The Selling Sherpa

Sales Tip of the Day: SLOW RIDE

A lot of salespeople just accept that the time between now and the new year will be a slow ride when nothing much will get done.

In my experience, this week will only be as slow as you let it be.

Yes, some decision-makers will be vacationing.  Many business leaders actually count on this time to catch up and wrap up their year, and contemplate new ideas and solutions for the coming year.

When I was in the publishing world, this week was always one of the two most productive weeks in the year for generating new subscribers, simply because it was the easiest time to reach people directly.  [Want to know when the other week is?  Call, leave a great voicemail message, and I will share it with you!]

So, despite what you’ve heard, keep selling this week!

Chances are you will be one of the few who will be, so it will be easier to reach decision-makers and actually help them make the right decision about your product, service, or treatment.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

COMING SOON! - A NEW PROGRAM TO HELP YOU BECOME A SELLING ROCKSTAR IN 2010.  STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS! 

Sales Tip of the Day: WONDERFUL CHRISTMASTIME

For the next few days, I’ll be enjoying a wonderful Christmas time with my family and friends, and I hope you get to do the same.

My wish for you and yours is the brightest of holidays and a new year filled with hope and opportunity.

Merry Christmas! Happy Chanukkah! Joyous Kwanzaa!

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.

Sales Tip of the Day: MARY, MARY

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a Sales Tip about how one restaurant, Duke’s Chowder House, builds loyalty with a birthday promotion.  Last night, I decided to see how well they deliver on the promise.

The server, whose name was Mary, was pleasant, on point, and very encouraging.

She noted that I had the birthday coupon for a free entrée and encouraged me to not be shy about ordering what I wanted, because it was “on Duke” that evening.

Mary didn’t pressure at all, but did ask about drinks, starters, and sides in a very cheerful and encouraging way.  She wasn’t bummed that I didn’t order something from the bar and, even though I decided not to order dessert, she brought a small slice of pie with a candle anyway.

Bottom line, Mary performed admirably, which is a great credit to her, her team, and her employer.  It also earned her a really good tip.

That’s an important lesson for any who would promote.  It’s not enough to just throw an offer out and hope not too many customers take you up on it, or to redeem it begrudgingly.  

You must genuinely be grateful for every patron who accepts your offer and call to action, and make sure they have a wonderful experience to they will come back often, and tell others about you.

Create promotions carefully, train your entire team to deliver on the promise, and be genuine grateful for the opportunity to serve others when they respond.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP. 

Sales Tip of the Day: NOTHING TO LOSE

If you’ve been in sales for any amount of time at all, I can almost guarantee you’ve suffered a bout of call reluctance.  

Don’t feel bad, because it happens to just about everyone.  Even I have fallen victim to call reluctance.

Call reluctance usually creeps up on you after a long series of rejections, or after a particularly important sale that you missed for whatever reason.

The key to beating call reluctance is to remember this one fact: you’ve got nothing to lose by making the next call, but failing to make the next call ensures that you will lose a sale, a commission....maybe even a job.

So pick up that phone and make the next call!

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.   

Sales Tip of the Day: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

When presenting your product, service, or treatment to a prospect, it is a good idea to talk about the past, the present and the future.

The past is represented by stories from the customers you’ve already served who are thrilled, found in testimonials, letters, and thank you notes.

The present includes the clients you are working with right now and the results they can verify today when prospects call them to verify satisfaction with their purchase.

And the future?  This is were you describe in detail the benefits they will enjoy when they become your customers.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.   

Sales Tip of the Day: ONE

Recently, I was brought in by a firm to spend a morning brainstorming with their marketing team.  We covered a lot of territory in a couple of hours and by the time our session was over, they were fairly buzzing with excitement over some of the ideas and concepts I shared.

During our session, I gave them some strategies for how to maximize the marketing impact of their business cards.  Then I asked for business cards from everyone present.

Guess how many of the six participants had business cards with them?  One.

