Economists studying the best and brightest companies in America found that a large percentage of Fortune 100 companies do not reveal the secret to their success. Nor do the same economists report on the reasons behind a company’s success because as economists, they understand that’s what smart businesses do.

Small business owners will attempt to get more for less because an entrepreneur’s nature is to produce big things from little packages. Some of the top performing small businesses are able to be successful, while others will fail.

Enormous corporations expect to do more with less because the climate of business is changing from hard copy to digital. Some are able to be successful, while others are failing.

What these super successful companies are not saying is that as they move ahead electronically, they are also utilizing new ways to use the internet to nurture relationships the old fashioned way. They are using the internet to create and send out cards. Personalized greetings produced on schedule, and delivered at will. It has something to do with technology, but it also has everything to do with getting back to nurturing the kind of relationships they want to have with their clients.

In today’s sales environment, where new sales are harder to come by, companies are reducing sales forces and retaining only the Top Producers. Subsequently, these companies rely more and more on E-Marketing such as Blogs, Email Marketing, Twitter and Facebook to maintain customers and open doors to new sales. Companies who realize that a deluge of E-Marketing makes the “Power of Personal” even more powerful will benefit dramatically in this environment.

Personal Greetings are Powerful

Before the internet there was the United States Postal Service. Everyone used the mail to send out cards to announce a dedication or event. From hardware stores to dentists, tax preparers and the local newspaper, cards would be delivered saying “Happy Holidays”, “Happy Birthday” or “Big Sale (For Your Eyes Only)”. Companies that developed strong relationships using personal business greetings sixty years ago survive today because of the response. People search out the purchasing power that comes from an inside connection, forget if the connection is high speed or not.

“PEOPLE STILL LIKE TO BUY AND DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE WITH WHOM THEY HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP.”

The power to create and send personal greetings automatically has finally arrived, and not a second too soon. Clients who never experienced the effects of a personal B2B greeting delivered in the mail to their office or home are caught reading the information longer, thinking about its effect, and then saving the card for later use. Digital electronics permit us to reach farther and faster, yes, but a personal message delivered at home or office still works best. It not only builds stronger relationships in a technological world, but they generate more sales from consumers who want to reward businesses that are committed to their clients.

Nancy Guggenbickler

Send Out Cards

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How to Prospect Successfully

The act of selling is comparable to gold mining. The original gold miners searched everywhere and labored to discover gold. They got their hands dirty, sloshing through mud and mountains in search of destiny. They simply exhausted themselves.

Prospecting need not be labor intensive, but it does need to be done- lead generation is contingent upon it. Prospecting helps to maintain the pipeline so there is a continuous flow of leads in the queue, this is especially useful when selling based on monthly net. However, research supports the notion that many selling professionals not only do not take the time to prospect but they do not prospect well.

One of the best items used for prospecting is The Wall Street Journal. If you are in sales and you want to meet economic buyers then you must read the daily business bible. The Wall Street Journal provides you with content of competition, the industry and economic environment. Articles provide data on industry trends while also providing a platform for better conversations. Reading the journal assists in finding those buyers that need your services, while using current events that help you articulate value.

Another abandoned prospecting staple is a company annual report. These widely regarded research tools contain an abundance of information about an organization. The three vital elements are the letter from the Chief Executive Officer or President indicating the firm’s strategy, the second is the financial strength of the company and the third includes risk and growth areas of the business. Business prospecting is refined by not only understanding who to speak with but what to say after hello.

Finally, the proliferation of the Internet allows plentiful data to arrive in your daily email inbox. There are services such as Factiva© from Dow Jones, Google Alerts© and others that allow selling professionals to discover new information about both accounts and industry trends. These resources are not only information savvy but easy to use. Simply subscribe to the services, develop personal alerts and await the information to be sent. More importantly with the need for knowledge today, information quickly informs you of imperative market changes, economic issues, political influences, acquisitions etc. Imagine having content that places selling professionals at a competitive advantage. In addition, calling the right prospect with competitive information only increases chances of creating prospecting opportunities.

Prospecting today does not require the same labor as earlier decades however there is a need work smart. Selling professionals that know where to mine the data remain at a competitive advantage because they have content economic buyers want to discuss. Prospecting involves connecting with the right people while creating the right levels of provocative conversation. Begin to mind your territories, and increase your intensity with the proper resources to get you the golden opportunities you seek.

©2010. Drew Stevens PhD. All Rights Reserved.

