"Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have."

When adversity is staring you in the face and you fail in an endeavor, look at it as a learning experience.

Great motivator Tom Hopkins measured success based on four areas of fulfillment: 1) financial accomplishments, based on self-image and goals; 2) emotional stability and the ability to control emotional handicaps; 3) physical fitness and feeling good physically; 4) maintaining spiritual awareness and a personal relationship with a higher power. Said Hopkins, "If you can meet all four of these, you're a successful human being by my measure of success."

"It's not what you've got,
it's what you use that makes a difference."

Circumstances never magically fix themselves.
Bad times don’t just automatically get better.
You have to be involved in the process. You have to change what you’re doing.
You have to make hard decisions.
Even when you don’t feel like it. Even when you don’t think you’re capable of changing — you have to change.
Because nothing gets better until you start making it better.
No matter how far you have been kicked down there’s always a way to rise above the failure you’re experiencing now.
There’s always a way up — always a way out.
You’re only trapped where you are because of your indecision.
You  know exactly what you need to do right now in order to start fixing the mess you are in.
You know what you need to stop doing, what you need to start doing, the places you need to go, and the people you need to call.
It makes no sense to prolong making that decision or to ignore that it needs to be done in the first place.
Not deciding doesn’t protect you. It just makes you a loser for longer.
And that’s a silly way to live.

A negative emotion can create tiredness, according to Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. That's why negative emotions have the power to drain you of energy and vitality. A positive emotion is created by positive thoughts and images. You can say, "This is a great day. I am fortunate to sell a wonderful product. I look forward to meeting many interesting people today; I will be able to help some of these people, and they will become my friends. I look forward to learning a great deal today." Thinking and talking that way adds to your enthusiasm and vitality. Your mind is expanding, and all this contributes to your well-being.

"A man with ability and the desire to accomplish something can do anything"

To allow the Universe to move you in your life to happier and better things, you are going to need to look around you and appreciate the good things here and now. Seek the beautiful things and count the blessings of where you are. Dissatisfaction will not bring the happier and the better into your life. Dissatisfaction roots you to the spot where you currently are, but appreciation for what you have attracts the happier and better to you.

Remember that you are a magnet! Appreciation attracts appreciation!

Treat yourself with the compassion and kindness that you'd show to others. Suppose things were going badly for a friend or colleague. You wouldn't say, "You're right, Joe. You really are a loser. Things look pretty hopeless for you." So if you wouldn't do that to a suffering friend, why do you berate yourself? If your mind is filled with negative self-talk – "I'm no good," "I'm a failure," or "I'll flub this call like all the others" – stop those thoughts in their tracks. Next time a self-deprecating thought comes to mind, write it down. Then read it aloud, but pretend someone else is saying it you. Doesn't it make you want to rush to your own defense?

There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.

"Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe"

"No matter what it is, pick yourself up and go on to the next project."

"The unexamined life is not worth living."

http://www.linkcentre.com/profile/ginochimienti/

Directories and Maps We here to help your business grow by extending its reach across the vast online universe. With the focus of creating a complete web presence, a campaign will help your business compete for customers in its area. Once you submit your business information, will send it out to a variety of directories and online platforms, including: Google, Bing and Yahoo search platforms Mobile device submission (Blackberry, IPhone, Droid) Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare) Online directories Mapping submission GPS submission and 411 directories OnStar and other Telematics platforms Newsletter with coaching and tutoring your own IT life line Completion and audit reports showing your progress online Mobile Websites 71% of smartphone users search because of an ad they’ve seen either online or offline 82% of smartphone users notice mobile ads 74% of smartphone shoppers make a purchase as a result of using their smartphones to help with shopping 88% of those who look for local information on their smartphones take action within a day As smartphones become an integral part of people’s lives, consumers use mobile search more and more as a source for action-oriented search queries. With a combination of keywords, ads and websites that are strategically created for the mobile-search environment, LikesLocal mobile campaigns are designed to help local businesses connect with their local customers through this constantly growing search medium. Advantage Internet Marketing Millions of people use their computers to find information through search engines. LikesLocal Advantage campaigns are designed to help people using laptop and desktop computers find your business through strategically-designed search campaigns that target local search users in your area. Whether your target audience is big or small, a LikesLocal Advantage campaign will make it easy for them to find your business. When people enter search queries that are relevant to your products and services, an ad for your business will appear in their search results. Once search users click on the ad, they will be taken to your campaign’s website. This site, designed to be an engaging and intuitive experience for the user, will provide a mixture of informative and beneficial content about your business, with the focus of creating a conversion-oriented response. Your potential customers are searching for your business. LikesLocal will create an effective online presence that will help them find you. Please contact me to set up an appointment ! @408-256-2814

