A sale is not something you pursue, it’s what happens to you while you are immersed in serving your customer.

This quote from a source “Unknown” is very relevant.  In today’s business climate, serving your customer is the key to sales success today and tomorrow.  Our future is in our hands…if we don’t get bogged down in believing no one is buying.

Make your contacts this week with the intention of finding a way to serve your customer … the “sale” will follow.

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Ever feel like the Energizer bunny because you just keep going and going and going?  I do – and I do get a lot done.  But the constant operating at full speed sometimes creates ineffectiveness and inefficiency.  That’s why, as I return from a week in Aruba, I realize how important it is to periodically shut down so I have more “power” going forward.

There are three benefits I am already experiencing from my week-long shut down.

Clarity
Focus
More Energy

Within a day of being back “in” I have already finalized some new business, resolved a problem that I couldn’t solve earlier and refined some stagnant goals.  I guess I should power down more regularly!

But how can we power down without the time and expense of a week in paradise?  A few tips:

• Shut off the computer after hours – this includes the Blackberry too.
• Escape with a good book that is non business related.
• Call a friend or family member who won’t  talk “business”.
• Exercise while listening to some great music.

All of these ideas are short escapes that allow us to Restart without a full Shut Down.  And each of them will help us have more power when we Reboot. 

What other ways have you found to reboot yourself? 

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Tags: focus, priorities, productivity, Sales Tips

Ever thought about your E-Reputation?  Know what it is?  Guest Post Author Lynn Zimmer of Sales Pro Insider shares information on a topic many have never considered:  Our E-Reputation.  Nancy Bleeke will return on  April 17th (hopefully she has found some sun and warmth…and time away from everything electronic

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Many of us know that protecting our reputation or making sure our actions lead to a good reputation is an important business strategy.  But today technology has changed the way we do business and our reputation is more transparent than it ever has been!

Technology has made it easy for us to research everybody!  This is so helpful in sales as we can learn about them and their business before we call them.  And we need to know that they can do research on us at any time during the sales process as well!  And this research may help us…or hurt us.

While this might be unsettling to some, it’s a REALITY that people can find out a lot of information about us without ever personally having a conversation.

What information is out “there” about you?  Are you familiar with your “e-reputation” and what is available about you and your company online?

You can check if you perform a search on:

1. Your name using a popular search engine (Google, Yahoo)
2. Your company name using a popular search engine. Don’t just go to your website, find out where the search of your company name takes you!
3. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter
   More and more people are using a variety of online resources to post personal information, reconnect with old classmates, meet new people, etc.   LinkedIn is recognized as a business-oriented social networking site used by more than 30 million professionals to market their products, services and themselves. 

To help you ensure your e-reputation is pure, here are some guidelines for using a social networking site:

1. Create a complete profile, including a picture, so that people can find you (and know it’s you!)
2. Be sure that you’re accepting invitations from people that you know and who would “represent” you well, should anyone ask about your relationship. 
3. When making connections, concentrate on quality, not quantity.
   WHAT DO PEOPLE SEE?  Know what is posted under your name and your company so that you can keep it updated, professional and accurate.  
   Reputation is what other people know about you. Lois Bujold

Check in on your e-reputation often to make sure that it works for you.  And then you can use that reputation to get your foot in more doors.

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Tags: networking, Sales, Sales Tips

Need to nurture pre-sales relationships?  Today’s guest post is by Melissa Blair, a Certified Marketing Automation Coach and techie who is always on the front end of new technology.  Melissa shares specific ways for you to keep in touch with your prospects and be top of mind when they are ready to buy!

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If you’re in sales you already know that prospects are not always ready to buy when you’re ready to sell.  Drip Marketing is a term used to describe an automated system that uses emails, newsletters, direct mail and postcards to continually drip out information to your list of prospects and customers.  Developing a strategy for keeping in contact on a continuing basis is what will cause a prospect to buy from you rather than from one of your competitors.

Let’s examine more closely how drip marketing can increase your sales:

1. Build a relationship– Sending out regular messages to your target market allows you to share information about your business and assures the prospect that your relationship with them will not end with the sale.  

