In Sales The Biggest Rolodex Wins

How many names do you have in your business Rolodex? ______

If you respond the way most salespeople do - you’ll estimate 200, 400, 700, 1,000 etc.

Remember this, if your answer ended with a zero - you don’t really know, do you?

Your Rolodex, or contact management system, is one of your most important business assets. Not using it properly is a huge mistake and a big liability for you.

Here are several ways to build your Rolodex.

1. First, get rid of your paper planners. This is 2004. Invest in an account management or data base management software. Check out ACT or File Maker Pro.

2. While you’re getting rid of your paper planners you may want to invest in a good PDA like Palm or one of their competitors.

3. Don’t treat anyone anonymously. Today’s assistant could be tomorrow’s decision-maker.

4. When adding contact information be sure you get all of it including:

Name
Company Name
Street Address
City, State ZIP
Telephone number + extension
Voice mail number
Fax number
E-mail address
Web site

Special interests

Once you begin to build your data base (Rolodex) use it to promote your company, your products, and yourself. The more your customers and prospects hear from you the more they’ll buy from you.

Building your Rolodex is the ultimate in networking. Networking isn’t easy, but it is very important. If networking was easy it would be called neteasying.

Building your Rolodex takes time and will pay big dividends for you.

How many names did you add to your Rolodex today?

Jim Meisenheimer is the creator of No-Brainer Sales Training. His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by contacting him at (800) 266-1268 or by visiting his website: http://www.meisenheimer.com

How To Bring A Call Script To Life

In a recent article I explained that scripting conversations is inescapable, inevitable. You’ll either use one unconsciously, from memory, or explicitly, having written it down.

Presuming you write it down, which is a really good idea, you can now focus on improving your delivery, your vocal nuances, so it doesn’t sound artificial.

If you ask most tele-reps why they don’t like scripts, they’ll respond that they don’t want to sound canned, believing that one naturally follows from the other.

Not true.

A few years ago, actor James Earl Jones did a radio commercial for a restaurant chain. He simply read from its menu, using his wonderful training to make each item sound stupendous. (As you know, Mr. Jones is the deep, resonant, Darth Vader voice in “Star Wars.”)

The ad proved that it isn’t what you say, i.e. the quality of your script, that alone determines your impact. Performing it well, bringing it to life, is just as important.

So, here are some quick pointers on script reading that actors will also appreciate when they go to auditions for cold readings:

(1) Read the script one phrase at a time; not one word at a time.

When we speak spontaneously, in everyday conversations, we use phrases, and express them as entire units. Stopping to utter words as individual units slows us down and makes our language sound stilted.

(2) Breathe in the middle of a phrase, not at the end.

Again, when we speak spontaneously, we breathe in the middle of ideas. By breathing only at the end, you signal that you are reading, and your listener will discount what you’re saying as contrived.

(3) Vary your tones.

Poor script readers sound mono-tonal, and this is generally artificial, unless we’re genuine geeks or police dispatchers who follow a cultural code in restricting their voices to narrow ranges.
Let your voice rise and fall, from high to low, and from soft to louder. This is what we do in everyday conversation, so let’s carry it over to reading scripts.

(4) Get over the fact that the script’s language isn’t your everyday language.

It’s better, crafted for persuasion, not chitchat or recreational conversation. So, you didn’t write it, no big deal. You can still make it yours by repeating it and by making it sound spontaneous. In fact, once you’ve said it 100 times, it will seem second nature to you.

These are some of the ways in which you can tackle the task of making a script come to life. Remember, real professionals do this, whether they’re Broadway actors or your favorite classroom teachers.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

3 Hot Ways To Crank Up Your Sales

1) QUICK FOLLOW-UPS

When you make your first sale, follow-up with the customer. You could follow-up with a “thank you” email and include an advertisement for another product you sell. You can be more subtle including the offer within your signature file.

Another way is to take your customer to a “thank you” web page right after they order. You should thank them for their order and next begin to tell them about another product you sell. You could also include a picture or graphic of your product.

2) UPSELL ADD-ONS

You could upsell to your customers. When they’re at your order page, tell them about a few extra related products you have for sale. They could just add it to their original order.

Besides upselling on your order pages, you could give them a choice of a basic or deluxe edition of your product right in your sales letter. Your deluxe edition would include add-on products with a higher price.

3) REBATES FOR SALES

Tell your customers if they refer four customers to your web site, they will receive a full rebate of their purchase price. This will turn one sale into three sales.

An additional option would be to give your customer a rebate on one of their products if they would buy two extra products. This type of rebate can double your sales.

QUICK READ SUMMARY

1. Follow-up with customers to sell extra products using “thank you” e-mails and web pages.

2. Upsell to your prospects with differently priced packages and product add-ons.

3. Give your customers rebates for their purchases when they buy extra products and give referrals.

About The Author

Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com As a bonus, Bob Osgoodby publishes the free weekly “Your Business” Newsletter - visit his web site to subscribe and place a FREE Ad! http://adv-marketing.com/business

Selling Like A Marine; Improvise-Adapt-Overcome

Improvise- Adapt- Overcome

This famous United States Marine Corps slogan reminds me of the technique many sales people use to make their sales calls. In the Sales Skills training module offered at P2S, we have found that most sales people do not pre-call plan. All too often, salespeople fail in this very important step in the selling process. Pre-call planning will insure you are prepared to “make the sale.” The Partnering To Success process helps sales people become more effective by focusing on improving one particular element of their selling process, like pre-call planning, to increase sales. Then they can Partner and sell like a Marine!

IMPROVISE

The American Heritage Dictionary defines improvise as “to make or provide from available materials, or perform with little or no preparation”. Many sales people go into the call with minimal preparation. They generally know what they want to accomplish but have no clearly defined plan of how to get there. The more complete and comprehensive the pre-call plan, the less improvisation needs to take place. True sales professionals can improvise with the best, but they don’t do it very often because they follow their plan.

ADAPT

To adapt means “to adjust or conform; to make suitable to or fit for a specific use or situation”. It is widely known that effective sales people only need to offer 3 or 4 features and benefits to satisfy the customer’s needs. The trick, however, is to hit on the “relevant” F&B’s. In your pre-call planning, you will predict which product or service features will most likely motivate the customer to make a purchase. However, as the customer answers your professional probing questions, new needs are uncovered and the sales person must adapt. As their needs are revealed, the relevancy of the F&B’s may change. Clearly understanding the needs of your customer will help you adapt the portfolio of products and services of your company, into unique, satisfying solutions.

OVERCOME

The meaning of overcome is very simple. It simply means to prevail over or conquer. Sales professionals need to overcome every customer concern in the sales process. All too often, sales people answer the first “no” then go for the “close”. For many salespeople, if the customer makes any purchase the sales call is done. Being approachable and overcoming customer objections by correcting any misunderstandings, questions, or concerns will lead to greater customer satisfaction. However, if the customer is not totally satisfied, they will never grow into the loyal, dedicated customer we all need and want. Overcoming EVERY customer concern is the “mission” for all quality salespeople.

Effective sales people improvise very little. They do however; adapt their style and features and benefits to fit each specific customer. By anticipating and asking questions, they overcome all customer concerns. Assist a fellow sales person to pre-call plan more and improvise less, adapt to the customer needs, and overcome all customer concerns through Partnering To Success.