By

Shawn Karol Sandy
Stop Winging it and Make a Sales Plan Expert Advice Via Alice Heiman
22
Feb

To Earn More Sales, STOP WINGING IT! – advice via Sales Expert, Alice Heiman

February 22, 2016,
We’ve had great response (and a lot of STRONG suggestions) when we started asking sales leaders across the country to share their insights about what sales pros should STOP doing to earn more sales. I had particularly emphatic response from my colleagues of Women Sales Pros, whom all seem to be on a mission to...
Read More
Are you making the best first impressions? You need talk tracks
14
Feb

Are you killing credibility and wasting first impressions?

February 14, 2016, , ,
A while back, we participated in a great business expo hosted by the local chamber. At The Selling Agency booth, we asked people to “Give us their best pitch” about their business. And . . . we offered to record it for them and email them the sound bites. There was a specific point to asking...
Read More
3 Revenue Growth Alternatives to chasing leads
08
Feb

3 Revenue Growth Alternatives to Chasing Leads

February 8, 2016,
When one of our clients asks us to work with their sales team on revenue growth, we first conduct some interviews of the sales people and ask, “What do you need to do your job better?” they usually answer with one of these two responses: “More aggressive pricing” and “More new leads” The first answer...
Read More
sales, persona, personality, social media, expectations, Leadership, responsiveness, #SalesFails, Lynn Hidy, UpYourTeleSales, Women Sales Pros
29
Jan

Don’t Trade Your Personality for a “Persona” – Avoid this #SalesFails via sales pro and founder of UpYourTeleSales, Lynn Hidy

January 29, 2016, ,
This is the last blog in a 4 part series of #SalesFails where I asked the 4 brilliant and insightful sales experts in my Master Mind group to share their tips with me and The Selling Agency audience. From trainer and telesales guru, Lynn Hidy, founder of UpYourTeleSales, comes advice that aligns with one of...
Read More
Seller, C-Level, Meetings, Opportunities, Top Line Sales, Lisa Magnuson
25
Jan

Sellers, Don’t Kill Your C-Level Meetings – via Top Line Sales founder, Lisa Magnuson

January 25, 2016, ,
In the first of the Sales Fails series, our sales pro gave the advice to “Stop Hiding Behind Email” in order to build relationships, earn trust and close deals faster. This week’s expert advice comes from the founder of Top Lines Sales, Lisa Magnuson, Top Line Deal Coach. Lisa’s advice is a great recommendation for...
Read More
Common Sales Fail - Stop - preparing - proposals - prevents - buyers - brushoff
18
Jan

This Common Sales Fail Costs You Time and Money – via Sales Expert @JaniceMars

January 18, 2016, ,
Last week we kicked off a series highlighting costly Sales Fails from leading edge sales trainers and consultants around the country. With so much experience coaching, training and in the fields, my mastermind group of Women Sales Pros had plenty of examples to contribute. In the last post, we highlighted the #SalesFail many reps are...
Read More
Hiding - behind - email - sales - selling - pros - business - effective
11
Jan

Avoid This EMAIL Sales Fail via Alice Kemper of Sales Training Consultants

January 11, 2016, , ,
One of my favorite things I love asking sales people about is the worst sales experience they can recall. The stories I’ve heard range from “splitting my pants in a meeting” to “the customer fell asleep during my presentation” or this true story, “I walked in on my buyer making out with my competitor.” Yeah,...
Read More
Rock Resolutions - business - plans - that - work
03
Jan

The Plan! The Plan! It’s not Fantasy Island—Rock Your Resolutions! {Part 2 of 2}

January 3, 2016, ,
Last week, part 1 of Rocking Your Resolution, we talked about how most Resolutions die a quick and sad death – like a fruit fly circling a banana. WHY? Well there are many reasons, but you can break it down into two main reasons most resolutions fail: 1) You make the wrong resolution 2) You don’t...
Read More
rock your resolutions for the new year - what's your business plan?
28
Dec

