Category: Sales & Marketing

Article Contributed by David Lynch

I’m always looking for ways to improve productivity in selling because I know that it’s what makes the difference in the long-term. Productivity measuring makes more sense when you actually break down your working hours, days and months into some kind of programme where you can monitor progress over a period of time. If you put sticky notes on your wall instead of putting information into your desktop calendar, you won’t realistically notice if this creates beneficial results after just one day of trying, will you?

Make a to Do List

Just get a notebook and write down a list of 10 to do’s at the beginning of each day. Make sure that you write them out in order of importance and cross them off the list as you complete them. Don’t do the easier tasks first as this could create problems later in the day. People by nature tend to leave the uglier tasks to the last if they are given the choice and I couldn’t see myself making 20 cold calls in the last 45 minutes of the day. The most difficult tasks normally require more energy and drive and this is usually much stronger in the earlier part of the day.

Set Mini Goals

Setting mini goals each day is a great way of being more productive in selling. There’s nothing worse than setting goals that you will never achieve. Not only is this very disheartening, but it stops you from continuing the highly successful habit of goal setting. Remember the golden rule here is set mini goals every morning that will increase productivity, and monitor the success rate to see which ones work best.

Reward Yourself for Achievements

When you see that your mini goals have brought some positive results you are perfectly entitled to reward yourself for a job well done. I’ve seen situations in larger corporations where sales people don’t get enough thanks for their hard work. I’m sure that you will agree with me when I say that I believe that this is a huge mistake that can have very negative repercussions. Thanking people for their efforts breeds loyalty and consistency and is a must do for anyone managing a sales team. Great performers sometimes get taken for granted but they could quickly change their tune if they don’t feel appreciated.

Focus on Single Tasks in Blocks of Time

I’ve found this method of working to be extremely effective in terms of increasing sales productivity. It often happens in sales that you find yourself doing two or three different tasks at the same time. Maybe you’re answering an email from an angry customer while at the same time you’re on the phone to another client. Then on top of all this, a colleague walks up to you and asks you how to work the fax machine. All this multi-tasking gives you the feeling that you’re really busy and you’re getting loads of stuff done. Often the reality is very different because with multi-tasking you end up doing lots of things badly. What works much more effectively is to allocate blocks of time to particular tasks. For example, you can set aside 60 minutes for replying to customer emails and during this time you must switch off your phone and make yourself unavailable from any kind of disturbance. This will produce quality work and quality results. After such discipline you will also feel less stressed and more satisfied with the quality of your work.

Brainstorm New Methods

One final method that has really helped me to improve my productivity levels in selling is the simple old- fashioned idea of putting pen to paper and scratching my head for new ideas. We get so used to working in a certain way that we just don’t stop and verify if it’s the most efficient way of using our time and energy. This is why it pays to review our daily tasks and work out which ones are most important towards reaching our objectives and which ones could possibly be removed or assigned to someone else.

About the Author:

David Lynch is a Sales Training Designer & Accomplished Author. He has more than 20 years of experience in a variety of industries including software, insurance & hospitality. If you would like to learn more sales skills from David you can download a Free Copy of his E-book “25 Mistakes To Avoid When Selling” at http://www.saleswillgrow.com/freesalestraining2.html

Article Contributed by Lisa Cherney

I had no idea the twists and turns my business would take when I first left corporate America. When I started out, I thought I had it in the bag! I had worked for some of the biggest names out there, I knew how to market. But… something happened along my journey. I don’t like to use the word mistake, so I’ll call it a glitch. A glitch with a purpose.

When I started my business, I have to admit I thought it would be easy. After all, I had marketed for some of the biggest players out there! But I quickly learned that marketing for a major corporation and marketing for entrepreneurs require two very different approaches. Through this experience, I found my forte’: I had a way of asking just the right question to bring out someone’s brilliance and guide their marketing.

Working with entrepreneurs taught me how vital it is to be conscious about your marketing. It’s the core strategy behind what I teach. It’s why I named my business Conscious Marketing! But here’s where my head got in the way of my heart: I had an extensive marketing background. I played hardball with some of the top advertising agencies. I thought I had it going on! I didn’t think I needed any help, coaching or mentoring.

I was wrong.

And this was the birth of my own conscious marketing. Here I was painting this beautiful marketing portrait for my clients, and it just wasn’t setting with them. The clients I was working with didn’t feel right bragging about themselves like my corporate clients did. That’s when I had a light-bulb moment: they didn’t see themselves the way I saw them! How the heck were they going to get “out there” and impact their sphere of influence if they didn’t feel it for themselves?

I needed to find a way for people to find their own path to selling in a genuine, authentic manner. The glitch – I was not having success with my own marketing. But this glitch had a purpose, which was to show me that all of the marketing strategies and techniques that I had learned from top marketing and ad agencies didn’t work for entrepreneurs, and they didn’t work for me!

