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We are pleased to learn that Dr. Drew has been nominated to the Sales Lead Management Association’s 50 Most Influential People in Sales Lead Management in 2010.

Kudos to Drew Stevens for being recognized as one of the most influential leaders in the world in sales lead management.

We could use your help to get him to the top of the list.

• Visit the nomination site >>
• Enter your name and email address
• Vote for Dr. Drew

Voting only takes a moment.

Dear Sales Diary:

The economy has really taken its toll on the selling professional. It is the most difficult to find clients and even more difficult to get prospects to return calls. I am not certain what I need to do to get the attention of the buyer and ensure that I meet my year-end goals. I enjoy selling however sometimes the stress and aggravation is simply not worth it.

Does this sound like a page out of your selling diary? Are you having problems closing business and meeting here in goals? Do you suffer from the aggravation of selling? Do you want to extricate yourself from the profession? These are just a few of the questions some selling professionals ask each day on the job. However, during difficult economic times or even good ones nothing really changes about selling. The only difference today is the customer to customer influences and the ability to search the Internet had plagued buyer and seller relationships.

With that in mind in order to maintain a positive attitude selling professionals and even entrepreneurs might want to obtain sales help to assist their business development efforts. Here are just a few selling techniques that might provide some positive results.

1.     Offer something for free. During difficult economic times sometimes buyers are looking for some incentive to move. Typically sales promotions, sampling and other selling incentives are methods that provide some semblance of value. What do you or your companies have that you can provide to existing or prospective clients that illustrates some of your value?

2.     Enhance customer service. With the increase of competition customer service becomes a marketing differentiator. Such tools such as greeting cards or gratuity cards are wonderful ways to make contact with clients. Speaking to clients once every 30 days to remain top of mind is also helpful. Finally return calls when you say that you will and do not ignore calls for the most onerous customers. Remember customer are not an interruption of your business they are the purpose of it.

3.     Busyness. With the lack of personnel people are busier than ever before. However, this ensures that days go quicker. Create routines for yourself that ensure you have something to do to keep the mind busy.

4.     Create action steps. One of the largest problems amongst selling professionals is that they do not create enough action steps to lead perspective clients. If you want returned calls, you must say so. If your plan is to call the client, schedule an appointment. Confirm all appointments so that you remain in constant contact yet at the same time leads them down a path.

5.     Conduct research. The only way to help prospective and existing customers is by understanding their world. Read voraciously so that you understand the company and the competitive pressures. Share articles and other resources with your buyer that proves your value and opportunities to assist them.

6.     Network constantly. According to research from CSO insights, many selling professionals lack a process for lead generation. Ironically this is the most important area for anyone involved in the world of selling. Even though the economy gyrates your pipeline must not! It is vitally important to spend at least 5 to 10% of your day accumulating new leads.

7.     Remain close. Even though customers are busy and may not return calls in a timely fashion, it is still necessary to remain close. The more often you can meet or at least communicate allows you to remain top of mind. The extra attention you pay to prospective and existing clients illustrates your value and differentiation. In difficult economic times those that remain close to their customer base and constantly remain in communication are 250% more profitable than those that don’t. The extra attention just might get you future business.

© 2010 Drew J. Stevens PhD. All rights reserved.

Drew J. Stevens Ph.D. (Dr. Drew) is the author of Split Second Selling and the soon to be released Ultimate Business Bible and six other business books on sales, customer loyalty, self mastery and business development solutions. Drew helps organizations to dramatically accelerate revenue and outstrip the competition. He conducts over 40 international keynotes, seminars and workshops per year. Dr. Drew is the founder 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 Acceleration. To discover how Dr. Drew can assist your organization visit his marketing and sales website or call 877-391-6821.

There is an intense amount of competition in today’s economy. There is more noise than ever due to the proliferation of social networking. There are also more competitors. With many individuals giving up corporate America for entrepreneurship there are more hurdles to battle. The chronic problem for selling professionals is to differentiate from competitive forces.

Differentiation is the key to business development success. It helps build brand and create cache. Consumers make decisions for brand sake. With sellers consumers make decisions based upon perceived value. Such value recognition is based upon nuances such as; sales language, professional ethics, professional dress and most importantly client recognition. These items help distinguish the indispensible sales and marketing professional from the customary. Here are some tips to make you indispensable.

1.     Be the professional. Review your dress code and dress the part. We’re good clothing and have professional equipment that emulates your corporate stature.

2.     Be the service provider. Customer service is paramount for every selling professional. Return calls when you say you will. Always be the professional and always remember business exists because of the customer.

3.     Gratuity. Always be thankful for clients that have done business with you. Send thank you notes and other types of greetings to ensure you are always top of mind.

4.     Referrals. The only way to ensure your indispensability is by others understanding the value provided. Your brand is manifested by the referrals gleaned from your value.

5.     Culture. It is wonderful if you take all the ideas from this post and utilize them continuously. However, the organizations culture must be congruent.

6.     Relationship. The entire reason for doing business is to invest in relationships. Forget the facts and only worry about creating valuable relationships.

