October 27, 2009

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In Sales Little Things Mean Everything by Jim Meisenheimer

 

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In sales little things mean everything. I've always believed this to be true.

Once again, I was reminded how important the little things in life are.

About 10 days ago I had the privilege of working with a golf professional and a tennis professional.

You see, they're in business together and wanted to sharpen their selling skills.

So I put together a 2-day program tailored to their specific needs.

At the end of the first day I offered to take them to dinner.

We went to the Stonewood Grill & Tavern.

Sarah was our server.

She was friendly, very attentive and had a big warm smile. I asked her what kind of Cabernet was on the wine list.

She mentioned several and I asked her which one she recommended. She said there were two favorites but she recommended the Coastal Oaks Cabernet.

Like you - I've been to lots of restaurants.

Sarah did something no one has ever done before.

She came back with two bottles of beer - for the golf and tennis pros.

And she had two wine glasses and two bottles of Cabernet. She said, "I thought I'd let you try both."

I tried both and like the one she recommended better.

She was happy and I was even happier.

You have to admit, what Sarah did was a little thing.

Okay - so how come no one else has ever offered two samples to try for me?

Sure it's a little thing, but it had a big impact.

I just told 22,457 newsletter subscribers about my experience with Sarah at the Stonewood Grill & Tavern.

If you stop and think about it, I'm sure there are any number of little things you could be doing for your customers.

Dozens of restaurants have closed in Sarasota during this recession.

Most restaurants mistakenly think they're in the "Serving food business."

Wrong - they're in the "Serving customers business."

Isn't take brains to hang up a "Going out of business" sign.

It does however take brains, passion, enthusiasm, and enormous energy to exceed your customer's expectations to keep them coming back for more.

Keep looking for ways to exceed your customers expectations.

Make them laugh!

Surprise them often!

Learn how to upsell and cross sell.

Ask your customers "How can we do it better?"

Take pictures of your customers using your products.

Develop an attitude of gratitude with regards to your customers.

Collect snail mail and e-mail addresses so you can creatively keep in touch with your customers.

Regardless of your business always ask for referrals and introductions so you can keep growing your business - even during a recession.

And please don't ever forget - in sales little things mean everything!

About The Author:
Jim is a Sales Strategist and is the creator of No-Brainer Selling Skills. He shows salespeople and entrepreneurs how to increase sales, earn more money, have more fun, and how to do it all in less time. His focus is on practical ideas that get immediate results. He offers Advanced Sales Management Workshops, Sales Coaching, Consulting, In-house Sales Training Programs, and a wide variety of Learning Tools i.e. books, special reports, sales manuals, and CDs.Jim Meisenheimer is a member of The National Speakers Association, where he earned the C.S.P. designation, Certified Speaking Professional. He has authored five books including, "The 12 Best Questions To Ask Customers," and the recently published “57 Ways To Take Control Of Your Time And Your Life”.

Websites: http://www.startsellingmore.com/
http://www.meisenheimer.com/

 

 

 

How to Get More Sales in Less Time by Jill Konrath

 

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More, more, more! Faster, faster, faster! Have you ever wondered how you could get more sales when you're already working as hard as you possibly can?

Perhaps you've even tried a "time management system." They lure you in with the promise of squeezing more work and faster income generation into an already overcrowded schedule. The next thing you know, you're spending all your time prioritizing and organizing tasks.

In our hypercompetitive business environment, that's simply not enough. Why? Because you're not doing what really matters.

To really increase sales productivity today, the savviest sellers are leveraging new Sales 2.0 technologies to:

  • Identify prospective accounts with immediate needs.
  • Execute highly targeted account entry campaigns to get their foot in the door.
  • Establish immediate credibility with decision makers.
  • Close deals before competitors even know an opportunity exists.

If you're not using these new Sales 2.0 technologies, you're wasting tons of time. You're dialing for dollars hoping to find a hot prospect. You're spending hours scouring the internet for relevant prospect information or finding decision maker's names. Your messaging is hit-and-miss instead of aligned with your prospect's needs, issues, concerns and interest.

Unlike in the past, you don't need to be a genius to take advantage of the value these new technologies provide. I'm a technophobe, but was able to get up-and-running with minimal effort. That's how simple things have become.

Nor do you need to be a big company with deep pockets and an IT staff. Some of these new Sales 2.0 technologies are free, some have varying levels of services, while others cost a minimum monthly fee. But since the payback can be huge, the investment is well worth it.

Check out these technologies to find opportunities, develop relationships and outsell your competitors:

  • Jigsaw: Use this huge online directory of companies and business professional to quickly identify who to contact in your targeted accounts. It's especially good for finding mid-level managers. Plus, you can create your own customized lists for free.
  • LinkedIn: Use this online network to do more in-depth research on prospects. Learn about their job responsibilities, background and possible ways to develop rapport. Search your network for find possible insider connections that can help you land a meeting or close a deal.
  • InsideView: This business search and intelligence application immediately notifies you of pre-selected trigger events in your targeted accounts or territory. Use it to identify companies going through mergers, receiving venture funding, expanding to new markets, under new leadership or more. As I point out in Selling to Big Companies, this is the best way to shorten your sales cycle.
  • Genius: Use this service to track emails sent to your prospects. Whenever the recipient opens an email or clicks a link you sent, you receive an instant alert that the prospect is online and demonstrating interest by visiting your website. You'll even get a page-by-page replay of every web page the prospect visits, so you can focus your conversation on highly relevant topics.
  • Landslide: This on-beyond CRM system has sales tools built into it that help sellers advance the process, not just track activities. Includes email prospecting tools, InsideView, Jigsaw and much more – all on your desktop. One big time saving feature? A human being that updates your accounts for you. Just call in and dictate your follow-up.
  • GoToMeeting: Leverage GoToMeeting to set up initial meetings with prospects, demonstrate your system's capabilities or engage decision makers in discussions about important sales topics. Advance your sales process to the next step without having to jump on a plane!

You'll make a quantum leap in sales productivity when you start using these new Sales 2.0 technologies. It's how you can make more sales in less time! As my mother used to say, "Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. Invest in yourself today!

About The Author:

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, is a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings and professional conferences. Check out her new Great Sales Give website to get free sales training resources, plus have an opportunity to win valuable sales goodies. www.GreatSalesGive.com.

Jill Konrath also helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. She is a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings and association events.

For more articles like this, visit http://www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com . Get a free Sales Call Planning Guide ($19.95 value) when you sign up for the Selling to Big Companies e-newsletter. 

 

 

 

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