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Are you a top performer on your sales and marketing team? How about creating and having the constant desire to be a team leader that’s always showing number one stats for your management? What would you be willing to do in order to establish that kind of professional credibility?

I think those questions and probably many more have been on our minds as professionals in Sales and Marketing time and time again. We as professionals in this selling and marketing age of business should always be identifying how to set ourselves apart from the next guy, or our competition.

When I’m looking for a chance to prospect or find a business opportunity that I can move forward to a quote, I ask myself a set of questions and gauge my understanding of what I’m looking for in that prospect or business. Will I be a good fit? Could the person or business benefit from my product or service?

I want you to be a successful sales professional and market professional! To do that, I’m going to provide some advice that, to some, would be worth millions if they put a price tag on it!

Have you ever wondered if you can find a business opportunity out of asking the most simplistic of questions?
Have you ever wondered what type of business opportunities you can find just by letting someone know you care to say hi to them on a regular basis?
Have you ever felt like you could do a better job for someone even though you failed the first, second, or third time in your process?
Have you ever bought a product or a service and NEVER received a phone call or email asking how your experience was, what you liked, what you didn’t like, what you could do to make it better, etc…?

I have some answers to these questions that can be addressed (not easily either) with the help of some tips outlined below. I have used these personally to make great sales and marketing business opportunities come to life and prosper over time!

Keep Actively Prospecting; Understand your prospect and target objective; Gather Intelligence
I want to gauge what I’m asking myself with what I know already about the target prospect or company through my beforehand research. I’ll take enough time to look at their website, check social media networks, whatever I can dig up on them to understand them more. I don’t want to go through the paces of blindly calling someone or emailing someone and just wasting my own time. Nor do I want to waste theirs! In order to be a better sales person, or marketing person, you need to define not only some key questions specifically for that prospective listener, but also a nice short brief concise introduction to yourself. You have about 30 seconds to get your pitch to the gatekeeper before they already know what they are going to do with you! In order to accomplish this, you need to know your market better then your competitor, and better then the sales or marketing person next to you. The only way to get better, is to gain knowledge to be more effective at what you do!

Hi there, my name is Bob Frosting and I get paid below minimum wage to work the outbound phones in a dusty Doughnut Factory; ….ick
For goodness sake though, please don’t read from a script. The listener can hear your speaking patter to understand, and usually does know when you are doing so. If you have been supplied a script, that’s normal, but I hope you’re not forced to follow it word for word. If you are, try to challenge internally as to why exactly. The person picking up the phone most likely isn’t going to be the person making the decisions, nor the person you’ll probably give a quote to. So why in the heck will you blurb out the standard babble that the “script for the ideal prospect” is being used for? You need to be creative and personable. You need to enter the call just as you would if you were being invited for the first time into someone’s home. Because that’s what’s happening. You are for the first time having someone hear you over the phone. So why just give them the “sales” pitch without taking that into account? Most businesses today don’t encourage door to door sales people. That’s why you see the “no soliciting” signs everywhere. “Sales” people make most other non sales people uncomfortable and pressured to hear, think, make a decision to buy ASAP. Don’t give someone a reason not to ever want to talk with you because you’re reading off a script that was provided to you by someone who’s probably never even dialed a prospect in your business. It’s just an easy way to lose self confidence right away which creates another whole set of road blocks.

Strong Sales and Excellent Opportunities Come From Hard Work and Quality References; Practice Makes Perfect and Generates Good Business.
I have people close to me all the time tell me they wished I could talk to them, the way I talk about my customers, and prospective buyers. Has this ever happened to you? Do you know what this says? To me, it says that they have no idea what it takes to be upheld with outstanding integrity, honesty, passion for the daily activities that are required to be successful as a Sales and Marketing professional. I’m always able to hear about that company or person that didn’t bother caring about someone else. Like the saying goes; For every 1 bad experience a person has, they will share it with 10 people to let them know. As a person that’s honest, full of integrity and passion, and truly caring about what involvement I play in a business transaction, I wish sometimes it was the other way around. I certainly wouldn’t have to be so repetitive and keep at it so much, that’s for certain! I can’t imagine being that person that didn’t want to come to work selling car magazines and knew nothing about cars. What about being that person selling video game advertizements with a background in kitchenware marketing? Doesn’t make sense, but because they are a “sales” person or a “Marketing” person, they think they can swing it and be happy. Truth is, your customers know you’re not happy by the way you’ll carry yourself and lack of knowledge and process in your trade. So make sure you love what you do, and you keep doing what you love over and over and over again, and you’ll find more success down this path!

