Matthew G. Sikich II is The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Sales Training". You can find complete information on Matthew G. Sikich II and his products by visiting The 5 Buying Habits.
Training can be used to educate, motivate, and cultivate the work force, partner organizations, and customers. When administered effectively, training is an interactive conduit for delivering measurable benefit to the participants. Whether you are a trainer, a manager responsible for selecting ... Views: 1449
The first thing to know when focusing on your sales development, sales training, and coaching, is to know that everybody is selling. It might not be a product or service they are selling, but everyone sells everyday. If somebody wants something from you then they will be selling to you. They ... Views: 611
Most salespeople don’t grow up wanting to be salespeople. They grow up thinking that they’re going to become doctors, lawyers, or businessmen and women that leave the “unpleasant” task of selling to someone else. Well guess what, that unpleasant task is now the way you make your living and it ... Views: 1164
Is your stomach still moving? The market opened yesterday with the Dow dropping over 400 points as everyone in the world worried about the economy. Let’s set the record straight. The economy is in trouble for a number of reasons and the only way you are going to fix your economy is to select ... Views: 1088
Cold Calling - It Can Make or Break Your Sales Success
How to cold call. Cold calling is slowly becoming a lost art. However, it is still one of the most powerful tools that a sales and marketing organization can enlist. For starters, a lot less companies untilze cold calling these days. That ... Views: 1090
Salesmanship is an art, a science, and a true profession. A "natural talent" for sales is not enough. People who achieve the highest level of professional success are willing to put in the time to acquire the skills needed to succeed.
The savvy sales professional reads books, attends ... Views: 1215
It’s the last day of the month and Sheila Johnson is sitting at her computer, filling out the performance recap required from every salesperson in her company. And after typing in the final numbers, she’s all smiles – after all, she’s just calculated her “closure rate” which has come in at an ... Views: 1115
There are few decisions more critical for a company than the hiring of the leadership of their sales organization. Yet, few know how to do it well.
There are few decisions more critical for a company than the hiring of the leadership of their sales organization. Yet, few know how to do it ... Views: 932
I recently conducted an ad hoc survey in which I asked a number of salespeople what they thought about the managers in their company. While many said they like their immediate manager, and other managers in the firm, they reported that, in general, all managers are too busy doing other things ... Views: 1349
Watching the celebrity edition of the Apprentice on television proved to be far more than solely an entertaining experience. Knowing in advance that Gene Simmons, the brains behind the KISS phenomenon and the self-proclaimed god of women, would take episodal charge over the female celebrity ... Views: 1280
When someone calls to ask about your product or services, you know exactly what to ask, what to say, and how to follow up. Are you as confident, and effective, responding to an Internet inquiry? Without the benefit of talking with the prospect directly, the contact can feel colder than a cold ... Views: 579
You have probably been told that the key to sales is closing. I beg to differ. In this article, a new perspective is shared on how sales really happens.
Recently, I was asked to provide my thoughts on sales people and the requirement that they "ask for the business" as a closing technique. ... Views: 907
What does it take to be successful in sales? Certainly effort, hard work and dedication is important. An excellent understanding of the sales process is also essential. But it’s more than that. The most successful people I know have a slightly different outlook than their coworkers and ... Views: 957
There is a little test that professional buyers give to every sales person. It is a test to see if they are confident in the price they presented. They call it the flinch test. Will you pass the test?
After a lengthy buying process, the time has come to submit pricing. Countless hours are ... Views: 909
Your handshake says a lot about you. It can convey confidence, warmth, and honesty, or it can signal weakness, uncertainty, and disinterest. Either way, it sends a subtle yet powerful message about who you are, that is not lost on prospective buyers. Use these pointers to make sure your ... Views: 617
Not sure if your sales organization is up to snuff? Here are twelve keys to help ensure that your team is focused on the right things every day.
Many cars today tell the driver when it is time to perform maintenance. Even better, some tell the driver that maintenance is needed in 1,000 miles ... Views: 857
• Could you be earning more ….?
• But even more importantly, could you be keeping more of what you do earn?
