7 Reasons You Upgrade Your Selling Skills

Today's sales climate has ungone major changes which means sales people need to change their approach and methodologies. Here are seven reasons you need to upgrade your sales approach.

By Kelley Robertson

Today’s business world has changed significantly. Buying decisions that used to take a few days can now take weeks, sometimes months. Decision makers and buyers have changed the way they manage their operations. And business has become more complex. This all means that it is critical that you upgrade your selling skills if you want to achieve long-term success in your sales career. Here are seven reasons you need to upgrade your selling skills.

1. The business climate has changed. In the last few years the business world has dramatically changed. Companies are leaner which means employees need to accomplish more with fewer resources. The decision making process often takes much longer than it used to. And, the people you deal with and sell to, are much busier. See point 5 for more detail on this.

2. Selling is becoming more difficult. If you are like many sales people, you have probably discovered that selling is more challenging than ever. It is more difficult to connect with executives and decision makers. It is more challenging to stand out from the competition. Products often change with increasing frequency which makes it more difficult to stay current. The volume of information you have to retain and manage can be overwhelming. And the number of accounts you have to juggle is likely taxing too.

3. Your customers and prospects are more savvy. Buyers are immune to tired, outdated sales tactics that manipulate people into making buying decisions. I’m not suggesting that you use these tactics; however, they have caused corporate decision makers to paint all sales people with the same brush. If your voice mail message sounds anything remotely like the others your contact hears, then you are destined for failure. If your presentation sounds like everything else they have heard, you will not close the sale.

4. What used to work is no longer as effective. A generic presentation that starts with an overview of your company, your position in the market place, the organizations that you have worked with, or the awards that you have won, simply doesn’t cut it anymore. I actually don’t know if this approach was ever very effective but I know for certain that it doesn’t work in today’s new economy.

5. Aversion to risk has increased. Many buyers have been burned over-zealous sales people who made false promises and unrealistic claims. People have purchased products and solutions that failed to achieve the desired results. They have signed agreements only to discover that the system they wanted required an unexpected investment of time and money. And they have made decisions that caused them embarrassment.

6. Key decision makers are busier than ever. Five years ago it used to take 6-8 calls to connect with a senior level decision maker. Now, it can take as many as 15 attempts. A typical executive has more than 40 hours of unfinished work on their desk at any given time. An average of 150 emails clog their in-box and they constantly have to deal with changing priorities. One executive I know said, “I can’t possible talk to a sales person because I already have too many projects on the go.” Another told me, “Just when I think I can’t get any busier, I do.”

7. Competition has increased. Virtually every industry has seen an explosion of competition. Low-cost products manufactured and shipped from overseas to local competitors trying to carve a slice of market share from you. This increase—and change—in competition means you need to improve your sales skills so you can position your product more effectively.

The majority of top performing sales people invest time and money in their personal development. They read books, listen to audio programs and they attend conferences and online events to improve and fine-tune their skills. If their company doesn’t sponsor or fund this development, they use their own money because they know that they will always get a return on this investment.

If you want to succeed in today’s business world and enjoy a long-term career in sales, it is essential that you constantly upgrade your selling skills. I don’t know who originally stated this quote but it is certainly applicable to this topic, “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have gotten.”

Get your FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to Kelley's free newsletter, "59 Seconds to Sales Success" athttp://www.Fearless-Selling.ca. Kelley Robertson conducts sales training programs and speaks on sales at conferences and meetings. Contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca.

Branding, Publicity and Marketing Success Secrets

Discover the secrets to career and business success using publicity outreach for branding and marketing. Find out how to showcase your credentials, experience, wisdom and expertise using publicity success principles and strategy.

By Annie Jennings

Is there a secret to success? Is there more than one? Yes! Let’s find out what successful people, consultants and business pros believe and do that helps them achieve their optimal potential. What is it that they have in common, whether it’s in their beliefs or in their actions that makes them successful?

First of all they use resources available to them including publicity, self-promotion, branding and marketing to create their outstanding advantage in the marketplace. The rest comes naturally. The major opportunities go to the ones who are visible, making a difference, seen and heard by their target market.