One of the things I love about what I do is that I get to have really stimulating, intelligent conversations with sales managers and leaders about how they can differentiate their offering from a sales approach perspective.
It is my belief that salespeople who are employees of an organisation have got to start leaving the employee mindset behind and thinking differently ie becoming entrepreneurial in their approach, their focus and their outcomes. So what does that mean when a salesperson does not actually own a business, per se. Well it means having the same characteristics as an entrepreneur and practicing the following 5 thought processes:
1. They need to own the vision of the company, they need to be aligned to the core values of their employer so that they demonstrate direction, purpose and passion. Many salespeople get amped up over a product, but your customer wants to see so much more than that these days. They want you to step into the role of CEO of your own business (territory, accounts etc) and be so much more responsive and be able to paint a bigger picture for them with authority.
2. Salespeople need to realise it is not about the deal. Contrary to popular belief, selling is not about selling today . Being entrepreneurial in your role is about milestones, about finding the crumbs in some cases and realising that baby steps are part of longer term opportunities and most importantly, being OK with that more thorough, and sometimes slower, approach.
3. They need to take risks and be different. We want our customers to shift the status quo, but we need to as well and that means learning how to market and not just sell. It means putting yourself in to a position of vulnerability and having the internal fortitude and resourcefulness to go with the flow whether it be direct mail campaigns, social media activity or challenging the elephant in the room, regardless of what others think.
4. Salespeople need to be an expert in their field and be known for what they know and utilise every medium to share their ideas and curate others. Anyone, in any field, can position themselves as the go-to-person. In my role as a salesperson for Xerox, I was an expert in the High Volume Digital Print area and demonstrated that expertise within the company, being referred to as the Demonstration Queen, as well as externally with my customers by utilising resources around me – be it people and/or processes.
5. They need to love what they do and give a damn enough to continue pushing their envelope so that they can grow both personally and professionally and most importantly contribute to others – within the company and with the customers and of course, having leaders that aspire to the same values is critical.
Becoming entrepreneurial is just ONE of the shifts salespeople need to make to position themselves differently for this connection economy.
Be Bold and Brilliant!

When a client says he or she is “still reviewing their options,” I know you say that’s the result of their ability to see the value in my product or service. But how should I respond to this objection without pushing the customer away? Thanks, Gladys 
You are correct that the customer has not seen enough value to select you. And, in fact, I don't believe you are in first position. Otherwise they would have given you more words of encouragement.
When this or any other stall occurs, you have to be prepared to communicate on a more direct level the customer with something that might evoke more truth and more respect.
Before I get down to the specifics, I want to make sure you understand the big picture – the strategy of what to do from 30,000 feet – so you can eventually get down on the ground and get to battle. Battle for the order, battle against your competition, and battle to gain the customer.
Start your thinking here:

• Ask as much as you dare. Asking questions allows you to gain information that might lead to a sale much quicker than you giving a sales pitch about why you're the greatest.
• Blame yourself for their indecision. To the prospective customer you have fallen short of communicating value, even though you’re certain that you’re the best choice. Be prepared with a list of your best value offerings, and ask to meet in person to go over it.
• Get clarity and clarification of the customer’s present status. When the customer says they’re still considering other options, obviously you need more information in order to determine exactly where you are, and exactly what to do next. The only way to get this information is to ask them directly.
• Be certain you're in the top three choices. If you are not number one, number two, or number three on the present list of potential vendors, there is no way to even win this business.
• What are the options beyond price that are part of the consideration. If price is the only option, you need to know that. If there are other elements that are being factored in the sale (terms, split order, speed of delivery, quality of product, reliable service), you need to know that too.

Now for the nitty-gritty. And keep in mind that the nitty-gritty questions can only be helpful to you if you understand the big picture.

• ASK: How will the decision be made?
• ASK: Who else are you considering?
• ASK: What are the deciding factors?
• ASK: What are you hoping for as an outcome?
• ASK: What happened the last time you purchased?
• ASK: What has the discussion included thus far?

And to further clarify the situation, and give you some real reasons behind this stall, it may be that:

• They don't have the money.
• They believe they can get it cheaper someplace else.
• They are looking for convenience and you may be too far away.
• They do not perceive enough value in your product or service.
• They have a bad past history with you or an existing vendor.
• They are unsettled as they weigh the risk factors. 
• They do not have the comfort to move forward.
• They do not like you, have confidence in you, believe in you, or trust you enough to buy from you.
• They have some other unspoken objection.
• They have some other unspoken risk.
• They are unwilling to decide based on their lack of certainty.

“Still shopping around” or “still reviewing options” is not an objection, it's a stall that means the prospect has not found someone who gives them enough peace of mind, enough value perception, and enough confidence to move forward.
And you thought it was all about price. Shame on you!

When a salesperson stops growing, momentum stops flowing. For salespeople to be effective, sales managers must grow at a faster rate than those they are managing. Managers who are more interested in status, money, and power than developing their people will lead their organizations into an inward-facing spiral of frustration. Good sales managers are people builders; they give their people 100 percent support. Good sales managers are team builders; they don't let individual stars outshine team victory. Good sales managers support the salesperson's family needs and professional goals.

"You can always find the sun within yourself
if you will only search."

"Imagination grows by exercise and, contrary to common belief, is more powerful in the mature than in the young."

An amazing number of salespeople suffer from a lack of belief in their own talents and abilities. They become their own worst enemies. When you predict you can't, you work harder to prove just that. You might even avoid asking for the order to remove the possibility of rejection. But when a customer says no, it does not mean the end of the world, your life, or your career. It only means that the customer has chosen to say no at that particular moment. It does not mean that the customer will say no forever. Remind yourself how many times you've been able to turn a no into a yes in the past to restore belief in your own abilities.

"Many of us spend half our time wishing for things we could have if we didn't spend half our time wishing."