There are seven secrets for selling effectiveness. Click here For a Free Report for the 7 Secrets to Selling Success

© 2009. Drew Stevens PhD. All Rights Reserved.

Drew Stevens is one of the world’s leading authorities on sales and customer service. Drew is the author or the successful sales techniques book Split Second Selling. He is also the creator of the Sales Leadership Certificate one of only 14 programs in the United States offering an accredited degree in the profession of selling and has a top ranked podcast called Sales Fitness. To book Dr. Drew for a workshop or keynote or to obtain his Secrets of Ultimate Business Success visit his website www.stevensconsultinggroup.com

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If you or one of your selling staff where pulled over by a police officer and arrested for being a selling professional, would there be enough evidence to convict you or the others?

The purpose of selling is meant to create relationships. Selling requires building trust and asking provocative questions that instill dialogue to gain customer understanding. So why then are there so many floundering, failing and simply annoying many. Too many selling professionals today fail to do the required homework to have any intellectual discussion. It is criminally negligent to not conduct the necessary detective work and discover information to assist conversation.

In two recent and hellacious examples one seller was an SEO firm seeking to assist me my web efforts. However he knew nothing of my Google ranking. In the other, one sales professional did not get past hello because of the rote script she was reading from. This folly conveys ignorance and most of all laziness. Selling requires research and knowledge before engaging conversation. Anything less results in rejection.

Before you pick up the phone to say hello, make certain that the actions you take can convict you of being a professional, ethical and knowledgeable selling professional.

Quote of the day

To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge. – Benjamin Disraeli

There are 7 techniques you can use daily to assist you preparation efforts. Get the 7 Secrets to Sales Preparation by emailing me today. Ask about our Free 30 Minutes “Sales Acceleration Coaching Clinic”!

©2009. Drew J. Stevens Ph. D. All rights reserved.

Drew Stevens PhD is one of the worlds leading experts in sales and sales skills. Dr. Drew is the author of six books including Split Second Selling and the soon to be released Ultimate Business Bible. With over 25 years of sales experience and business leader, Dr. Drew has extensive experience in assisting both entrepreneurs and selling professionals to experience higher efficiency and effectiveness. He is also the creator of the Sales Leadership Certificate one of only 14 programs in the United States offering an accredited degree in the profession of selling and has a top ranked podcast called Sales Fitness offering tips and techniques that immediately improve selling performance.

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The current recession has selling professionals and their management seeking alternatives to increase sales. One issue that continually arises is selling to the C Suite. There is a belief that if selling professionals increase their abilities to corporate executives both closure and sales revenues will increase. That may or may not be true.

The first item to consider with attempting selling products and services to corporate executives is whether the individual occupying the office is truly the buyer. Many selling professionals get fooled into believing that title encourages the sale. While CEO’s are responsible for a myriad of activities their main priority is a focus on customer acquisition and retention as well as a return to stakeholders. It is simply impossible to be involved in every vendor decision, and it is considered micromanagement. Take some time to understand your true buyer before wasting time.

Selling professionals by nature are tactical and invariably spend time with those that might influence but do not make decisions. However the approach for selling to decision makers in the C Suite must be more strategic. Before embarking on cold calling and using rote sales principles, take the time to prepare. Selling professionals must adequately prepare before calling an executive. I suggest reading current versions of The Wall Street Journal to comprehend environmental (i.e. economic, political, technological, etc) issues as well as competitive pressures. In addition, reading the organizations annual report is essential for understanding the firm’s strategy and industry acceptance. Finally a quick review of corporate, industry and other competitive issues enables a representative to have articulate conversations with senior executives.

Upon completion of preliminary reading, selling professionals must establish a strategic corporate profile in order to better comprehend the corporate structure and align products and services you offer with the prospective organization. The strategic profile removes the tactical issues of product sales and creates a better ability to create long-term relationships. Executives will trust the ability to be more consultative. Formulating a corporate strategy creates provocative questions related to objectives and measurements for success, which are the conversations that senior executives desire. Dialogue focuses on organizational results and benefits to the customer, not product/service facts. Executives desire to hear about output and results.

Finally strategic selling professionals do not visit the C Suite with rote tactics of cold calling etc. While a myriad of books, audios and other materials exist suggesting such, executives are met through referral and networking. Individuals invest in those they know and trust. This requires selling professionals to shift direction and gain better momentum with strategic ideology. It simply requires change.

We are currently in a sea of rapid change and momentum. Recessions also enable organizations to develop innovative techniques. Now is the time to be a market leader and create techniques that allow innovation and renewal. Shifting to a new sales direction will take some time but as comfort returns, the organization will gain speed and velocity. The results will be worth it!