Successful people know that they have to take responsibility and follow it up by taking action. You set you own limits.  You are defined by the intensity of your commitment and the depths of your knowledge. In other words, commitment without knowledge can equal frustration and limit your potential. The idea is to add the right knowledge to your ambition so you can climb the ladder for yourself.

Those who make it big believe certain things and do certain things to back up their beliefs. They are ready to invest in themselves. They believe that they are they best investment. Successful people create a business model that meets the demands of their target market. Successful people are ready for action, they are committed and they are willing to go for it with gusto.

Showcase your knowledge. Showcase your talent using media outreach. Your clients will love seeing you out there in the media sharing what you know and commenting on the issues. They enjoy hiring a tried and true professional who understands how to deliver the specific outcome. By doing publicity, marketing and promotion, you let your clients get an idea of your knowledge, wisdom and experience. You client will want to hire you. Clients want certainty. They want to hire the best. In the end, your clients want to buy outcomes and are happy to pay for your services if you are able to define the return on investment and clearly state how your services can help your clients.

Content is critical when showcasing yourself and your knowledge. The media is your opportunity to shine.  Do an outstanding job, pack your commentary with valuable content and share your wisdom and experience in all of your marketing materials including your email newsletters. Be sure your website helps you educate your visitors and your clients.

Success is in your own hands. Taking responsibility for both the successes and failures empowers you to make the changes necessary to turn the situation around or to expand on your success.  If you feel powerless in both the good and the bad, you will get stuck in your thinking and in your progress.

Have a terrific attitude. Commit to proven publicity, branding and marketing strategies. Do not fight success the whole way. Be optimistic. Success will come easily to you and it will seem as if everything you do has a terrific outcome. Have confidence in yourself. Go with your gut, your intuition and your instincts when making choices. Be high energy. Be ready for success & take action. P.S. Don’t stop until you get enough success!

Access tremendous publicity resources for both your career and your business at Annie Jennings PR. Free publicity, branding and business marketing special reports are available as well as free MP3 audio recordings to empower your corporate communications strategy. Contact Annie Jennings PR at 908-281-6201

Presentation Success: How You Can Own The Room

A successful presentation starts with the presenter owning the room. When you know and own the room, you will be a more powerful and confident presenter. That leads to more successful presentations for you. What can you do to own the room?

By George Torok

Consider this

While strolling in your neighborhood you will feel more comfortable and confident than in a strange town. A sports team usually feels stronger when playing at home. Delivering a presentation is certainly a competitive sport. Why not do it on your home turf?

As a presenter, how do you own the room? “Owning the room” is a feeling that you can generate within yourself by knowing the room. How do you know the room?

Know the room

Knowing the room for your presentation might mean arriving the day before your presentation. At the very least, arrive one hour before your presentation. Don’t breeze in 10 minutes before you speak and expect to “own the room”.

Get into the room before your presentation - preferably when no one else is there. This will allow you to make the following preparations.

You can see the room and start visualizing how you will present and how your audience will look. Visualizing yourself presenting in the room is an effective way to prepare for your presentation. You will feel more comfortable and more powerful if you’ve been in the room before your presentation.

If the room is not the right size for the audience expected you can plan what to do to alter the room to make it appear to be smaller or arrange for another room.

You can check the setup of the room. Become familiar with the layout of the seating, tables, doors, curtains and other characteristics of the room. Walk around the room and sit in different seats so you understand better how the audience might or might not see you and your visuals during your presentation. Look for blind spots.

Arrange for the seating to be changed to your preferred arrangement. Sometimes this might mean making those changes yourself. (I’ve done this the night before an important presentation.)

Play with the switches. Test all the lights, AV and climate control switches. Tape the ones that should not be changed. Discover the ones that give you the settings you want so you can set it quickly or explain to an assistant how to do it.

Check all the doors to learn which ones are noisy - so you can tape the latches with duct tape. Which are the outer halls that need a “Do Not Enter” sign taped on the outside? Where are the washrooms so you can direct people? hich are the emergency exits in case they are needed?