2. Presell your prospects – Educate them and help them do their research.  When they’re ready to make a purchase, who do you think they’re going to call?  

3. Be persistent –Marketing experts recommend you have some sort of contact every 10-21 days to keep your name foremost in your prospects’ minds.   Think about what information you already have that you could divide up and send to your prospect list.   Brochures, white papers, manuals, FYI emails, etc.

4. Become the expert – Supplying your prospects with evidence that you know what you’re talking about will develop your image as an expert.   What have you accomplished that positions you as a leader in your industry?  Don’t be afraid to self-promote!

5. Be yourself –Studies have shown that prospects are more likely to make a purchase from someone they know and trust rather than a stranger who is selling a similar product.  Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine.  Let them see that you are a real person and that you care.

6. Mix it up – Prospects are bombarded with messages every day.  It’s hard to cut through all the clutter in order to get your message noticed.  Use a combination of email, postcards, direct mail, automated voice messaging, phone calls, Twitter, Facebook, etc.   You never know which of your messages will connect with which prospect. 

7. Fix your follow-up failure – An automated marketing database will allow you to make sure that no one falls through the cracks.  Think of all the people you’ve met at networking events and trade shows.  What about referrals and your past customers?  If you’re like most salespeople, you have a pile of business cards on your desk with the intent to follow-up.  Unless you have an automated system, regular follow-up rarely happens and many sales are lost. 

8. Target your audience – As you have probably discovered, your target market can be divided into various subsets. Using a database allows you to further segment your market and personalize your messages accordingly. Your prospects will become purchasers if they can relate to your sales message, which will be different for every segment of your target market.

9. Eliminate your slow sales times –Just as people are nearing the end of one marketing cycle and making purchases, new people will just begin receiving your information, thus continuing the cycle.  If you automate your marketing messages – such as via email auto responders or postcard campaigns – you will have a steady stream of sales. 

10. Appreciate your current customers – Now that you have a customer base that has bought a product, you can use drip marketing to up-sell or cross-sell them to other products or services you offer.   Your current customers are a goldmine as they already know and trust you. 

While planning a drip marketing campaign will take time, the effort is well worth the investment.  Once your automated system is set-up,  it will decrease the amount of time you spend in trying to manually follow-up with people and increase the amount of sales you can make each month.

For a free report on Drip Marketing from Melissa Blair, click here. You can reach her at Melissa@cultivatingsales.com or call 262-347-9678. 

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Tags: productivity, prospecting, Sales Tips

There is still time for you to hear from Top Sales Experts who will share with their vision for the future of  selling in the Kick-Off Event of Sales Experts Roundtables. 

The details for this roundtable called the Future of Professional Selling are below…

Join sales experts  Jonathan Farringon, Jill Konrath, Linda Richardson, Dave Stein, Nigel Edelshain for this can’t-be-missed event.  They will explore what professional selling will involve in five, ten, and even twenty year’s time

•      Does professional selling as we know it have a future?
•      What impact will Sales 2.0 have on the way we sell?
•      How will organizations train and develop their sales teams?
•      Today, what is the relative value derived from sales training courses versus coaching?
•      Will “one-size fits all” classroom training, be consigned to the annals of history?
•      Which industries are more likely to witness the death of selling as we know it today?
•      What can front-line salespeople do to protect themselves from possible extinction?
•      After this current financial meltdown, will lost jobs be re-created?
•      Will the rapid growth of online sales training and coaching continue?
•      Ongoing research shows that sales performance has been declining year after year.  Why?
•      Quite simply, will selling ever be the same again?

For specifics and to register, click here.   And look around the TSE site – there is a LOT of great information for sales success by worldwide sales experts – including me!  …Nancy Bleeke

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How can Jerry Seinfeld help us sell more?  This guest post by Lynn Zimmer of the Sales Pro Insider team shares this tip on building habits (Seinfeld lovers will appreciate this):

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Years ago when Seinfeld was a new television show and Jerry Seinfeld a touring comic, he shared one of his success habits during an interview.

He said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day. Here’s his secret revealed:

Using a big wall calendar (whole year at a glance) hanging on a prominent wall that he saw daily, he put a big red X over the day when he completed his task of writing.