Let me ask you this:  If you just met with a really hot prospect, how long would you wait to follow up with them?  A day?  A couple of days?  A week?
Here’s my experience with a couple of real estate agents this week:
My wife and I are selling our home and have begun interviewing real estate agents to represent us.  I got a couple of referrals from good friends in our neighborhood, and then I reached out with an email telling them that I’m ready to list my home and want to meet.  I think I’d call that a hot lead, wouldn’t you?
So Tuesday night we meet the first agents – a husband and wife team – a very nice couple who have been selling real estate in our neighborhood (“South of the Boulevard”) and claim to be the Number One agents in this area (It’s odd that the other two agents we meet with also claim to be the Number One agents as well, but that’s a discussion for another article).
We spend a nice couple of hours together, really like them, like their recent experience and success on the next block and also love their strategy.  We tell them that we’re meeting with another agent referral the next night but that we will get back with them the following day.
O.K., so now comes the test.  When would you, if you were them, get back with me?
The right answer is 9AM the next morning.  If I were them, I would have sent a quick email saying it was so nice meeting me, that I enjoyed and really liked the house and that I was confident that I could sell the home using the strategy I outlined.  I’d say if there was anything I could do, just reach out to me, and that I look forward to speaking with them (me) very soon.
No brainer, right?  Well, here’s what happened:  Because I’m a Top 20% closer, it was ME that sent them an email thanking them for their time and how nice it was to meet THEM!  I sent it at 9AM and hadn’t heard back from them by NOON that afternoon!  How do you think that made me feel in terms of how they would represent me?
O.K.  So the next night we had the other agents over – a team of two “Number One” selling agents in our area (they really used that term as well!).  We really liked their pitch also and were impressed by what they wanted to list our house for.  In fact, when they left, we were leaning towards hiring them!  How long do you think it took for them to follow up with us?
We’re still waiting to hear from them two days later!
I’m still stunned because as we told them we’d have a definite answer by the next morning.  Did we get a follow up email?  No.  Did we get a follow up phone call?  No.  Now two days have gone by and have we heard from them??  NO!!  YIKES!  What’s wrong with these sales people??
In the meantime, the first couple emailed us the next day wondering what happened with our other meeting and expressed their strong desire to work with us.  We then spoke on the phone and negotiated a bit.  Now they are coming over tonight to pitch us some more.  They’ve redeemed themselves a bit and will probably get our business.
By the way – the other team?  We still haven’t heard from them, and I’m thinking I never will.  And that’s too bad for them because when we woke up the next morning, we were completely on the fence, and we decided that whoever got back to us first would probably win our business.  We figured we’d wait and see who was more of a go-getter, and who would be more aggressive overall and that this would (hopefully) translate into who would be more aggressive in selling our home.
So here’s the lesson for all you sales reps and business owners out there – Don’t wait days or weeks to follow up prospects!  Especially the hot ones or the ones you’ve either met with or spent quality time with over the phone.  A simple email that thanks them for their time, acknowledges how much you learned and how excited you are to help them will go A LONG WAY to earning you their business.  Especially since not many others have this kind of urgency.
By the way, I usually send a quick email right away when I get off the phone with a prospect and include something of value in the email – a white paper, an article – something that will help them and also help them think about me.
So start thinking about what you can send to someone when you reach back out to a prospect.   And follow up more often and sooner than you think you should.  Based on what the majority of other sales reps apparently do, it will mean more business and referrals for you…

What kinds of feelings do you have when you start your day, travel to see your client, or take your lunch break? Do you give yourself a little pep talk before seeing a new prospect? Or do you dwell too long on frustrations that have accumulated during the day? To get them out of your system, list your negative emotions on a piece of paper. For example: "I feel stupid about this call. I am a lousy sales rep. I hate this customer," etc. Complete the list. Then take each item and appraise your feelings realistically. Cross out each feeling as you gain perspective on the issues.

"A man learns to skate by staggering about making a fool of himself; indeed, he progresses in all things by making a fool of himself."

Just because a buyer tells you "no" doesn't always mean the sales opportunity is over. In a previous article, we covered some of the meanings behind the word "no." You'll, of course, want to rule them out or address those meanings before giving up on any sale.

 

But, wouldn't it be great to have a sales compass that showed you which direction to go in the sales process when you do get those no's? In my new book, When Buyers Say No, Ben Katt and I have provided just that -- a visual compass to help you stay the course through to more closed sales opportunities.

 

Basically, at most points in the sale, you only have three options of what to do:

1. Ask a question to gather more information or to clarify a point.
2. Make a statement that provides answers to the buyer's request.
3. Remain silent.

That third one is the toughest for most salespeople. That's why I'm going to recommend that you practice it. In the company of others, practice asking a question then remaining silent. If you're the life-of-the-party kind of person (which many salespeope are), this will be a real challenge. However, the benefit is that you'll improve your listening skills. You'll give others the opportunity to tell you more--about themselves, their needs, their wants, and what they want to own.

 

When you remain silent after asking each question, your buyer just may point out the path to a closed sale with their answer. Remember, you're not leading clients -- rather you are acting as the guide on the path to greater satisfaction through the benefits of your product. As a guide you need to be flexible and possibly take a different course than the one you originally planned in order to arrive at the same destination.

