How to write winning proposals
Early in my career I learned a harsh lesson.I was in corporate IT sales and uncovered a burning issue for a prospect. He needed a quick solution and asked me to create [...]
18
11, 2014
11
11, 2014
In sales? 3 critical rules you must live by
Selling high ticket items? Had an initial meeting with a prospect? Been asked to submit a proposal or tender? You may think this is a hot prospect. But before you rush in [...]
28
10, 2014
How to dramatically shorten your sales cycle
There are only 2 ways of generating leads. Both are valid. However one will produce twice the likelihood of a sale. Generally, organisations operate from this paradigm. You have a solution. You’re [...]
7
10, 2014
In sales? Do this or you’re toast!
Want to sell more? Follow this simple rule. People buy results. Period. Ultimately nothing else matters. They don’t care about you. They don’t care about your expertise or experience. Unless it pertains [...]
2
09, 2014
How to double your conversion rate
Today, more than ever, your prospects will do extensive research on you before they pick up the phone and call. 94% of your prospects will go online to research you, your company [...]
25
08, 2014
Listening your way to a sale
What’s the number one reason you attend networking functions? Most people would say that’s obvious. “I want more business”. So they go hoping to meet their next big client. And their attitude [...]
19
08, 2014
How to kill a sale
I was recently reminded of a valuable sales lesson I learned many years ago. One that’s kept me in good stead. Back then I was being interviewed for a job as an [...]
28
07, 2014
How to never compete on price
There are two types of businesses in this world. The first commands premium prices and has loyal customers who stay with them for life. The other? Constantly find themselves competing on price. [...]
24
07, 2014
How would you answer this?
You walk into the room. It’s buzzing with people you’ve never met. You walk up to someone and introduce yourself. What’s the next thing you’ll get asked? Obviously it’s, “What do you [...]
17
06, 2014
Show me the value
Go to any networking group and you’ll hear lots of elevator pitches along the lines of… “I’m an accountant”, or “I provide finance”, “I help you with your social media presence”, “I [...]
20
05, 2014
Frustrated by sales meetings going nowhere?
Do you have problems closing business? You have lots of meetings with prospects you know could do with your help. But nothing comes of them. You’ve spent time asking questions to uncover [...]
31
03, 2014
Sales killing assumptions you must avoid
Sales is about serving your clients. Getting out of your own limiting beliefs around value and assumptions about what someone else would spend. Many years ago I learned a sales lesson I’ll [...]
18
03, 2014
The keys to credibility
Who are you more likely to listen to? An authority figure you believe is an expert in their field. Or someone off the street you know nothing about. Obviously, the former. It’s [...]
11
03, 2014
The path to trust: Sharing your hero’s journey
Every business needs a steady stream of new customers to grow. But many businesses are doing it tough. Money isn’t flowing as freely. Customers aren’t flocking to their doors with open wallets. [...]
25
02, 2014
What matters most in selling…
Many years ago, I’d been having a sales dialog with a prospect. Based out of town he suggested I come and meet the boss at a tradeshow they were exhibiting at. He [...]
17
02, 2014
Masters don’t wing it
You’ve finally got the meeting with Mr Big Prospect. You’re sitting in his office. You’ve established rapport. He looks at you expectantly. Now what? In this article “Why winging it doesn’t cut [...]
11
02, 2014
Why winging it doesn’t cut it
Imagine getting onto a plane, fastening your seatbelt and the Captain announcing, “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard. Today we’re just going to wing it and see where we end up.” Chances are [...]
16
12, 2013
I don’t care how much you know, until…
What do you really know about your customers? What makes them tick? What makes them feel special? Why do they buy from you over everyone else? Over time I’ve realised the vast [...]
22
10, 2013
You flogging a dead horse?
There are only two reasons people buy. Gaining something or avoiding loss. And avoiding loss is by far the greater motivator. These examples from a recent sales workshop illustrate the point. Sue [...]
24
09, 2013
A timeless principle you may be missing
There are certain timeless principles in business. Some of the best marketing advice has been written 100 years ago and you can learn a lot from studying this classic material. A great [...]
23
07, 2013
When rapport isn’t useful
We all know how important rapport building skills are. Hundreds, maybe thousands of books have been written on the subject. Sales courses always start with teaching the skills. And rightly so. Rapport [...]
4
06, 2013
A big assumption – a big mistake!
In selling, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is assuming you know what your clients will find valuable and be willing to pay for. Just because you wouldn’t pay for [...]
30
04, 2013
Your biggest competitor isn’t whom you think!
Who’s your biggest sales competitor? It’s not whom you think. It’s the status quo. Doing nothing is the easiest thing for people to do – even if the process or products they’re [...]
16
04, 2013
What’s your UBA?
In sales, one of the fundamental questions you need to ask yourself is, “Why should someone buy from me rather than my competitors?” Or indeed, “Why should a prospect do anything at [...]
26
02, 2013
Stop being a commodity!
Which would you rather be? The business that sells a commoditised product or service where there is no way to differentiate the offering except on price? Or the Guru sitting at the [...]
9
10, 2012
“Earning the right”
Over the last 30 years I’ve worked with some very successful and savvy professional sales people. And I’ve noticed that regardless of personal style, all successful professional salespeople do three things extremely [...]