Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “sales”
Sales is a dynamic career, and sales professionals require extensive skills to be successful. One of your fundamental skill sets must be communications. Knowing how to connect with your (potential) clients is vital to building your relationship and, yes, making the sale. After all, how can you expect a yes if your audience doesn’t understand what you’re saying? Learning how …
What is a successful sale? How do you increase your success rate? It’s all about matching your solution to a customer’s need, providing something they lack, or fulfilling a desire or want. As you work through the discovery process, you are identifying buyer motivation. The prospects with a need are actively seeking suppliers with the product or service that meets …
Sales isn’t just the art of convincing people to buy the product or service you’re selling. In fact, the foundation of sales lies in quality communication: You must learn to actively listen so you understand what your customer wants and needs. But this is easier said than done. Luckily, we got some key tips to improve your communication fundamentals. In …
Our company sends out monthly email campaigns. Although they seem to be well received, our subscribers continue to drop off, and there does not appear to be any real sales benefit. What should we consider to improve the impact? – Jarvina in Las Cruces, NM Answer: Jarvina, there are three core steps you need to take regarding your email campaigns: …
We’ve all been there: A customer has missed a payment or fallen behind in their account. While prevention is the best medicine, here we are, and we need resolution. How can we help our accounts payable team and receive remittance? When our client is resistant to paying the invoice, how do we respond? The following steps will help you collect …
Lately, you can’t escape discussions about how artificial intelligence – AI – will inevitably disrupt and even end retail sales. We’re already seeing the rise of self-checkout stands at grocery stores, and chatbots are an increasingly common part of online purchasing experiences. Are we on the verge of a retail sales apocalypse? We spoke to Patrick Carter, a sales leader …
I haven’t talked to a prospect in several months and think I may have dropped the ball. What should I do? How can I pick up my fumble? – Maddie in Ponca City, Oklahoma Answer: Pick up the fumble and run with it. Reach out and check in with your client. Don’t apologize; just initiate your conversation where you left …
Are you struggling in sales? Are you looking to increase your closing rate? To succeed in sales, it’s vital that you know who you’re selling to. How well do you understand your clients? How well do you understand buyer motivation? Make sure you know what your client wants (what they really, really want) before you make your sales pitch. Thinking …
Acquiring the skill to effectively communicate with your internal team is a juggernaut for sale success. Every sales woman, including the one-woman consultant, works with a diverse group of individuals to accomplish desired client outcomes. How you interact with this village will help or hinder your sales efforts. In sales, we are so focused on our client relationships and communication …
I’m struggling to receive returned calls. I follow up over and over. Calls, emails, and inmail on LinkedIn – nothing works. What am I missing? How do I get a call back? – Johanna in Brandon, Manitoba Answer: How do sales people improve the likelihood of receiving a returned call from their prospects? This is the million-dollar question. Seasoned professionals, …
We have all developed standard messaging, processes, and steps to pursue and close sales. Even so, it’s vital that we take a step back every 10 weeks or so to re-tool and re-frame. Reconsider the content you’re sending out, the look and feel of the message, the methods of communication delivery, the ease for interaction with our clients and prospects, …
Whether you work in sales directly or work with sales, you may wonder how you can work more effectively with procurement and provide long-term value in your client-vendor relationships. Kendall Cowdrey, a senior procurement facilitator at a Fortune 500 organization, knows a thing or two about developing lasting relationships. She offers expert advice in our new podcast interview. Kendall explains …
My clients never give me referrals. I’m doing great business with them with outstanding performance reviews. Why won’t they voluntarily recommend me? – Blessing in Huntsville, Alabama Answer: Blessing, this is a great question. As with asking for the sale, you must ask for the referral. This is a simple answer, but there is an art to asking for referrals. …
You may have heard that patience is a virtue. Not only is this a good antidote for everyday life, it is especially true in professional sales, as patience can pay big dividends towards closing the sale. This is not the same thing as letting a sale cool down and drop off your radar. Rather, it’s an integral component of every …
Here’s the secret to advancing your profession and learning invaluable career skills: sales training. Sales training teaches women key attributes needed to overcome obstacles and achieve our objectives. It’s a game changer, even for those who aren’t in a sales position. Core sales training covers conflict, negotiation, relationships, presentation, persuasion, and the ask. Each of these are foundational building blocks …
Lynn, how have sales changed with #MeToo? What should I do differently? – Aimee in Owings Mills, Maryland Answer: Best practices for sales professionals have not changed with #MeToo. Sales is about serving your customers in an ethical and responsible way, and there is no room for inappropriate and egregious behavior in a sales person’s repertoire. Successful sales people build …
In our dog-eat-dog world, many people feel that they must use every tool possible to get ahead. This as true in sales as anywhere else. When a study suggests that saleswomen are 20% more successful when they flirt with clients, you can understand why some saleswomen would follow that path. But is being a flirt as lucrative as it seems? …
One of my colleagues told me I come across as a flirt. I was horrified. She’s a real pro and I respect her. Still, our styles are very different. I have numerous male clients. How do I act friendly without being flirty when building rapport? – Becky in Smyrna, Delaware Answer: It’s all about the signals you give off. There’s …
How do you succeed in negotiations? In your sales career, strong negotiating often comes down to how others perceive you. Presenting a strong, self-assured confidence can go a long way towards improving your bargaining power. You can’t control the other person or their role in this negotiation, but you can control what you bring to the table. Here’s how you can …
We never have enough marketing materials for the different industries and business units. We have a generic brochure and presentation, but neither addresses the unique needs of our market segments. How do I approach management to convince them to give us better materials? –McKenzi in Boise, Idaho Answer: Preparation and participation are primary components for success in any endeavor. Schedule …