Motivation

"Happiness is not pleasure.  It is victory."
There's much truth in the above statement. Happiness, it is safe to assume, is something everybody wants to have.  It's true that other people can give you pleasure, but you will never be happy until you do things for other people.  Nothing brings us more joy and happiness than doing things for others which increases their enjoyment of life. Incidentally, happiness is not something you can buy with money, though it is true that an adequate amount of money helps us to eliminate some of the things which produce discomfort.
Studies reveal that people who are absorbed in tasks they enjoy and find challenging have taken a step towards happiness.  It has long been recognized that people (particularly males) who are married are happier and live longer.  Those who are on a regular exercise program, keeping themselves physically in shape, particularly from an aerobic point of view, are happier.  In an issue of Psychology Today it stated that one way to be happy is to "take care of the soul."  The article points out that actively religious people tend to report more happiness and to cope better with crises.  Faith provides a support community, a sense of life's meaning, a reason to focus beyond self, and a timeless perspective on life's temporary ups and downs.
A study conducted by David Jensen at UCLA covering a broad range of people from every walk of life concluded that people who set goals and develop a plan of action to reach them are happier, healthier, earn considerably more money and get along better with the people at home than do those people who have no clearly defined objectives.

Business

The first rule of successful communications is that you must immediately win your audience’s attention, capture their imagination, engage them, and answer their “What’s-In-It-For-Me” question.  In other words, hook them into giving you their attention.  It is sort of like fishing.  A sharp hook catches more fish than a dull one.

It doesn’t matter who your audience is – it could be suspected prospects, actual prospects, customers, staff, or investors.
 

It doesn’t matter what communications medium you are using – it could be this newspaper, a web page, email, direct mail, or spoken word.

It doesn’t matter the purpose of your communication – it could be advertising, selling, motivating, or convincing.
 
What does matter is that you immediately engage their interest and their imagination by answering that often unspoken question, “What’s-In-It-For-Me?”  If you don’t engage your audience in the first moment, at least a good portion of the effectiveness of your communication plummets like a lead balloon.



The first thing your audience will see is your headline in a printed ad, the subject line in an email, and the first thing they will hear in a speech or sales presentation is your opening statement.  If you create interest and capture their imagination in that first vital moment your audience will give you the opportunity to tell them more, to convince them, and motivate them to action.
 
Your headline can be a bold, even audacious, statement, a question your audience will want the answer for, an evocative beginning to a story, a shocking statistic, or even a well crafted pun.  But whatever it is it needs to be something that keeps your audience from turning the page or hitting “delete,” or closing their mind to your communication.
 
So review your marketing and advertising communications, your emails, your notes for the talk you will be giving at a meeting with an eye and ear to evaluating the headline.  Are there more powerful words you can substitute for dull ones?  Can you turn a statement into a question?  Are you using emotions in addition to facts?  If you sharpen your “hook” you will catch more fish.

Happiness is not pleasure.  It is victory. 

When you're in front of your prospect, be an inspiration. Model good behavior and refuse to get dragged into the mud. If your prospect wants to argue with you, don't. If your prospect wants you to put down your competitor, don't. This is a form of competition that is not healthy for the buyer/seller relationship. Keeping a positive attitude even when others are caught up in negativity will bring tremendous balance into your personal, professional, and spiritual life. As you achieve that balance, you will see your sales success increase.

"Good people are good because they've come to wisdom through failure."

Most people don't realize how much passion they put into what they don't want. When you speak to a friend and you tell them all about an "awful" situation, you are putting passion into what you don't want. When you react to an event negatively, with the response that it is "terrible," you are putting passion into what you don't want.

You are a beautiful passionate being, so make sure you direct your passion wisely.

Do you drive yourself to success by some higher meaning, or are you always on the hunt for the next commission? If you dedicate your life to a cause higher than yourself, you will never want to stop contributing. Create enough meaning, and you will create enough energy to accomplish your goals. It's okay to be ambitious, and it's okay to use numbers to stay motivated and benchmark your personal progress. But if you limit the meaning of your work to money, you will soon run out of energy.

"Learning to listen is the most valuable thing you can do."

"Pressure is a word that is misused in our vocabulary. When you start thinking of pressure, it's because you've started to think of failure."

"The most important thing is your self-respect. It doesn't matter what people think about you, but what you think about yourself."

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."

Do you maintain an attitude of gratitude? The selling profession demands that you focus on the next big sale. But that means it's easy to forget about the success you've already achieved and assets you already have. Remember to appreciate these elements, and give thanks where it's due. Enjoy the fruits of success, share the credit with your team, and preserve the lessons you learned from each victory. View each peak performance as a refueling stop from which you can launch your next success.

"Thomas Edison dreamed of a lamp that could be operated by electricity, began where he stood to put his dream into action, and despite more than ten thousand failures, he stood by that dream until he made it a physical reality. Practical dreamers do not quit."

"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."

“The art of salesmanship, as I see it, can be expressed in one terse sentence: Make people want to do business with you.”

