Business, economic development - the unofficial Chamber of Commerce

Last issue we talked about what motivates people to buy something. A person or a business is motivated to buy when they perceive that a change needs to occur to fix or avoid a problem, or to enable a greater vision for their future. They buy when they believe that a product or service will bridge this gap for them.

In other words, people are most likely to buy when they are in a state of trouble, or a state of tremendous opportunity. Some people will seek you out as a seller, and tell you this. These are the easy sales. Most people do not do this however. Most people stay in their comfort zones, desiring not to get too worked up over what’s not happening in their lives.

Selling then, becomes a game of stirring up people’s emotions. When you become aware that you have a problem that you must solve, your emotions change. You get concerned, frustrated, upset, worried, scared, or even angry. Just how intensely you react depends upon your perception of the magnitude and the imminence of the consequences.

Consequences.

In one word, you have the key to all selling and motivation. Consequences give rise to the experiencing of emotions such as fear, despair and anger, or hope, want and excitement. And it is the mere thought of experiencing these emotions that motivates you or anyone else.

My dictionary defines a consequence as follows: -”something that logically or naturally follows from an action or condition.”

Once you think of taking an action, or not taking an action, and you consider the consequences of that decision, the opportunity for a strong emotion to be triggered has been setup. Whether the emotional response is a strong one or not, depends on you, and your own associations concerning a particular action.

The thought falling from the top of a 500 foot cliff, smashing onto the jagged, craggy rocks at the bottom, and becoming a bloody, gelatinous skin sack of red, pink, and purple would cause the emotion of fear in many people.

That is if you really think about it, and picture it in your mind.

What about sitting down and watching TV on a Saturday afternoon? That might trigger the emotion of boredom for some people. It might trigger relaxation, or escapism for another. To my wife it represents “being a loser”. For me, it represents an opportunity to escape, and not to think about reality for just awhile.

Consequences trigger unique emotional motivations for every person. Not all are intense, and not all are enough to move someone to act, to make a decision, to buy something. The ones that do are the ones that we care about.

Asking questions that stir up consequences and uncover motivations is not a natural course of action for most people. I’m not sure exactly why this is, but I believe that it has something to do with politeness, and a cultural value that you shouldn’t get too personal with people you don’t know well.

Yet asking such questions is one of the most powerful things you can do as a persuader. “Isn’t this manipulation?”, some are of you are probably thinking. Well, yes. But is this a bad thing? You are helping people to access the emotions that will motivate them to solve their own problems. If they are to solve their problem (and solving that problem involves making a purchase), then they will do this sooner or later. By helping them with the process, you are helping them to get what they want.

How does one question then in such a persuasive manner? To effectively teach you this here would require about ten times as much space as I have already written. I can tell you a couple of things though. You probably question this way on only a rare occasion right now. Also, most of your questioning probably centers around getting factual information, that is what someone wants or doesn’t want, what they have now, what they need, etc.

While useful to you, this information does not motivate your buyers. It helps you. But it does not really help your buyer. People bond with you, and want to buy from you when they believe you can help them get what they want. For this reason, too many sales calls end on a rather flat note.

Many people don’t take their questioning to a deep enough level. This is why I created the Persuasive Questioning Techniques Sales Teleclass. I have been sharing these techniques with my personal one-on-one clients for the last couple of years, and I wanted to share these with more people.

In a live teleclass setting, I demonstrate precisely how this technique works. I role-play with you, and show you how to acquire this skill. You need to know what to do, and you need to practice it. It’s not that difficult, but it does go against your nature a bit. I’ve seen great results in my clients success and my own business using these techniques.

© 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.

Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown’s sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/

It’s a simple yet common question, “How can I make my business more successful?”

Success can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people but when it comes down to it, the success of your business should only be measured by one thing - profit.

At the end of the day, it’s not how many people came in to your store or phoned in. It’s not even how many widgets you sold. At the end of the day, what truly matters is how much of a profit you made.

It would make sense then that your efforts focus on profit as the end result. With that in mind, there are only three strategies to increase profits for your business.

1) Increase the dollar size of each order
2) Increase the number of times people buy from you
3) Increase the number of people who buy from you

Most likely, your business is already primed to attack each of these three angles and implementing that attack should be fairly easy.

Let’s say that you are the owner of Happy Wicks Candle Store. Let your customers know that for every $50 they spend they will receive a free 4-inch candle. When they are eligible for the free candle, offer them the option of upgrading the 4-inch candle to a 6-inch candle for only four dollars.