Rehearse walking on and off the stage so you don’t trip. I’ve done it and seen it happen. It’s surprising how simple things like walking on stage can be nerve wracking when you are giving a presentation.

Stand on the stage and deliver parts of your presentation. Move about the stage to feel comfortable and find the cracks or creaky boards that you will need to avoid. Check the position of the speakers while speaking on the microphone to avoid feedback. Test the microphone when the AV people are there. Often they test the microphone with one of their staff then they disappear.

One More Presentation Tip

Change or move something to make the room yours. Close the curtains, move some chairs, put a small table on stage… It might not be much but any small change that you make can help you feel better when you take the stage.

I’ve delivered over 1,000 presentations and I’ve noticed that a good room setup can influence the energy of the audience and success of your presentation.

Know the room and you will own the room. Your audience will marvel at your confidence and presentation power.

© George Torok helps business leaders, managers & sales professionals deliver million-dollar presentations. He offers presentation skills coaching and presentation skills training. For more free presentation tips visithttp://www.Presentation-Skills-Success.com To arrange a media interviews call 905-335-1997

The 5 Secrets Of Motivating Your Sales Team

How do you motivate a sales team? If you're looking for effective and inexpensive ways to get the most production out of your sales team, then you'll love these five proven steps.

By Mike Brooks
Copyright (c) 2010 Mr. Inside Sales

Motivation seems to be one of the toughest areas to get a handle on. Many managers tell me that some of their reps are already motivated and don’t need their help in that area (usually the Top 20%), but that the majority seem to need constant motivating, mentoring, counseling, or out right babysitting. Sound familiar?

When asked what to do, I tell them there is only so much they can do because true motivation comes from within—in other words, each member of their team is already motivated. There are, however, 5 things you can do to get the most out of your sales team and keep motivation and morale high. Here’s what they are --

#1) Make your monthly revenue goal, and each reps part of that goal, crystal clear. I’m sure you have a monthly revenue goal, but does each member of your sales team know what their specific part of that goal is? (Hint—it’s not all equal). Recognize that some reps will produce much more of the overall goal than others, but also make sure each one is clear on what their part of that overall goal is.

#2) Individualize the bonuses or prizes. The problem with most bonus programs is that as soon as they are released, over one-half of the sales team knows they can’t win so they are more discouraged than encouraged to produce. Customize each reps bonus based on their individual production goal. This ensures every body has a chance to win and thus will be motivated.

#3) Get out of your office and close some deals. Most managers are way too busy in meetings, or reporting, or just plain hiding out to be really effective. Remember one thing—as the manager, you are the leader. And leaders lead by example. Want to motivate your team, make your numbers, and create real value for yourself?

Go onto the floor and close business for some of your sales reps and help them make their revenue goals. This is the most important thing you can do not only for your bottom line, but for your team's motivation as well.

#4) Invest $100 in a couple of trophies. The best money you’ll ever spend—make one a “Weekly most improved” or “Best effort” and hand it out each Monday morning. Each winner gets to keep it on their desk that week. The other trophy can be either “Most deals,” or “Most new clients” or whatever other category everyone has a chance to win (as long as it is revenue related).

Again, hand it out in your Monday morning sales meeting, and each week the winner gets to keep it on their desk. Rule #1 in motivating: recognition among peers is almost always more important than money.

#5) Have some fun! Go to a toy store and buy one of those beanbag tosses, and after lunch on Friday make some teams and have some fun playing as a team. Tack on $50 for good measure and watch the competition and fun build your team and dissolve stress. This works ? try it!

So there you have it. Inexpensive, proven techniques to build morale, motivate and make more money.

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, helps sales reps close more business over the phone. Learn how to sell more today by downloading the Special Report, "Ten Techniques to Instantly Become a Better Closer".

Home Based Business: Development in 3 Degrees

Too often businesses start very well but deteriorates gradually due to that lack of commitment. If you really want to achieve great riches, you will have to put some work into it. 3 steps that can help you develop your home based business successfully.

By Dev Maritz

Why is your home based development so important to get right from the start that can allow you to reap the rewards consistently?

First of all, I am here to tell you that becoming rich overnight does not exist. Quite a few dishonest Marketers use this style to get you buying from them. The sales page on the website will normally promise riches the next day and they do ruin lives by practising such methods.