 “After a few days you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain.”

 ”Don’t break the chain,” he repeated.

Daily action builds habits. It is consistent daily actions that build extraordinary outcomes.  Seinfeld understands that daily action yields greater benefits than sitting down and trying to knock out 1000 jokes in one day.

How does this relate to your sales success?  Determine what action would make the most profound impact on your sales if you worked it every day.  Then take that action and mark your first big red X on your Seinfeld calendar today.  Continue taking that action each day, and as Jerry Seinfeld says:

 Don’t break the chain!

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Thanks Lynn – if we identify the actions that will move us forward and follow this process, we will sell more!  After all, Jerry had huge success with his “show about nothing.”

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Welcome to the Sales Pro Insider Blog.  We are so thankful you have found us.  Guest Author Post Lynn Zimmer of the Sales Pro Insider team shares this tip on Giving Thanks.  Nancy Bleeke is in Aruba enjoying a break from the Wisconsin winter.  She will return on April 17th.

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“How often should I say thank you?” is a common business etiquette question.  And it is a tough question for some as it resonates with your individual values.

While a service might be expected, does it merit a thank you? 

A basic guideline is to say thank you every time you have received something of value. It only takes a moment and it’s free!

In a business relationship, here are some times when it is appropriate to show Thanks:

1. At the beginning of a relationship:  To express appreciation for the opportunity to provide a product or service.
2. Once the service has been provided or product delivered.
3. Ongoing throughout the relationship (recommend 3-4 times/year) to show that you value the relationship and have not taken it for granted.

Some ways to show your thankfulness:

1. A sincere verbal thank you.  Watch that your body language and words match. (Beware the busy retail employee response:  Thanks, have a nice day.  Next?)
2.  A Note of appreciation.  Your invoices should always thank customers for their business; notes of appreciation are a personal note (no form letters!) that is best mailed separately.
3. “Valued” Customer cards.  No, this is not a new Hallmark creation.  A valued customer card is sent to let your customer to let them know that you appreciate working with them.  The beauty is that it’s customized to them, from you – because you’re creating the “event.”  A blank card with a handwritten note is perfect or a holiday card with a preprinted message works too (just be sure it’s a handwritten signature and that their name is written inside the card to personalize it.)

Want some additional ideas on ways to say “thanks”?  Check out www.sendoutcards.com.  It’s a quick, easy, cost-effective way to send out personalized cards and gift items. 

Ready to show your appreciation after this reminder?  Think about your customer base.  Did the customer you just lost, know that you appreciated their business?  When was the last time you remembered to thank them for their business?

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” 

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

And we say Thank YOU for visiting our blog.  We hope you find the Tips great reminders of what you can do to achieve the highest levels of sales success.

What are some ways you have creatively expressed your appreciation? 

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Tags: Sales Tips

Ever  listen to a top-notch athlete talk about their success?  Most of the time they mention their ongoing conditioning, goal setting, coach and breaking new barriers.  That’s why sports analogies are used so often in training top-notch salespeople.  To truly stay on top of your sales game you need to keep your skills toned and your mind sharp.

Today’s “new” business environment has created more complex sales, tighter budgets,and competition which have changed the rules for sales success - what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow.

What can you do about it?  Strengthen your skills and knowledge!  There are many opportunities for learning – - whether your company provides them or not.  Top Sales Experts has tapped the top world-wide sales gurus to provide GREAT informatoin for you to be more successful in your sales.  The topics cross the breadth of sales – prospecting, networking, Sales 2.0, sales skills, leadership – you’ll find options that will help you sell more!

I highly recommend you click here to learn more.  Each webinar is less than $45 if you are a member (which is only $25 a year and you receive $2000 worth of free resources when you join – click here for more details).  Are you ready to make an investment in sharpening your skills and knowledge? 

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Tags: sales success, Sales Tips

Last Monday’s post outlined an easy format to write your goals.  Goal clarity is such an important part of sales success and productivity that it deserves the focus again this Monday! 

After your goals are written movement toward achieving them is a goal in itself.  And following a good process – the 4 R process for goal clarity – will ensure your goal success.