Implement a customer loyalty program. Whenever a customer spends $200 with your store they receive a 20% discount on their next order. Show loyalty to your customers, too. Create customer-only events and sales, even workshops on how to make candles at home.

Candles are also popular gifts. Be sure to place your contact info on each and every candle. This makes it easy for the gift recipient to purchase from you. Be sure to also use this tactic when co-promoting with similar businesses such as a flower and bath and body shop.

Looking at the example Happy Wicks Candle Store, the tasks of increasing profits was not a difficult one. Truly, it’s a matter of putting systems in place that generate increasing profits.

Take a look at your business and examine the systems you have in place. Chances are there’s undiscovered profits lying about. Put systems in place to gather those profits and you’ll find your business reaching new heights of success.

Morris manages a quality collection of computer stores, home goods store store locator.

Since I started my career in selling real estate, there has been
plenty of talk about how good the market has been lately, second
to what we’ve seen in California of course.

Bothel for example, according to our General Manager at our
company-wide meeting in mid April ‘05, had seen prices increase
by 26%. Meanwhile, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service–the
largest MLS in our area reported that from March 2004 to March
2005, prices in Northwest Snohomish County rose more than 17%;
Meadian prices rose more than 22%!

Meanwhile there is plenty of talk among agents in this area
concerning the new outlet mall that is supposed to open on May
5th, 2005, as well as a Six Flags theme park that could be on
the way right behind it. The expectation is that this will bring
more jobs into the greater Marysville area and fuel a doubling
of Snohomish County’s total population by 2025 as many local
authorities are predicting.

So given this extraordinary growth rate, how high is too high
for a mortgage interest rate? at what point does the cost of
money offset the enormous gains that could be made through real
estate investments in our area?

I frequently need to point out to my first-time homebuyers that
waiting say 6 months to pay off their car so that they can
afford more house is not necessarily going to do the trick
unless they have credit that is in need of repair. The $5,000
dollars that they put toward paying off their car comes with the
added cost of aproximately $44,000 that home prices will have
gone up during that 6 months.

Unfortunately, homeownership is slipping further out of reach
for most but those who already own or expect their annual income
to rise steadily by at least 17% until they are able to purchase.

To see current prices in and around Snohomish County, WA use the
free search tools at my website: www.JoeGilesRE.com.

“In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is a huge difference.”

Lone Wolf – Lead Wolf — The Evolution of Sales is a book about practice that has been tested in the crucible of real life experience. It was originally intended for field sales representatives who worked in the wholesale distribution industry. As the book developed, it now speaks to sales representatives in all industries whether they are field sales, inside sales, or counter sales representatives. It even speaks about lessons that managers need to know in this new century.

Each chapter is a story, and some of them have case studies and other activities to help the reader translate the story to their own situation. Each chapter was originally published as an article in one or more industry publications so they have already passed the test of relevance.

The world of sales continues to change and the strategies that created success in the past are failing to generate success in the new world order. This book tells a simple, but powerful, story of managing change. There are those who are genetically programmed to play the game to win, rather than simply playing not to lose. Every reader needs to think critically so they can play their own game. Those that are firmly on the path of playing to win will recognize many of the lessons that are examined in this book.

To the superstar readers, you may not learn much from this book as you have made the hard won discoveries on your own. This will be an enjoyable read for most of you because the book ratifies your own learning and direction. To the old school sales reps who just want to be left alone and get a better price, you won’t finish the book. Creating meaningful change always starts with taking responsibility for your own situation. At the most basic level, there is personal responsibility and there are excuses. There are sales reps who are 10th degree black belts at making excuses and you won’t find any new excuses in this book.

This book was written for those of us in the middle: those who are driven to success, who are frustrated, but who are open and willing to learn. You have taken personal responsibility for your own career development and you look at sales as a profession rather than just a job.

Some of the stories deal with sophisticated approaches to supply chain management, including consignment and national account programs. These issues are above the typical pay grade of most sales reps. They are included because success in sales is more than personal effort, skill and talent. It is fundamentally about building and managing customer relationship equity. The Lead Wolf strategies described in this book will often require that the sales rep challenge their own management to innovate and provide creative solutions that help customers make money. The examples provide practical “how-to” solutions so your manager can’t dismiss your views as whining.

