Month: October 2010

Categories
Sales & Marketing

Timely Tips for Unlocking Great Sales

Article Contributed by Sharpenz

Whether it’s the first of the week, the first of the month or the first of the year, it’s a new beginning! And we don’t have to let the economy dictate OUR success. Selling in a tough economy seems more challenging, doesn’t it? And yet many people are not feeling the pinch as much as others. How can you ensure you prosper during these times? With action!

Here are a few key tips for actions that will help you unlock the potential of your sales activities in the next 90 days. The actions you take now are the ones that will set you up for GREAT success.

1.  Set Goals. You can only get where you want to be if you clearly know where you want to go. And you can only get there if you have a clearly outlined route. So put pen to paper and follow a process to write your goals and then outline a plan to achieve them. Think through the next 30-60 days. What do you WANT to happen? Write that down and  then identify the actions you need to take daily and weekly to get there.

2. Overhaul your value proposition. Think beyond the WHAT of your specific product and service to the value you offer to THIS person, company, and situation. Think about the clients you currently serve and the ones you hope to serve. Your value proposition may need to sound a bit different each time. It’s not just about product features and facts – it’s about how your product or service will enhance/benefit/make life easier for the person you are selling to.

3. Prepare strategically. Research industry trends. Use Google alerts to know what is going on with THIS person, company, situation. Use the information to plan great questions, your value proposition, who you should meet with, and the timing of your contact. Being armed with knowledge can pay off exponentially.

4. Maximize every sales contact. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Not only with research on what is going on with them, prepare for communicating value to them. Use a focus on What’s in it for THEM (WiifT) and follow a process within the discussion to connect with the person, ask awesome and thoughtful questions, facilitate their understanding of what you do and what it means to them, work through objections and ASK for a decision.

5. Identify alternative prospect streams. Think creatively about who might use your product or service who currently isn’t. There are some industries that are positively impacted by a slow economy. Look for companies that are performing well in the markets and research their vertical channels. You might have a whole new market to explore.

What have been your successes in selling in today’s tough economy?

About the Author:

Sharpenz is dedicated to providing sales managers the resources and tools they need to motivate and equip their sales team to sell each week. Our 30-minute power sales booster programs help companies increase sales by providing the right tools and training – fast. Designed with the busy manager in mind, Sharpenz’ ready-to-go sales training kits will give your sales team the opportunity to grow and earn more – all in a half hour of power.  To learn more, visit www.Sharpenz.com and sign up for your free sales training kit today!

Categories
Branding

The Secret Behind Successful Branding (and No, It’s Not About a Logo)

Of all the different marketing tools out there, the most nebulous, and also the most misunderstood, are these two — branding and positioning.

And since they’re misunderstood, they aren’t used correctly, leading to all sorts of problems.

Branding and positioning are extremely powerful. Used correctly, you will magically attract your ideal clients to you. Used incorrectly, and that same power can destroy your business.

So, let’s talk definitions. First, branding. No I’m not talking about logos, colors or slogans. Yes that’s a part of branding. But branding is a lot more then that.

Branding is really about your business’s core identity. (Not your personal core identity, your business’s core identity). That’s probably the easiest way to explain it. And yes I’m simplifying it some — but hang with me.

Branding is what your business represents. What your business is all about. Once you know this, and you have a strong core identity, the logos and colors and slogans all fall into place. But you need to have that core identity first.

Your positioning is how you stack up in the marketplace. How your ideal clients describe you and how you compare against your competition.

Your branding comes first. So the first thing you need to do is figure out your business’s core identity.

Not sure what I’m talking about? Okay let’s start with a quiz. Have you ever found yourself thinking —

* I don’t know what makes me different

* I can’t describe what I do for my clients

* I’m not sure why my clients hire me instead of my competition, but I know they love me — I get great testimonials from them

* I’m not sure and/or I can’t describe what my strengths are

* I’m not sure what I should be offering

* I don’t do anything different than what my competition does

* I can’t compete — I don’t know why anyone would hire me over my competition

* I never know what to say at networking events

If the answer is yes, you have a core identity problem.

So, how do you fix this? Well, I’m going to give you a few tips to get you started.

First off, write down everything your business represents to you. What you do, why this is important to your clients, what your vision is, what you feel your gifts/brilliance is, etc.

Next, write down what you want your clients to think of when they think of you. Write down everything, not just “good service and high quality.” I want you to write down things like “trustworthy, high sense of integrity and honor, expert in the field.” Things like that.

Now, I want you to go talk to your clients. Ask them why they hired you. Ask them how they would describe you to someone else. Ask them what they would say if they were recommending you to someone else. Ask them how they differentiate you from your competition.

Now compare the lists. What do you like? What don’t you like? What “feels” right? What doesn’t “feel” like you or where you want to go with your business?

Once you get a handle on this, you can take that and start building your business around it.

