Sometimes new tools become available that remind me that some of our sales activities could be so much more simple!And who doesn’t want to make capturing and nurturing leads more simple?

At the Sales SheBang event in August, a company,  ActiveConversion recently . Nancy Nardin, President at Smart Selling Tools recommended that we have ActiveConversion as one of our sponsors.

And I’m so glad she did – they have one of  THE best lead management tools out there for SMBs!  Their tools identifies who is visiting your website, scores  the activity during that visit, and then begins to automatically nurture those leads through email!  It allows small to medium sized companies to gain competitive advantages they hadn’t had access to before. 

It’s not only affordable but very user-friendly.  In fact, they even offer a free trial and satisfaction guarantee! Here is what I learned about ActiveConversion and why you should check out that free trial!

1. Their solution identifies anonymous visitors and sends those leads to the right person at the right time. It helps manage and nurture those leads and better qualifies them to shorten the sales cycle.
2. You don’t have to be an expert in knowing what works best in lead conversion, ActiveConversion will do that for you.
3. Once you see which companies have visited your website, you will become addicted to the information and never want to lose that data.
4. ActiveConversion helps companies’ double lead generation and manage sales leads throughout the entire sales cycle, not just as lead generaton.

To learn more about ActiveConversion, I encourage you to do two things, go on to their website  and sign up for a free trial account. If you need more help then do not hesitate to give them a call on their toll free number 1 877 872 2764 and request for a demo.  They really are helpful!

It really is a cool tool!

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Filed Under: Marketing Tips, Sales Productivity
Tags: productivity, prospecting

How are you as this week begins?  Fired up and ready to roll?  Still dragging because your weekend was packed? It doesn’t matter…as of right now YOU get to choose how your week ends.

Every beginning of the week we get to make a choice:  Will I  make it a productive day/week? Or will I wait and see how it goes?

You really do get to make the choice. Yes, there will be ‘things’ that get in the way and a lot of opportunity to make excuses …but if you have the mindset that YOU are in charge or your own destiny, YOU will have a better week.

So…its a ‘no excuse’ week challenge!  Today:

1. Decide what you want to accomplish THIS Week.   Write it down.
2. Write at least 5-7 major ACTIONS you will take to drive that accomplishment.
3. Identify the barriers that might slow you down – hold you up.  How can you reduce/eliminate these potential barriers?
4. Who else will support what you want to accomplish? Share your plan with them.
5. Identify how you will reward yourselfwhen this is accomplished.

Using 10-15 minutes of your time RIGHT NOW will ensure your outcome. 

One of the biggest potential barriers to this EASY plan?  Excuses!  So….make it a No Excuse week. If you notice you aren’t taking action on your plan – don’t make an excuse, DO it!  Barriers popped up?  Work through them with no excuses!  And if at the end of this week, you haven’t completed something  NO EXCUSES!  Take the action or plan for it on Monday.

Imagine if you had a NO EXCUSE philosophy every day, week, month?  How much more control would you have over your results and life?

p.s. Look at the photo in the post – if you decide to make excuses  you can use this to find some creative ones…

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Filed Under: Sales Productivity, Sales Tips, Success Tips
Tags: maximize sales productivity, productivity, Sales Tips

Today I am in a workshop beginning the journey of building sales increases with a group of sales professionals. We will work through 8 weeks of building sales skill, beliefs and action!  Not everyone can make the time to attend a robust course like I offer, so if you are looking for a quick read book with proven strategies to sell more in the next 30 days, keep reading.

My friend, Paul McCord, has just released his new book, Bust Your Slump: A Dozen Slump Busting Strategies to Fill Your Pipeline in 30 Days.  It’s FULL of 12 proven, effective strategies that will produce business for you FAST!

In fact, another awesome sales ‘guy’, Jacques Werth, author of High Probability Selling, calls Paul “one of the world’s most pragmatic trainers.”  Bust Your Slump proves exactly why. 

What you’ll find are REAL, ACTIONABLE, PROVEN strategies that will put real prospects and sales in your pipeline
Paul designed this book to be a quick read but one that gives you everything you need to implement these dynamic sales generation strategies.

Buy Bust Your Slump at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Bust-Your-Slump-Strategies-Pipeline/dp/1453748962/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1
Each chapter is laid out to:

• Present the Slump Busting Strategy
• Give you Detailed Guidance on How to Implement It
•  And then Paul demonstrates its power by relating how it worked for one of  his clients.

Whether you sell

• business-to-business or business-to-consumer
• are engaged in a one-time close sale or a long-term sales cycle
• sell a commodity or a sophisticated product or service
• are in inside or outside sales

you’ll find strategies that will work for you.