The top agents not only track their K.P.Is (Key Performance Indicators) and their targets, but … they also have a financial Business Plan and a system which lets them know where ... Views: 1056
Every year around this time, we begin to reflect on the year that was, sometimes with pride for a job well done and sometimes with regrets. We wonder why it perhaps didn’t turn out the way we had planned – AGAIN!
How come I didn’t quite reach the mark! And each year you reflect and dream ... Views: 1135
Everybody likes to buy, because buying is fun. If you don’t believe this, try to find a parking space at a shopping mall, or a seat at an auction, this weekend. However, while buying is fun and exciting, nobody likes to be sold. The truth is: the best salespeople don’t ... Views: 589
“I’ll think it over and get back to you.” “Sure, we’ll do that someday.” “I need to check with my colleagues.” “Give me a call next month, then we can set a date.”
Tired of excuses? Looking for a more successful way to get others ... Views: 3595
Whoever coined the phrase, “It’s a jungle out there!” must have been a sales rep. Why? Because some days you’ll encounter more difficult customers than there are animals in the jungle. When hacking your way through the dense underbrush to get to the sale, the trick is to ... Views: 617
A disconnect exists between sales managers and recruiters that causes challenges for both. Together, they can resolve this issue by creating their company’s Sales Talent Screening Program.
Candidate screening is one of the most difficult tasks that recruiters and managers face. Most will ... Views: 977
Are you working hard, but not getting the results you want? If you’re a professional salesperson and you’re not selling, it could be because:
• You are boring. Do customers cut you off in mid-sentence, or jump in when you pause for breath? Chances are, you’re boring ... Views: 557
Closing the sale has always been what we have been told to do - the "ABC of selling" and "lots of little Yes lead to a big Yes" were designed to do just that. These tactics can work for low-end consumer sales, very small business sales and industries where you do not rely on repeat business or ... Views: 966
Many sales people will not make changes unless they are made to feel uncomfortable.
EXAMPLE - If your team feels comfortable forecasting numbers below their quota, or reporting numbers below their forecast they will continue to do so. Unfortunately, that means you must be able, when necessary, ... Views: 1214
E. Haldeman-Julius never wrote a book, but he knew how to sell them. He sold literally millions of books in the 1920s. If a title didn’t sell over 10,000 copies a year, it went to a place in his office called “The Hospital,” where Haldeman-Julius gave it a new title. It the ... Views: 1380
Affiliate marketing has been an incredible opportunity for people around the globe. While some affiliate marketers earn a few extra thousand dollars each month, others consistently bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars each month. However, as more people have begun marketing affiliate ... Views: 617
Here are 15 sales tips you can use to sell smarter during 2008. With the right sales motivation, you can become as successful as you want to be!
However, you must come to grips with this fact. If you aren't outrageously successful at this moment, thinking about it won't make it happen.
The end ... Views: 953
Going back to the basics in sales tips is like starting a new exercise program. Muscles working out in an established routine may no longer respond to toning or strengthening. Sales skills in your regular routine may never get a tune up. Like physical exercise, why not tune-up your sales skills? ... Views: 1110
Like in kickboxing, sticking to sales basics can help even the most introverted or most reluctant salespeople stay focused. Whether it is a side kick, front kick or knee thrust, all kicks require focus and attention. Isn’t that just perfect for a salesperson who tends to be reluctant at some ... Views: 937
Everyone has heard that it is important to set goals. We’re going to suggest a somewhat radical change to the way you currently set goals. And that radical change is this:
Beginning right now… today… stop setting “YES” GOALS… in other words, goals that revolve around results and ... Views: 1320
Here's a sales tip - the best day of the week is TODAY, of course. Yesterday's are lost forever, and we know only too well that tomorrow isn't promised to anyone.
When you're reading the morning newspaper and don't see your name in the obituary - declare it a great day.
Some salespeople ... Views: 7656
The price objection is what I always hear whenever I'm doing an in-house corporate sales training programs. I always ask the group this question. "What are the biggest challenges you face in growing your business?" They always say the price objection.