Learning and personal growth are the only alternatives to the slow death of intellect. We have all seen the sales reps who have 20 years of experience – but it is actually one year of experience repeated twenty times. We each make our own decisions about how much and how fast. This book was written to help those on the path of growth to rise to the next level. At the age of 56, I have learned that there is always a faster gun, and there is always a next level. My growth is limited by my own personal ability to see my own shortcomings and my willingness to take responsibility for them.

http://www.ceostrategist.com to get a copy –Copyright © 2005, Rick Johnson
Author of “Lone Wolf Lead Wolf – The Evolution of Sales”
Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership and the creation of competitive advantage. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with distributor executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information. CEO Strategist – experts in Strategic Leadership in Wholesale Distribution. Book reviewed by: Mike Marks, Indian River Consulting.

You might ask, “What is a follow on sale?” A follow on sale is
the sale of any product or service that comes as a direct result
of a previous sale. An example of this type of sale would be
selling an upgrade to a an existing software product As we have
discussed in other articles, there are companies out there
making much more money from follow on sales than from original
sales. We have also discussed some specific strategies for
increasing your follow on sales, strategies such as: mentioning
your complimentary products on the thank you page that should
follow your order page, giveaways, free training courses, e-zine
subscriptions, and mailing lists. All of the strategies
mentioned above are excellent ways to increase your follow on
sales but they are not the only techniques you should be
employing. I have also found the following methods to be very
successful. 1. If you ship a physical product, include sales and
order information for your complimentary products. At minimum
include a picture (preferably full color) of your product and a
URL that the customer may visit to get information or order the
product. A toll free number is a great item to include here.
Also include a postcard for the customer who does not have ready
access to the Internet. 2. If your product is electronic, like
software or an e-book, include an ad for your additional
products. This option should be used with caution, people do not
like to be nagged by products they paid for. Have the ad come up
only the first time the product is used or have a disable button
on the pop up. 3. Establish a “private” area of your web site
and grant access, for free, to any customer purchasing your
products. In the unique content of this “private” area you have
the opportunity to do some follow on selling. 4. Consider
gathering more information on your customers, such as mailing
address, date of birth and telephone number. You will need to
decide if providing this information is mandatory or optional.
There is the potential that some customer will not want to
provide such information. Making it required information may
cost you some sales. Guard the information you collect carefully
and use it only for the purposes defined in you privacy
statement. Send a thank you letter for purchases, send your
customers a birthday card and follow up with them via telephone
to be sure that they are satisfied with the product. These are
all opportunities for follow on selling. 5. On your order form,
ask customers if they want to be notified of new products,
updates and upgrades. Maintain a separate mailing list for those
customers who indicate their willingness to receive this
information. You could also offer the option of allowing the
customer to be notified via postal mail. As mentioned before,
the follow on sale is not easy to master. It is a delicate
balance between salesmanship and becoming a nuisance. As with
most powerful tools, these techniques hold the promise of great
success or spectacular failure. Take the time to test and refine
your methods before attempting widespread application with real
customers. With practice and careful application, these
techniques will contribute greatly to your profits. And as
always, that is the real bottom line.

Using your communication skills is vital

I am keen on everyone remembering and fully using their talents.
This came home to me again recently.

I have been invited to be a trustee with a charity that provides
small motorised sit on vehicles for hire to disabled people at
public events. This is un-paid work where I am happy to give
time to help as I have seen this charity grow from nothing to
it’s present position here in the UK.

After the first trustee meeting two of the operations staff
approached me to ask if we could have a separate meeting to talk
over one or two issues. Of course I readily agreed.

That meeting has taken place and what came out was interesting.
They had felt that my approach “was like a breath of fresh air”
and what did I think about the first trustees’ meeting?

I had some concerns after the first meeting because there are a
number of split and overlapping responsibilities causing
accountability issues. More worryingly there seemed to lack of
solid communication over the cash position. We all know the
importance of effective cashflow control and I could see that
the two issues are linked.

As we discussed my observations we took a little while to get on
the same wavelength and I had to concentrate on my communication
skills to reach understanding.

It was clear that these people who ‘make it happen’ are
dedicated but frustrated. Their frustration is caused by some of
the issues I have outlined but they saw no way out. I proposed
and showed them a way that we (they) could get control of the
cash and in so doing bring some accountability into the
operation.