If you purchase Bust Your Slump today or tomorrow you’ll get hundreds of dollars of free bonuses from some of the best sales minds in the business (including me!) such as Keith Rosen, Dave Brock, Terri Dunevant, Dave Kurlan, Jill Konrath, Dan Waldschmidt, Kelley Robertson, Diane Helbig, Tibor Shanto and many more—just for investing $14.95—and discovering the strategies that will Bust Your Slump and Fill Your Pipeline.

Head over to see all of the bonuses at  http://www.bustyourslump.com/bonus.html

Or head over to Amazon and buy the book.  Then go claim your bonuses at http://www.bustyourslump.com/bonus.html

By the way, want a Kindle edition instead of the paperback?  Get it here.

And if you do bust your slump, let me know which strategies worked best for you!
 

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Filed Under: Sales Tips
Tags: maximize sales productivity, recession proof sales

Driving home from a coaching appointment this afternoon, I was almost hit by a car that ran a red light. The car would have directly hit the driver’s door and thus me.  Fortunately, I saw the situation unfolding and veered out of the way.  It was as close a ‘near miss’ as I have experienced EVER!

I even pulled over to the side of the road to catch my breath before getting back into traffic and to my office.  Whew! 

Because I was alert, steered clear of the danger and paused afterward to regroup and drive safely, I made it to my destination unharmed.

Isn’t it like that in sales?  There are things we have NO control over that can derail our success:

• Competitors
• Change of people at our prospects/customers
• Unavailability of what we need to deliver

So what can we do?  3 things to drive success:

• Be alert.Watch for the potential ‘shifts’ in relationships, stay on top of the news in your industry, company and customers’ using Google alerts (does anyone have any other tips on alerts?)
• Steer clear of danger.  Navigate yourself out of potential harm by preparing as best you can and then acting on what you have committed to.  Ask the tough questions to gain feedback from your prospects and customers on budgets, potential competitors, their satisfaction with what you are doing/offering.
• Regroup regularly. Make the time to pause and recharge yourself. Take the time to mentally ‘be in the game’ at all times.

You never know when you will just avoid a collision with uncertainty and danger – but driving the 3 items listed will provide some preventive insurance that may help.

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Filed Under: Sales Tips, Success Tips
Tags: Sales, Sales Tips

How productive was your last conversation with a prospect or customer? How about the last five conversations? Did the conversation matter? What was the outcome?

More awareness                         A sale

More information                         An action to move the sale forward

A good connection                       A decision

All of these outcomes are good – yet the items in the right column are better. Why? They advance the sale or make the sale. To keep the sale progressing forward, we need to make EVERY conversation matter!

Now some people don’t think ‘little’ things matter.  In fact, when my teens tell me that something they are supposed to do or something that they r didn’t do ‘doesn’t matter’ -  I cringe!  And I always respond with ‘everything matters!’

It’s true – everything you do or don’t do does matter in some way.  The good news is that making your sales conversations matter is not hard… but it takes preparation in systematization.

The power of preparation is often the differentiator between a conversation that matters and one that doesn’t.  Making the time to prepare your ‘plan’, outcome, questions to ask and concerns to address DOES matter!

Then what? What comes after preparation? A systematic framework to follow for your sales calls-we call it WIIFT. WIIFT is the acronym we use for What’s in it for Them as a philosophy of selling? It’s all so an acronym for a systematic approach to make every conversation matter.

Your overview of how  a systematic sales conversation flows:

• Wait. Your mental pause to break your preoccupation and focus on the contact you’re about to have. Review your notes and be ready to engage in a meaningful conversation.
• Initiate. The beginning of your conversation whether it is an e-mail, telephone, or face-to-face contact. The conversation needs to start with a purposeful focus on them.
• Investigate. The needs analysis and opportunity to ask and listen about them and their situation.
• Facilitate. The part of the conversation that is a discussion and presentation of what you can do that will provide an answer to a need or eliminate their challenges. Then work through concerns or objections they have.
• Then consolidate. Bring closure to your conversation. This includes asking for a commitment or decision to the next action and setting the expectation for what comes next.

Read through these again. Notice how this following this framework and accomplishing each step in your conversation WILL:

• Advance your sale more quickly? 
• Keep the focus on the prospect and not on you?
• Build value beyond what they pay?
• Strengthen your relationship and 
• Open the door for more business?

In short, following a systematic framework for every conversation after preparation will make every conversation you have matter.