If your clients and prospects are getting several quotes to determine who to buy your product or service from, then I know you’re frustrated.  When what you’re selling is essentially the same (and even when it isn’t but your prospect “thinks” it’s the same), it can be maddening to lose business to the lowest bid.
Here’s what to do.
Since your prospect wants the best deal regardless of who provides it, then you need to show them that by providing you with the other leading quotes, you’ll be able to either validate they are getting the best deal, or you’ll be able to beat it.  The point is that either way, your client will win.  And that’s what they want anyway.
Use the following script the next time you find yourself in a bidding or quoting war:
“__________ whenever you have options, price is usually the first and easiest thing to compare.  But the problem is, in comparing price what usually gets missed is comparing the actual service and value you’re getting.  Tell you what I’ll do.  Go ahead and send me over the other quote you have, and I’ll compare it directly to what we’re offering you now.
If I find that you are truly getting a better deal, I’ll tell you so.  If I find that we can match it and even give you a better price and service then I’ll do my best to give you a better overall deal.  Either way, you’ll win – how does that sound?”
Once again, this works because it gives your prospect or client what they want – the best overall deal.  Plus, they love playing one vendor against another, and this way you can see what you’re up against. Hopefully, once you know that, you can offer them the best deal to win their business!

Do you have a compulsion to check your email, even during downtime? Do you stay up too late working on proposals? Do you skip gym time in favor of vegging out in front of the TV? These habits are not bad per se. Many are positive, such as committing to get that proposal in first thing Monday. Plenty are just plain practical, such as returning emails promptly. The good ones and the practical ones should be cultivated, because they save time or give you energy. But the bad habits should be weeded out as soon as you recognize them.

"Do what you fear most and you control fear."

"We are made to persist. That's how we find out who we are."

There is no substitute for unbridled determination. Talent cannot take the place of determination. The world is full of extremely talented people who never reached their goals because they lacked the determination to work hard, day after day, rain or shine. Education cannot take the place of determination. Plenty of highly educated people are held back by an inability to take action when it counts. You absolutely have to be committed to achieving your goals in order to succeed in sales. Diligence plus determination will get you there.

"The way to become rich is to put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket"

There is a giant asleep within every man.
When the giant awakes, miracles happen.

If you do your homework, an objection or angry response should never take you by surprise. You shouldn't take someone's negativity or anger personally. Even if his or her objections are based on factual error, your first response should be to validate the other person's feelings. Objections and disagreements can be useful opportunities to better understand someone. There is no "one answer fits all" for objections or angry outbursts. Recognize that they're a natural part of dealing with people.

"The highest form of success... comes... to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph."

Remember, if you are criticizing, you are not being grateful. If you are blaming, you are not being grateful. If you are complaining, you are not being grateful. If you are feeling tension, you are not being grateful. If you are rushing, you are not being grateful. If you are in a bad mood, you are not being grateful.

Gratitude can transform your life. Are you allowing minor things to get in the way of your transformation and the life you deserve?

What's your first reaction when you close a deal? When the sale is fresh in your mind, take a few minutes to review it and write down what you did right. What steps did you take? What were the factors under your control that contributed to the sale? You don't want to have to reinvent the wheel every time; what winning behaviors can you replicate to make sure you have a good chance of winning again?

I discovered this simple truth - that you have been designed with greatness for your success right within your DNA.

"Without the element of uncertainty, the bringing off of even the greatest business triumph would be dull, routine and eminently unsatisfying."

When you’re giving your sales presentation, do you really know what the customer is thinking or what they’re asking themselves as you’re presenting?
I doubt it. You’re too busy trying to sell.
Shake the hand. Smile the smile. Show the slides. Talk the talk. Do the demo. Ask the superficial questions. Try the close. Try to overcome, “the price is too high.” Propose the proposal. Do the sales dance.
Meanwhile the customer is thinking. He or she is asking themself questions about the validity of your product and your offer. They're thinking about how your stuff might fit into their company. And while you're talking they may be Googling.
While you are trying to prove a point, they are trying to verify your information. And in these times, they can do it in a nanosecond. And you can't stop them.
While you're talking, they may be wondering if you have a Twitter account. So they do a quick search and find out that you do not. What's that about? How validating is that? If they ask you about it, you'll just brush it off. Suppose the customer is exceptionally Twitter active? How does that make you look?
That's a small "tip of the iceberg" example of the thoughts that differentiate your sales presentation from the customer’s decision to buy. But let me take it deeper.
All customers, not just the decision maker, have a buying process. It’s a strategy and a process by which they make a purchase. And that purchase is based around the trust, safety, and comfort your customer feels when buying something from you.
In order to gain that trust, and that feeling of safety, they asked themselves a bunch of questions without ever saying a word. You answer those questions by the words you speak. Your job as a master salesperson is to answer those silent questions in a manner that drives the customer to say, "I'll take it!"
The following list of questions is exactly what goes through the mind of a prospective customer during your presentation. The list is long, and every customer may not ask themselves every one of these questions, but since you don't know specifically which ones they are going to ask themselves, you better be prepared with answers to all of them.
Here are the questions the prospective customer is asking:

• What do you offer?
• What do you offer that no one else has?
• What do you offer of value?
• How does your product compare to others I have seen?
• Does it really fill my need?
• Can you deliver?
• Is it real-world?
• Will it work?
• Will it work in our environment?
• How will it impact our people?
• How could it impact our success?
• Will senior or executive management buy in?
• Will my people use it? 
• How will we produce as a result of the purchase?
• How will we profit as a result of the purchase?
• How will it come together? 
• How do we buy it?
• What’s the risk factor in buying?
• Will you and your company keep its promises? 
• Do I trust you and the people I’m buying from, both as humans and their ability to deliver service after purchase?
• Will you be my main contact after purchase or are you going to relegate me to “the service department”?
• Do I believe you?
• Do I have confidence in you?
• Are you telling me the truth?
• Do I have the trust and comfort to buy now?

