Ok, so I’ve been on a bit of a rant over the last couple of days about companies that send holiday greetings disguised as a sales pitch. Low and behold, today I receive a greeting from James Arthur Ray, author of Harmonic Wealth. Excellent book! If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it as a way to kick off your New Year.
As the picture makes clear…no pitch!
Minutes after I posted my comments about holiday greetings disguised as
sales pitches, I received another one…from Eloquah.
I just love how they are “celebrating their clients success in the changing world of marketing” – what does that mean exactly? Guess that’s the typical marketing speak we’ve come to expect from corporate. The funny thing is that I’ve never spent a dime with Eloquah, though I did present at one of their user groups talking about how marketing needed to get a sales mindset…I digress. How exactly does Eloquah know if I’m successful in this new world of marketing or not? Just wondering.
Soft sell to be sure, but this is basically a “Happy Holidays and aren’t we so great” email. They would likely argue that they’re just doing their job thanking their customers for helping them achieve #1 lead generation tools status. Seems to me that this is more about them and not much about their actual customer. Oh, and I love how in the p.s. they remind you that if you aren’t sure if marketing automation is right for you…talk to Joe the CEO. Is that like Joe the Plumber?
Anyway, this is certainly more subtle than other holiday emails I’ve received recently. AND this is exactly what I think is wrong. Great sales and great marketing is about building relationships.
There is a time to be real!
There is a time to forgo “selling”. People become jaded with these sorts of things. It turns them off, which means they then won’t buy from you! Get it?
Whatever happened to just saying Happy Holidays with no other agenda attached?
Lately, I feel that certain business people out there have stooped to new lows in their search for the clever email subject line that gets their message read.
In the past 2 weeks, I’ve received countless emails from people wishing me a happy holiday or so it seems. Several of these people I barely know so why I’m on a newsletter list I didn’t ask to be included on well… that’s definitely a subject for another post.
Here’s the deal. If you know me and want to send me a holiday greeting – cool. Thank you! I enjoy the well wishes and back at ya!
But for those of you who have decided to use a holiday greeting as an opportunity to sell me something…that’s just sleezy! Have a little integrity and be honest about what you are doing! Kindly leave your sales pitch at the door and stop including it in my Christmas card.
Um – that would be neither and both plus…
Many sales professionals believe that nothing succeeds like a face-to-face meeting or, at the very least, contact via the phone. They believe that activities such as writing a blog, commenting on other blogs and in forums, sending out regular e-newsletters, using social networking, such as Linked In and Facebook are a waste of their time.
I couldn’t DISAGREE more!
First, 65% of all sales are lost in the first phone call. You can go back to one of my sales blunders and read all about it. The stark reality is that most people aren’t good on the telephone and they blow it immediately. That translates into “game over man”.
As for the notion that face-to-face is the winner. Well, just like phone calls there are plenty of people who can’t make a decent sales presentation to save their life. What happens if you get in front of someone – before you’ve built up some type of relationship with them – and you blow it? Yup. You lose. No sale!
Here’s the deal…some things just do not change. You must accept that it can take an average of 7 interactions/touches before a sale is closed. That’s because effective selling is all about building relationships and demonstrating to your prospects the results they will receive when they purchase from you. Technology provides a wonderful advantage in that sense, because you can learn to create value and build relationships far in advance of meeting people personally.
The next missed point to consider is how important it is to protect your time. Success comes from focusing on the right activities at the right time! Your ability to to quickly evaluate sales opportunities will either help or harm your sales activities, because opportunities ARE NOT all created equal. You must learn to become very discerning; otherwise, you risk wasting a lot of precious time.
Building a sales pipeline these days requires a “blend” of approaches, and in this day and age if you are not incorporating the use of online tools into your sales toolkit, you will be left behind. Seriously – you WILL become irrelevant. Contributing to blogs, sending out informational newsletters, participating in online forums, using tools like Twitter, webinars or webcasts offer you opportunities stay in front of people who can either buy from you or refer you to someone else who can buy from you.You’ve got to grasp that when people are ready they think of you!