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Filed Under: Collaborative Selling, Sales Productivity, Sales Tips
Tags: Collaborative Selling, Sales, Sales Tips

I like to get things done…quickly. And generally I’m open to new tools or ideas that can help me be even quicker. But I’ve had a blind spot for a while…which I explain a little later.  First, let me back up and give you some perspective before sharing how I’ve come to ‘see the light!”

I paid my last two years of college tuition for my undergraduate degree by typing papers for other students. I am quick on the keyboard and even won typing contests in high school! I used to be able to type 110 words per minute so I could type students’ 40 page papers in two hours. At a $1 a page, I was able to pay my two years of tuition without loans!

I share this not to brag but to make the point that I am a whiz on the keyboard. That’s why when technology, like voice recognition software are discussed, I tune out. Why would I want to bother when I can already type so quickly to get my ideas and information on paper?

Well, when Rick Wohlner of Precision Labs mentioned how he is using Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition software. And his VP of sales, Sean Lynch, one of the fastest moving and talking people I know, said that he used it to dictate his notes after calls. I finally listened and figured I should check it out.

I actually purchased the software and then let it sit for weeks before I finally loaded and set it up.  After 60 minutes of use I thought “Why did I wait so long? This is fantastic”

The accuracy is far better than I could have expected. I was able to get 21 pages of a draft trainer’s guide completed easily in about 90 minutes!

Here’s why I love it:

• I can add my own vocabulary words and phrases to the dictionary.
• It keeps up with my fast talking speed.
• I can use the commands in all my programs so far.
• I was able to use my hands to flip to pages in the manuals I was referencing and not lose my place on the keyboard.

I do know that I will need to do a thorough proof and edit of whatever it is I am speaking but it’s so much easier than I could’ve imagined.

Version 11 of the software is now out and a quick look at eBay shows that you can get the version 10 software for under $100 with free shipping. So the price point is not a barrier.

My plan for using this in the future?

• Dictate into my smart phone and transfer it later. Meaning that my car time will become much more productive and safe.
• Keep ‘training’ the software for all of the acronyms that I use so that I have less editing.
• Improve the notes I input from customer conversations.

The name Dragon Naturally Speaking is interesting…and I admit that the ‘natural’ part comes pretty easily  

Now that I shared my favorite new productivity toy, where productivity tools do you use that we should all know about?

PS this is not a sponsored and/or send. I really love it!
PSS my husband was given the software from his employer when he had hand surgery this year, she never accessed it, until he saw how easy it was for me to use.

PSS – if you know anyone in Agriculture sales that wants to work for a great company – Precision Labs is also recommended! 

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Filed Under: Sales Productivity, Success Tips

Make eye contact is an the age-old communication tip. And it is important. Using your eyes to focus on the other person, ‘see’ what they are saying and more importantly, feeling, contributes to effective communication.

But…what if you aren’t seeing them? Then what?  Nearly all the clients I am working with rarely or NEVER ‘see’ their prospects or customers. The communication is by telephone (including Skype) and written (email, IM, even ‘snail’ mail).  So if eye contact is that important, how much communication is lost when we don’t see each other?

Some history:  For decades authors have shared Dr. Mehrabian’s stats on communication effectiveness:  58% is based on body language (including eye contact), 35% on tone of voice and 7% the actual words we use.  Overgeneralizing his research has caused much debate in the research community on its applicability to all communication situations.  I think whether the actual percentages are accurate or not – it makes the point…COMMUNICATION is complex!

We can also deduct from the tone of his research that without ‘seeing’ our prospects and customers, we can miscommunicate easily because body language is one key aspect to clear and accurate messaging!  That is why I propose that we should be more concerned with ear contact than ever before.

Yes, some may call it listening…I like ear contact as the name of this skill and concept. Why?  Listening is good – ear contact adds more to the nuance of effective listening.  We are always in CONTACT with the other party…we aren’t just waiting to talk – we are connecting to their words, intent, emotion and therefore their ‘hot buttons’ that can make or break our sales!

The definition of contact (from dictionary.com) is “immediate proximity or contact.”  Isn’t that what is important in every communication we have?  That we need to be immediately ‘near’ to the person, their problems, opportunity, wants and needs?

Tips for effective ear contact:

1. Listening without distractions. Stop the multi-tasking!
2. Taking notes on key points.
3. Summarizing your understanding to verify what you heard is what they wanted you to know.
4. Paying attention to the intent and emotion that comes with their words…and their pauses, hesitations and background noise.

Making good ear contact allows you to ‘hear’ opportunity … that you can then translate into sales.

