sales tips & articles

This week's blog post is from my very good friend and business mentor, Andrew Griffiths. If your not familiar with Andrew or his books, he is Australia's Number 1 Business Author with releases such as "101 Ways to Market your Business, "The Me Myth"and "Bulletproof Your Business".

Each week he writes a business bullet (well worth signing up to) on a topic relating to small business; this week it was all about sales and well worth sharing.

1. Being a great sales person starts when you get out of bed in the morning.

People who are really good at selling normally have a very positive outlook on life. They are energetic and enthusiastic about what they do, sincere with their customers, interested in their industry and passionate about their products. Every morning I take a few minutes to think about my day ahead. I visualise how it will look, the positive encounters I will have, the things I will sell and the great things I will get to do. Most of the time, this becomes the reality. How you think about your day is more than likely how it will turn out. So I suggest that you make it a fantastic day and it will be. A great attitude is always rewarded.

2. Take a few minutes extra to look the part.

I believe very strongly that looking the part is just as important as playing the part. When it comes to any kind of retail it is really important to take the time and make the effort to be well groomed and have clean and well-ironed clothes. Right or wrong, people form an opinion about you in the first seven seconds of any interaction. If you look smart it shows that you respect yourself and the people you will be selling to.

3. Have a big, warm and welcoming “hello”.

Many people are really terrible at saying a simple “hello” to their customers. My advice is very simple. Stop whatever you are doing, stand up straight, put a huge smile on your face and give them a big, warm hello. Most importantly look the person in the eye when you are smiling. We are rarely greeted so well in any store and if you do this, your warm smile will not only be remembered it will be sought after. Your customers will tell everyone they know just how nice you are. An added bonus to you is that it is really hard to feel anything but fantastic about life when you are spending your day connecting with people simply by smiling.

4. Stop what you are doing and focus on the person in front of you.

There is nothing worse than having a distracted sales person try and half sell something to you. Their focus is elsewhere, they mumble answers and they offer little help or advice. Whenever you are with a customer give them you full and undivided attention. Focus on them, listen to them, show them what they are looking for and make sure you have given them what they want. It really is simple yet less than ten percent of sales people do this. If you want to shine in the world of sales this is a great place to start.

5. Never judge a book by its cover.

It is surprising just how much we all do this. I have been caught out a number of times and now I make a point of treating everyone exactly the same. Who knows how much money someone has or doesn’t have? You certainly can’t tell that by what someone is wearing even if you think you can. Treat every single customer as your most important customer right then and there and I guarantee you will sell a lot more of anything to anyone.

6. Make someone’s day.

It is surprisingly simple to really make someone’s day. We all seem to be so focused inwards, thinking through the various issues and challenges that fill our day that often we are shocked and pleasantly surprised when someone makes our day by saying something nice. I suggest that you become really good at giving sincere compliments to people. At first you might be a bit uncomfortable with it but believe me, it will grow on you and it will start to feel fabulous in a very short amount of time. Tell someone if their hair looks nice, or their necklace is pretty, or if they have great taste in books, or if they have a great smile. The only catch is that you have to be sincere in your compliment otherwise it just doesn’t work. Make it your mission to make as many people’s day as you possible can.

7. Have some recommendations ready in each section.

Being a great sales person means being able to make a recommendation on the products you are selling. After all if you can’t do this, you are really nothing more than a money collector. Be clear about what products or services you do actually recommend and you have to believe in them 100%. If you don’t it shows. And always give a recommendation. If you do, you will be amazed at how many more sales you actually get.

8. Use every interaction to let the customer know more about your business.

All this takes is a few words at the end of a sale, or during your conversation, to let your customer know that you are open “seven days a week” or that you will be open on the public holiday coming up, or that there is a sale due to start in a few days and so on. Use every interaction as a wonderful opportunity to educate your customer about your business. Remember it is our job to tell our customers what we can do for them, it isn’t their job to find out.

9. Make it really easy for your customers to buy from you.

If you want to attract more customers and keep them coming back more often, develop a can do attitude that promotes making selling easy. What could be improved or streamlined to speed things up and to keep people moving? Is your sales area cluttered? Do you struggle to find a pen for people to sign credit card slips? Look for any way possible to make it easy for your customers to buy from you and they will.