They struggled at first to understand and I soon realised that I
had slipped into what is for me familiar terminology and jargon
assuming (wrongly) that they would know what I was talking
about. It was not their fault it was me not using my
communication skills.

We had to go over a number of issues again with me taking care
to be explicit in what I was trying to communicate. I left them
understanding what we are doing and why.

What seemed second nature to me was new to them. It’s too easy
to overlook your own experience and not realise how valuable
that experience is. Also it’s too easy not to communicate
skillfully and help others to benefit from your experience.

After all why was I invited to become a trustee? Because I have
experience which can be of benefit to the trust and the people
running it. If I don’t succeed in using my communication skills
effectively I am no use to the trust or it’s people.

This recent incident also brought home the importance of
remembering how to use communication skills.

Don’t under estimate the value of your experience and make sure
at all times you use your communication skills.

Tip: The important thing is to never stop questioning or
learning.

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Reduce Discounts:

Early adopters of ROI selling methodology have reduced discounting by 20-30% and realized significant up-sell and cross-sell opportunities by selling on value rather than price.
International Data Corp (IDC)

Optimal pricing is all about delivering maximum value to each customer and capturing an equal value for your company in the form of fair, value based prices.
PricePoint Partners

By making prospects fully aware of all the costs and benefits they become less price sensitive enabling vendors to discount less and achieve list prices more frequently.
CIOview

Reduce “No Decisions”:

81% of buyers expect vendors to quantify their value proposition.
Information Week

Between 60-80% of all losses are due to ‘No Decision.’
Customer Centric Systems

Results from 707 proposals produced 30% wins, 15% losses and 55% no decision/pending. Of the no decisions only 2% became wins (98% became losses).
Thomas & Company Inc.

Executives that believe that shareholder value is a critical component for making corporate decisions, 75% of them said they require ROI analysis before making an investment choice.
Doremus Communications

Reduce Sales Cycles:

“On average the sales cycle is reduced 30-40% with ROI-based selling.”
IDC

A valid ROI sales effort reduces the sales cycle by 30-40%
Gartner Group

Early adopters of ROI selling methodology have increased selling effectiveness by as much as 60%.
IDC

The average sales cycle for a million dollar Lotus Notes deal is 18 months. For companies that first completed an ROI analysis, 65% reported their purchase process to be 6 months or less.
IDC

Glenn Clowney, President of ROI-Calc, Inc. glenn@roi-calc.com

At ROI-Calc we quantify the business results your prospective customers will get from purchasing your product or service. We can create customized interactive flash-based calculators and other tools to help you build the “business case” your customer needs to get the internal support necessary to buy from you.

We can also customize ROI sales training that easily integrates into your current selling process to quickly double your profits by accelerating sales cycles 20-50%, reducing customer ‘no decisions’ rates 25-40%, and cutting price discounts 35-50%.

Glenn has managed 6 products that became worldwide market share and gross margin dollar leaders, including InternetWeek’s Best of Best Award and being ranked #1 for overall product value (Information Week Survey).

To view examples of our Calcs visit http://www.roi-calc.com/demos_calculators.htm

Call 877-764-2252 and learn more in a 15 minute phone conversation than most people learn in a sales seminar.

“Inherently, each one of us has the substance within to achieve
whatever our goals and dreams define. What is missing from each
of us is the training, education, knowledge and insight to
utilize what we already have.” — Mark Twain

FACT: Selling is the only profession wherein your potential
earnings are beyond what 95% of the world’s population could
ever earn - but only if you know how to close the sale. Selling
is a wonderful profession — but because it is oftentimes
difficult to become successful at it, it is also considered one
of the toughest professions in the world.

As a salesperson, you need to be thankful that making the sale
is so difficult, because if it were easy, the field would be
flooded with amateurs — and the amount of money you could earn
would be greatly reduced. Your job is to find ways to make the
sales process easier so that you can become one of the highest
paid people in your field, if not the world.

The Major Challenge in Selling

Closing the sale is perhaps the most stressful and challenging
part of the sales process. This is where the rubber meets the
proverbial road.

Hi, I’m Brian Tracy — and there are secrets I know that can
unlock the real firepower that lies dormant in your very own
selling skills, and these secrets will change the course of your
sales career forever. I’m going to reveal 3 closing secrets that
can easily triple your sales in the next 90 days.

You may have heard about me through my high-powered sales
seminars attended by approximately 400,000 men and women each
year in 23 countries - or perhaps you have come across one of my
16 best-selling books or 300 learning programs.