Within ten nanoseconds, someone raises his ... Views: 1765
You've heard it before, but you don't understand the impact and implications. You can't get the results you want if you either don't know how, or won't take the time to plan to get them. Your natural instinct is to just go-go-go rather than plan, so you know when and where to go to get the ... Views: 931
You understand that questions are a critical part of the sales process. Yet, questions aren't producing the results you want. That’s because the way you structure the questions you ask, and the intent behind them have a dramatic impact on the prospect.
Questions serve as a ... Views: 2061
Even members of the MDRT will tell you they don’t really like prospecting, but they know it’s something they have to do. Prospecting should be something you look forward to with excited anticipation because you can’t sell anyone anything until you have someone to talk to, but ... Views: 700
“Truth or Delusion? Unlike cold-calling, the referral process is difficult to measure. Delusion!
“We know this because we’ve designed a networking scorecard for tracking referrals and the business that results from them. On this card you record the nature and source of each referral, how you ... Views: 1182
Have you ever played the piano? If you’ve ever learned to play the piano, or any other musical instrument for that matter, you know that at first the learning process is very mechanical. First, you have to figure out what keys relate to what note. Then you begin to methodically try and ... Views: 643
In case you haven’t notice theirs a new generational cohort entering the workplace and they are making their presence know. Generation Y (aka iGeneration, Google Generation, Millennium Generation, and the Boomerang Generation), have grown up in a world of diverse Internet resources.
If ... Views: 874
How many times have you met with a prospect, heard what they said, and then offered a solution only to be told “no”? More often than not, right? Well you may be causing yourself to get a “no” when you should be getting a “yes”.
Of course, you ... Views: 570
All of us have only 24 hours in a day and few of us want to spend all of them working.
So being able to manage your day effectively will determine not only your business success but also your quality of life.
Here are seven ways to make every minute as productive as possible.
1. Manage your ... Views: 797
Has a prospect ever told you they wanted to buy, and then changed their mind? Or they bought and then almost immediately backed out of the deal, wanted a refund, or canceled their premium. Were you left wondering how that could happen when they seemed so excited and on board?
If ... Views: 575
The heart of the new approach to selling is an intense focus on the prosperity of your customers. This is a radical departure from what most salespeople and selling organizations do. The entire psychological orientation is shifted 180 degrees. No longer do you measure your own success first. ... Views: 647
The ugly truth is that most salespeople have poor or non-existent follow-up. And you have all kinds of excuses for why you don't do it. Let’s take a look at them, and you’ll begin to understand that a lot of your sales struggles are the result of your behaviors rather than your ... Views: 573
After you've done a needs analysis, do you get a lot of not now's and other objections? That's because you're incorrectly implementing the right idea. And that happens because you think a needs analysis is a product sales tool and it shouldn't be.
You see when you do a needs ... Views: 1166
I don't mean the hyper-active jumping up and down talking too much enthusiasm of a person who lacks self-control. I do mean your energy and the way you control that energy, and how it's conveyed to potential buyers. It’s been said many times and it’s still true that the first ... Views: 616
Have you read, studied, perhaps even trained on the sales techniques offered by the best salespeople out there yet they just don't seem to work when you do them? Are you frustrated and confused as to why and how that could happen? Whether you’ve studied Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins, Jeffrey ... Views: 668
If your sales aren't hot you may be frustrated and confused. You know the sales and marketing systems you're using are working for others, but they aren't working for you. How or why can that be?
Because you’re reading this article I’m pretty confident that you have at ... Views: 596
In 1981 Jan Carlzon took over as chairman of one of Europe's
most poorly rated airlines, Scandinavian Airline Systems
(SAS). That year the company reported an $8 million loss,
after having lost $20 million the previous year. Carlzon
quickly implemented many changes; the most important of ... Views: 2982
This article is about how NLP can help to stand back and understand the intention behind behaviour and a route to creating results in sales and business environments.
NLP and Hypnosis have a lot of tools around covert language and persuasion skills. Real persuasion only happens when you stand ... Views: 809