10. People want to hear their own name.

We all like the sound of our own name and in the retail environment I suggest you try and use your customers name whenever you can. Make the effort to remember your regular customers names, they will appreciate it a lot, more than you realise. Think about how it makes you feel when you go into your favourite store or coffee shop and they know your name. When handing back a credit card thank the person using their formal name, Mr Smith or Ms Smith. They will notice it and remember that you did it. Even if the name is hard to pronounce, that in its own right a great talking point.

Next week I will give you another 10 top sales tips. If you can’t wait till next week visit a friend of mines website – Karen Andrews from Shine Sales – she has a pile of excellent sales tips and a sensational newsletter that is all about selling.

Read more of Andrew's Business Bullets by clicking here

Networking has been good to me over the years. Apart from referrals, it has been the single most successful way of generating new business and building my professional network. It must be the salesperson in me, but there is nothing more rewarding than meeting and connecting with new people who end up as friends, associates or clients.

I just love the randomness of networking and the fact that you never know what fantastic people you will meet.

However, networking can be a very time consuming and very costly exercise if your not maximizing the opportunity you have in front of you. I often tell the staff of clients that networking is not about putting a beer or wine in your hand and talking to people. It’s about talking with a purpose and seeing what common interests or common ground you have.

As my good friend Maurice Gilet from BNI says ‘it’s called net-working for a reason – it’s not ’not-working’!

Here are some tips and information that you might find useful - so get out there networking !

Tip 1
When choosing an event think about what type of companies are likely to attend (large or small) and the position of the person that will attend. It is well known that Senior Managers of most medium to large companies won't engage in business networking (because they think they don’t have to) unless it is for a specific industry event or because the guest speaker and topic are of interest to them. Typically, they send their junior staff or sales staff but, don’t be put off by this because you can still get a lot of the information you need you just need to get them talking and ask some questions. For example:

1. What do you do?
2. How’s business?
3. Is it a large company? How many people do you employ?
4. Do you have more than one office?
5. What kind of clients do you deal with?
6. How do you find new clients (i.e. marketing, advertising or direct sales)
7. If I was to contact your company, who would be the best person to speak to regarding……

Tip 2
If you want to get the most out of any networking group, you will need to attend more than once so that people get used to seeing you and talking to you. When you have been about three times you should notice that people will start to recall your name and business name. Using the service of a new contact or sharing business referrals is based on trust and credibility and trust takes time to establish and build.

Tip 3
Have a goal for each event, i.e. two new contacts, one meeting, or two potential candidates. This way you can judge whether the event was worthwhile and whether it’s worth doing again.

Tip 4
If the thought of networking and walking into a room full of strangers is intimidating for you, ask a friend or colleague to join you. This way the event will be more enjoyable and you will always have a ‘safe haven’ for those times when you are on your own or looking for people to talk to. Just make sure that you don't just talk to each other!

Tip 5
Arrive early so you can look at the name tags on the registration desk and see what type of people will be attending. There may be someone attending from a prospective client; by standing near the desk you can save time searching for them by watching who picks up the nametag.

Tip 6
Stand near the registration desk when people are arriving; people may think you are part of the event and will feel more comfortable talking to you.

Tip 7
Most importantly, always remember to follow up the contacts you have met within 24 hours. A simple email to those who just briefly chatted with or a phone call suggesting a meeting to those who expressed an interest. If you don’t follow up the people that you have met, you are wasting the time and effort you put into going in the first place.

Don't forget that I also run a Networking Skills Workshop (in your office or mine) so if you or your team would like some personal attention, click here or call me on 0294376500


This sales article was written by Karen Andrews, Director of Shine Sales Solutions, a Sydney based Sales Coach and Sales expert that works with businesses to increase their sales through strategy development, sales coaching and mentoring.

If you liked this article, subscribe to our monthly Sales Success ezine. You will learn...

* Easy ways to increase your sales and grow your business
* Simple strategies to sell yourself, even if your not in sales
* How to generate sales easier and quicker!

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If you are targetting a particular industry or business type, getting involved with the relevant Industry Association is a great way to make new contacts and gain credibility and exposure.

I have used these for years and it has been a great way for me to target an industry sector, get new appointments and generate sales. Quite a lot of the Association websites will list their members by location or profession. Additionally, I find this a better way of accessing corporate decision makers who will not normally attend general business networking events.

Many Industry Associations have seminars and events that are very well attended (particularly if there is a guest speaker or topic they want to learn about) and that will allow you to attend as a Visitor prior to paying any membership fees.