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

Drew Stevens is one of the world’s leading authorities on <a href=”http://www.stevensconsultinggroup.com/”>Sales Consulting</a>, Business Development & <a href=”http://www.stevensconsultinggroup.com/”>Marketing Solutions</a>. Drew is the author of the successful sales process books – 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 Acceleration. To discover how Dr. Drew can assist your organization visit his marketing and <a href=”http://www.stevensconsultinggroup.com/”>sales consulting</a> website – stevensconsultinggroup.com.

It is almost fall 2010. You can almost feel the excitement in the air for football, festivals and the myriad of other activities. One of the most prolific is the end of the year fundraising push. While the church most recently instructions were given for the up coming fall Festival. In the mail I received at least seven pieces of marketing literature from others seeking funds.

We will all be inundated by a plethora of sellers in the next several  weeks. They will represent profit and nonprofit institutions such as schools churches and clubs. All will be selling products to their neighborhood kin. While the effort is admirable many will fail miserably. One reason is the current economic conditions. The other is related to a slew of issues that sellers encounter daily.

The largest issue is a lack of customer focus. Many organizations focus efforts inwardly. Organizations are concerned more about how much money will be collected versus the wants and needs of clients. No matter whom your customers, all efforts at all times must be outwardly focused. Organizations exist for one reason- the customer

However raising funds is an admirable gesture as long as it is done properly. Yet many fail. They fail due to lack of planning and they fail because they emulate those sellers that fail too! Many believe they can simply converse with individuals and “sell” Them on products and services. Untrue! Selling is a profession that requires patience, persistence and passion. In addition, it requires the right funds, the right “fit” and the proper formula.

Moreover, many individuals and organizations fail at selling for a myriad of other reasons. Enclosed is a succinct list of selling obstacles to be aware of:

1. Value. Consumers today require a value from the vendors but they conduct business with. Is a seller’s responsibility to ensure that consumers understand the value provided.
2. Emotion. Consumers do not make logical decisions; they make emotional decisions. Sellers need to refrain from using the features and facts while focusing more consciously on sales language that creates emotion.
3. Persuasion. Consumers are persuaded from the influences of other consumers. Sellers must be conscious of creating buzz. Customers to customer influences are too important today.
4. Belief. Consumers invest in particular organizations because of their belief in sellers. All sellers must have passion and conviction in their sales delivery.
5. Investment. Consumers do not leave bad organizations they leave poor selling professionals.
6. Consultative. Consumers invest in those that can aid them. Sellers must have an understanding of the prospective buyers company, industry and competition.
7. Lsten. Too many sellers talk too much. In order for consumers to invest more questions have to be asked. The best selling professionals questioned first and allow the consumer to sell themselves.
8. Conviction. Successful selling professionals will believe in what they are selling. No matter what the seller must be convinced first.
9. Dialogue. Good sellers know how to engage in great conversation. They would rather develop a relationship first and sell widgets second.
10. Gratitude. Good sellers are always gratuitous to consumers. They remain in constant contact and send words of thanks and praise when necessary. They appreciate every interaction.

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

Drew J. Stevens Ph.D. (Dr. Drew) is the author of Split Second Selling and the soon to be released Ultimate Business Bible and six other business books on sales, customer loyalty, self mastery and business development solutions. Drew helps organizations to dramatically accelerate revenue and outstrip the competition. He conducts over 40 international keynotes, seminars and workshops per year. Dr. Drew is the founder 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 Acceleration. To discover how Dr. Drew can assist your organization visit his marketing and sales website or call 877-391-6821.

A multitude of recent postings on the Internet discuss the value of cold calling in today’s economy. Apparently many pundits believe this traditional sales method to be effective. The reality is people are busy, decision makers have shifted and more importantly intended recipients do not want to be bothered.

Cold Calling is now as outdated as a physicians’ home visit. Cold Calling is intrusive; places prospects on the defense and typically produces very little if any results. Surveys illustrate that cold calling produces less than a five percent return.

The purpose behind business and selling is to develop relationships. This is an outward process and focuses all energies on the client. The initiation of relationships illustrates value and emotes loyalty.

The contradiction of cold calling is that it is an inward activity. Focus is on the company and widgets sold rather than acquisition, value and concern for the prospect.

To aid lead generation in today’s competitive tempest requires a bevy of integrated activities. Business professional can speak, write articles, comment to blog entries, attend networking events and trade shows, produce sweepstakes, disseminate press releases etc. Each activity helps increase name recognition to produce buzz. When you increase the amount of activities there is a correlation to accelerating the business.

Accelerating business in a competitive world is similar to the weekend golfer. Many swing clubs for hours hoping to hit the longest shot but the returns are minimal. However 90% of the activity in golf is the short game. Making 50 – 60 calls per day is tedious. It produces very little results. It is bold, it is old and continuing traditional methods in a contemporary world will leave you out in the cold!

©2010. Coyright Drew Stevens PhD. All rights reserved.

Drew Stevens is one of Americas top Thought Leaders and Selling and Business Development. Drew is a frequently requested keynote speaker and author with several books and hundreds of articles on sales, marketing and business development. To book Drew for your next sales meeting, send him an email or call him at 877-391-6821.