Recently, I picked up two new clients and $10,000 in new revenue all because I send a monthly newsletter. The point is that it’s naive to think that when you call someone on the phone or meet them face to face for the first time that they’ll be ready to buy at that exact moment. That’s why you need to remain in front of people providing them with relevant, meaningful information that delivers real value to them BEFORE they’ve made a purchase.
Disagree? I’d love to hear why!
I often seem to have far too many great ideas and projects in various stages of completion. That unfortunately leads me to feel overwhelmed and lacking focus. Does this happen to you?
Though I used to believe that multi-tasking was a good thing, I’ve come to realize that thinking we can multi-task and still be effective is far from the truth. The real key to achieving our goals is focus and that can only happen if you chunk your projects or your objectives down into bite-sized pieces.
Why You Procrastinate
Procrastination for most of us becomes a challenge, because when the task seems to big it’s easy to put off getting it done. In Brian Tracy’s book – Eat that Frog – he talks about taking on the toughest things first when kicking off the day. The idea is that it’s better to get the hardest things done first before everything else, because usually the toughest things are the most important.
I’ve put into practice this idea of doing the hardest things first – the things that usually take the longest, but boy of boy is the feeling of getting it done worth it!
Start With One Step
Wired as we are, you will definitely find it much easier to break down your projects into manageable steps and then take them on one at a time. Work through each step to the very end. Finish it before moving to the next. Before you know it – you’re done!
Forget Perfect – Just Get Going
This can sometimes be a killer for me. I’m so worried about getting it perfect that I don’t get started at all. Get going – that’s the key. Once you start moving forward the energy and momentum of the project takes on a life of it’s own. You’ll begin to feel excited and motivated about what you’ve accomplished.
So as you are winding down 2008 and thinking about what you want to accomplish in the coming year…make your list, then break each objective into bite sized chunks and then get moving!
Wow, what a super day! I love days like this when things just sort of flow. Over the weekend, I picked up an email that a colleague forwarded on to me about a journalist looking for someone to contribute to their article. Since my passion and background is all things sales, combined with a geek like interest in how to use online resources to build a referral network and drive revenue – it was a natural fit for me. I must admit that it’s the first time I’ve been interviewed via “email”. Sort of fitting though given the topic:). I’ll keep my fingers crossed and hope that what I shared was valuable and relevant enough to get me quoted.
Probably the most fun of all is that this is for a piece in Success Magazine, which is by far the most inspirational and educational publication I read each month. If you don’t have a subscription – you need one! In addition to great magazine content, you also recieve a combo CD/DVD with great interviews from some of the most successful people on the planet. And my personal fav bonus…classic recordings or people like Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone. BTW – I do not have an affiliate relationship with Success Magazine although maybe I ought to:). I just happen to think it’s a must read for anyone interested in achieving success in every aspect of their lives.
Oh, and if you are wondering about what I meant when I said isn’t intention grand? As a writer myself, I set an intention last month of writing articles for Success Magazine. So you tell me…is this a coincidence?
In response to my post about a 1-hour sales program that my friend and colleague, Ruth King is offering this month at The Profitability Channel, we were accused of trying to scam $50 out of 1000 people in order to make $50,000. While I certainly know that those sorts of things exist out there in webland, I have to wonder if this person actually read the post. Ruth not only offers a 100% money back guarantee, but for signing up you receive a $100 certificate for either gas or groceries. I happen to have the grocery cert, which is good at hundreds of locations like Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, Publix, Safeway, Albertsons, Wal-Mart and more. Basically, you GET $50 just for watching. Some scam!
The Profitability Channel is an amazing source of some of the best educational video content out there for entrepreneurs and business owners. And by way of disclosure, I happen to host a sales & marketing program on the channel and have interviewed some of the coolest, smartest, most innovative people out there.
Anyone who’s an entrepreneur has felt the pain of seeing the books void of cash flow, which sometimes means having to dig deep for inspiration, get creative, reach out to friends for advice or ask the universe to show us a sign that help is on the way. In that spirit, the idea of a 1 hour show that includes guests who’ve been there and pulled themself out of difficult times is what the show is about.