This is not just limited to Industry Associations, there are a number of International Business Councils (India-Australia, China-Australia) that hold events and provide access to key decision makers
 
This is a great website that lists just about every Association, Chamber of Commerce and Business Council in the country.

Government and Business Directory


This sales article was written by Karen Andrews, Director of Shine Sales Solutions, a Sydney based Sales Coach and Sales expert that works with businesses to increase their sales through strategy development, sales coaching and mentoring.

If you liked this article, subscribe to our monthly Sales Success ezine. You will learn...

* Easy ways to increase your sales and grow your business
* Simple strategies to sell yourself, even if your not in sales
* How to generate sales easier and quicker!

Enter your details at the top of the page or click here

In today’s economy, marketing budgets are being stretched, messages are getting lost and we are getting bombarded with advertising and marketing messages, so how can you really stand out and attract new business on your website?

In reality there are so many things that can be done with a website but I have decided to just focus on one, which came about from a business associate was telling me about the success he's had with some of his clients in relation to video... in short "Video Works Bettter"

Information supplied by Ajit Singh from Rocket Productions

Did you know that online video ads get around 500% more clicks than photo ads online? Or that around 78% of Australian internet users download and stream video and audio online (CGM)? Showing the benefits of your product or service on your website is typically done by photos and text and considerable investment is put into these mediums, however, video actually attracts more people and emotionally engages decision makers, often better than photos and text. We know that the greater a prospect’s desire is, for your specific product or service, the more likely they are to buy from you instead of someone else.

Standing out is critical in today’s market. Communicating with imagination and making your audience sit up and take notice of you, delivers the ‘wow factor’ better than traditional mediums. Professionally produced video content delivers better outcomes than the homemade handycam option, so it is always far better to get an experienced professional to make sure your content looks fantastic and does the job well.

Click here to find out more.’

There is something about hearing the definition of madness that reminds me of sales and makes me smile.
The definition I'm referring to is "doing the same thing, over and over, for ever and ever, expecting a different result". A mental picture pops into my head and I see Salespeople and Business Owners communicating to clients the same way they always have and saying the same things but hoping to get a better response!

Just as the change of season brings changes to the temperature and to the landscape, the GFC (global financial crisis) is also bringing about some change.

• Attitudes are changing
• Businesses are changing
• Customers are changing
• Markets are changing and
• People are changing

The world as we know it, is changing which is pretty obvious - but have you noticed the change that's been lurking in the shadows and hiding out behind the GFC?

It's called the NEW ECONOMY and you are currently living in it, working in it and now you or your business is going to have to sell to it.

• The new economy has new needs and new wants and brings with it new opportunities and new challenges.
• The new economy will respond and react to new messages and new approaches.
• The new economy will stop responding and reacting to old messages and old techniques.
• The new economy will need to be marketed-to and sold-to differently.

When was the last time you reviewed your sales and marketing plan to see if your ready to seize the opportunities and generate sales from the new economy?

This sales article was written by Karen Andrews, Director of Shine Sales Solutions, a Sydney based Sales Coach and Sales expert that works with businesses to increase their sales through strategy development, sales coaching and mentoring.

If you liked this article, subscribe to our monthly Sales Success ezine. You will learn...

* Easy ways to increase your sales and grow your business
* Simple strategies to sell yourself, even if your not in sales
* How to generate sales easier and quicker!

Enter your details at the top of the page or click here

Being aware of and managing the amount in your sales pipeline each week, fortnight or month can have the single biggest impact to achieving your sales consistently from month to month and quarter to quarter.

It is an important forecasting tool that all businesses should use even if they don’t have salespeople, as it clearly shows how many sales to expect and when to expect them.

If your not sure what a Sales Pipeline or Funnel is; it is simply a list of all the prospective customers that have indicated some interest in buying your product or service. They will all be at different stages of the sale depending on their interest level and buying cycle and some will drop eventually drop out.



Information such as total sale value, probability of sale and expected close date should also be included to complete the picture.

The term “funnel” is used because you need to continually fill the top with new opportunities to ensure you have an even and consistent flow of closed sales coming out the bottom. The stages can differ from business to business (i.e. can be simpler with fewer stages), depending on how you sell to customers and what the buying cycle is.

