone. But Johnson is offering up some encouragement: 

"Despite what you are being told, Cold Calling is alive and kicking – and still an important part of many sucessful sales and marketing efforts.

In a lot of instances the need for a human voice is absolutely required. In a world of overhyped and outright devious Internet marketing, impersonal broadcast emailing and a transparently self-serving social media presence with thousands of 'friends,' a person's voice is reassuring and says 'I am a human,.. a real flesh and blood being... just like you. Let's talk.'"

To read the rest of Johnson's cold calling article, click here.

If you want more free (you can't beat that!) sales and marketing advice delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to subscribe to the Coffee With the Dog newsletter here! 

Give us your thoughts on cold calling in the comments below! 

We're Back! And We Missed All You Sales Dogs!

Our SalesDog Blog is Back!

Hello all you Sales Dogs! Our apologies for the blogging silence. Did you miss us? We most certainly missed you!

We're back now and have some great new content lined up for you! Plus, a brand new editor (that's me, Taylor Eaton). So keep your eyes glued to this blog for inspirational quotes, insights into the business world, and free tips and tricks (who says old dogs can't learn new tricks?) for your sales and marketing practices.

Can't wait for the new content to start showing up? Browse our archives or subscribe to our Coffee with the Dog newsletter for free weekly advice (AND 300 free business leads).

Got any questions for us? Feel free to leave us a comment below! We'd love to hear from you!

Most Sales Professionals Happy with Management, Despite Stress and a Lack of Leads and Training

Our recent Sales Career Satisfaction Survey reveals the people who sell products and services for a living have conflicting feelings about their chosen career.

The survey, which asked questions on various job satisfaction issues, was sent to our subscribers. Over 2,000 salespeople responded. The survey found that, while most sales professionals are reasonably satisfied with their jobs, they consider high stress to be a significant occupational hazard. In fact, nearly six out of 10 respondents said they consider their jobs stressful.

Despite the job pressure, 70 percent of respondents reported being happy with their management, while 64 percent of those taking the survey said they felt adequately recognized for their achievements. A surprising 75 percent of respondents believe their management's sales expectations or quotas are realistic.

The survey revealed a number of significant job dissatisfaction issues as well.

Only half of the respondents expressed satisfaction with their compensation, while 52 percent felt their companies could provide better training. Fifty-five percent alse believed their companies could do a better job of providing sales leads.

"The survey findings suggest that most salespeople feel good about their chosen career despite the high stress levels," says Michael Dalton Johnson, founder and publisher of SalesDog.com. "Considering that lack of recognition is a common complaint of many employees in all types of jobs, we were surprised to learn the large number of salespeople who feel adequately recognized for their work."

Overall, the survey indicates enthusiasm for a sales career is strong, as witnessed by an overwhelming 83 percent of respondents saying they would recommend sales as a career for young people entering the workforce.

Survey results are available at http://www.salesdog.com/survey_1.asp

In the News

Our publisher, Michael Dalton Johnson, has been featured once again on Salesopedia.com. Check out his article, "It's a Jungle Out There!" for a humorous look at the different types of buyers you'll come across in the concrete jungle.

SalesDog Quick Tip

You've finally secured a meeting with an account you've been pursuing for months, only to learn you'll be meeting with a purchasing agent rather than the COO, Manager, etc. Purchasing agents, specifically, are usually interested in one thing - price. So, how do you get them to look beyond the price to the value of your solution? Paul Cherry, a sales training consultant and author, suggests you create value for the purchasing agent by understanding their need to feel appreciated.

"When companies keep a narrow focus on increasing profitability, people can slip below the radar. When the company has a great year, the CEO rarely says, "We owe it all to our purchasing agents toiling down in the basement, saving us 5 cents apiece on widgets," notes Cherry.

He continues, "Many workers you deal with feel overworked and under-respected. All they ask its that you make them look good. Provide them with solutions that'll take paperwork off their desks and keep their bosses happy with them, and they'll be happy with you."

Paul Cherry is the president of Performance Based Results, a sales training and leadership development firm. He has trained and coached over 1,200 organizations in every major industry ranging from family-owned small businesses to leading Fortune 500 companies. He is also the author of the top-selling book, Questions That Sell and the soon-to-be-released Questions That Lead.

In the News

Our publisher, Michael Dalton Johnson, is on the front page of Salesopedia this week. You can check out his article, "Why You're Not Selling," here. His advice is excerpted from the bestselling advice book, Top Dog Sales Secrets. One of these tips is sure to help you sell more this week.

SalesDog Quick Tip

Sales advice is filled with admonitions to salespeople to listen more and talk less. Sometimes this is easier said then done. Active listening is an acquired skill. Beyond asking open-ended questions, summarizing and asking for feedback, what can you do to actively listen? Try this tip from tele-selling expert Jim Domanski.