There are 7 techniques you can use daily to assist you preparation efforts. Get the 7 Secrets to Sales Preparation by emailing me today. Ask about our Free 30 Minutes “Sales Acceleration Coaching Clinic”!

©2009. Drew J. Stevens Ph. D. All rights reserved.
Drew Stevens PhD is one of the worlds leading experts in sales and sales skills. Dr. Drew is the author of six books including Split Second Selling and the soon to be released Ultimate Business Bible. With over 25 years of sales experience and business leader, Dr. Drew has extensive experience in assisting both entrepreneurs and selling professionals to experience higher efficiency and effectiveness. He is also the creator of the Sales Leadership Certificate one of only 14 programs in the United States offering an accredited degree in the profession of selling and has a top ranked podcast called Sales Fitness offering tips and techniques that immediately improve selling performance.

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When The Sales Corner launched in it’s early conception, like a lot of places, little was known about it’s greatness at the time. Its true that over time, A LOT of people are understanding how they can benefit from the things we offer. Be it Free information or resources, or paid resources that are provided, everyone is benefiting!

One of The Sales Corner missions to is always be providing new ideas and new things to try and help you build your Sales and Marketing methods and tactics, and improve on your work! Another mission is to be here for you to utilize and take advantage of our experience, knowledge, and expertise’s we can offer you!

It’s true that on the outside, we look like another place just marketing products and services. The truth is, there’s a WHOLE LOT more we do that most people won’t even realize until they ask for help!

“We do not blow smoke at you and you will not see us hype over things we cannot control.”

Just like a lot of places, we are very careful to tread in unknown waters. However, very little waters are not an area of expertise for our collective group. Due to the nature of bringing people together, you benefit from our relationships we provide you with to help you grow and sustain your business. Being careful means that you can be rest assured that we are up to speed with knowledge and experience that today’s business requires!

We want people to utilize us when they are having problems. We don’t care what “those problems” are, we just want you to know we are here to help the best we can.

We’ve compiled a list of Membership Subscriptions to help you understand our broad knowledge and experience base.

These automatically entitle you to the Free Membership services we offer for ALL of our Members (FREE and PAID)!

Don’t waste anymore time; Get the Marketing, or Design, or other Sales and Marketing Support help you need today!

http://www.thesalescorner.us/blog/sales-corner-marketing-seo-sales-membership-packages/

REMEMBER, even FREE registrations get more! Don’t forget to Register with us for Free to start helping you today! — The Sales Corner

Regards,

The Sales Corner

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The dictionary shows us that a “Shaman” is; A member of certain tribal societies who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events.

Now I’m going to define a few things and how that can apply here at The Sales Corner based on what we know thus far about a Shaman.

He is a member of tribal societies:
A tribal society is also a “community of people” and a “support group” for in-common ideas…

He is a medium of invisible worlds and visible worlds;
An “information” carrier/bringer from beyond the knowledge barrier between what you already know and what you don’t.

He practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events;
A person using “unique methods and tools” to encourage good behavior and positive outcomes to the benefit of the community .

When I found The Sales Corner “SEO Shaman” I was very intrigued by the challenge to turn off my Google Ad-Words.
My Shaman said to me that he could save me money, and bring me more traffic then I was getting from that way. So I took the challenge. (Sorry Google…)

Sure enough my “SEO Shaman” pulled through!

Over the next couple of weeks, he had saved me monthly costs from Google, brought more traffic, and provided better incoming lead results for the money I would have paid out in comparison to the experience I was having without my SEO Shaman helping me.

“Now, What if I told you that I have an SEO Shaman for you?”

“What if I told you that I will give you my SEO Shaman that grows business with his use of unique methods and tools that define who YOU are to your customers?” Is there anyone in the world that doesn’t want one of their own real life “SEO Shaman” working for them to help build their business?

If you want your “SEO Shaman” you can get one today, yes!

In fact; I’m looking forward to having one sent your way with his own magic and sorcery that WILL grow your business!! He will truly reinforce the power of just a “touch” that only The Sales Corner can provide in your experience! I hope you take advantage of this!

Remember, you don’t know how much your “TSC SEO Shaman” can offer you from The Sales Corner until you’ve had a chance to use him

Register FREE to get your “Trial Run” with your “TSC SEO Shaman” now!

http://www.thesalescorner.us/blog/sales-corner-marketing-seo-sales-membership-packages/

Regards,

The Sales Corner

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Have you called your customer out of the blue and asked “How are you today?”

