Objections?
Objection handling. It’s a major focus in any sales training. Type it into Google and you’ll get about 134 MILLION results! At their core, there are only 3 reasons people raise objections. [...]
When does a “sale” start?
Barbara and I have been thinking a lot about sales lately. Specifically, when the sales process actually starts. And it’s far earlier than you might think. Traditionally we think selling starts when [...]
When did you last…?
If you own a business, when was the last time you stopped and asked yourself, “Why?” Why you’re in business. What your end goal is? How close to achieving you are? Most [...]
Conviction
Would you buy your own product or service at full price? Are you absolutely convinced in your heart of hearts that it delivers the value you claim? If not, why would anyone [...]
Short term thinking
Ever had a salesperson obviously lose interest if they believe you’re not ready to buy? That’s incredibly short term thinking on their part as your prospect may never come back. [...]
Agility, resilience, resourcefulness
Agility, resilience, resourcefulness. Courage, confidence and conviction. Are all attributes which I believe have a direct correlation with success in life. Agility means you rapidly respond to opportunities and adapt to different [...]
The technical sales trap
There’s a common trap I see lots of technically based organisations fall into. They believe their technology is the be all and end all and the reason people Hand trying catch [...]
Vigilance, diligence, agility and vulnerability
Vigilance, diligence, agility and vulnerability. As a business leader, what do these words conjure up for you emotionally? For many of us the last couple of years have been anything but stable. [...]
Revisiting your big “WHY”
How often do you review why you're in business? Why you got started in the first place? If you're like many of us, you may well have fallen into business at some [...]
Do you embody these 7 Success traits?
I’m Rashid Kotwal. In almost two decades consulting to business owners I’ve come to realise all successful business owners and leaders exhibit certain traits that lead them to success. Now [...]
Opportunity or Regret – You Decide
Every gardener knows there’s a lag between planting and harvest. Which is exactly the same in sales. Your activity today will reap clients in the future. Do nothing today and your future [...]
What does your “soup” communicate?
I’m sure you’ve heard of the “Golden Rule” Treat people the way you want to be treated. It’s a great rule for life in general, but in my opinion it’s not the [...]
A sad reality…
I speak with a lot of business owners who tell me they have a booming business. Turnover between $1M to $5M+ per year. While this looks great on paper, when I ask [...]
Go in naked!
Ever been in a meeting where the salesperson whipped out their laptop and insisted in going through a long presentation? Slide after slide of boring detail of how their solution worked. While [...]
Why technical salespeople often fail
If you sell highly complex, technical products or services, should you hire a salesperson with relevant technical and industry experience and train them in sales, or hire someone with sales aptitude and [...]
Trapped in a cycle of frustration?
Sales is the lifeblood of business. Your goal as a leader is to take charge, Lead Your Business to maximise sales revenue while reducing the time it takes for prospects [...]
The wheel will turn!
I speak with a lot of business owners about growth. A surprising number say, “We’re doing really well – got lots of big projects in the pipeline. Don’t need to worry about [...]
The number one risk in business…
A huge risk to growth in business is the number “one”. Dependency on one major client. One key employee. One product. One major supplier. A client is facing this with a supplier. [...]
A major misnomer about sales
There’s a major misnomer about sales. Sales is not something you “do to someone”. Sales is about helping someone make a decision to buy from you. So here are 7 rules which [...]
Ditch the PowerPoint
What do you do when a prospect says, “I’d like you to present your solution and you have 30 minutes”? Do you immediately jump in, create a 50 slide PowerPoint presentation and [...]
The one thing you can’t get more of…
There’s only one commodity you can’t get more of – time! You can always make more money – but you can never get wasted time back. So spend your time wisely. Start [...]
Your real job in sales…
I love this description of sales from Col Fink. “Sales is the process of coaching someone through a buying decision.” I would add that “all sales is leadership”. Our job in sales [...]
“Just send me something”
“Could you send me some information?” How many times have you heard this from a prospect you’ve just contacted? And how do you answer this? Do you say, “Sure – where would [...]
Tall poppy?
One of the biggest impediments to sales success is buying into the “tall poppy” story. Where we either don’t believe in our own value or just underplay it thinking we’ll come across [...]
Why Stories Sell
Ever met a truly great persuader? The quintessential, “Could sell ice to Eskimos”. They all tell stories knowing we primarily make emotionally based buying decisions. They take you on a [...]
Claim the position!
Want to attract more of your ideal clients? Position yourself as a specialist! Plumbers can unblock drains, install gas, hot water systems and even roof tiles. Accountants do tax returns, book keeping, [...]
How to leverage your sales efforts…
Successful businesses all undertake three distinct, intermeshed activities for consistently acquiring clients. Marketing, prospecting and selling. Let’s start with marketing. Marketing has two roles. One is to attract, inform [...]
Customer LTV
What’s a client really worth to your business? It depends on whether you take a transactional or long term view. Every new client costs you time, money and effort to bring in. [...]
Sales bedside manner…
Does bedside manner matter in sales? This might seem like a question more suited to your doctor, so bear with me. In any sales situation there is natural tension between [...]
The elephant in sales
Let’s talk about the elephant in every sales situation. It’s something felt by every one of us to some degree. And if which if left unaddressed can kill the sale. [...]
Dissolving sales tension
I’ve been thinking a lot about the natural tension between buyers and sellers. Buyers are worried about and thinking “What problems can you solve for me? What’s unique about [...]
Ever been talked out of a sale?
Have you ever been talked out of a sale? Or even worse talked a prospect out of one? This story was related by a colleague, whom we’ll call Fred. He [...]
Why your solution doesn’t matter…
Do you intimately understand the problems your clients actually care about? The ones they would happily pay money to solve and make the required effort to do so. [...]
Openers versus closers
Meet Carl. He’s a wonderful relationship builder who enjoys talking to prospects and clients. People are always willing to chew the fat with him and enjoy his calls. Carl’s great when it comes [...]
Playing to your strengths
Are your sales people playing to their strengths? Or have you shoehorned people into roles they’re really not suited for? When working with sales teams one of my first [...]
Articulating your value
Would you "hire" yourself based on the value proposition you communicate to your prospects? Just how clear are you? Could a prospect immediately recognise themselves having the problems you can solve? We [...]
Dig the well before….
It’s 6 months into 2021. Hopefully Covid is on the retreat with the vaccine rollout. Business will open up. Which is why you should adapt your sales and business strategy so that [...]
Winter is coming!
“Winter is coming” – has become part of the vernacular. Business goes in seasons and cycles. There are times when you’ll be consumed by delivery, wondering how you’ll get everything done. But as sure [...]
For the want of a nail…
I’m sure you’ve heard the proverb, “For the want of a nail the kingdom was lost”. I’m going to use it to describe a sales context where an act of [...]
Can I sell you a drill?
I’m sure you’ve heard the cliché “No one wants a Drill. What they want is a hole”. But really, who the heck wants a hole for the sake of it? [...]