The best way to listen is to listen with a pen in your hand. Take notes. Tell your client that you'll be taking notes as you go. They'll appreciate it. It gives them peace of mind. It suggests to them that you are thorough. They also have a tendency to slow down a bit which makes listening and note taking that much easier.

Write in point form. Don't worry about getting every word in a sentence. If you miss something or you don't understand something, put a circle around it or put a big question mark beside it. When it is time for you to 'investigate' use your notes to guide you. Preface your question with trigger phrases such as, "I have a note here on my pad. You said something about ... and I did not quite get it. Could you elaborate?"

Taking notes is almost a forgotten art, particularly in tele-sales. This is often due to complacency. The rep figures he's 'heard it all before' and the need to jot down notes is not necessary. Big mistake. Writing notes keeps your focus and concentration.

Jim Domanski is the President of Teleconcepts Consulting Inc. and works with companies and individuals who are frustrated with the results they have been getting when using the telephone to generate leads and sales. For more information visit: www.teleconceptsconsulting.com or call 613-591-1998.

SalesDog Quick Tip

Sales trainer Lori Richardson has a sales blog on AllBusiness.com that I highly recommend - it's well written and her posts are always content-rich. She recently wrote a "Sales Prospecting Tip Sheet" to help make your prospecting a success. Here are a few of her tips:

• DIVERSIFY - Mix up how you contact your more probable prospects. Call early in the day, call at 5pm.
• BE CONSISTENT - You must set regular time slots in your calendar to do this! Once you set the times, honor your commitment to yourself and to growing your business.
• GET FEEDBACK - Ask trusted advisors to let you "call them" with an introductory call. Find out how you can tighten what you say - especially in voice mail messages which are nearly always way too long.
• SEPARATE research time, calling time, and updating time. Work like a machine - create a smooth process so that you do research at a different time, and you are able to crank through calls and email messages.

A consummate student of learning, Lori immersed herself in "how to" books, strategies, and professional development programs from an early age. She's walked on hot coals, watched and studied masters in diverse fields, and sold "in the trenches" - on straight commission - and otherwise - for more than 30 years. Visit Lori's website at www.scoremoresales.com.

SalesDog Quick Tip

It's the beginning of a brand new year. If you're like most salespeople, you've probably made a resolution to work harder to achieve your goals. While we encourage you to do this, we also want to stress that working smarter is even better than working longer. You'll work smarter using this quick tip from sales expert Jill Konrath.

"Always debrief your sales calls," says Konrath. "This is the only way you can get better."

Ask yourself:

• What went well?
• Where did I run into problems?
• What could I do next time to get even better results?

Implement this strategy, and you'll get more effective results.

Today's tip comes from Jill Konrath, Chief Sales Officer of Selling to Big Companies.

Quote of the Week

"Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life." -- Henry L. Doherty

The most successful salespeople view sales as a never-ending learning process. If you're committed to making more sales in the New Year why not make a resolution to study your craft for a few minutes every day?

We're here to be your expert resource for sales advice - so take advantage of it! Click through our resources section, ask questions in our blog, contact our sales experts, order our book, read the newsletter and discuss it with your colleagues or manager.

We'll be back on Wednesday, working with you towards sales success. Happy New Year!

Where is everybody?

It's the day after Christmas and while much of the world is returning unwanted gifts, or sleeping off the eggnog, SalesDog is back on the job.

If you're reading this, I suspect you're working too. Allow me to share a secret I learned from telesales guru Art Sobczak: This week can be the best selling time of your sales year.

Huh? SalesDog, are you barking mad? No one's in. Everyone's gone until after New Year's. What are you talking about?

Think about it: you're not the only one working today. Plenty of your prospects are. Many of their gatekeepers are not there to hold you back. If your prospect is working, he's probably not being distracted by co-workers, his customers, meetings, and reports that are due. He's probably answering his own phone, and has time to talk.

Now is prime time for reaching prospects. They'll be more relaxed and willing to spend a few minutes with you. And, if they're looking for ways to spend money that is still left in their budgets? Well, I think you're getting the picture.

So, stop lamenting, and get dialing. Come back and share some of your successes this week.

Art Sobczak helps sales pros use the phone to prospect, service and sell more effectively, while eliminating morale-killing "rejection." See free articles and back issues of his weekly emailed sales tips at www.BusinessByPhone.com.

Happy Holidays!

The SalesDog blog will be quiet Monday and Tuesday, as we're closed for the Christmas holiday. We'll be back and blogging on Wednesday, December 26. In the meantime, we wish you and yours the very happiest of holidays.

Lady SalesDog in the News

Don't take our word for it! Multiple news outlets have been contacting Lady SalesDog recently to get her advice on business gift-giving. She was recently featured in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

For more gift-giving tips, find Lady SalesDog's complete advice here.

Happy Holidays!

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.