Did you know that asking a customer how they are doing shows that you perceive them as important? Did you know that if they feel important by you, they will feel the need to continuing to develop that relationship, which provide value?

One of the best Sales Probing Questions is “How are you today” or “How are you doing” because often times those will open the mouth of your prospect and get them talking. Getting your prospect talking is very key to even the earliest beginning of understanding what plagues them, and what helps them.

Dale Carnegie talked often about how you should win friends, and influence others. Winning friends, means that you are taking steps to identify a valuable relationship, and build on it. Knowing someone that wants to be around you because they find value in the relationship or can identify in a way that is “common” in each of you is really your best investment! Being friendly with words like “how are you today” can be very beneficial in the eyes of a good prospective relationship.

A lot sales people come to us asking how they can improve their sales or sell more with what they have! We always try to tell them that there’s no magic “sales key.” If you’ve been in just sales, you’ll know this, due to all the types of people and encounters you have. For those that have not ventured there, and have a product or service they are selling, often do not realize they might be selling even when they don’t think they are. When you are in front of that customer, or on the phone with them; ask how they are doing today, or how they have been.

We can always find something to promote, or talk about. We can even always provide you a tip that will possibly increase your sales or marketing flow. What we cannot do, is ever guarantee anyone results that just are not realistic. As a sales guy, you can be told that “the sky is the limit” when it comes to a commission, but as a realist, you’ve also got to know where the current limits are in your current plans and models. Without knowing your current limits; how will you understand at what points in your system you can fail? Saying hello, “how can I help you”, or “how are you doing?” is a great way to start understanding your own hurdles and pit-falls.

Regards,

The Sales Corner

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Recently a friend of mine was conducting performance reviews for her staff. She has 16 direct reports and when finished all received a superlative review. With the completion of her paperwork and interviews she provided the reviews to her manager for sign off. Trouble began. Her manager indicated to her that she would need to revise all 16 reviews because no one could receive a superlative- it would hinder the firm’s bell curve. I am not making this up!

Performance is based on individual observed behavior as it correlates to both goals and organizational standards. Employees are then reviewed based on prior performance to these issues. Therefore individuals are honored for their efforts to conform to these standards. Bell curves kill morale and performance because they not only compare but reward non-performers with performers. Two issues here 1) If individuals cannot meet goals and standards they need to be terminated. Organizations are too busy attempting to make profits. Further when individuals do not perform there is either a management/employee relationship issue or a hiring issue. 2) To get individuals performing at optimum efficiency seek the best practices of the best people and communicate more. Too many reviews are too little too late. Reviews are not confidential year end documents but rather monthly communication vehicles that assist in providing direction for employees.

To determine best practices for employee performance reviews email me for a quick 10 step tip sheet.

©2010.  Drew J. Stevens Ph. D. All rights reserved.

Drew Stevens PhD works with organizations to dramatically accelerate revenue. Dr. Drew is the author of six books including Split Second Selling and the soon to be released Ultimate Business Bible. He is also the creator of the Sales Leadership Certificate one of only 14 programs in the United States offering an accredited degree in the profession of selling and has a top ranked podcast called Sales Fitness with Dr. Drew. To gain a free 30 Minute Coaching contact Dr. Drew today get the proper prescription for your success.

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One of the most common trivialities amongst business professionals is the inane desire to conduct thousands of things but do nothing well. Traction is not gained by conducting a plethora of things without focus. Developing business requires focus on two things- customer acquisition and retention. Doing so requires focus on sales, marketing and customer service. Beyond that not much else is required. Look around you and review items that withhold you from business development. Your labor can be severely decreased by conducting a few things well.

Quote of the week – Every organization is in business for one reason- the customer. – Peter Drucker

©2010 Drew Stevens PhD. All rights reserved.

If you want to know how to obtain 7 ways to become more productive in less time, click here for a free report.

Drew Stevens PhD is one of the worlds leading experts in business development. Dr. Drew is the author of six books including Split Second Selling and the soon to be released Ultimate Business Bible. With over 25 years of sales experience and business leader, Dr. Drew has extensive experience in assisting both entrepreneurs and sales professionals to experience higher efficiency and effectiveness. He is also the creator of the Sales Leadership Certificate one of only 14 programs in the United States offering an accredited degree in the profession of selling and has a top ranked podcast called Sales Fitness offering tips and techniques that immediately improve selling performance.

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