Your home based business development comes from daily planning and followed up with determination.Too often businesses start very well but deteriorates gradually due to that lack of commitment.If you desperately want to become your own boss, hard work needs to go into it.

So lets start the 3 steps of developing your home based business:

1.Finding your niche market

Finding a profitable market where you can promote yourself is very important. The mind set of chosing the correct niche must be spot on due to many failures that occured doing the opposite. So which one should you choose?

Normally it is your hobbies that you are passionate about that can generate a great income for your home based business. If you are passionate about fishing for example, you will know more about that niche than the average joe will.

You will also have to concentrate on how strong the competition is in that certain area of your choice. The more saturated it is, the more difficult it will become to be recognized. “Google Trends” is a fantastic tool to find out what people are searching for at this present moment. Also the keywords taken from those tools can help you establish the number of searches in the google rankings. If you have less than a two hundred thousand, it is a good sign that your home based business can enjoy great exposure if implemented correctly.

2.Expand your knowledge further on your niche

Imagine having already the knowledge in a particular field and then defining that further to an expert level. This will allow you to stand out far above the other home based business owners and be seen as the person “to go to” for advice.

Researhing and learning additional elements of that niche contributes to your success.We never stop learning new ways from this world and it can only take us further in life.

3.Understanding what your customers need from that niche

One way you can profit from attaining this information without paying for it, is the right website(s). Yahoo answers have millions of question about every niche you can possible think of. If you search for your market on the website, you will quickly establish what people want and need on a daily basis.

Isn’t that a great free tool that can be used under the radar for a better approach? You can even join Google groups and forums to comprehend the habits of your future customers.

Taking time daily to digest what people need through these sites will be a great help for you in the years to come. These 3 steps for your home based business development is the first gateway that needs to be considered. After doing all that research, everything else will become a second nature.

Dev Maritz has been a succesful home based business owner and teaches many people to take the same approach. If you found this article useful, come and get you free e-book now for more information at :=> http://www.Your500ADay.com

Quick Tips To Get High Powered Publicity For Your Business

Find out the insider secrets to using publicity to empower your business and corporate communications strategy. You'll learn how to stay visible to your target audience, build awareness of your brand and encourage interested prospective clients to take action.

By Annie Jennings

What can business learn from successful businesses that use publicity strategies to stay in front of their clients and customers? Plenty! Getting publicity on your business allows you to create a substantial and compelling competitive advantage for your business. Want to be at the top of your industry? Publicity is the key.

One thing many businesses may wonder about is if accessing the media for publicity and brand name awareness costs a ton of money. The answer is no. You can get publicity for your business easily and within your budget.

In addition to staying visible to your target audience using publicity on radio shows, in newspapers and magazines and on TV shows, successful business go the extra mile for their customers and your clients and customers love these businesses for it.

Clients want to make investments in services that provide a return on their investment and they want guarantees so they don’t wind up wasting financial resources.

Be center stage in your industry. Stay competitive in publicity and promotion and make sure it is you or your business commenting on the issues in the news and not your competitors.

Stay consistent in your publicity outreach as this is important to creating your company’s competitive edge as clients want to do business with the vital companies making a difference.

Get quoted expert media placements, publicity on your company, be seen and heard in media including Radio, TV, Magazines, Online and Newspapers.

Be engaged in the success of your target market. When your business becomes part of the success model of other businesses you have achieved a great goal. Ask yourself, what if I were the client, what woudl I want to see available in products and services to bring my company to its next level of success? Once you discover the answer to this question create products and services that your marketplace and your clients can use to add profits to their bottom line.

One of the best business strategies is to understand what your client needs to go to their next level of success and create these resources for them. Stay cutting edge yourself too so you are always one step ahead of the services your client will need.

As your clients integrate your products and services in their business model, be working on the next higher level product as soon these new products will naturally be in demand. Always strive to create the better mousetrap for your clients to ensure your success!

