The Selling Newsletter
The Selling Newsletter
from Best@Selling
A free monthly newsletter of ideas to help make your selling easier.
Selling is the easiest job in the world…Just ask anyone who is NOT in sales! Best wishes for YOUR successful selling—Maura
This issue contains:
The Selling Quote for the Month
Upcoming Programs
The Selling Ideas for the Month
Action Items
Selling Tips
NOT this month What do you think?
To Subscribe to the Selling Newsletter
Need an article for your newsletter?
About Maura Schreier-Fleming
Contact Information
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The Selling Quote for the Month“The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”
Comedian Steven Wright
Some salespeople think selling is all about the numbers. It’s a game of speed. They think that the more sales calls they can make, the more sales they’ll get. Instead of being in a hurry to sell, why not slow down and do more preparation for selling? I work with salespeople who take the time and prepare their questioning strategy. They research their customer’s business before the sales call and gather information that reduces the number of questions they have to ask the customer. The questions they ask are ones they couldn’t have researched before the meeting. They don’t waste the customer’s time. They decide before each sales call what objections might come up during the sales call. That way they are ready with thoughtful responses and they can persuasively respond to their customers. Their preparation pays off. They tend to be more successful than the less prepared salesperson. So slow down and prepare. It will pay off for you, too. Wouldn’t you rather get some cheese instead of a worm anyway?
Do you have a Sales Question?
I’m a guest columnist for the Dallas Business Journal. My column is called “Customer Connections.”I’ll be answering readers’ questions about selling. Do you have any selling questions? Send them to info@bestatselling.com
Where: SmallBusinessDevelopment Center 4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: Secrets of Persuasion
For more information: 972-985-3749 or 972-985-3758
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When : March 23 11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: SmallBusinessDevelopmentCenter 4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: Serious Creativity: New Ideas that Work for Business
For more information: 972-985-3749 or 972-985-3758
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The Selling Ideas for this Month Think Like An Entrepreneur
What business activity requires more decisions and a wider variety of decisions per unit of time with less support than any other human endeavor? Give up? It’s an entrepreneur starting a business. Salespeople face similar problems. When you think like a successful entrepreneur, and when you understand your prospects’ decision-making process, you will be more successful. Entrepreneurs make effective decisions. Richard Tozer, a consultant and guest speaker in the Starting A Business course at Southern Methodist University, has completed extensive research on entrepreneurs. Tozer says, “The most fundamental activity in starting a business is making decisions. Successful entrepreneurs have to make effective decisions quickly. That means deciding what to do in such a way that you are committed to take action without remorse. If you’re not committed to take action, you haven’t done anything. If you have remorse you’ll second guess yourself and stress yourself.” Tozer cites President Truman as an effective decision maker. Tozer comments, “Truman took office unexpectedly in 1945 and faced the most complex decisions of any time. When he left office eight years later he looked no older than he did the day he took over. Most presidents age terribly in office. The burden of remorse gets to them. Truman didn’t have remorse. He made the most complex decisions effectively and moved on.” How do you make effective decisions? Tozer recommends the “Factor Method” to make effective decisions. First, ask yourself “What is the objective of this decision?” Tozer advises, “Like goals, objectives should be smart—specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and t ime-based.” He also points out that most people don’t identify their objectives. When selling, remember that your prospects are making a decision to buy. You must think about what your prospects’ objectives are as they make that decision. Your selling strategy needs to address how your products and services will help your customer achieve his objective. You can do this only when you know your prospects’ objectives. Remember to ask, listen and confirm. If your customer is unable to articulate an objective, ask, “What would a successful outcome look like?” Salespeople who match products to customer needs are able to meet their customers’ objectives and their sales quotas. They’re more successful at selling. The choice is yours. The next step in the Factor Method is to recognize that you always have several alternatives. Tozer says, “If you think you only have one choice, you’re wrong.” Tozer believes there are three basic choices when making any decision: to keep doing what you’re doing; to stop, change what you’re doing and do it right; or to quit. Tozer adds, “Unless we (or our customers) consider each of these options, we will not consider a broad enough base, are likely to make an incomplete decision, and almost certainly will have energy consuming second thoughts later.” There’s good news and there’s bad news . Tozer notes that each of the three options has both advantages and disadvantages. He says, “If a salesperson thinks a recommendation is perfect, they’re wrong.” To highlight the advantages and disadvantages for each option, Tozer suggests making a list of the options and drawing a line down the middle of the page. On the left side list advantages; on the right side disadvantages for each option. List all that you can. Make sure you have at least one of each listed for each alternative. Enter information until your preference doesn’t change. This “Ben Franklin” method will clarify possible outcomes so you can select the best option on balance—the best combination of advantages and disadvantages. To ensure taking action, check the risk. Ask “What’s the worst that could happen if I select that option?” If you can deal with the worst, you can take action with confidence. Tozer says that the more effective you are in making decisions, the more successful you’re likely to be. He thinks salespeople have a very important decision to make. It’s whether they want to win or simply not lose. If you need to make that decision, now at least you know how.
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Action Items 1. Identify your objective before you make your next business decision. Make it specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based.2. When you make decisions, are you planning to win, or simply not to lose? If it’s the latter, you’re probably holding back from performing at your best.
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Selling Tips Get more selling tips from Maura’s ebook: 97 Ways to Sell More Now E-Book https://www.bestatselling.com/selling_tools.htm#5
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Looking for new strategies to improve your persuasion skills? This easy to apply Audio CD will give you many new ideas to easily improve your persuasion skills so you can sell more and close business faster. https://www.bestatselling.com/Audio_CD.htm
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I’m always looking for success stories and other tips from sales professionals. Please feel free to email me at info@bestatselling.com with ideas that have worked for you. If you want to build customer relationships for long-term business, you can easily do it using Exacttarget (www.exacttarget.com) and their CANSPAM compliant broadcast services.
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Need an Article for Your Newsletter? Articles from this newsletter may be used in your free publications or posted on your web when given the following credit: Written by Maura Schreier-Fleming, Best@Selling (www.BestatSelling.com). Maura works with business and sales professionals who want to sell more and be more productive at work. She is the author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results. For free articles, selling ideas and morale boosters visit https://www.BestatSelling.com
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About Maura Schreier-Fleming Invite Maura to speak at your next conference or sales meeting! Contact: info@bestatselling.com Maura Schreier-Fleming works with business and sales professionals to make it easier to sell more and be more productive at work. Her Best@Selling clients want to create long-term client relationships. They include Fujitsu, Fannie Mae and Dr Pepper/7UP. She has an M.S. in Textile Engineering from Georgia Tech and was Mobil Oil’s first female lubrication engineer in the U.S. With over 20 years of sales experience, she teaches the art and science of selling with a unique hands-on perspective and a great deal of real-life insight. She is the author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results (a book filled with ideas to make selling easier and more productive. Her business column ‘Selling Strategies’ appears in the Insurance Record magazine and her column ‘Street Talk’ appears in Jobbers World. You can contact her for seminars at company or trade association meetings at 972 380 0200 or info@BestatSelling.com Privacy: At Best@Selling we take privacy issues very seriously. Your information remains with us and will never be sold, shared, or distributed in any manner, for any reason. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Contact Information 1. Our Web site: https://www.BestatSelling.com 2. E-mail: info@bestatselling.com 3. Call: In Dallas 972 380 0200 4. Write us: 6757 Arapaho Rd., Suite 711-183Dallas, TX 752448
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(c) Copyright 2007 Maura Schreier-Fleming. All rights reserved
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