What do you think? What connotation does EAR CONTACT have for you?

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Filed Under: Collaborative Selling, Sales Productivity, Sales Tips
Tags: Listening, Sales Tips, sales tools

Want timely and easy ways to remind yourself what NOT to do in sales? Or remind yourself that it isn’t that hard to differentiate yourself among the mass of salespeople?  Look all around you – you will see all kinds of sales activities – in retail stores, in politics, on TV, etc. All great opportunities to see sales people in action.

Recently I saw a powerful lesson when I attended a ‘home’ show for Tupperware.

Some of you might not have ever been to a home party/show -  so a quick explanation.  A home show is where a ‘host/hostess’ invites friends/family to their home for a demonstration/opportunity to buy a certain product line.  In my lifetime I have been to home shows for: cooking items, knives, jewelry, lingerie, home goods, food products, baskets, wine, linens, and more.  The premise is smart…all the attendees don’t want to let the hostess down (the hostess earns $$, discounts and prizes based on the amount of sales at their party – if others ‘book a show’ for the future, there are even more freebies for the hostess!) and they are a captive audience enjoying snacks and drinks with their friends.

Two weeks ago I went to a home show for Tupperware.  Now, I was really excited because I have a ‘thing’ for Tupperware as my husband will tell you. I have Tupperware in our home, our vacation home, stored for when the kids get their apartment and I give it as gifts.  I really love Tupperware!

That’s why this sales experience was a let down. Why?  The Tupperware rep did not follow some of the basics of successful selling. I could see it, I watched her crash and burn (I tried to help her but she brushed me off). I was let down as a sales professional AND as a customer!

What did she do?  She left a lot of sales ‘on the table’ – literally!  A diagnostic:

1. She made her whole presentation about HER. Not about us!
2. She told us she would not do certain things (like be pushy to have a show) and yet she asked 4 times!
3. She was dressed WAY down…no make-up, hair pulled back and sloppy clothes. She explained she was tired because she was going on vacation the next day.
4. She focused on only TWO items – even when the crowd asked about other items from the catalog, she dismissed them.
5. THE BIG error – she had ERRORS in her facts!  They were blatant errors that immediately removed her credibility for most of the group. 

So…two weeks later I am still pondering this. She told us she was TOP in sales and made LOTS of money (as she was telling us why we should be like her).  I am confused and let down… with a few tweaks in what she did, she could have made 25-33% more sales easily! 

Reminders for all of us in sales:

1. Your appearance matters!  Dress one step ‘up’ from your prospects/buyers.
2. LISTEN for buying signals.  Even if you are presenting one product/service, if there is an inquiry to something else -do not ignore it!
3. Make it about THEM!  My philosophy is that the more you focus on WiifT (What’s in it for Them) the more interesting you are, the more value you give and the more sales you get!
4. If you don’t know something – do NOT make up a fact.  Instead, tell them you will get accurate information and get back to them.
5. Be consistent and congruent. If you say you will/will not do something – DO it or Don’t do it.

I am now off my soap box and will gladly store away the small order I did make.  I was prepared to BUY more and host – and she doesn’t even know it!  She left sales on that kitchen table that evening.

What are some of the ways you have been reminded of what is important to be successful in sales?  Help us all learn!

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Filed Under: Sales Tips, Success Tips

Many of us continuously look for signs of economic recovery.  And for me, today provided a lot of positive signs!

I had 5 appointments today – its a lot in one day for the in depth needs analysis and follow-up I do, and I am exhausted tonight as I finish up notes and follow-up actions. 

Yes, as I am recapping, I noticed that there is a trend…4 of the 5 presidents/business owners reported healthy sales increases this year!  The lowest? 9%, the highest? Over 30%!

What’s this mean to me?  Some good and some bad news. The good? They now have money to spend on consulting and training. The bad? If sales are up, they don’t think they need any help with their sales teams!  (I won’t let that deter me from finding ways to get them to even higher levels

More importantly, What’s this mean to you?  If you are operating under the ‘no one is spending’ and ‘no one has budget’ beliefs – STOP!  Those sellers and companies that are READY when the buyers are will recover much quicker than those with their heads down. 

Find the signs of recovery in your industry – share the good news with your propsects.  You can send a note saying “Have you seen the lastest blah-blah-blah, stating that blah-blah-blah”?   Even if they disagree with the facts you have -  you have started a conversation to build from!  It’s an opportunity to connect.

What signs are you noticing?  Is it time to capitalize on the opportunities emerging?

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Filed Under: Sales Tips, Success Tips