Business publicity secrets can be yours! Annie Jennings PR is an expert public relations firm that works with individuals, businesses and corporations who wish to stay visibile and create their competitive advantage with publicity. Contact Annie Jennings PR and a national publicist can let you know how publicity can help you achieve your highest level of publicity success.

Branding, Publicity & Marketing Success Secrets

Discover the secrets to career and business success using publicity outreach for branding and marketing. Find out how to showcase your credentials, experience, wisdom and expertise using publicity success principles and strategy.

By Annie Jennings

Is there a secret to success? Is there more than one? Yes! Let’s find out what successful people, consultants and business pros believe and do that helps them achieve their optimal potential. What is it that they have in common, whether it’s in their beliefs or in their actions that makes them successful?

First of all they use resources available to them including publicity, self-promotion, branding and marketing to create their outstanding advantage in the marketplace. The rest comes naturally. The major opportunities go to the ones who are visible, making a difference, seen and heard by their target market.

Successful people know that they have to take responsibility and follow it up by taking action. You set you own limits. You are defined by the intensity of your commitment and the depths of your knowledge. In other words, commitment without knowledge can equal frustration and limit your potential. The idea is to add the right knowledge to your ambition so you can climb the ladder for yourself.

Those who make it big believe certain things and do certain things to back up their beliefs. They are ready to invest in themselves. They believe that they are they best investment. Successful people create a business model that meets the demands of their target market. Successful people are ready for action, they are committed and they are willing to go for it with gusto.

Showcase your knowledge. Showcase your talent using media outreach. Your clients will love seeing you out there in the media sharing what you know and commenting on the issues. They enjoy hiring a tried and true professional who understands how to deliver the specific outcome. By doing publicity, marketing and promotion, you let your clients get an idea of your knowledge, wisdom and experience. Your client will want to hire you. Clients want certainty. They want to hire the best. In the end, your clients want to buy outcomes and are happy to pay for your services if you are able to define the return on investment and clearly state how your services can help your clients.

Content is critical when showcasing yourself and your knowledge. The media is your opportunity to shine. Do an outstanding job, pack your commentary with valuable content and share your wisdom and experience in all of your marketing materials including your email newsletters. Be sure your website helps you educate your visitors and your clients.

Success is in your own hands. Taking responsibility for both the successes and failures empowers you to make the changes necessary to turn the situation around or to expand on your success. If you feel powerless in both the good and the bad, you will get stuck in your thinking and in your progress.

Have a terrific attitude. Commit to proven publicity, branding and marketing strategies. Do not fight success the whole way. Be optimistic. Success will come easily to you and it will seem as if everything you do has a terrific outcome. Have confidence in yourself. Go with your gut, your intuition and your instincts when making choices. Be high energy. Be ready for success & take action. P.S. Don’t stop until you get enough success!

Access tremendous publicity resources for both your career and your business at Annie Jennings PR. Free publicity, branding and business marketing special reports are available as well as free MP3 audio recordings to empower your corporate communications strategy. Contact Annie Jennings PR at 908-281-6201

The Truth About What's Really Running Your Business

There's a silent epidemic happening for entrepreneurs world-wide. It's not a pretty epidemic, nor is it fun... but it's an epidemic that can be eradicated by each and every entrepreneur who has been affected by it.

By Christine Kloser

Copyright (c) 2010 Christine Kloser

There’s a silent epidemic happening for entrepreneurs world-wide. It’s not a pretty epidemic, nor is it fun… but it’s an epidemic that can be eradicated by each and every entrepreneur who has been affected by it.

I was personally impacted by this epidemic for many, many years in my business without having any conscious awareness that it was happening, that it had its hold on me. And, I’m hearing more and more about this epidemic as entrepreneurs are waking up and beginning to realize what’s really happening in their businesses.

And, the epidemic is this.... I call it the “Unconscious, Conscious Entrepreneur” syndrome. I can hear you already saying, “What?” “What does it mean to be an “unconscious, conscious entrepreneur?” Right? If you’re reading this ezine and believe in a conscious approach to business, how could you be unconsciousness?

The answer is this. There are ways of being, old habits, default patterns that you aren’t even aware of that are running your business, and your life. While you are likely working very hard (like I did) not to let these old beliefs and behaviors take over… they are so insidious, they can’t help but creep in.

