For years I’ve coached my clients on the principle that our business mirrors our clarity of purpose and sense of self-worth. You’ve likely already noticed that any cracks in your self-worth show up in your business…big time!
Clues are, if you doubt yourself, undercharge, say yes to discounts, churn in indecision, don’t demand excellence from your clients, let others walk on your boundaries or accept slow business growth.
If any of these sound familiar, not to worry. While situations like these are, no doubt, keeping you from breaking through to 6 or 7 figures, they’re actually quite simple and fast to take care of.
No matter what your income goal is, now is the time to start thinking, believing and acting as the high-income business owner you dream of becoming.
Here is my PERSONAL list of 5 things millionaire entrepreneurs focus on. You can use these tips right now to propel your business forward — faster — with greater grace, ease and authenticity.
#1 How to Create Profitable Relationships, Not Just Try to Get a Referral
Referrals are great but if that’s all you’re after then your success won’t be sustainable. Profitable relationships are ones that bring in new business month after month.
#2 How to Leverage Opportunities Into Multiple Streams of Income
Put yourself in the shoes of your clients. What are five different solutions you can offer to problems they are struggling with right now? Your clients already love you and will happily pay you for additional services. It’s up to you to offer them what they want and need, which can easily result in a multiple streams business for you.
#3 Create Bold, Outrageous Income Goals
This may sound counter-intuitive but it’s a lot harder to make less money than it is to make more. The reason is this: small goals keep you stuck where you’re comfortable. Creating a much bigger income goal instantly triggers new ideas so you can create new opportunities and leap into a new level of exciting possibilities.
#4 Look at What You Can DO Instead of Doubting
No one is immune from the occasional grab-you-by-the-belly fear that comes when you’re doing something big or new. But millionaire entrepreneurs don’t waste time churning in self-doubt. Instead, they get into action. When I feel self-doubt, I know it’s because I’m up to something that is so right, it’s scary. Understanding this allows me to move forward instead of getting stuck.
#5 Ask Powerful Questions Instead of Engaging in Negative Self-Talk
My favorite question to ask yourself is, “How would a million-dollar business owner handle this situation?” This question is powerful because it instantly puts you in the “as if” mindset of a million-dollar business owner.
Believe First, Then Take Action…
If achieving real financial and spiritual success is your goal, then I promise that by following these millionaire entrepreneurial principles, you’ll quickly find yourself achieving 6- or even 7-figure success far faster than you ever thought possible.
About the Author:
Kendall SummerHawk, the Million Dollar Marketing Coach, is an expert at helping women entrepreneurs at all levels design a business they love and charge what they’re worth and get it. Kendall delivers simple ways entrepreneurs can design and price their services to quickly move away from ‘dollars-for-hours work’ and create more money, time, and freedom in their businesses. For free articles, free resources and to sign up for a free subscription to Kendall’s Money, Marketing and Soul weekly articles, visit www.kendallsummerhawk.com.
Category: Sales & Marketing
Are you looking to hire a sales coach to improve your career, leadership, life, business and sales results?
Well, I’m going to tell you right now that there are many sales coaches in the field and it is hard to know where to start or what to look for when hiring a coach. There are highly qualified sales coaches like myself and then there are others who just jumped on the sales coaching bandwagon so they can profit from you even though they have not proven themselves to be worthy of getting you as a client.
Knowing this, how can you find the best sales coach for you and your organization? Simply ask the 10 questions below….
Here Are My Top 7 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Sales Coach
1. What is your personal track record of success in sales?
I was ranked #1 sales performer in the U.S. for 4 years at two global Fortune 500 Companies. I generated over $135 Million in Sales Revenue. I know what it takes to become a top sales professional.
This is not true for many sales coaches as they do not have the credentials of being a #1 performer in a large organization multiple times. And, many sales coaches do not have extensive experience building, developing and managing sales forces.
