It’s Not the Economy, Stupid

Colleen Francis has an insightful article over at EyesOnSales.com on how a salesperson can truly be successful given the current economic condition.  Her bottom line: you are in control of your success, not the economy.  She gives some good tips on being an honest salesperson and generating a positive customer experience.

And that reminds me of another story I heard.  A gentleman was talking with someone he met at a networking event who was a real estate agent.  When he asked the typical “How’s business” question, the agent replied that he was having his best year ever (and he has been doing real estate for 10 years).  His secret?  A little badge that read: “I Absolutely Refuse to Participate in a Recession.” 

While most of his co-horts were whining and crying about how bad business was, he was still networking and seeking out new business.  He writes, “If you want to do well in business, you must understand that it does absolutely no good to complain to people about tough time.  Whenyou complain about how bad business is, half the people you tell don’t care adn the other half are glad you’re worse off than they are.”

You may not be able to control the economy, but you sure can control how you respond to it!

Rule Fool

Even though there are many different types and categories of negotiation, there is no such thing as a “free style” negotiation. For each type of negotiation – real estate, corporate merger, treaty and trade agreements, employment or salary, commodity purchase, etc. – certain laws, regulations, and customs apply. Also, cultural differences are increasingly coming into play in today’s world-wide economy. Failing to conform to these rules and customs can instantly torpedo a negotiation, sometimes fatally.

At the Beep

In our cool, sleek, electronic age everyone still loves (or at least uses) voicemail.  Sure, the way that it is recorded has changed, but it’s still the same concept: “I’m not here.  Leave a message.  I may or may not call you back.”

It’s that last thought that many salespeople struggle with.  How many times have you left customers messages and they don’t call you back?  And how many times do you have to leave messages before A: They call you back, or B: They send you an email telling you to stop bugging them?

If you do any sales over the phone, leaving countless voice messages are just part of the job.  But the exceptional sales person will take advantage of this opportunity to speak without interruption.

So here’s my question to you: What are some creative ways you have used (or could use) voicemail to stimulate enough interest in the customer’s mind to call you back?

Cold Calling for Introverts

Most sales people I know are pretty outgoing people.  They are the “talkers” and calling a random person out of the blue with little more than a name, a company, and a phone number doesn’t phase them in the least.  From my perspective, when I hear “salesperson” I’m thinking of an extrovert.

And then there are the “introverts” – those of us that tend to be more reserved, quiet, and less outgoing.  We don’t fit the sterotypical sales person mold.  And though we may not admit it, cold calling scares us to death.

That’s why I was intrigued when I saw this article on Top10SalesArticles.com (kind of like Digg for sales-related articles): Cold Calling for Introverts.

It has some interesting tips on how to make a cold call less nerve-racking and, ultimately, more successful.

Mobile Productivity

If you do any kind of mobile sales, you probably have a laptop.  However if you don’t know how to use your old desktop computer efficiently, then having a laptop will only make you work inefficiently wherever you want!

That being said, here is an article from SalesTeamTools.com on how to make better use of your laptop comuter so you can maximize your selling time!