HOLY COW! All that?
YES! All that and more!
This list of questions is by far the most comprehensive I have put together. They address both confidence in product and confidence in the salesperson.
The customer is seeking validation and wants to believe you. They need what you have and they're going to buy what you offer. The only question is: From who? Depending on the answers to the above questions, they may not buy from you. OUCH!
Here are a few more thought-provoking challenges to help you understand the buying process:

1. The first sale that’s made is the salesperson. If the prospect doesn’t buy you, he’s not going to buy your product or service.
2. How’s your online reputation? What’s your Google ranking and reputation? NOT YOUR COMPANY. YOU!
3. What’s your social media reputation? Not Tweeting is a choice, but a poor one. How about LinkedIn? Do you have a business Facebook page?
4. Did you offer proof? Did you use “voice-of-customer” as testimonial proof to your claims?
5. Does the buyer have enough peace of mind to purchase?

I have just given you a mind full of sales information, from the mind of the only person that matters in your sales conversations: the customer.

Sales

 

 The way you feel about closing the order is oftentimes more important than the technique you use.  You probably have a number of strong closes.  However, if you lack a strong closing attitude, you will never use those closing techniques.
What is your attitude about closing?  Selling is what we do WITH your prospect, not something we do TO your prospect.  Closing should be the logical conclusion to your selling activities.  It should not be the stage of the sales process that is adversarial between the seller and the buyer.  The buyer should be as eager for this stage as the seller is.
What is your attitude toward closing?  Why do you ask people to buy from you?  You ask people to buy from you so that you can feed your family…not your ego.  If you don’t want to bruise your ego, you may be hesitant to ask for the order.  However, if you do that enough times, you are not putting bread on your family’s table.
What happens when you ask for the order and you get it?  You win!  But, what happens when you ask for the order and you don’t get it?  Well, you don’t lose!  You break even!  That’s right … you break even.  You can’t lose by doing your job.  Your job is to ask people to exchange money for your services.  When you do your job correctly you have every right to ask the business owner to buy from you.
When you ask the prospect to purchase from you today, the buyer wants to know that you believe his/her decision is a solid one.  You can assist with this if you have a positive closing attitude.  You need to exhibit confidence during this stage of the process.  If you do, you will be able to expect sales success, not hope for sales success.
Jay Hellwig is right.  The closing attitude will close more sales than the techniques!
Now, go sell somebody something!

"Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch"

"Long-range goals keep you from being frustrated by short-term failures."

Humor Break

 

The salesman goes to the sales manager and says, “I want a raise.”

The sales manager says, “You don’t get a raise until you’ve been here five years.”

The salesman says, “But I’ve been here 7 years!”

The manager says, “Sorry, but you should have asked two years ago.” 

Invest in laughter. It increases your face value.

You use blow off statements all the time.  Think about your response to a sales rep at a department store who asks you, “Can I help you find something?”  Your typical response is probably something like, “Oh, I’m just looking.”  That is not an objection (because the sales rep hasn’t pitched you anything yet), but instead it’s simply a resistance statement designed to blow you off.
The key to handling resistance statements is NOT to try to overcome them, but rather, to simply acknowledge and then move past them.  And that’s what the following “I’m not interested” rebuttals listed below teach you to do.
As with all scripts, adapt these to fit your product or service and your personal style.  Once you have, then practice, drill and rehearse these until they become habit.  Here are six ways to handle the “I’m not interested” blow off:
“I’m not interested”
(Remember, your goal here is not to overcome an objection – but instead to acknowledge this initial resistance and qualify for interest.)
Response #1:
 “That’s fine _________, and many people I speak with tell me the same thing as well.  And as they learn more about this and see what this can really do for them, they were glad they took a few minutes to listen.
One thing that would be a good fit for you is….” (Continue on with your pitch, briefly, and then ask a qualifying question like, “Do you see how that would work for you?”)
Response #2:
 “I didn’t expect you to be interested ________, you don’t know enough about this yet.  But like me and everyone else, I do know you’re interested in (provide a benefit here – saving money, increasing production, return, etc.) and that’s why I’m calling.
Let me ask you a quick question: if I could show you how you can (provide your unique benefit here) and even save you (time, money, etc.) wouldn’t you be happy you took a few minutes to find out how?”
Response #3:
 “I know that _______, heck if you were interested you’d have called me!  (Say this with a smile in your voice :-)  But seriously, I know you get a lot of calls, and every now and then it makes sense to listen to the right call, and this is it.”  (Continue on with your value proposition and then ask a question like, “Do you think that would help you, too?”)
Response #4:
 “________, you probably get a lot of these calls, don’t you?  You know, I get them, too, and believe me, I don’t like getting them any more than you do.  But every now and then I listen because sometimes there is information out there that will benefit me.  And this is that kind of call for you.  Let me ask you a quick question…”
(Ask how they would like to improve, save, make more money using your product or service.)
Response #5:
 “Believe me, I’m with you.  But the good news is that taking just 30 seconds with me right now could change the way you do business, and could help you (achieve your quotas, save thousands of dollars – whatever your product or service will do for them).  In fact, let me share briefly with you how we’ve helped hundreds of companies just like yours…”
Response #6:
“That’s no problem, __________.  I have a drawer full of clients who told me the same thing when I first called them as well.  In fact, I’ll put you touch with some of them if you want.  But the point is this: if you’re like most people I speak with, you’re having trouble (list the problems your product or service solves) and in a couple of minutes I can share with you the solutions to those problems that my other clients are enjoying right now.
Let me ask you – If I can show you how you can (give benefit here), would it be worth a few minutes to find out how?”
Remember, the top sales producers in your company and industry have proven responses to the objections, resistance and blow offs they get over and over again.  And that’s how YOU’RE going to move into that elite group as well.

