Recently added articles from American Salesman:
The practice of sales.
Nov 01, 2008; ... "Every profession expects the serious practitioner of that profession to continually seek out the best practices of that profession, and then to roll them into his/her routine with discipline." That statement comes out of my mouth in almost every seminar or key note that I ...
Three ways to start a conversation & finish with a sale.
Nov 01, 2008; ... Ditch your elevator pitch. Zap your infomercial. And what ever you do, keep your carefully worded, painstakingly developed, positioning statement to yourself. They may make you sound clever, but your elevator pitch, infomercial or positioning statement doesn't exactly make for ...
Beyond passive resistance motivating salespeople to adopt change.
Nov 01, 2008; ... The market constantly changes and any agile, growth-minded sales organization recognizes the necessity of changing along with it. However, no matter how innovative and effective the projected change may seem, individuals must implement it in order for the initiative to be successful. ...
Still cold calling? You're doomed.
Nov 01, 2008; ... Most salespeople still seem to think that the only way to find new business is through that tried-but-true technique known as "cold calling." For those of you who need to be enlightened, this involves getting a list of people who have never met you, know nothing about you or your company, ...
The strangest secret.
Nov 01, 2008; ... In 1957, Earl Nightingale, speaker, author and co founder of the Nightingale-Conant Corporation, recorded his classic motivational record "The Strangest Secret." "The Strangest Secret" sold over one million copies and made history in the recording industry by being honored as the first ...
Take control of your team: Now is the time to deal with bad employees.
Nov 01, 2008; ... While different companies in varying industries tend to battle diverse and unique challenges, one issue remains constant and prevalent across the board: bad employees, and having to manage them. When you add a weak economy to the mix, the situation becomes even more difficult. The easy ...
Want a "yes" decision from anyone? Trigger it!(decision making)
Oct 01, 2008; ... You can have anything you want, yes, anything! All you have to do is to persuade someone to decide to do what you want. The most successful people in the world are those who can get things done with and through others. By applying new scientific breakthroughs, it's now quick and easy to ...
The question is the key.
Oct 01, 2008; ... Focus, focus, focus. That's the phrase that I find myself repeating constantly in every sales seminar that I present. I believe focus is the greatest challenge for salespeople today, and the greatest single solution to their challenges. There are so many demands on our time, so many tasks ...
Recession RX: start with sales management.
Oct 01, 2008; ... The news is overflowing with stories of failing businesses. A nearly 100-year-old company has decided to close its doors. The current owners, fourth generation brothers, blame "the economy." However, their great grandfather survived the crash of '29 and the Great Depression. Their ...
How to build trust & rapport quickly.
Oct 01, 2008; ... If you're working hard, but aren't consistently generating enough sales and getting referrals, chances are it's a matter of trust. One of the most critically important and yet frequently overlooked aspects of selling is creating a solid foundation of trust and rapport. Suppose ...
3 keys to engage any audience.
Oct 01, 2008; ... Running a successful and effective meeting, whether large or small, requires one key element: engagement. In other words, those attending your meeting can't simply sit back and listen. If you want them to receive true value from your message and take action on your ideas, you must make the ...
Go for the gold: winning sales lessons from the wide world of sports.(sales management is just like determination and discipline from the world of sports)
Oct 01, 2008; ... Few sports spectacles were as exciting as watching the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing! Millions tuned in around the world as Michael Phelps shattered previous Olympic records to become the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time. When Phelps was asked by Meredith Vieira on ...
Top 10 secrets to mastering your personal brand.
Oct 01, 2008; ... What do Sir Richard Branson, Barack Obama and Suze Orman all have in common? They have each built powerful personal brands that have propelled them to the top of their businesses, their careers, and their lives. How did they do it? Like other successful personal branders, they ...
Want more sales? Give your customers something for nothing.
Sep 01, 2008; ... Today's marketplace is about building relationships and learning how you can spend your resources wisely so those who are predisposed to buying your products and services step forward. Unfortunately, many companies are still following outdated mass marketing techniques where they approach ...
Conquering the fear of cold-calling part II.
Sep 01, 2008; ... In the first installment we learned the importance of "pre-call preparation" and "positioning". Now we will look at the fundamentals of the cold call itself. COLD CALL FUNDAMENTALS: 1. TITLES: Use self describing titles that are devoid of the word ...
Seven ways to build rapport with anyone.
Sep 01, 2008; ... Building rapport with customers is like squirting oil into gears. Imagine some gears grinding together. When you squirt lubricating oil into the gears, you reduce the friction and make everything work smoother. So it is when two people interact with each other. Rapport, like ...
Selling the intangible: how to effectively market a service-based business.
Sep 01, 2008; ... In some respects, selling a product is easy. You have an item you can show and demonstrate to people when in person, and something you can take photos of for your marketing pieces. Even more important, your prospects can use multiple senses to make a buying decision. For example, they can ...
Show and tell.
Sep 01, 2008; ... One of the most critical, yet overlooked principles in the selling process, is the power of self-discovery through customer involvement. Regrettably, many salespeople use a show and tell presentation style and babble on hoping they might say something that will generate a sale. When you ...
Ten strategies for outsmarting the competition.
Sep 01, 2008; ... It doesn't take any brains to beat the competition on price. But outsmarting the competition is quite different--and far more challenging and worthwhile. While low price gets an order, out maneuvering the competition gets a customer. Here are 10 moves to put competitors on the defensive. ...
Turning obstacles into opportunities.
Sep 01, 2008; ... Success is not going to come banging on your door screaming, "Open the door--I'm here!" You have to actually seek it out. Being successful, or at least staying successful in the world today, is a tough challenge here in the United States as well as abroad. How we tackle the challenges we ...