But what if those are your goals? See the concern? If they have not walked the walk, and proven they know what it takes to achieve great sales results, how can you expect them to know what it takes to achieve extraordinary results?
2. Will you customize your sales coaching programs around my particular needs and goals?
Many sales coaching programs simply place all individuals and businesses into the exact same sales coaching process. They do not take into consideration the immediate challenges at hand, nor do they focus on customizing the program around the strengths of the individual or organization, while identifying and addressing weaknesses.
Before you hire a sales coach, ask how they customize their sales coaching program. If they don’t have some good examples to share, run fast, or face receiving cookie-cutter coaching which will greatly impede your results.
3. What is your general sales philosophy?
Many of the old persuasive selling techniques really are a thing of the past. They don’t work. Yet, many sales coaches are still teaching people just like you to persuade, push, be very aggressive, and to forcefully change the mind of others. This will make both you and the prospective client feel uncomfortable and will automatically lead to lost sales.
If you want to increase your sales potential then you need a sales coach who understands how to create a genuine, natural, customized sales philosophy for each individual they coach. If they don’t, watch out.
4. What professional coach training do you have?
You may find a sales coach who has a respectful sales background like me. But, in many cases they’ll have very little, if any professional coaching training. There is a big difference between calling oneself a coach, and having 100’s of hours of face-to-face coaching training. If they do not have this training, you may not receive all the support you need around motivation, focus, changing your mind set, accountability, and being able to support you towards success in your entire life. If you hire a sales coach who does not have professional training, do not expect the same results. You will not be supported holistically around all the intangibles that help people reach extraordinary results.
5. How did you become a sales coach – and why?
Find out if the sales coach made the conscious choice to become a coach for the right reasons, or if they burned out of corporate America or fell into the position as a back up because they lost a job. You want a coach who loves coaching, sales and changing lives. Look for a coach with whom you connect with. Look for a sales coach who truly cares about your success and loves the work he or she does. If you do not sense a great deal of passion in their voice when they describe how they became a sales coach, talk to another coach.
6. Can you show me new and innovative ways to increase sales?
If the sales coach is not aware of how to use social media, blogs, website marketing, SEO, AdWords, effective article writing and publication, LinkedIn and other similar tools to grow their own business, how can they help you to grow yours?
Technology is always changing and there are ways to use it to increase your sales results. Find a sales coach who is using these tools on a daily basis to grow their sales coaching business. Find a sales coach who can show you how to generate leads, contact new prospects and network effectively in the modern era of sales. If they don’t use these tools, keep on looking.
7. Do you have a coach?
I’m a sales coach and I still work with a coach. I get a tremendous amount out of it and I am convinced of the value of coaching. How can you be a coach, but say you don’t need a coach yourself?
As soon as you stop learning, growing, improving and developing, what kind of an example are you showing for your own clients? Find a sales coach who has a coach, believes in coaching, uses coaching to continue to become a better coach, a better entrepreneur, and a better person. Find someone who inspires you to do more and doesn’t just coach you, but leads by example. If they don’t have a coach, just ask them why. This is an important question to ask and I’m guessing you will decide to move on pretty fast after they say they don’t need a coach or don’t have one.
About the Author:
Sales Coaching & Business Coaching Expert, Jeremy J. Ulmer, has helped hundreds of sales professionals, sales leaders, businesses and entrepreneurs overcome sales challenges and achieve breakthrough results. If you are ready to dramatically increase your sales results then request your Free Tips and your Free Coaching Consultation at: http://www.CoachWithJeremy.com
Article Contributed by Mark Hunter
It’s always rewarding to close a sale and immediately have the new client sign the documents to secure the sale. No matter how many years in the business, this always feels good. We all have stories about new customers who have “fallen into our lap” and bought quickly. For some reason, we can’t seem to forget the great rush that occurs from these new clients. I’m here to say that as good as the rush might be when we allow a sale to occur too quickly, we wind up leaving money on the table.
