Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Ten Tips to Grow Sales: Tips 6 - 10

6. Start asking strangers for more help. Three powerful words that help you get meetings, get opportunities and close deals are, “Help me please.” To the gatekeeper - “Help me, please. Who I should talk to?” To the new prospect - “Help me please. Tell me what else you need to know in order to give us an opportunity to quote.” To the long-time customer - “Help me please. Tell me how we could do more business together?”

7. Prepare for presentations using the first and last rule. People remember how presentations start and how they end. Start strong. Finish strong.

8. Time management is key. Write down your number one selling priority and keep it in plain view at your desk, every day re-write your to do list on a single sheet of paper and manage actionable items with the "Two Minute Rule." When something requires action, ask if the action will take less than two minutes. If the answer is yes, then do it, if the answer is no, delegate or defer it.

9. Stop boring prospects and customers. Do you talk about and interest the customer doesn’t share frequently? Are you speaking clearly? Is your conversation filled with pauses, repetition, and filler words? Do you talk too much? Do you talk too little? Do you know when your time is up, it’s time to end the conversation and go? Even if you answered all the questions correctly, challenge yourself to improve your skills and become a better conversationalist. Talking to people is a critical skill set for sales professionals. Mastering it at the next level will pay off big for you.

10. Know what to follow-up with when a prospect says, “Send me information.” Start by saying, “I would love to. Please help me do a better job for you by telling me what you’ve learned in our conversation that prompted the request.” Notice that I’m asking for help, as we discussed in tip six. Give them your full attention and listen to their answer. Springboard off their answer by tying in their reason as you ask, is this a problem you’re looking to solve now?” If they say yes, ask again for an appointment. When you ask for an appointment, give them a logical reason why a meeting benefits them. Tell them exactly how long the meeting will last.

If you have any questions about my Ten Tips to Grow Sales, please don't hesitate to let me know.

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