Here are a two of the most common ways this epidemic shows up, and my personal experience with each:

I’m Not Good Enough

If somewhere in your psyche, you have a belief that you are not “good enough” (which is very common for us overachieving entrepreneurs), no matter how much you take action and do things in your business to feel good enough, there will always be an empty space inside of you that can never be filled no matter how much you achieve. Feeling like “enough” has to come from inside of you… it can never come from anything outside of yourself.

How this core belief showed up in me was in my ambitious drive to excel, achieve, and accomplish. While I was connected to really wanting to help people, there had been this underlying “frenetic” feeling that I always had to be doing more. At the time I wasn’t aware that my ambition and my drive to excel was being fueled by a feeling of not being “good enough.” Once I shifted away from being an “unconscious, conscious entrepreneur” and opened my eyes to what was really happening inside of myself, everything changed.

So, I invite you to simply notice if you have an underlying feeling of “not being good enough.” If you do, allow yourself to see how this belief (which is not really the truth of who you are) plays out in your life and your business. With this new awareness, now stay “awake” to it and you’ll see you can begin to make some new choices.

I’m Worried About What Others Think

This is another biggy! Be honest with yourself, and ask yourself if you’re ever done something (or not done something) because of what someone else might think? Did you launch a program you really didn’t want to do, just because your coach or a colleague told you to do it? Have you ever said “yes” to something you wanted to say “no” to because you didn’t want to let down the other person? Chances are you’ve done these things because you allow what others think about you to have an influence on you.

This was another big learning area for me. I used to worry about what others thought about me and what I did or didn’t do (in fact, to be honest, every now and then I still feel this old thought pattern creeping in). But, once I realized how much I had been sacrificing my own joy trying to fit into someone else’s idea of me - someone else’s “box” - I have been working hard within myself to not worry so much about what other people think about me. It’s a tough lesson to learn, especially when you care about others and don’t want to make waves or cause anyone to be upset. However, the most important person to not upset or make waves with is yourself!

So, beginning today, let yourself see if you have been worried about what other people think of you. And, begin to imagine what would be possible if you thought most about what you thought of you. As one of my friends likes to say, “What you think of me is none of my business.”

Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps small businesses put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to enjoy a purpose-driven business and a soulful life, send for my free Conscious Business Success Kit, which includes my report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Conscious Entrepreneurs and audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know Before Writing a Word, at LoveYourLife.com.

Want to Fail Your Way to Success?

Can you fail in some area of business and still create a successful business? Andrea Scott, a home business expert, reveals a healthy perspective of failure which can lead to the creation of a profitable home business.

By Andrea Scott

Failure is seen as a dirty word in our society. People are praised and lionized when they are successful. But let a public figure make a serious mistake and that’s another story. They are considered has-beens and also-rans. We idolize the “successes” and we mock those who “fail”.

But what if failure is part of the process of achieving your goal? What if we took another look at failure, gave it a different definition?

Webster’s dictionary defines failure as “an event that does not accomplish its intended purpose”. The Oxford dictionary defines failure as a “lack of success in doing or achieving.”

However, these definitions raise an important question. Should we consider someone a failure because they haven’t achieved business success? Did the event fail or is the person a failure? Should they let the event or situation define their value and worth as a human being?
Your perspective changes everything. So what’s the option? What’s another perspective on your business failure?

John C. Maxwell, in his book, “Failing Forward” states that “Every successful person is someone who failed, yet never regarded himself as a failure.” He cites Albert Einstein, one of the greatest thinkers of our time, who was told by a Munich schoolmaster that he “would never amount to much.”

Maxwell encourages you to “Tell yourself, ‘I’m not a failure. I failed at doing something.” You need certain abilities in order to have a healthy view of failure. You must first reject rejection. Instead of taking failure personally, take responsibility for your actions and learn from the situation.

Achievers also see failure as a temporary situation. They don’t think it’s a permanent event. Consequently they think creatively about the challenge that they face and identify possible solutions. Successful people have realistic expectations for their goals. They accept their setbacks and learn from them. They persevere despite the setbacks.

