I get a lot of telemarketing calls from extremely pushy salespeople. The more I politely tell them I’m not interested, the more aggressive they get, simply not taking no for an answer. [...]
Got a great product or service? Know exactly who you need to target? But are having trouble getting through? We live in a world of information overload. Constant bombardment of emails, Texts, [...]
Conceptually all marketing can be broken down into a simple formula. Market, Message, Media match. i.e. You find a market which wants what you provide. You create a congruent marketing message that [...]
Google gets searched over 5.5 Billion times per day! And every search is typed in by a person with an itch they want to scratch. i.e. They have a problem they want [...]
How many times have you been to a business event where you’ve met someone who expresses interest in what you do and exchange cards. You walk away thinking, “Here’s a live one”. [...]
To be an effective salesperson you must take the lead. Your job is to provide the framework and structure, the prospect provides the content (what’s going on in their world). While rapport [...]
Sell high value B2B products or services? You have to figure out 3 things precisely. Who has the most to gain or lose? In terms of both the organisation and themselves personally. [...]
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 [...]
Ever met a salesperson who could “sell ice to Eskimos” or “sell sand to a Bedouin?”. Someone who just appears to be a born salesman? Who seemingly and effortlessly closes lots of [...]
Ultimately, the only way an organisation can grow is by increasing sales. While marketing’s job is to bring prospects to your door, educate and build up trust, if you’re selling high value [...]
Years ago I heard a talk by the editor of a local newspaper talking about how businesses wasted their advertising dollars when placing ads. In short his argument was a one shot [...]
All great communicators share one trait. They instinctively communicate in the preferred style(s) of the audience, be they visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic. Over the last couple of articles we’ve written how people [...]
Meet John. Tall, solidly built, he speaks slowly in a low gravelly voice. Over the years I’ve never known him to make quick decisions, always preferring to mull things over slowly and [...]
Did you know that we mentally process information at the rate we speak? And that this is related to whether we primarily think in pictures, words or feelings? Fast speakers like Gary [...]
Ever been frustrated that someone just “didn’t get” what you were trying to explain? Or vice versa? You’re both speaking the same language. But it’s like those old movies where the British [...]
One of the first areas we focus on with new clients is RFM (and no, it’s not the popular acronym you might be thinking of). I’ll get to why in a second. [...]
Here’s a quick quiz. See which one of these four behavioural descriptions you MOST vibe with. You want to know “why?” Why should I do this? Why is this relevant to me? [...]
One of the biggest ways you kill a sale is by not explaining or articulating the value of what you’re selling. I’ll get to why in a moment, but first let me [...]
Richard Branson did it. Donald Trump did it. The late Steve Jobs did it. Every one of them has created an empire from nothing, boldly going where others feared to tread. Each [...]
Want to become a brand leader? Have prospects want you over the competition? Give a balls nailed to the wall guarantee. Something that makes you sweat and go, “Oh no! I could [...]
Every market is a continuum. At one end the people who buy on price from suppliers who’ve become a commodity. The other, people who are willing to pay premium prices for a [...]
Ever met a truly great persuader? The archetypical, “Could sell ice to Eskimos”. You might think they’re great salespeople, but the irony is you can’t actually sell anything to anyone. People only [...]
Over 20 years ago in Switzerland, Barbara had, in her words, one of the best dance partners ever. Hans was legally blind, but that didn’t stop him participating in life. Hans went [...]
Would you keep using a leaky bucket? Of course not. You’d either fix it or buy a new one. The equivalent in businesses is throwing more money at lead generation and not [...]
We’re working with a number of clients who operate in highly competitive markets. When doing competitive research the first thing we notice is the emphasis on price. There are quote calculators, and [...]
Do some of your prospects procrastinate? They say they want to sign up, but something always seems to come in the way? If so, this is likely to be happening. They’re not [...]
Imagine two consultants. Both extremely knowledgeable about their topic. One charges $10,000 a day and is fully booked, the other gives away information just for the asking. Which one would you want [...]
This year marks 18 years we’ve been helping businesses grow. Having helped organisations in over 40 industries grow in profit, we’ve noticed three fundamental marketing and selling rules many break. The result? [...]
Have a great product or service but simply can’t get traction in the market? You’ve tried advertising, going to networking functions, cold calling, sending out emails or even physical mail. But nothing [...]
You have a problem. You search in Google and hit the first likely search result. Be honest, how much time do you spend on a website if you don’t immediately understand what [...]
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 [...]
We all fear rejection. It’s painful. So most of us would do anything to avoid it. But this fear also stops us from being as successful as we could be. Especially if [...]
You’re sitting in front of a hot prospect. Everything appears to have gone swimmingly well. You’re counting your chickens thinking the money’s in the bank. Then all of a sudden the prospect [...]
“You charge how much?” The minute I heard the words, I knew I’d blown it. I hadn’t followed my own system, one I’ve taught to hundreds of business owners, who by using [...]
The American Super Bowl is famous for two things. Obviously one is the football itself. The other? The half time entertainment – including the extremely high priced 30 second advertising spots. Companies [...]
Imagine you suddenly need life saving surgery. Would you tell your surgeon how to operate? Chances are you’d be told, “It’s my way or you die”. So as an expert in your [...]
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 [...]
Nobody and I mean nobody wants to buy products or services. Whether it’s toothpaste, soap or high priced accounting services, no one cares about you or your product. They only care about [...]
There is a fundamental axiom in selling. Who calls whom is very important.A prospect who calls you after researching you and your solutions is TWICE as likely to buy than someone you [...]
We wanted to see whales. More than that, we wanted the whales to come close to us and check us out. It was an extremely chilly morning. Clear skies. Barely 6 degrees [...]