"The chains of habit are too weak to be felt
until they are too strong to be broken."

Have you helped someone overcome a problem or challenge in the last 24 hours? Have you made an unhappy person laugh? Have you smiled at someone you didn't know? Do you feel the urge to give out praise whenever you see good behavior? Have you helped someone in a negative mood see opportunity instead of obstacles? Would you say you've been surrounded by positive people today? Have you praised someone today?

"Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will and be judged by only one thing: the result."

Assumptions about other people and what they want or don't want can wreak havoc on your relationships. This is just as true in your professional life as in your personal life. Learn specific skills and strategies for making sure you are fully aware of other people's objectives. Try these actions: ask clarifying questions, probe for information, and objectively point out inconsistencies when tasks seem out of line with stated goals or agreed-upon strategies.

"If you always do what you always did,
you'll always get what you always got."

"I always remember an epitaph in the cemetery at Tombstone, Ariz. It says: "Here lies Jack Williams. He done his damnedest." I think that's the greatest epitaph a man can have."

It’s time to make change happen not just manage change – it’s time to become ChangeMakers.
What does that mean?
It means that not only do we need to change, but we need to help others make change happen.
As salespeople we are no longer selling products, services or widgets. We are selling change.
We have to ask more ‘what if’ questions not only of our clients but of ourselves. Because if we don’t, we run the risk of being caught napping and we know what happens then… we lose the race.
I was fortunate enough to spend last Friday night with Ita Buttrose and a room of professional women and we listened to this iconic business woman, role model and pioneer in the print industry share her thoughts on sales, marketing and leadership.
There were a few nuggets I took away scribbled on the back of a serviette and after a couple of days reflection, I was able to interpret them in my own way to share with you here:

1. Hard work gets us to where we want to go. There is really no such thing as luck, but timing certainly does help us. So determination and being at the right place at the right time also helps and really, that can only come from activity.
2. Don’t pussyfoot around – Just do it. It’s all about decision making and owning the outcome we want. Think about the next conversation you have with anybody – client, staff, friend – for what purpose is the conversation and what do you want the specific outcome to be?
3. Make a decision and cop it. So, owning the outcome you want is part of it, but it’s important to also own the outcome you didn’t bank on. You can carry a chip on your shoulder or accept your decision because, by default, you have chosen to enter the jungle and because of that, there will always be obstacles or something jumping out at us from left of field, so strategy is critical.
4. Have a robust sense of humour. Well, if you are in my world, self deprecation is very important and so is losing perfectionism. Learn to laugh and have fun in a real throw your head back, unrestrained, hearty laughter kind of way.
5. Love what you do. Enjoy the unpredictability of your role or your job and have a bigger intention. That purpose that will see you through when you want more from your role or get disillusioned. Where possible find a mentor.
6. Feminise your industry. For women only. Please  This was a great distinction for women as our domains are typically male centric and we tend to adapt to the masculine energy especially where results are so important to achieve. Learning to stay in our feminine is an extremely powerful key in business.

We need to continue to hear and see and feel different experiences to continue to grow and contribute to our worlds – business and personal – especially if we are to help others shift from the status quo.
And in sales our biggest competitor isn’t the business down the street or the guy in the reception area going in before us or the girl who happens to submit their RFP before us. It’s a little word called MAYBE. Our competitor is the status quo and to win that race, we need to shift the axis and disrupt the world a little – we need to become ChangeMakers.
Be Bold and Brilliant!

"As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do."

"The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender."

"A man can get discouraged many times, but he is not a failure until he begins to blame somebody else and stops trying."

"Watch your habits; they become character."

Brainstorming aloud during a negotiation is a great way to get past an impasse. It's a way for everyone to step back and generate some ideas without judging or feeling pressure to reach a resolution. It sounds like this: "Let's step back and try a few 'what-ifs,'" or "We seem to be stuck here. What if we discuss some options and see if something emerges that we can both live with?" Brainstorming not only generates ideas and alternatives, it also shows your willingness to be open and flexible.

You cannot bring what you want to you if you are feeling stress. Stress or any tension at all is something you have to remove from your system.

You must let the stress go - it is the only way you can bring what you want. The emotion of stress is saying strongly that you do NOT have what you want. Stress or tension is the absence of faith, and so to remove it all you have to do is increase your faith!

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale used to compare negative thoughts to birds flying overhead. "We can't keep the birds from flying over our heads," he said. "But we can prevent them from building a nest in our hair." We all have the power to choose what kinds of thoughts take up space in our mind. The fact that you sometimes produce negative thoughts doesn't mean you have to accept them unconditionally.

"Self-esteem is like a difficult-to-cultivate flower. It requires frequent nurturing that occurs when you keep your word and follow through on your promises."

Do You Possess This Potent Power? 