Achievers also concentrate on their strengths. They focus their energy on what they can do instead of complaining about what they can’t do. They develop their strengths.

As you evaluate your failure, ask yourself “What can I learn from this situation?” Is there another perspective to consider? What are your successes in the situation? What did you do well? What could you improve?

As you review the situation, ponder how you can improve your strengths. Also, consider if there is someone who could help you in your weaknesses. Create an action plan with that person and take the first step.

As you change your perspective and take action, you are failing forward. You are using failure to create great success. You are a winner!

Andrea Scott is a joyful internet marketing entrepreneur who shows others how to have a successful online business.

Ask the Wrong Questions. Get the Wrong Answers.

The most important aspect of making a sale - is also a major weakness of every salesperson. Asking questions.

It's an enigma to me. Questions are so critical, you'd think it would be the topic of training every week. Yet salespeople are odds on favorites to have never taken one training program in the science of asking a question.

How critical? The first personal (rapport) question sets the tone for the meeting, and the first business question sets the tone for the sale. That's critical. Benefits of asking the right question? Good question.

Here are 10 benefits to make sales by:

(1) Quality the buyer.

(2) Establish rapport.

(3) Create prospect disparity.

(4) Eliminate or differentiate from the competition.

(5) Build credibility.

(6) Know the customer and their business.

(7) Identify needs

(8) Find hot buttons.

(9) Get personlal information.

(10) Close the sale.

Here's the challenge:

Get every prospect and customer to say "No one ever asked me that before."

Here are 8 questioning success strategies:

(1) Ask prospect questions that make him evalutate new information.

(2) Ask question that qualify needs.

(3) Ask questions about improved productivity, profits or savings.

(4) Ask questions aout company or personal goals.

(5) Ask questions that separate you from your competition - no compare you to them.

(6) Ask question that make the customer or prospect think before giving a response.

(7) Ask Power Questions to create a BUYING atmosphere - not a selling one.

(8) CRITIAL SUCCESS STRATEGY: To enhance your listening skills, write down answers. it prove you care, preserves your data for follow-up, keeps the record straight, and makes the customer feel important.

Nine Tools for Building Customer Loyalty

Here are 9 follow-up tools sure to motivate your customers to keep coming back:

1. Thank-you notes: This is a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised at how many entrepreneurs neglect to write thank-you notes--especially when they get really busy. Take the time to show your customers that you genuinely appreciate their business. They'll remember your thoughtfulness because most of your competition won't send out thank-you notes.

2. Postcard mailings: If you target consumers, send out monthly mailings that make good refrigerator fodder, such as "Quote of the Month," "Recipe of the Month" or useful tips on such topics as time-management, gardening or anything else that interests the bulk of your customers. Avoid being too promotional here. Just provide the kind of information that customers will want to hang on their frig. The added benefit to you is that whenever guests visit your customers' homes, they'll see your name, potentially leading to conversations about your business.

3. E-mail updates: Think of your e-mail update as a press release that you send to your customers. Providing them with regular product, service and customer updates via e-mail at least once per month will convey a sense of positive momentum. This keeps customers in the loop and, over time, gets them excited to be involved with you and motivates them to pass on referrals.

4. Getting together over coffee or lunch: Try to spend face time in a nonsales environment with your customers. Ask about their family, hobbies, personal goals and so forth. When you show customers that you really care about them on a personal level, they're yours for life.

5. Birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions: These occasions are very important to your customers and their families and friends. Be among the few who actually remember a customer's special days, and that customer will never forget you!

6. Follow up on well-being: For example, if you find that a customer's wife has been sick, call periodically just to find out how she's recovering.

7. Pass referrals: One of the most powerful ways to encourage loyalty in customers is to pass them referrals. When you get a chance, scroll through your customer database and think through people you know who might add value to your customers.

8. Entertaining at your home: Throw a party for your best customers. You'll be amazed at how much rapport and goodwill you can build with people when you get them in your home environment. Your guests will also find value in your party as a networking opportunity for them.

