Let me tell you a story about eight-year-old Nancy, a student in the public school system. One day during art class, Nancy painted a picture. Considering her age and development as a young artist, the picture of a house and the setting sun was really quite good. However, it was obvious that the picture was unbalanced. Nancy had painted the house and the sun to the left side of the canvas. (more…)
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Archive for the ‘Tips & Tactics’ Category
When Salespeople Help the Referral Process
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Many salespeople believe that their particular industry doesn’t encourage referrals. Typically, this myth evolves because people expect that referrals will just fall into their laps. When these referrals don’t materialize, they assume that referrals are just not possible in their business.
Truthfully, there are very few industries where referrals just happen, so the rest of us have to work hard to get referrals. When salespeople help the referral process to move forward by being proactive, they often find that referrals are a great way to find new prospects. (more…)
Managing the Proposal Process
Monday, June 14th, 2010
There is no room for the shotgun approach to selling in today’s customer-driven, competitive environment. Responding to a request for proposal (RFP) that falls within your company’s general area of expertise is costly and likely to be inefficient, at best; developing a proposal for every RFP that comes in can be foolhardy. (more…)
The Real Challenge of Selling
Monday, June 7th, 2010
David Sandler once said that the real challenge of selling was the ability to relate the unrelated. By that, he meant being able to relate the appropriate aspects of your product or service to your prospect’s situation when the connection is not obvious based on the prospect’s perception of the situation. (more…)
Shorten Your Sales Cycle
Monday, May 31st, 2010
Sales departments are not immune to the call to “do more with less.” With shrinking budgets exerting increased pressure on sales related expenses, closing sales opportunities requires a different strategy. Multiple sales calls and elaborate presentations are no longer the norm. Letting “opportunities” drag on, and chasing prospects endlessly until they make decisions is no longer acceptable (and should never have been). (more…)
Your Business is not Unique
Monday, May 24th, 2010
When hearing about a success in another business, most salespeople have found themselves thinking or saying, “That may work in other businesses, but not mine.” Don’t ever let yourself fall into this trap. This is generally nothing more than an excuse not to change. Are there differences in a business? Sure there are, but when it comes to selling, the process is the same for most of us. Find prospects, manage pipeline, win business, and retain clients. No matter what you are selling this is probably your outline. (more…)
The Problem with Sales Presentations
Monday, May 17th, 2010
How many presentations do you make each week, each month? Presentations are a killer for most small businesses. Often, we even measure the number of attempts to the number of presentations we make. We end up putting a lot of pressure on ourselves to make a good, or even great, presentation. (more…)
Selling is not all about Price
Monday, May 10th, 2010
Selling is not all about price! This is a rampant excuse that sales people use to explain away not getting a deal. Low price is not essential to closing a deal. Does price matter? Of course it plays a role: however, it’s only essential if salespeople allow it to be. (more…)
Set Expectations Early with Prospects
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
Many salespeople assume that the buyer has the same expectations that they do. They tell the prospect about their product or service, see if there is a fit, and then they sell the product. Problems can arise from this because the buyer often has an agenda that rarely matches the salesperson’s agenda. (more…)
Building a Successful Selling Career
Monday, April 26th, 2010
Building a successful selling career isn’t about making waves – making big sales. Selling is about developing relationships that produce streams of ongoing business and referrals. And often, those relationships start with a ripple – a small sale. (more…)
The Sandler Selling Method of Reversing
Reversing will promote the flow of conversation, allow you to maintain control, and keep the prospect comfortable.
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