Many people think that identifying the goals is the hard part.  This is because they think that once they set a goal, it is set in stone and needs to be done as originally outlined.  Not true!  Every day brings new considerations that may affect the goal itself or the path to reaching it.  That is why an effective goal process includes actions that let you adjust your priorities, plan to achieve goals, and time-frames.

One of my favorite examples is with my own goals.  I was working through a review of my goals with a colleague years ago.  I was frustrated because I had not made ANY  progress on one of my goals for 3 years. 

He asked me “If you haven’t done anything about this goal in 3 years, how important is it to you?  Does it belong as one of the 8 goals  you are focusing on?” 

My response was, “Well, I guess it mustn’t have been important or I would have done something by now, right?”

He responded, “Then why it is one of your goals?”

I said, “Because someone told me I needed to learn to golf if I was going to succeed in business. So I made it a goal.”  (Yes, becoming a proficient golfer was a goal of mine for a while.)

He laughed and said, “You seem to be doing fine in business, and its okay to replace that goal with something more meaningful.”

Wow!  I had  permission to REMOVE and REPLACE a goal!  Instead of feeling like a failure each time I realized   hadn’t made any progress, I got to decide that it was a goal that wasn’t that important to me.  The relief I felt was HUGE.  And it was great to cross “Take golf lessons and join a golf league” off my goal list!

Now of course, we can’t always just cross off business goals, but why can’t we revise or replace goals when it makes sense?  We CAN and the following complete goal setting process incudes opportunity to make those edits. 

To help you set reasonable and realistic goals that you will achieve, the goal setting process in its’ entirety follows.

1. Set your goals.  Follow the goal setting activity here. 
2. Keep your goals visible not tucked away in a notebook or a drawer. 
3. Determine how often you will review  your progress, and then: 

• Review – read your goals and the plan to achieve them.  Are you on track?  Then move to Renew.  Not on track?  Revise or Recycle
• Renew- Recommit yourself to the goal and the time-frame.  Consciously think through the next steps and how you will feel when the goal is accomplished.
• Revise- If the situation has change – revise your gaol as needed.  maybe the timing is off, or the outcome needs to be edited or the people involved have changed.  It’s okay make those revisions and then you have a realistic goal based on today’s criteria. 
• Recycle- Yes, recycle.  Just because a goal made sense earlier, doesn’t mean it still does.  It’s okay to remove a goal from your priorities and replace it with one that is more meaningful.

4.  Share your goals and progress or frustration with a stakeholder.  Maybe they will help you get clarity on some of your goals like my colleague did for me.

This process works.  It’s 7 years later, I’m still not a good golfer and my business has quadrupled in that time.  Thank goodness I had someone who was wiling to ask me questions to help me clarify the why and what of my goals.

I’d like to hear how you achieve your goals.  Send me a note and I’ll be happy to celebrate your goal successes with you too.

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Tags: goal setting

Top Sales Experts are ready to share with their vision for the future of  selling – an important topic for all us in this wonderful, crazy, rewarding and frustrating career of sales. 

The Kick-Off Event promises to deliver so much value in helping you understand the Future of Professional Selling.  Details below:

Join the debate, as five of the world’s leading sales gurus, discuss what professional selling will involve in five, ten, and even twenty year’s time

•      Does professional selling as we know it have a future?
•      What impact will Sales 2.0 have on the way we sell?
•      How will organizations train and develop their sales teams?
•      Today, what is the relative value derived from sales training courses versus coaching?
•      Will “one-size fits all” classroom training, be consigned to the annals of history?
•      Which industries are more likely to witness the death of selling as we know it today?
•      What can front-line salespeople do to protect themselves from possible extinction?
•      After this current financial meltdown, will lost jobs be re-created?
•      Will the rapid growth of online sales training and coaching continue?
•      Ongoing research shows that sales performance has been declining year after year.  Why?
•      Quite simply, will selling ever be the same again?

The Experts in this Roundtable include:  Jonathan Farringon, Jill Konrath, Linda Richardson, Dave Stein, Nigel Edelshain.

It sounds like a productive use of time for everyone in sales!  You can read more about me too at Top Sales Expert’s site…Nancy Bleeke

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Tags: sales expert, sales seminar, Sales Tips