As entrepreneurs, we have to be clear in our marketing message. What you say or don’t say will impact your results, and in a huge way. You have to be real. Working through this concept allowed me to pass this transformational power of the message on to my clients. It took me a year to pay attention, and joining a mastermind group and allowing myself to be coached was a key part of the journey. This struggle had a purpose, and it was the birth of my own conscious marketing.

Now, about the rabbit. The holidays are coming, and one of my favorite things to do during this season is to watch The Velveteen Rabbit with my daughter. I love the part when the little boy, who is the rabbit’s best friend and just saw him fly, says “How did you know you could do that?” The rabbit simply responds, “How did you know you couldn’t?” Imagine if we all felt this way and focused on what we can do rather than what we can’t.

What do you do and who is it for? This foundational piece must be in place for you to fly.

About the Author

Lisa Cherney, a.k.a. the Juicy Marketing Expert, founded Conscious Marketing 12 years ago to help small business owners find their authentic marketing voice, attract their ideal clients and increase their sales. Following her own Stand Out & Be Juicy program, which centers on owning your unique self and laser-focus marketing, Lisa has tripled her income while working part-time.

Prior to Conscious Marketing, Lisa worked with many Fortune 500 companies, including AT&T, Lipton, Nissan, Blue Cross and Equal. She is a highly sought after speaker and often shares the stage with experts such as Jack Assaraf (The Secret), Jack Canfield and Jill Lublin. Learn more about Lisa at www.consciousmarketing.com or call 887-771-0156.

Article Contributed by Lisa Cherney

I was kicked out of corporate America. Literally. I was let go three times in two years! It was difficult at the time, but now I see – the struggle had a purpose. Because of that trial, I found my true calling: helping business owners find their voice, get on that soapbox, and attract their ideal clients like moths to light.

When I started my business, I have to admit I thought it would be easy. After all, I had marketed for some of the biggest players out there! But I quickly learned that marketing for a major corporation and marketing for entrepreneurs require two very different approaches. Through this experience, I found my forte’: I had a way of asking just the right question to bring out someone’s brilliance and guide their marketing.

In truth, many people are insecure when talking about what they do. Consequently, they’re not “out there” like they need to be. They need more clients, but they hate speaking in public. They have a website, but the message isn’t representing their abilities in the best possible way. They don’t like pumping up their accomplishments because it feels like bragging. Or, they feel that no one really cares about all that anyway. They couldn’t be more wrong!

People want to know all that about you. And how are you going to be “out there” if you don’t feel comfortable talking about yourself and your unique way of helping people? I realized I needed to find a way for people to find their own words. And it had to start with me. This was like a glitch with a purpose for me! The purpose was to show me that all of the marketing strategies I had learned from the corporate world don’t work for the entrepreneur. And this went for me, too.

It’s easy to feel like you’re making progress when you are busy all day. But when you don’t get results, and your bank account is at an all-time low, it’s easier to blame something other than yourself, like the economy. When you only look at the external cause, you overlook the true source of the problem – your marketing message is not clear!

Every entrepreneur needs a soapbox. You need to know how to access words that you can utilize in any marketing situation. They should roll off your tongue with passion as their source. That is a true soapbox! Use these words anytime someone asks you what you do. When you do, you will know exactly what to say when you encounter your Ideal Clients, and you will in turn begin to love working with every client you have!

You know who your non-ideal clients are. If you market to everybody, you’re marketing to nobody. So get on your soapbox, deliver the right message to the right audience, and find the people who want the transformation that you offer. Find the clients who want what you have!

About the Author
Lisa Cherney, a.k.a. the Juicy Marketing Expert, founded Conscious Marketing 12 years ago to help small business owners find their authentic marketing voice, attract their ideal clients and increase their sales. Following her own Stand Out & Be Juicy program, which centers on owning your unique self and laser-focus marketing, Lisa has tripled her income while working part-time.

Prior to Conscious Marketing, Lisa worked with many Fortune 500 companies, including AT&T, Lipton, Nissan, Blue Cross and Equal. She is a highly sought after speaker and often shares the stage with experts such as Jack Assaraf (The Secret), Jack Canfield and Jill Lublin. Learn more about Lisa at www.consciousmarketing.com or call 887-771-0156.

Article Contributed by Jeff Beals

If you go to work every day, you might as well go all the way and shoot for the pinnacle of your profession. It’s a competitive world, so set your sights high. If you’re going to take the risk and invest the time, strive for greatness.

Ever since Jim Collins wrote his best-selling book, Good to Great, in 2001, business people worldwide have been fixated on greatness. Why do some companies do so well when a similar competitor languishes? Why do some companies transition from being merely successful to being truly great? What traits and behaviors separate the good from the great?

Of course, good-versus-great questions apply not only to companies; they can be asked of people who want to be great salespersons or marketers.

And remember, everyone is in sales and marketing regardless of their title.

Whether you’re selling medical equipment, working in business development or brokering international business transactions, it’s frankly easy to fail. Salespersons, marketers and dealmakers in every profession commonly fail. Some succeed, but only a tiny percentage achieves greatness.