It is important to make sure the funnel is always being topped up with new opportunities, that prospects are moving through the stages and sales are being closed. When you need to close some sales quick, it is easy to identify who is the closest to making a decision (thus easiest to close) by looking through prospects in the negotiation or solution evaluation stage.

The sales funnel is a great tool to help you determine if you have enough prospects and to reduce the impact of lost or delayed sales on meeting targets. It’s all in the numbers and that’s why sales is called a ‘numbers game’. To work out how much you need, follow my example:

1. Start with your monthly sales target, lets say it is $25,000.
2. Work out what the average sales value is, even if it is a rough estimate.
3. Determine your sales conversion i.e. of all the first meetings you had or enquiries received how many of those where you successful in ‘converting’ from prospect to customer. e.g. If you received 20 enquiries and made 5 sales, you have a 1 in 4 sales conversion rate. 
4. So you will need ‘4 times’ the amount of your monthly target in your funnel at any time. If we go back to the example, you will need $100,000 worth of quotes or opportunities.

This sales article was written by Karen Andrews, Director of Shine Sales Solutions, a Sydney based Sales Coach and Sales expert that works with businesses to increase their sales through strategy development, sales coaching and mentoring.

If you liked this article, subscribe to our monthly Sales Success ezine. You will learn...

* Easy ways to increase your sales and grow your business
* Simple strategies to sell yourself, even if your not in sales
* How to generate sales easier and quicker!

Enter your details at the top of the page or click here

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I’m sure most of you would agree that selling to someone who has been referred to you is much easier and more enjoyable than those generated through traditional sales efforts such as direct mail and cold calling. The success rate is higher because they are in the market for your services and are also much less price sensitive because the referring party has told them the value and benefits that you can deliver.

Anyone who works in the Financial Services such as Accountants, Financial Planners and Trades and Services realizes the potential of well managed relationships. Many have built very successful businesses simply by managing a handful of alliances and have little need or desire to do any other form of marketing. Yet there are also a lot of people out there who try the same thing but it just never seems to work.

So why do they work for some people but not for others?

Successful alliances grow from good relationships with people who have a similar mindset, similar values and similar ethics. They are based on mutual trust which is built up and managed over time; having one meeting and following up with a phone call a month later just won’t work. Would you refer your clients to someone you hardly know?

It is also about your expectations of the alliance and how you position the relationship. It should never be about how many referrals you can get but rather how you can add value each others business and clients.

Here are some tips to help you maximize your alliance relationships:

1. Don’t attempt to set up an alliance with someone just because they are in a complimentary business. Do they have similar values, ethics and mindset as you?
2. Discuss your client base, do you have the type of clients they are looking for and vice versa?
3. Discuss the expectations of the alliance, how you would like to see the relationship work and why you think there is potential for both parties.
4. Give you alliances time to mature and develop and be willing to put the effort in, it can take 6-12 months before you really understand each others business.
5. Develop a system on how you will maintain contact and communicate. In the first 6 months aim to meet face to face at least every 2 months and have phone or email contact in between.
6. Don’t expect any referrals in the short-term, expect only to be informed and educated on their business, their clients, what is a good referral, how to find them and what to say when you do.
7. Develop ‘cheat sheets’ for their staff that outlines what to ‘look out’ for or ‘listen to’. Take it one step further and write a script on what they can say to introduce you. For example, “Mary why don’t I get John from XYZ to call you, he has helped a lot of our clients who have had similar problems...” It might seem obvious but it’s about making the process as easy as possible. There are many people who feel that introducing a third party is being pushy or rude.
8. Ensure everyone has a pile of your business cards to hand out. It helps the client to remember who you are when you call.
9. If you have been given a referral, communicate the progress to your alliance so they are aware of whether it was a good referral. Explain why it was such a good referral or why it wasn’t. Remember it’s about ongoing education until you get it right.
10. Once the relationship is established meet regularly to inform them of changes to your business such as new products or services and for you to learn of changes to their business, particularly staff changes.

This sales article was written by Karen Andrews, Director of Shine Sales Solutions, a Sydney based Sales Coach and Sales expert that works with businesses to increase their sales through strategy development, sales coaching and mentoring.

If you liked this article, subscribe to our monthly Sales Success ezine. You will learn...

* Easy ways to increase your sales and grow your business
* Simple strategies to sell yourself, even if your not in sales
* How to generate sales easier and quicker!

Enter your details at the top of the page or click here