 

Categories
Networking

Networking Like It’s Your Party

Article Contributed by Sharpenz

We all do it. We all go to a variety of networking functions: mixers, meetings, seminars, conferences. Just showing up certainly doesn’t guarantee getting connected or meeting people who are your buyers or can get you closer to your decision maker. Just showing up certainly doesn’t guarantee that you will increase your sales. And how often do you end up talking to the first person you encounter and never have a chance meet anyone else? That certainly doesn’t help you achieve filling the pipeline to grow your business.

What if you treated the next networking function like it was your party? You are the host. That means it’s your responsibility to meet and greet everyone in the room.  Introduce people who don’t know each other to each other. Basically, be in charge of everyone else having a good time.

It’s an interesting concept and it does work. I was tired of getting “stuck” talking to the first person I met. And quite often they weren’t anyone who could be a potential client or put me closer to one. I got tired of feeling like I had wasted my evening, because these networking events were not helping me to increase my sales.

Then I began treating each networking function as if it was my own party.  I would meet the first person, talk to them and find out as much as I could in a few minutes.  With the right questions they’ll gladly talk about themselves. I knew I wanted to meet more people, so I’d invite them to go with me to meet others. I’d introduce myself and my new acquaintance, ask a few questions to get them talking and most of the time left them to each other as I went on to meet the next person.

I’d repeat the process throughout the evening. Before we were sitting down to dinner or whatever was next on the agenda, I had met a significant amount of people, given – and taken – business cards, and more importantly made everyone feel good about themselves. That, in turn, made me memorable. There were plenty of people who now wanted to “sit” with me.

The host and party format has worked well for me. My follow-up phone calls are taken and requests for other connections are well received. I’m making the connections to increase my sales and I’m having a ‘ball’ at someone else’s party.

What are some networking tips and tricks you use to make the most of a networking event? Let us know in the Comments section.

About the Author:

Sharpenz is dedicated to providing sales managers the resources and tools they need to motivate and equip their sales team to sell each week. Our 30-minute power sales booster programs help companies increase sales by providing the right tools and training – fast. Designed with the busy manager in mind, Sharpenz’ ready-to-go sales training kits will give your sales team the opportunity to grow and earn more – all in a half hour of power.  To learn more, visit www.Sharpenz.com and sign up for your free sales training kit today!

Categories
Sales & Marketing

More Timely Tips for Unlocking Great Sales in Today’s Tough Economy

Article Contributed by Sharpenz

We all know selling in a tough economy can be challenging, but there ARE things you can do to ensure you prosper during these trying times. Here are five more tips for actions you can take to help unlock the potential of your sales activities over the next 90 days.

1. Give something of value today. When we talk about value, we don’t necessarily mean you have to give something of huge monetary away. It also doesn’t have to be your product or service given away. Information is free. Find an article, a reprint, a cartoon that you can share so that you can stay in front of a prospect. Give a cup of coffee, a lottery ticket or give them a call to ask about their daughter’s wedding. Just find something positive to contact them about that doesn’t involve selling. Giving away something today can build a relationship and trust level for tomorrow and the future. It’s a worthwhile investment.

2. Use the power of one. One more action each day can make a difference later. One more phone call, one more email, one more note sent, one more plan, one more question…you get the idea. Before lunch, after lunch, and before you leave at the end of the day are all great times to add ONE more action.

3. Reevaluate your prospect list. Categorize and find out where you are spending your time. And then align your energies and actions to the most likely prospects. What can you do to move them to the next step in your sales process? This may mean you need to adjust your energies and spend less time/effort on your unlikely prospects.

4. Reintroduce yourself to customers you’ve “lost” over the years. You might find a hidden treasure in this group. They were customers once, but aren’t now, only maybe they are ready to return if they were asked. Research what is going on with their company and then reconnect. Remember to focus on the value your product and company can bring to them.

5. Ask for referrals. Tap into reciprocity generosity. As you provide something of value to someone, why not ask, “Who do you know who might benefit from what I do?”  Help the referrer identify prospects by being as specific as possible about the value you provide: “Who do you know who might benefit from increasing xyz or decreasing abc?”   It’s amazing what contacts you might make.

Taking action in tough times is key.

“You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone, which can become a watered-down, occasional hope that you’ll get to tomorrow. Intention without action is useless.” Caroline Myss

Winners find a way to succeed in all economies. With some upfront effort to ensure your actions are effective and efficient, the door to success is wide open!

Let us know about your recent successes and tips you can share to succeed in today’s tough economy.

About the Author:

Sharpenz is dedicated to providing sales managers the resources and tools they need to motivate and equip their sales team to sell each week. Our 30-minute power sales booster programs help companies increase sales by providing the right tools and training – fast. Designed with the busy manager in mind, Sharpenz’ ready-to-go sales training kits will give your sales team the opportunity to grow and earn more – all in a half hour of power.  To learn more, visit www.Sharpenz.com and sign up for your free sales training kit today!