Self-discipline is a powerful, potent and priceless trait of successful people, and a quality that people marvel over and admire. It's also a quality many people secretly wish they possessed. If you don't have it, you need to get, develop and practice it. If you already possess it, you need to practice and hone it constantly.   Self-discipline is the ability to take action in a situation, regardless of any emotional state of mind. Self-discipline makes the decisions about what actions you take today to get the results you desire. Do what you need to do, whether you want to do it or not. Self-discipline helps you keep the promises and commitments you make to yourself and clients. You do what you commit to and see it through to the end. No excuses.   You need self-discipline to complete any difficult, tedious, or unpleasant tasks or activities. Tasks and activities that require the most self-discipline in our lives are also the most rewarding, yield bigger results and have higher payoffs. In order to achieve success, you need to develop high levels of self-discipline.   Never underestimate the power of self-discipline. It's a foundational attribute or skill necessary for you to succeed in any endeavor and doubly true if you want to increase sales and grow your business. There's no area in your life where self-discipline has the greatest impact on your future than in your business.

"If you do what you've always done,
you'll get what you've always gotten."

"There's only one direction you can coast."

"You have to believe in yourself, that's the secret. Even when I was in the orphanage, when I was roaming the street trying to find enough to eat, even then I thought of myself as the greatest actor in the world."

"Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it."

A great attitude will help you win; a bad attitude will magnify obstacles and sabotage your progress. Here's a quick self-test to see if you have what it takes to win today: Am I positive about myself, my company, and the products and services I sell? Do I approach each task with the passion and commitment necessary to win? Will I bring positive energy to all people I meet today? Do I have a burning desire to improve myself, my work habits, and my personal habits? Will I check my attitude during the day and improve it when needed?

"By three methods we may learn wisdom:
First, by reflection, which is noblest;
Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. "

"The person who pays an ounce of principle for a pound of popularity gets badly cheated."

"We all walk in the dark and each of us must learn
to turn on his or her own light."

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours."

Just because something has never been done doesn't mean it's impossible. After estate planner and insurance sales rep Morris Goodman survived a plane crash in 1981 and suffered a crushed diaphragm, doctors told him he would never breathe on his own again. But Goodman remembered that people once believed it was impossible to run a mile in fewer than four minutes – until Roger Bannister did so in 1954. Goodman practiced breathing in and out with his respirator until one day he started to breathe using just his stomach muscles. With hard work and the help of positive thinking, Goodman defied the odds. Today, when Goodman speaks, he leaves his audience spellbound, taking their breath away.

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible."

We have a heavy debt and one way to repay that debt is to regularly express thanks and gratitude to the men and women who make our lives worth living. 

I had a client ask me about the importance of empathy last week and before reeling off the standard answer I gave it a little more thought to the meaning and so would be keen to hear your views.
 It doesn't matter where you go, you will find that one of the main qualities a salesperson must have is the ability to enter a prospect or customers world - in other words to walk a mile in their shoes or to sit on their side of the desk - to have empathy.
 According to Wikipedia, "Empathy has many different definitions that encompass a broad range of emotional states, such as caring for other people and having a desire to help them; experiencing emotions that match another person's emotions; discerning what another person is thinking or feeling; and making less distinct the differences between the self and the other."
 And so therefore it is clearly important that a salesperson has the emotional intelligence to practice that, wouldn't you agree?
 I mean, addressing this stuff must be more important than learning how to leave a voicemail or overcoming a price objection, right?
 So, that being said, if we consider at one end of the spectrum sits EMPATHY then what must sit at the other end of the spectrum would be APATHY. And we all know if an empath is all about meeting others needs (sometimes to the point of martyrdom), then an apath* must be someone who has a care factor of zero, focused purely on self.

                                                EMPATHY 1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 APATHY

Where do you sit on that spectrum?  And what do you believe the perfect metric should be?
 One would think midway...
 But I don't believe that serves anyone. I believe that is No Man's Land. Fence sitting. Beige. And as a result it also shows a lack of flexibility when it comes to entering your different prospect or customers worlds.
 Let me give you an example:
 If you are someone who is too empathetic and not able to detach from that emotion, and your prospect or customer says they will 'think it over' or they will need to 'do some more research', you will be someone who is more inclined to say 'OK - that's fine' - you will default to your own natural position on the scale. When that happens you are now a step further away from the sale happening successfully and it has NOTHING to do with your inability to ask for the business, leave a voicemail or overcome a pricing objection.
 If you are someone who is too apathetic and you are not able to attach any emotion to a relationship and your customer is looking for 'trust and connection' then missing out on that opportunity has NOTHING to do with your capabilities either.
 The secret 
It doesn't matter how you slice or dice it, the key is YOU! Learning to read the person in front of you, understanding  how to ask the questions that elicit their BUYING style and being OK with shifting your behaviour based on sensory acuity and feedback to provide a win/win/win scenario is what it is all about.  And if you don't get the opportunity to do that - detach!

Happy to hear your thoughts on my blog and remember, success in sales is based on PEOPLE not PROCESSES so provide that support instead.

Hope and opportunity go hand in hand for sales professionals. Hope can kick-start a great day, which can snowball into a great week, month, year, and beyond. With the power of hope, you create your own opportunities. Whenever you think you have nothing, stop and reconsider. Hope is something that can't be taken away from you. If you don't feel it, go and find it. Just around the corner from hope lies the opportunity you've been waiting for.

"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said."