The question then is what sales-and-marketing traits will lead you to the top of your profession?

Character – Great professionals are ethical and honest. They don’t tell a client or colleague what he or she wants to hear, it’s what they need to hear. Leaders with character tend to hire employees who are also upstanding citizens. Together, they attract clients of character. Everybody wins.

Be competitive – “Second don’t mean nothin’,” said Hall of Fame football coach Barry Switzer who led the Oklahoma Sooners to three national championships and the Dallas Cowboys to the Superbowl. Play to win. Be persistent. Don’t let anything fall through the cracks. Keep track of your competition and do what it takes to run at least a couple steps ahead of them. Be bold for the world has no room for shrinking violets.

Interpersonal skills – It sure helps if you possess some charisma, but rule number one is to listen. Great professionals listen and truly HEAR. When you are engaged in conversation, remember it’s not about you; it’s about your client.
Strategic Thinking – Have a plan that takes into account the big picture. What’s your philosophy? Strong organizations have developed mission and vision statements. Great individuals need them too.

Focus – Whether you are looking at this from an organizational perspective or a personal one, determine your competencies and spend the majority of your time, energy and resources working on those. If you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, ask yourself, “Am I doing what is truly important?”

Have a good product – Contrary to the popular saying, nobody can really sell ice to Eskimos. If your product or service doesn’t stand on its own merit, trying to sell it is no different than beating your head against the wall.

Others first – Real estate agents, accountants and trustees are said to have “fiduciary” responsibilities to their clients. In other words, they are legally required to put the client’s interest before their own. No matter what you do, pretend you have a fiduciary duty to the customers you serve. If you do this, you will build rapport, which leads to a relationship, which leads to the holy grail of sales and marketing: trust.

Ability to handle stress – “There are many guys who can paint an incredibly cogent picture of why a company should be investing in China or why a football team should run a certain offense,” says Joe Moglia, who serves as both chairman of TD Ameritrade and a head coach in the United Football League. “The reality is, when things are not going well, when you’re losing money in China, and your guys keep fumbling the ball, how do you handle yourself?”

Keep prospecting – No matter how busy you are as you put the finishing touches a big deal, remember to think about future deals. Always take time to fill your hopper, so you always have a steady supply of business. Don’t get emotionally attached to a certain piece of business, because you give up your power. Always go where the business is, where your best prospects live. It makes no sense to fish for business in a deserted lake.

Wrap it up – Ultimately, the purpose of marketing is to get somebody to say “yes.” Know what you hope to achieve from a prospect before you meet him or her and then keep steering the conversation toward closure.

About the Author:

Jeff Beals is an award-winning author, who helps professionals do more business and have a greater impact on the world through effective sales, marketing and personal branding techniques. As a professional speaker, he delivers energetic and humorous keynote speeches and workshops to audiences worldwide. You can learn more and follow his “Business Motivation Blog” at JeffBeals.com.

Article Contributed by Danielle

How many roads must a marketer walk down before we can assume he knows the value of social media marketing?

The tides have turned. Inquiring minds want to know: Does Facebook provide ample opportunity for B2B interaction via its tremendous social platform? The B2B Barometer reports that at least 70% of business-to-business marketers feel that social media is relevant to B2B organizations. They are, however, unsure how to harness the potential value of Facebook.

Some apprehensions involve Facebook’s inherently social nature. How could any meaningful business be conducted over such a highly personal platform? Commercial messages often reflect poorly on a brand when they interrupt social experiences. Add that to the fact that many working adults cannot use Facebook at work, limiting the amount of possible communication during working hours.

In fact, Circle Research has released statistics that suggest Facebook might not even be the social network to be questioning; top social networks according to B2B marketers are Twitter (87%), LinkedIn (77%) and then Facebook (67%).

The fact remains that Facebook is still the largest social network on the Internet. At 800 million users, that potential audience for your social media marketing is just too big to pass up. Those who maintain that the inherently social environment of Facebook is naturally detrimental to “business-doing” should consider that the professional/personal line is not what it used to be even as recently as two years ago.

Innovations pioneered by Google’s “Circle” system have been incorporated into Facebook and users can now select what coworkers see and don’t see, making it easier to “befriend” coworkers in the digital realm. Also, mobile usage is through the roof, and provides another channel through which businesses can connect to other businesses and also the community.

Facebook has proven itself to be a valuable asset in business to community (B2C) interactions for years. The site’s history in providing specified information about users to companies has helped in more relevant ad targeting and other marketing innovations that have deepened the B2C landscape. Facebook pages help promote activity, attract users, increase brand awareness and cultivate an active user base by engaging in frequent customer interaction.

So, the answer to the question of whether Facebook is a valid marketing channel is a resounding “Yes!” It offers a large pool of potential clients, it’s available on multiple platforms and it creates direct consumer demand in real time. Although results can be difficult to measure due to Facebook’s still-nascent marketing state, the benefits far outweigh the negatives and when social media is used correctly, the returns are bound to be impressive.