9. Post-sale feedback: Demonstrate that you care about the quality of your service. Call customers and ask them questions like:
o Are you pleased with the service you received?
o What did you like most about working with us?
o What would you like to see improved?

Without this invaluable information, you'll have a hard time improving your products and services. Besides, when you ask customers for feedback and implement their comments, they feel a sense of ownership in what you're doing and thus become more loyal to your products and services.

33 Marketing Success Tips

Part of the guerrilla marketing mindset suggests that you should be thinking about marketing all the time. Not just quarterly, not just monthly, not just weekly, but every single day. Really, it's not as hard as it sounds--there are quite a few ways you can incorporate marketing into your daily activities.



It's often said that doing anything for 21 days in a row will eventually turn into a habit for you. And a marketing habit is a great thing for any business to have. So what I'm going to suggest is that you choose three to five things every day that are related to marketing for your business and do them at the beginning of the day before you start fighting the daily fires--and forget all about your planned tasks.



If you work on this developing a marketing habit--and the proper marketing mindset--every day, you'll soon find that you're going above and beyond your "three to five things" limit. You'll find yourself talking and thinking in terms of headlines or talking, listening and thinking in terms of your customers and prospects' benefits. And the more you think marketing, the greater the chance you'll accomplish your marketing and overall business goals.



When talking to many business owners, professionals and organizations, I find that in the beginning, they're sometimes challenged when it comes to finding three to five marketing tasks to do every, single day. Just remember, these activities don't have to be elaborate, they don't have to be long and drawn out, and they don't have to take up much time.



To get your habit started and to help with your marketing mindset, here are the types of activities you can employ each and every day before your non-marketing, daily work activities begin:
· Hand write a thank-you note to a prospect or customer
· Enter customer or prospect names into a database
· Brainstorm tagline ideas
· Visit a competitor's website
· Write an article to pitch to your local business organization
· Make a list of press release ideas
· Write a press release
· Call a newspaper and ask who the feature editor is for your area of expertise
· Compose an e-mail sales letter
· Call a few prospects or customers to get their e-mail contact information
· Develop a series of survey questions
· Brainstorm advertising concepts
· Write a pitch letter to a radio or TV station
· Get contact information from media outlets
· Plan a renaming of your products
· Work on new product development and introduction ideas
· Invite a customer or prospect to your office for coffee or to discuss new ideas
· Recognize a special prospect or customer
· Discuss a fusion marketing idea with a strategic business partner
· Visit a few marketing-related websites
· Post new information on your website
· Plan your networking calendar for the week
· Call to follow up with networking contacts
· Get price estimates for the printing and mailing of your direct-mail campaign
· Mail samples of your product to top prospects
· Brainstorm ideas for an "enter to win" contest
· Develop a coupon for your product or service
· Rewrite your phone's on-hold message script
· Write an article or other text for your newsletter
· Brainstorm new product or service ideas
· Plan a new customer service activity that will truly delight your customers
· Develop your benefit list and compare to it to your competitions'
· Develop a checklist, top-ten list or other information as a response to a marketing hook



If you're still challenged with finding the right activities for your daily, three to five tasks, break your marketing down into these general categories: Direct Mail, Networking, Publicity, Advertising, Fusion, Planning, New Products and Services, Marketing Communication Materials, and so on. Then concentrate on thinking up activities for one area at a time. No one is really counting your "three to five" things. The point is to do something related to marketing every day to help you think about marketing all the time.



Obviously some of this activities will take a longer than just a few minutes--it's OK if they consume your whole day. Although your goal to accomplish three to five things related to marketing every day, on some days, you may only get to one or two; on others days, you may get on a roll and do five to seven things. Don't get married to the numbers.



The purpose of all of this activity is to help you develop a marketing habit and to move your marketing efforts to the next step in your plan fulfillment. And even if you planned out your activities for the day, don't be surprised if at times your progress, responses and results dictate the direction of your activity--and get you moving in a different direction than what you'd planned. Generally, this is a very positive thing, and you should let the activity guide you and keep the habit going.



No matter how much or how little you accomplish, the point is to get started. Because three weeks full of nonmarketing activities quickly becomes a nonmarketing habit, and that is a sure recipe for business failure.