"Purpose and laughter are the twins that must not separate. Each is empty without the other."

Remember hearing, “Watch your language” or “Don’t say that!”? Our parents said those when we used unacceptable language.  Even as adults this message still applies. As business owners and salespeople, we should always be “watching our language” in a sales situation. By carefully choosing the right words at the right time can mean the difference of sale or no sale, deal or no deal.
The words we speak make up about 7 percent of effective communication, but they’re almost always deal sealers or deal stealers. I’m not just referring to asking the right question at the right time, handling objections when they arise or knowing all the facts about your product or service.  It means not stepping on word landmines.
To become a lean, mean, selling machine means ridding yourself of the words and phrases that repel buyers.  It means freeing yourself of the language that diminishes your power and decreases your credibility. Start speaking the language of sales success.
In my sales career, I have said some stupid things on a sales call; sometimes subtle and sometimes overt. I now watch my language and train others to watch theirs as well.  I cringe when I hear salespeople use unacceptable bad language. The following language has been banned from my sales vocabulary.  So the next time one of these top statements start to come out of your mouth, stop, hold your tongue and find something better to say.
1.) "Did I catch you at a good time?" – These days there’s no such thing as a good time to talk. The only way there will ever be a good time is when you say something relevant that piques customer’s interest. Otherwise, you will be met with a “no this is not a good time to talk.” Get in their world, know their issues and speak to their problems. Then it will always be a good time to talk.
2.) "I know you’re busy so I won’t take up much of your time.” – Yes you will. You already wasted their time with that line. You can have all the time in the world if you’re taking about their issues and problems instead of pushing your products and solutions. They may be busy but I bet they will be willing for you to take their time if you are fixing their problems.
3.) “In my opinion” – Most of the time your opinion isn’t necessary in a sales situation. Unless people ask for it, don’t give it. Sure, you can make recommendations and offer suggestions but never offer your opinion unless one is solicited. A better way of getting permission to give advice is to say something like, “Many of my clients have encountered something similar. Are you interested in the way we handled it?”
4.) “Trust me or to be honest with you”- Those are real deal killers. Statements like that give people the impression that you haven’t been completely upfront or you have something to hide. When you use phrases like that it sends a message that you’re trying to convince your customer instead of letting them discover why you’re the best option. Why should you have to tell someone to trust you or that you’re being honest. Start by being honest and displaying trust.
5.) "I'm not trying to sell you anything." – Then what are you calling them?  That sounds phony and tacky and will result in a lost sale.  Pick up the phone, have a purpose, craft a great message and then you may be able to get to the next step and secure a meeting.
Always be finding better ways to say things in the sales process. This bad language is a surefire way to annoy your prospect and potentially lose a sale. Watching your language will require effort on your part to ensure you are not using words and phrases that turn buyers off and lead to another lost sale.

It is possible to be happy and joyful most of the time. You just have to look at little children and see their natural joy. You may say that little children are free and don't have anything to worry about, but you are free too! You are free to choose worry or to choose joy, and whatever you choose will attract exactly that. Worry attracts more worry. Joy attracts more joy.

"The first great gift we can bestow on others is a good example."

"No great thing is created suddenly."

"A successful individual typically sets his next goal somewhat but not too much above his last achievement."

"I know asking the right sales questions will help close more sales, but what's the one sales question I should avoid?"
SalesBuzz Answer:
You are correct in saying that asking better sales questions will help you close more sales. And yes, there are a lot of sales questions that should be retired from the field, however, the one that is and has been my biggest pet peeve for a while is when a sales person asks a prospect:
"What Keeps You Up At Night?"
WAIT, WHY IS THAT "BAD"?
I think this is one of the WORST sales questions to ask and here's why:
It gives the appearance that you, the sales person, are simply fishing for a hot button.
So in other words, it makes me, the prospect, feel like saying:
"you really don't know how you can help me; you're just hoping that whatever I say, you'll be able to pounce on. Is that it?"
THE ANATOMY OF A SUCCESSFUL SALES QUESTION
Understand that smart sales questions lead to predictable results.
You may think that you have no idea how a prospect will respond to one of your sales questions, however, if you ask the right sales question, at the right time, for the right reason & purpose, no matter how they respond, it will be something you can work with (the key though is as mentioned: right question, right time, right reason & purpose).
If you simply fire off sales questions as they come to you and with no real rhyme or reason other than it "felt right at the moment", you are going to be dealing with a lot more needless stalls, false objections and "red herrings".
BUT IT'S WORKED FOR ME IN THE PAST
One thing you should know about me, and that is I am a big believer of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" rule. So if it's "working" for you, by all means, don't change.
But I would ask what your definition of "working" is. Are you at or above quota for the Month/Quarter/Year? If so, OK. But if you are not, and sales is become more frustrating and less enjoyable with each and every sales call you make, then a simple tweak in the sales questions you are asking may be all the change you need in order to make 2014 one of the best sales years you've had in a long time.

"The happiness of most people we know is not ruined by great catastrophes or fatal errors, but by the repetition of slowly destructive little things."

"Perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. "

"We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself."

Have you ever heard the 19th century English carol, I Saw Three Ships? This song got me thinking about ships this holiday season, particularly about one type of “ship” I teach my K.Coaching clients: the PartnerShip.
If you intentionally, deliberately and proactively work on building your “PartnerShip” with each of your clients, you will have personal sustainable growth. But every ship needs to be solid and purposeful, so let’s discover how you can build a ship to last a lifetime.
1. Understand the other person. What are their needs and their circumstances?
Find out what is happening in their business, not just what is new and important with yours. Just because a customer has been with you for a long time, that does not make it the determining factor of a great PartnerShip. It is the quality of understanding in what each other wants and needs and purposefully working toward a common goal.
2. How can we work together to meet each other’s wants and needs?
A PartnerShip is not just one sided. If you have a PartnerShip but feel like the other party isn’t holding up their end of the bargain, you have a problem. A PartnerShip shouldn’t feel unfair.
3. Execute with care, trust, and integrity.
Typically a PartnerShip is an agreement. Care, trust, and integrity will ensure you execute your agreement better and faster.
4.Exceed the other’s expectations.
Sometime in a PartnerShip you might feel “I’ve given it my all!” Both parties need to always try and exceed what is expected, then no one gets complacent or taken for granted. The primary reason customers leave is because they feel undervalued or ignored.
Consider one or two important partnerships. What can you do to build your ships so they are purposeful and strong enough to last? What will your ship look like when it comes “sailing in”?

"Victory often goes to the army that makes the least mistakes, not the most brilliant plans."

"Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts."

6 Lies sales people tell themselves

 

 

Sales Lie #1  

"I could reach my quota if my company lowered their prices."

 

 

Nice try. It has more to do with your sales technique

then your quota. If you rely solely on price to close

sales then you condition your customers to

constantly push you for a larger discount or a

better price.

 

Sales Lie #2:

"I've got this deal in the bag." 

 

 

If a client tells you that they're interested,

that everything looks good and that they will

get back to you in a few days, it doesn't mean

that the client is going to definitely buy from

you.  No deal is guaranteed until the other

person signs the agreement, gives you confirmation,

or places the order.

 

Sales Lie #3:

"The competition is always offering better prices."

 

 

Not so fast! While some competitors will

consistently beat you on price, the reality

is that most companies are competitively priced.

It's a rare situation when a competitor will

out-price you on everything you sell unless

the products are different.

 

Sales Lie: #4:

"If I don't set a sales target I won't be disappointed."

 

 

By doing this, you're basically saying that

you don't want to succeed and you don't want

to work hard. Top performing sales reps always

set high, ambitious goals and their targets

are usually higher than those set by their

company. They use these goals to inspire and

motivate themselves to achieve more.

 

Sales Lie: #5:

"No one is buying." 

 

 

This is a huge misconception. Regardless of

the economy, people still make buying decisions.

They still make purchases. Stop wasting time

thinking about the people who aren't buying and

find the people and companies who are buying!

 

Sales Lie #6:  

"I don't need to practice my

skills and sales presentation."

 

If you want to be a good salesperson you have to

practice, because practice makes perfect. The best

sales people seldom take their sales appointments

and meetings for granted. They rehearse the

questions they need to ask. They run through

their presentation to make sure they have included

the necessary details and that their presentation

flows in a logical manner and that it addresses

their prospect's situation and/or needs.

It seems like everyone has mental blocks that keep them from succeeding.
And salespeople are ESPECIALLY notorious for this!
In fact, it seems that mindset has more to do with sales failure than cold calling, the economy, pricing, and all of the rest put together.
A few years back I began using the term "Secret Excuse" in my programs.
A Secret Excuse is, very simply, any excuse you make in your head that gives you a phony reason not to get out there and succeed.
Before I reveal the most common Secret Excuse for salespeople, here are the most common excuses people have for not getting off their butts and making something great of themselves:

• I wasn't born into the right family
• I'm not "connected"
• I don't have a college education
• "It can't be done"
• Why hasn't someone else done it already?
• I don't have enough money
• I have a family to support

And so on and so on... until it make me want to puke.
The Most Common Sales "Secret Excuse"
Day after day after day, the same question comes into our help desk, on phone calls, and into my email and LinkedIn inboxes:
"Your program sounds great, but will it work for ME?"

Here's the reality:
Only YOU can make something work for YOU!
YOU have to try something new and get into action. After all, doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results is the very definition of insanity.
So, here it is - drum roll please - the most common sales Secret Excuse is:
"It won't work for me!"
WRONG!
You only THINK something won't work for you. And I'm not just talking about my system. Whether it's putting yourself out there and doing free speaking to local chambers and service organizations to expose yourself, or learning how to network properly and start going to Meetup groups where business owners congregate, if you THINK it won't work for you, you're right!
Never forget Henry Ford's famous quote: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right."
So do this right now: STOP making Secret Excuses about "it won't work for me" and START putting new ideas, strategies, and techniques into action. And then you will finally get RESULTS!