When beginning to talk with a new customer, the salesperson and the customer invariably have the intent of doing so with a specific product in mind. It may be any number of products you sell. The initial interest expressed by the customer always guides the discussion. Once the discussion turns to a specific product, the customer’s focus becomes even more closed to any other products. The real danger comes when the customer agrees to buy. At that moment, the customer feels the process is over, and their mind moves to something else, usually something totally unrelated to your business or products.
To avoid a situation like this, the salesperson needs to ask the necessary exploratory questions early to determine the customer’s other needs. By asking exploratory questions early, you are able to assess which additional products may interest the customer. If you wait to ask these types of questions until after the initial sale is complete, you will always be behind. This is the whole principle of not closing too quickly. You need and want enough time to explore and determine all of the customer’s needs.
What are exploratory questions? Exploratory questions generally are open-ended questions that get the customer talking. Questions may include asking the customer about their job and the types of benefits they receive in the job. A question of this nature is non-threatening and is likely to start a conversation in which the customer shares about the dynamics of their work, particularly the level of security they do or don’t have in their position. When a salesperson can get the customer talking and, more importantly, talking about items about which they do not feel secure, the greater the likelihood the salesperson can identify additional products that will alleviate some of the customer’s pain.
Whether in a face-to-face meeting or over the phone, the salesperson must take the time to engage the customer early on. The key with the early questions is to not blatantly ask, “What other products or services would you be interested in?” Asking a new customer this type of a question before a relationship has been established runs the risk of alienating the prospect. Plain and simple, they will view you as a “hard-sell salesperson.”
Engage the customer in a non-threatening manner and that customer will be more likely to share information without throwing up defensive barriers. Keep your exploratory questions short and simple, so that that the customer can do most of the talking. Customers are much more willing to share key information in short segments rather than long drawn-out responses that more-complicated questions dictate.
Due to the wide number of issues the typical customer faces today, it is a privilege to be a salesperson in today’s economy. When you are able to assist a customer with multiple solutions, the customer feels at ease, and you have truly done your job. Building a solid relationship instead of going for the quick close just makes good sense when you are striving to build a long-term sales career. Begin today to incorporate exploratory questions into your sales process as a way of engaging the customer.
About the Author
Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com.
Article Contributed by Eric Gruber
I’m going to let you in on a very dirty secret:
There is one question that is being dodged by experts in EVERY market. Answer that question and you’ll corner the market, be worshipped forever and get more customers and sales.
If it was that easy, why aren’t other experts answering these questions?
It’s because they fear an informed audience. That’s outright silly! But, we’re not going to tell them that. While your competitors run scared, you’ll be getting more sales since you’re going to follow the steps I outline in the article below. You will educate your targeted audiences, get more website traffic, teach people how to buy from you and increase your sales.
Now, are you ready?
Step 1: Find the questions that are being dodged by other experts in your industry.
I can’t tell you what these questions are. It will vary from industry to industry. . So, how do you find these golden questions to answer?
· Go to Yahoo Answers and type in your keyword. Examine the questions carefully and see which ones keep popping up. If people are asking the same questions, that means that people have the same questions. There’s a need that’s NOT being fulfilled.
· Go to forums and watch what your audience is discussing
· Survey your clients, customers and list of prospects
Step 2: Answer the questions in as many formats as possible
For each question create a blog post. Do NOT date these blog posts – you will see why later on. Once you create your blog post, expand it into an article. Then, turn your article into a video, special report, podcast and audio interview. You should also create online press releases. If you need help with writing your articles and blog postings, I have templates that will help you write your articles in 30 minutes or less. Just go to http://www.StartWritingArticlesFaster.com
Step 3: Answer the Questions in As Many Places As Possible
· You should submit your blog posts to as many RSS feeds as possible
· You should bookmark your blog posts using Digg, Technorati and De.li.cious
· You should submit your articles to the top websites, ezines and article directories that accept article submissions. We can do this for you at http://www.IWantMoreProspects.com
· You should submit your videos to YouTube and Viddler. You may even want to think about investing in the TrafficGeyser.com video submission service
· You should post links to your blog, articles and videos on Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and Linked In.
