Core Business Solutions Advice

I recently completed a great read about sales by Michael Dalton Johnson who is an award-winning publisher and successful entrepreneur and business leader. He is Editor and Publisher of Top Dog Sales Secrets, a bestselling book featuring advice from 50 renowned sales experts. Michael is the founder of SalesDog.com, an educational website for sales professionals. He has appeared on NBC's Today Show and been featured in U.S. News and World Report, Time, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and New York Times. He has been a featured guest on over 200 television and radio shows.

These are 7 Tips To Help Increase Your Sales that I found:

Investigate Your Buyer Before You Call-

• Check Online on Social Media sites (LinkedIn, Xing, Spoke) to check your buyer's background , interests and education
• Check their company website & read recent press releases
• Take some notes

Armed with this information, you'll have a much better chance of establishing that all important first contact rapport. This only takes a few minutes and will be time well spent. You'll build your relationship with the buyer quicker and have a much better chance of ultimately closing the deal.

Make Your Follow-up Email Sing- Given the high volume of email flowing into most in-boxes, your follow-up note might not get read. Avoid this by:

• Use their first name in the subject line
• Keep you email short- do not overload them with info
• Summarize and provide links for more info
• Carefully proofread it-Poor spelling & grammar really turn buyers off (proofreading software is free or low cost)

Think Outside The In-Box- Because in-boxes are increasingly crowded and noisy, marketers are rediscovering the power of regular mail.

• Consider follow-up with info delivered by snail mail
• Include your business card, a brochure or a report or spec sheets
• This beats the email Fatigue Factor & stay in touch with your prospect

POWER TIP- Write a very brief personalized note on the front of the envelope. Example: "Mary, I enjoyed our conversation. Enclosed is a hard copy of the information you requested." Call a few days later to confirm receipt and renew your conversation.

It's not what you say; it's how you say it! Persuasive speakers communicate by using positive language. Example: Instead of saying, "We can't ship your order until next Tuesday," say, "We can ship your order as early as next Tuesday." What a difference! Put yourself in your listener's shoes; which version is more appealing?

The habit of using positive speech has helped many to achieve more results. You can practice this skill all the time, too. Try it with coworkers, family, and friends. You'll begin to see things in a whole new light!

Learn To Listen

• Develop your listening skills. Good listeners close far more sales. Period.
• Remember the 80-20 rule- Prospect speaks 80% of the time; You 20%
• Slow down and ask intelligent questions
• Use reflective listening skills (repeat back your prospects answers; this builds rapport)

State Your Business- Some telephone cold-call gurus will tell you to offer a pleasantry or two after introducing yourself. They are wrong.

• Avoid the opening, "How are you?" When spoken over the phone to a stranger, the phrase reeks of insincerity. You might as well scream, "I am going to try to sell you something!"
• Instead, employ a more businesslike opening, such as, "The reason I'm calling you this morning is to learn about your company's personnel needs, and to see if we can be of help."
• In other words, after introducing yourself, state the reason for your call. Prospects will appreciate your directness and respect for their time and intelligence. Only ask, "How are you?" after you've progressed beyond the initial contact and a relationship has been established.

The More You Learn, the More You Earn!

This is the most important advice that you'll find in this book.

• Make a commitment to your success
• Every day invest a little time sharpening your sales skills
• The number one mistake salespeople make is neglecting their ongoing sales education
• No excuses. This doesn't have to be a huge investment of time or money. There are plenty of free or low-cost sales skills improvement resources around you. Ask an experienced, successful sales person for some help or even a business advisor who's been there.

In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.

Until Then Please:

1- Live Simply. 2- Speak Kindly.

3- Care Deeply.4-Love Generously.

All The Very Best...Always,

Walt Morey

Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business

www.corebizsolution.com