Don’t Be the Fruit fly: Rock Your Resolutions! {Part 1 of 2}

December 28, 2015, , , ,
The fresh, exciting NEW-ness of a shiny year is here. Our annual tradition is to make one or several Resolutions—a commitment to do, change, stop or achieve something in this New Year. Making resolutions is the fun, exciting part of visualizing our business (or personal and professional) future and success. However, I don’t want to...
Read More
Every sales person I talk to asks me the same thing, “How do I get buyers to listen to me? I can’t seem to get their attention, a call back or response.” My response is a question back to them . . . “What are you doing differently than the other 37 sales reps knocking on their door or blowing up their inbox every single day?” Chances are, you’re not getting responses or movement from your buyers if you’re stuck in the “sea of sameness” as are most sellers. Same approach, same emails, same phone calls, same networking events, same presentations . . . same, same, same . . . equals, Ignore, Ignore, Ignore. If you’re having difficulty producing leads or moving business forward, it could be because you’re working at the wrong end of the buyer journey, trying to influence their decision to buy you by interrupting or disrupting them after they’ve already done their research and formed their decision making criteria. As sellers, we tend to look everywhere or at everyone as a potential prospect however, not everyone needs you. Of those that do, buyers fall in to two categories: those looking for solutions or those looking for NEW solutions. This means as a seller, you have an uphill battle to either overthrow the status quo or upseat the incumbent vendor/provider. Your buyer will live with the status quo as long as possible and if they are thinking of making a change or investing in something new, they are starting their research and road to buying LONG before you know it. So, how do you overcome these obstacles and battle the status quo? You’ve got to stand out from the crowd by being BETTER than the crowd. Getting attention and response from time deprived buyers in a sea of competition requires Leveling Up your sales game by investing in your personal professional development. This isn’t about Marketing handing off more leads or creating better brochures or slick emails – this is about you amplifying your personal brand and projecting your professional value to buyers that DO need you. Your Keys to Standing Out From The Crowd: Authenticity – be you. When you come across first and foremost as “Jim” or “Sarah” instead of a fabricated professional sales persona, your genuine self is easier to relate to and helps build the foundation for trust. We all have an internal BS meter and can detect when someone isn’t being genuine or has an agenda. Be you, not a robotic sales version of you. Confidence – be confident. Be confident that you have value and that you CAN help your buyers. Confidence is attractive and paired with your authentic self, you have CHARISMA which is like creating your own gravitational pull. Buyers need professionals that sound, act and demonstrate confidence in their product and ability to provide answers and solutions. If you sound unsure and can’t demonstrate your belief in what you have to sell, it shows up in your voice, your body and all your communication. Your confidence helps your buyers feel more confident in you. Expertise – gain it. Read, read, read . . . learn, learn, learn and have your pulse on what’s happening in your industry, your customers’ industry and your market. Most sellers have done due diligence to know their own product and probably what their competitors offer, but how much do they know about their industry. Or how in depth are they versed in the industry and competitive drivers of their customers’ industry or how their customers compete in their markets? Demonstrating expertise that is deeper than your competitors is an excellent way to stand apart and put you in a category of one. Having this profound level of knowledge changes the conversation from only what you offer to what really MATTERS to your customers. Knowing you offer insights and context to their circumstances is a trust trigger that can get you calls back or responses from those busy buyers. Voice – use yours. In a sea of the same, a fresh, authentic and confident voice cuts through the crowd clearly. Most of your contemporaries are still grinding away at the sales with the same techniques and generic messages. Your voice has more value if you’re using it, not as the company mouthpiece, but to share what YOU know and why YOU believe. Plant your flag on your expertise and knowledge and wave it for everyone to see. Use key platforms to share your voice so your buyers understand who you are and why they should work with you. We’re not just talking about having a LinkedIn profile and I’m certainly not talking about promoting your product on social media channels. Using your voice is about bringing insights and opinions to your buyers’ journey so they can make the best decisions possible. Engage – your network. This is where you truly stand out from the crowd. Pull together your authentic personality and confident voice and start engaging in conversations with your buyers BEFORE they do all their research. You have the opportunity here to influence your buyers’ journey, instead of trying to reach them at the far end of their journey when they have already made most of their decision. Find where your buyers learn. Be where your buyers are engaged. Connect with them there and contribute to their professional network. Share your insights and opinions. Offer up resources and endorsements for those you work and collaborate with. Buyers are looking for connected and engaged resources to help them make their purchasing decisions. Having engaged with your buyer in their network before you call them makes for a warm conversation versus a cold call. If you could ask your customers or future buyers, they’d tell you that they’re pulling their hair out from having too many decisions to make, not enough time and they’re under ever increasing pressure to get more done on a daily basis with fewer resources. If you could step in to their shoes you’d understand why most of them are performing their own research on their own time frame and shutting out any seller that isn’t finding a way to add more value to their time or give them time back. Sharpen your skills and level up your sales game to be BETTER than your competition and better serve your customers. Until next time, stop hoping, start SELLING! PS – Here is an insightful “Letter from your customer” penned by sales guru, Jill Konrath. She nails what your customer is thinking! PPS – If you are struggling with how to get attention, have your calls answered or your emails read . . . you need a different strategy. Learn how to tap in to your best assets to be BETTER than the average seller who is still plugging away with the same tired tricks and tactics. Start your new year with new tools and the keys to Selling Yourself and standing out from the crowd. Stellar Sellars Workshop: January 8th, 9am – 12 noon
14
Dec

Are Buyers Ignoring You?

December 14, 2015, ,
Most every sales person I talk to asks me the same thing, “How do I get buyers to listen to me? I can’t seem to get their attention, a call back or response.” My response is a question back to them . . . “What are you doing differently than the other 37 sales reps...
Read More
1 … 16 17 18 19 20 … 29
The Pipeline

Recent Posts

Categories