The Selling Newsletter
*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 NOTin sales!
My mission is to help make it easier for you to sell.
Best wishes for YOUR successful selling—Maura
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SELLING QUOTE
“Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.
–Roadside Church Sign
I’m not trying to get religious on you, but believing in your own selling ability is critical to selling. Yes, there will be times when the rejection is hard to get. Take a breath. Take the time to think about your ability, why you chose selling, and all your past success. Then you can believe you will do better in the future. Hope is essential to selling and your belief in yourself is absolutely critical.
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THE SELLING IDEAS FOR THIS MONTH
Be Different
2003 is over. You may be thinking thank goodness. An economy heading south and terrorism heading west were only some of the ways our business was affected. Certainly these events were beyond our control. As the New Year begins, what we can control can produce more for us in selling.
Get more knowledge. Of course you must know about your products, services and business. Are you regularly reviewing the sales literature and materials you give to customers? You can serve your customers better with greater knowledge. Your knowledge should include general business, current events, competition, and other areas not directly related to your business. I subscribe to the financial magazine, CFO because the articles give me another perspective that I don’t get from selling publications. One of those articles was helpful to one of my customers for their negotiations. I would not have been found this information in a newspaper.
If you’re not a reader, why not let this be the year you start? You can start small with an additional 15 minutes a day of reading. If you don’t read a newspaper, you can start there. If you already do, you can add a magazine. You can then make a point of taking books out of the library on business or other areas of interest. Some customers want to get to know you as you work together. You can share what you’re reading. It might lead to an interesting conversation with your customer as well.
Respond differently. Selling is like riding the emotional roller coaster of the business world. And each week the roller coaster is different because of the many internal and external customers you work with. Try predicting the moods you’re going to encounter on any given day! It would probably be easier to predict the economic recovery. Yet your job demands that you deal with disappointment, anger, joy and confusion. Sometimes your customers feel this way and sometimes you do. This year, why not think about how you can choose to respond to business events that disappoint you?
Instead of a business setback causing prolonged disappointment, why not prepare a strategy that allows you to face the challenge head on? When my business was postponed or cancelled from company mergers, I was more resolute to begin prospecting more diligently. And I’m more honest with myself about who is truly a prospect. They must have an immediate need and a budget. I no longer allow hope to be included as a criteria for a prospect’s assessment.
Who can you share your thoughts with? Talking with other salespeople you respect can also be a source of new ideas. Find out how they respond to the stresses of selling. There may be solutions you can implement. You know selling will present challenges. You can respond differently this year.
Try something new. If you never exercise, this year go for a walk. If you always eat Italian food, this year try Thai. If you love watching football, try watching a tennis match. Doing the same things year after year produces the same, limiting experiences. Try adding some new experiences you can talk about with others, including your customers. I had a customer who always looked forward to our lunch conversations because they were always different than the ones of other salespeople. My experiences were different and I had something of interest to share.
You may think you want to be the same person you were last year, especially if it was a successful year. Think how you would feel getting the same birthday gift year after year. Your customers would feel the same way about you. Being different and better is a gift that most customers would want.
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SELLING ACTION ITEM
What is one thing you are going to do differently this month that will help you and your selling? Make sure it’s something you want to do, not something someone else wants you to do.What is one small step that you can do about your choice? Now go do it! Let me know what happens.
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SELLING TIP
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. To thank you, you’ll receive a free subscription to The Selling E-Letter™, a bi-monthly selling newsletter. ($50 value)
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THE BEST@SELLING MISSION STATEMENT,PRIVACY POLICY, AND UNSUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
Mission: Best@Selling works with business and sales professionals to make THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD (selling!) easier and more effective. After all, how can you make a difference in the world if someone hasn’t bought something from you? And don’t forget about the ideas you’re selling every day.
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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.
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–To buy the book Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results, a book filled with ideas to make selling easier and more productive, go to https://www.bestatselling.com/
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Maura Schreier-Fleming works with business and sales professionals to make it easier to sell more and be more productive at work. Her 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. Her business column ‘Selling Strategies’ appears in the Insurance Record magazine. You can contact her for seminars at company or trade association meetings at 972 380 0200 or info@BestatSelling.com
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Articles from this newsletter may be used in your in
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following credit:
*Written by Maura Schreier-Fleming, president of mailto:info@BestatSelling. Best@Selling works with business and sales professionals to make selling easier and more productive.
For free articles, selling ideas and morale boosters
visit https://www.BestatSelling.com
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Contact Information
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1. Our Web site: https://www.BestatSelling.com
2. E-mail: info@bestatselling.com
3. Call: In Dallas 972 380 0200
4. Write us:
PMB 183
6757 Arapaho Rd., Suite 711
Dallas, TX 752448
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(c) Copyright 2004 Maura Schreier-Fleming. All rights reserved.