I believe in free speech, and I love that blogging allows each of us to express ourselves. That being said…the hate mongers looking for “negativity” wherever they turn are kindly asked to go elsewhere.
I’m a huge fan of supporting other business owners, and I’m particularly close to a few of them.
This is for my good friend, Ruth King at the Profitability Channel. What she’s offering is amazing. READ ON
Includes 1 day access to Profitability Channel.
Then, you’ve come to the right place.
Make Money Now is the one hour session that gives you:
Hi, I’m Ruth King, a serial entrepreneur and founder of ProfitabilityChannel.com. I can’t even count the number of times my back has been up against the wall in the past 26 years and I had to raise cash FAST. And yes, I lost that large, $1.6 million client and the profit they generated…the business survived and still is operating.
Learn what I did (and continue to do) as well as others who have been in dire need of cash and succeeded.
You’ll hear from:
Ask them questions. Pick their brains so you can do this too!
Join us on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 12 Noon Eastern time on ProfitabilityChannel.com. Participate in my live video broadcast. Ask questions and get answers on the spot. Learn multiple ways you can solve your cash flow issues!
Your investment? Only $50. After you register I will send you a $100 gasoline or grocery rebate certificate. So, you’ll actually get your investment back plus $50 to eat or drive on me…along with the ideas you need to raise cash quickly.
If you miss the live broadcast, or want to watch it again, you can! It will be available for 30 days. Watch it again and again, even at 3 AM.
This program is NOT a “invest $50 and Ruth will try to upsell you” during the video broadcast. There is no follow up program to up sell unless you want to join ProfitabilityChannel.com. I truly want to help you…give you ideas that will spur more ideas to make money now.
Here’s my 100% iron clad guarantee…if you don’t get at least one idea that you can use simply call 800-511-6844 and your $50 will be cheerfully refunded with no hassles…and keep the rebate certificate as my thank you for participating.
Click here to sign up today! (When you do I will email you the special password to watch and participate in my program).
Join me and thousands of other business owners who are serious about raising capital now!
To your success,
Ruth King
PS. Enroll today…it will be the best $50 you invest all year. It has a guaranteed 100% investment return.
Hard to believe isn’t it? So much work goes into networking, securing appointments, making the presentations, writing the proposals and then somehow you never actually get around to asking for the sale. Even if you lack confidence or experience, closing doesn’t have to be painful or bewildering.
Here are a few basic points to follow:
Close from the beginning – not to be confused with the old fashioned hard sell; cutthroat approaches rarely works anymore. You are better off letting your prospect know exactly what you’re selling and how you believe what you offer can benefit their business. Sell value, integrity and, above all, relationship. Using this type of approach paves the way for a smoother close.
Learn to recognize the buying signals. There are lots of ways that people let us know when they are ready to buy, but you need to pay attention. For example, they might indicate their readiness by asking you questions about the solution or the buying process. Listen for the clues: “How long would delivery take?” “When could we expect the work to be finished?” or “Is an upgrade available?”
Don’t respond to questions with a “yes” or “no”. Answer the prospect’s questions with questions of your own. Carefully chosen, these return questions can help lead to a sale. For example, instead of answering the question: “Does this model come in silver?” with merely an affirmative, you could say: “Would you like it in silver?”
Suggest specific terms. Rather than asking whether your prospect wants to buy, suggest a specific buying scenario and then ask if your customer agrees to it. For example, “We can start the coaching project on Tuesday for a retainer of $5,000. Would you like us to do that?” If your prospect is uncomfortable with any of the specifics, they will certainly let you know. Make sure you know enough about their needs before undertaking this approach. Otherwise, you risk sounding pushy.
Well, there you have it. The Top 10 Sales Blunders and How You Can Avoid Them. I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey as much as I have. My passion is in helping YOU to attract more clients and close more sales, more often.
There are four distinct phases to the buying cycle that you need to be aware of. Learn to recognize these phases when talking to your prospective clients and save yourself time and heartburn down the road.
Make sure you understand what phase of the buying process your customer is currently in. This will help you be more aware of the issues at stake and make you better prepared for selling your solution.