· You should post your articles on social marketing websites sites like Scribd and Squidoo
· You should submit your press releases through PR Web or Webwire. If you use Webwire.com, all you have to pay is $20. But, I do suggest comparing the two services and see which one matches your needs.
· Videos teaching people how to buy from you or how to use your product should be on your website.
· When people opt-in for your special reports, ebooks or other free offering, you should have an auto-responder series that gets people to go back to your blog or website. If you have lots of blog postings that answers your prospects’ top questions – all you have to do is create a summary for each blog posting and send people back to your blog every day. This way each blog posting will get the visibility it deserves. And, by not showing the date, these postings become evergreen.
Follow these steps and you will increase website traffic and get more sales, because you’ll be educating your prospects, answering their questions and teaching them how to buy from you.
About the Author
Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for Internet marketers, small business owners, authors, entrepreneurs and speakers who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, you can get his instant article writing templates that will help you write your articles in 30 minutes or less. Get 3 of his favorite article writing templates for free at: http://www.TryMyFreeArticleTemplates.com
It’s always rewarding to close a sale and immediately have the new client sign the documents to secure the sale. No matter how many years in the business, this always feels good. We all have stories about new customers who have “fallen into our lap” and bought quickly. For some reason, we can’t seem to forget the great rush that occurs from these new clients. I’m here to say that as good as the rush might be when we allow a sale to occur too quickly, we wind up leaving money on the table.
When beginning to talk with a new customer, the salesperson and the customer invariably have the intent of doing so with a specific product in mind. It may be any number of products you sell. The initial interest expressed by the customer always guides the discussion. Once the discussion turns to a specific product, the customer’s focus becomes even more closed to any other products. The real danger comes when the customer agrees to buy. At that moment, the customer feels the process is over, and their mind moves to something else, usually something totally unrelated to your business or products.
To avoid a situation like this, the salesperson needs to ask the necessary exploratory questions early to determine the customer’s other needs. By asking exploratory questions early, you are able to assess which additional products may interest the customer. If you wait to ask these types of questions until after the initial sale is complete, you will always be behind. This is the whole principle of not closing too quickly. You need and want enough time to explore and determine all of the customer’s needs.
What are exploratory questions? Exploratory questions generally are open-ended questions that get the customer talking. Questions may include asking the customer about their job and the types of benefits they receive in the job. A question of this nature is non-threatening and is likely to start a conversation in which the customer shares about the dynamics of their work, particularly the level of security they do or don’t have in their position. When a salesperson can get the customer talking and, more importantly, talking about items about which they do not feel secure, the greater the likelihood the salesperson can identify additional products that will alleviate some of the customer’s pain.
Whether in a face-to-face meeting or over the phone, the salesperson must take the time to engage the customer early on. The key with the early questions is to not blatantly ask, “What other products or services would you be interested in?” Asking a new customer this type of a question before a relationship has been established runs the risk of alienating the prospect. Plain and simple, they will view you as a “hard-sell salesperson.”
Engage the customer in a non-threatening manner and that customer will be more likely to share information without throwing up defensive barriers. Keep your exploratory questions short and simple, so that that the customer can do most of the talking. Customers are much more willing to share key information in short segments rather than long drawn-out responses that more-complicated questions dictate.
Due to the wide number of issues the typical customer faces today, it is a privilege to be a salesperson in today’s economy. When you are able to assist a customer with multiple solutions, the customer feels at ease, and you have truly done your job. Building a solid relationship instead of going for the quick close just makes good sense when you are striving to build a long-term sales career. Begin today to incorporate exploratory questions into your sales process as a way of engaging the customer.
About the Author:
Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com. You can also follow him on www.Twitter.com (TheSalesHunter) and on www.LinkedIn.com (Mark Hunter).