The 3 killer secrets that I’m about to reveal are excerpts of
techniques I’ve taught to salespeople all over the world, many
of whom have gone on to become the biggest money-makers in the
sales industry. I guarantee that if you master these lessons and
practice them faithfully, you will at least triple your sales
within the next 90 days.

Killer Closing Secret #1: The Preference Close

The first technique is the Alternative Close, also called the
Preference Close. It is based on the fact that people like to
have choices. They don’t like to be given what may sound like an
ultimatum to either buy it or not buy it.

To apply this technique, you simply structure your close by
saying, “Which of these would you prefer, A or B?”

With the alternative close, whichever one the customer selects,
you would have made a sale either way. You should always try to
give the customer two choices. Even if you are selling a single
product, you can give him two choices with regard to payment, or
delivery. For example, “Would you like this delivered to your
office or to your home address?” “Will that be MasterCard or
Visa?” “Would you like the ATM 26 or the ATM 30?” And so on.

Killer Closing Secret #2: The Secondary Close

The second closing technique is the Secondary Close. This is
extremely popular. It is a way of helping a customer making a
big decision by having him make a small decision that infers the
big decision. Instead of asking the customer to go ahead with
the product or service, you ask a question about a peripheral
detail, the acceptance of which means that he has decided to buy
the larger product.

For example, you could ask, “Would you want this shipped in a
wooden crate, or would cardboard be all right?” “Would you like
us to include the drapes and rods in the offer?” “Did you want
the standard rims or would you like the customized racing rims
on your car?”

In each case, if the customer agrees to or chooses the smaller
item, he has indirectly said, “yes” to the entire offering.
People often find it easier to agree to small details than they
do to making a larger commitment. That’s why this is sometimes
called the Incremental Close, where you get commitment bit by
bit to the entire offer.

Killer Closing Secret #3: The Authorization Close

The third closing technique is the Authorization Close, which is
often used to conclude multimillion-dollar transactions. At the
end of the sales conversation, the salesperson simply asks if
the prospect has any questions or concerns that haven’t been
covered. If the prospect has no further questions or concerns,
the salesperson takes out the contract, opens it up to the
signature page, places a check mark where the customer has to
sign, and pushes it over to him saying, “Well then, if you will
just authorize this, we’ll get started on it right away.” The
word “authorize” is better than the word “sign.” A check mark is
better than an X. Offering to “get started right away” is better
than sitting there hoping for the best.

However you do it, be prepared to ask for the order in whichever
ways seem appropriate at the moment.

The Importance of setting appointments is crucial to running a business. They are the key to a successful business.

When making appointments try to make your call between one and two minutes maximum. Practice keeping your calls to this time scale, any longer and you could be drawn into a full scale presentation. It is like trying to describe a musical you have seen but without the music. Remember to create urgency in your call. Tell your contact that you do not have much time but would really like him or her to hear all about your product.

Compliment your contact by telling him or her why you have chosen them to hear about your product. Think about this, if someone says something nice about you don’t your ears prick up and listen ti what is being said. Leading a conversation with a compliment opens things up for a good reception. But beware of giving forced compliments as people can normally detect them. Before making your call take a few minutes to think about what information you have on this contact. What special reason is there for sharing this opportunity with them. If the contact is a referral think back to what was said about them and use the positive points as your compliments.

You have now got their attention so you can iinsert an approach that you find works for you. Here are some approaches that you could use:

1. Family.

2. Product.

3. Business.

It is entirely up to you just remember the object is to get an appointment nothing more.

The last part of your conversation should be to confirm the appointment by:

1. Giving your contact choices

2. Getting a time and place

For instance, I’m free tomorrow at (insert time) or we could get together on Wednesday or Thursday at (insert time and place) which suits you? Once you have made the appointment thank your contact for the time they have given you and reaffirm the date, time and place of the appointment. Write the appointment in your diary or planner. Give yourself a clap for having made an appointment. Now pick up the phone and do it all over again and again and again.

Ordinary people are making EXTRAORDINARY money WORKING FROM HOME on the Internet! Get FREE info by email. Send your request to: affiliate-jastrad@getresponse.com.

About The Author

Jim Sinclair

I am the editor of a daily ezine named Home Business Tips. I have run many business offices and been General Manager of a UK Company. I use experience gained in these areas in my publication

Jastrad@mailblocks.com