You’ve heard this from me before, and it bears repeating.  If you are in business, you must have business cards with you at all times, because you never know when an opportunity will present itself.

Just one business card could be the key to achieving your wildest dreams.  Don’t be caught without them!

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.   

Sales Tip of the Day: STILL THE ONE

I met Alan Schwartz when he was managing one of Hyatt Regency’s fine dining restaurants.  

Alan is a certified sommelier, a consummate host, and a real showman.  Whenever I had dinner there, I watched Alan work the room in a way I have never seen before or since.  He has an uncanny ability to give each patron precisely the correct amount of attention without being bothersome.  

Alan was never boring, phony, rude, or curt.  Everybody loved Alan because he genuinely loved every one of his patrons.

Not one to just do “business as usual”, Alan constantly created special occasions and events that would give loyal fans a reason to come spend another evening with him at his venue.

One of Alan’s finest creations was a monthly dining event featuring a 5-course dinner specifically created to pair with a flight of featured wines.  Those events always sold out despite being the priciest ticket in town.

Alan is still the one restaurateur that I measure all other dining experiences against, even though I have not seen him in over a decade.

Do you want to be as memorable as Alan is?  

Find new, fun and exciting ways to engage your customers.  Give them appropriate doses of attention without being a pest.  And, most of all, love every one of your customers.

[Today, Alan is owner/operator of a wine bistro in Colorado and I encourage you to visit him if you are ever in the area.]

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.   

Sales Tip of the Day: THE VOICE

Not long ago, I was having breakfast with a colleague and we were commiserating about times we ignored our instincts and made decisions based solely on objective data, such as resumes, reports, etc.  We agreed that, almost without exception, we typically ended up regretting decisions made contrary to our instincts.

Has that ever happened to you?  Have you ever gotten a bad feeling about a prospect?  Have you ever ignored that feeling and regretted it later?

Start paying attention to the voice within that tries to warn you when something is not quite right.  Usually, if you listen to your inner consultant, you will make a better decision about which prospects are worth pursuing and which will lead you to more problems than profit.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.

Sales Tip of the Day: TIME OF THE SEASON

It’s the time of the season!

Surely the economists will be bombarding us with their analysis of how this year’s spending compares to previous years.  One thing I don’t need them to tell me is much higher the stress level is.

With holiday shopping in full effect, customers are fighting for parking spaces, becoming frustrated with long lines, battling over limited merchandise, and generally rushing around to get things done.

If you are in retail, your mission is to remain calm, cheerful and helpful.  Recognize that even small things are going to trigger short fuses, and seek to disarm explosions before they happen.

If sell to retailers, your mission is to help them find efficient ways to serve their customers and honor their employees, which is always a delicate balance.

And when you are a customer, as you are bound to be at some point in the next weeks, your mission is to treat everyone who is doing their best to serve you, in frequently less than perfect circumstances, with the respect and humor you would share with your best friend.

After all, you never know if your next prospect is the person helping you now, or the one behind you in line watching how you treat others.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.   

Sales Tip of the Day: CARS

Not long ago, I glimpsed a portion of one of the forensic dramas that deals with resolving crimes from years gone by.

This particular episode revolved around a cadre of automobile salespeople who were simultaneously being impacted by the economy and the major changes in the quality of workmanship in the cars being built during that time.

One of the “old timers” berating a hotshot for pushing bad deals and financing schemes.  He admonished the young man and told him, “you don’t sell a customer one car; you sell him a dozen cars over a lifetime.”

He was correct then, and it is still the way to do business today.

Don’t sacrifice a lifetime of business from one customer by making one bad sale to him today, no matter how desperate you might be.

That doesn’t just apply to cars.  It is also true for whatever product, service or treatment you sell.

© 2009 YOU ROCK!™ Communications

THE REQUEST LINE IS OPEN! - IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A SALES OR  MARKETING TOPIC, OR HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU WANT HELP WITH, SEND ME AN E-MAIL WITH FULL DETAILS AND I MAY GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS IN AN UPCOMING SALES TIP.