A Twist on the Elevator Speech

You probably have an elevator speech, a short explanation of what you do that can be delivered in the time it takes an elevator to ride a few floors. Sales trainer Tim Connor has an intriguing variation - elevator questions. Here's how it works:

If you were told by a prospect that you had sixty seconds to sell them, what would you do? Would you condense your sales message into a one minute presentation or talk about your organization and its strengths and history? Would you ask a few thought provoking questions or just sit there dumbfounded wondering what to do or what to say next?

I recently met a prospect on a hotel elevator in Las Vegas. He looked like he was a business person, so I asked him, "What do you do for a living?" He responded, "I am in the insurance industry." My follow-up question was, "What do you do in the insurance business?" He said he was the president. (Keep in mind, I don't have a lot of time here, we are on a elevator.)

My follow-up question was, "Do you know what your lost sales are costing you every year?" (Elevator Question)

He paused and then replied, "I am not sure, what do you do for a living?"

I said, "I am in the business of helping organizations reduce their lost sales revenue." (Elevator Statement)

An elevator question is any question that cuts to the heart of your prospect's challenges, concerns or fears, and makes him think. It also implies that you or your organization may have a possible solution for his problems. Remember that elevator questions are not used only on elevators. They can be used at social settings, while selling on the telephone or anywhere during the sales process.

SalesDog's advice: Work on some elevator questions this weekend, and put them to use next week!

-- Tim Connor is CEO of SalesClubsofAmerica.com and a contributor to Top Dog Sales Secrets. He is a popular speaker, sales trainer and successful author. Visit his website at TimConnor.com

How Sorry Are You?

Shipping sent the wrong product to your client - twice. A delivery arrived late, or you weren't able to come through with a promised upgrade. Sound familiar? Customer service foul-ups like these, and the Target customer service nightmare we told you about yesterday, can create major headaches for your customers.

"As a sales professional, you are the face of your company," says SalesDog.com Managing Editor Tina LoSasso. "So you need to say you're sorry (regardless of whether it's your fault). When your company fouls up, a mere phone call or letter often is not enough to undo the damage. An appropriate gift will go a long way toward soothing ruffled feathers."

What should you send?

"Flowers always say it best," advises LoSasso. "For female customers, send a floral arrangement in a vase. Stay away from roses, no matter the color, as they spell romance in any language. Avoid lilies, because they are often used at funerals, and can have an overpowering fragrance. An elegant mixed flower arrangement can be pricey, so if funds are tight, opt for a tasteful bouquet of just one variety of flower for maximum impact. Irises, dendrobium orchids or gerbera daisies work well."

"For the men, send a healthy-looking potted plant, preferably not a blooming one. A bonsai plant, bamboo, or money tree will hit just the right masculine note, and look great on his desk."

When problems arise, do your best to fix them and make sure the customer knows you appreciate their business and will work hard to continue it. Follow up on your apology with a thoughtful gift and your customers will remember you when it's time to buy again.

This advice was excerpted from Top Dog Sales Secrets.

Is Politeness Unraveling Your Sale?

It happened again today. I received a follow-up email from a vendor containing not one, but two, uses of the phrase "should you choose to go forward." Very nice, very polite, also potentially hazardous to this sale.

Why?

I already told the salesperson that we wanted to move forward and the email was supposed to tell me what we needed to do now. In effect, the salesperson was ignoring that decision and putting the deal up for grabs again.

Before you say,"Oh, I would never do that," realize I see this with alarming frequency, particularly from sellers of services. "Should you choose to go forward" is second cousin to, "If you decide to use our services." Both are equally effective at unraveling a sale when written to a customer who is already sold.

How can you safeguard your emails from this deal nullifier? Take a good, hard look at your standard emails. And, before you hit the send button on your next email, carefully read it over to see if every word applies to this particular prospect. If the prospect is already sold, you need to replace the "should you choose" and "if you decide." This buyer would not object to being told, "Let's get started. Just fill out the attached forms and I'll get you scheduled."

--Tina LoSasso is Managing Editor of SalesDog.com and a contributor to Top Dog Sales Secrets.

Put Some Fun back in your Sales

Here's a creative sales promo idea. A million dollar bill with your picture or company logo on it! Not for everyone, but it looks like a lot of fun to us. See it at http://www.photobucks.com/homepage.html.

Quote of the Week

"For every sale you miss because you're too enthusiastic, you will miss a hundred because you're not enthusiastic enough." - Zig Ziglar

Enthusiasm can't mask inadequacies or inexperience, but it can help set you apart. All things being relatively equal, I'm buying from the salesperson who demonstrates that he wants my business, every time. I know he'll be there for me when things inevitably go wrong or we need a rush job.

My advice: never neglect to tell your prospects you want them as customers. Ask for the business! - Tina LoSasso, SalesDog.com Managing Editor