End on a positive note and don’t burn your bridges; Even after you get told off, or lost an awesome opportunity to move forward.
I don’t mind being the middle man in a lot of situations. In fact, I’m very good at it. This is a key trait I have that makes me personally good the positions that I am involved in during the process in my sales and marketing approaches. I’m always trying to be friendly, and no-matter who I am working with, try to connect with them and relate to something, someone, or some situation in their life that let’s them open their arms a little more each time. If I had a time for every deal I’d lost in my career, I’d have stopped working. Certainly you need to be able to take the criticism in a kind way, and open your mind when you want to get upset that you did everything you could just to find out someone else came in during the last stage of the game to win the business. I find that happening more now then ever before. After all, I make it easy for my competitors. I’ve already helped out my prospect so much, that they have all their answers about their solution needs and requirements that they just need to pull the trigger. So when one of my competitors comes in with a “look a like” solution or something that appeals in the same way that led the prospect to me, its no wonder they close the deal. Some of being successful is luck, some is being in the right place at the right time, and some is having the innate ability to make sure you’re always in front of that customer or prospect. No matter what! Even if that means continuing to be there in front of them when they have given their business to your competitor. I guarantee you they will come to love you for it later when they have more needs and even more money to spend!

Thank you for reading.
We here wish you the best of success at what you do!

The Sales Corner LLC Facebook Group

We have recently opened up The Sales Corner LLC group to the Public! Those who wish to join are welcome! We are also going to be releasing our exclusive Members Only Content as well! It’s coming soon! Stay Tuned!
 

The Sales Corner LLC Facebook Group “Link”

Kathy Hanson has mentored, coached and worked with entrepreneurs all over the country to take their businesses to the next level. Armed with an MBA, years of experience working in and with Fortune 100 companies and then happily and with all her might venturing out on her own successfully to launch Backpocket Strategy. She brings passion and real world practicality to her clients. As a marketing and business strategy project manager with first tier companies she specialized in developing strategies that create real value and establishing systems for sustainable success. Focused and efficient, she works with clients to raise profitability, set timelines and build businesses that are sustainable. A valuable and successful asset for any serious team!

Twitter: @backpocketbbf Facebook: Backpocket Strategy LinkedIn: Kathy Hanson Company Website: Backpocket Strategy

Jeb Blount is the author of “PowerPrinciples” and “People Buy You: The New Psychology of Selling”. With over 20 years experience in sales and marketing he is considered one of the leading experts in sales and sales leadership. Most recently, as Vice President of Sales for an $11 billion, Fortune 500 company, he created a rich tradition of performance excellence. Jeb also became the only Sales and Marketing leader in the history of the organization to win the coveted President’s Award. At his core, Jeb lives with a philosophy that in every endeavor there are a handful of key principles, the basics, which, if focused on intently, will drive peak performance and achievement. He is a sought after seminar leader and keynote speaker known for his ability to inspire his audiences to action.

 

Twitter: @salesgravy Facebook: Jeb Blount – Sales Gravy LinkedIn: Jeb Blount Website: Jeb’s Sales Gravy

With over 30 years sales and marketing experience, Larry Reeves brings a multidimensional perspective to any executive team he participates with. He has managed virtually every aspect of the inside sales industry, from building high performing sales organizations to the strategic development of outsourcing and channel partnerships. Additionally, Larry has application development and sales experience with custom solutions, and also has a record as a front line sales manager. An exceptional team builder and motivator, Larry has certainly developed a well-earned reputation for his operational expertise and ability to improve efficiency and productivity. He is a recognized authority in performance tracking and management, CRM tools and data management, and sales and marketing programs.
 

Twitter: @aa_isp Facebook: Larry Reeves LinkedIn: Larry Reeves Company Website: American Association of Inside Sales Professionals

Bob Perkins brings over 20 years of inside sales experience. He is a nationally-recognized inside sales innovator. He has extensive executive experience building and leading highly successful inside sales organizations. During his career he has created unique inside sales systems and structures, including team selling models, compensation plans, rewards and recognition programs, performance management tools, and sales campaigns which have been adopted by many of the nation’s largest companies such as Unisys, Silicon Graphics, and United Health Group. Bob is the CEO and Founder of the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals. His experience lends him the opportunity to be a sought-after sales consultant sales leader within the inside sales authorities in the United States.

Twitter: @aa_isp  Facebook: AA-ISP LinkedIn: Bob Perkins Company Website: American Association of Inside Sales Professionals

Since 2003 Todd has started six companies including The Intrepid Group, LLC, The High Velocity Organization, and Dreamland Interactive. They have been comprised of marketing firms serving various markets and industry sectors. Todd’s messaging, strategy, and social media integrations with his business, and his clients, fall squarely within his key areas of the Marketing Business expertise that he continues to share and grow in his follower base.
Todd launched his career in politics serving as aide to a U.S. congressman. He later served as political director of the Florida GOP during the 2000. This is one way to understand the leadership and influence that Todd and his company can bring to the table in a world of such dynamic change with Business.

 

Twitter: @toddschnick  Facebook: Be Intrepid. Live Intrepid. LinkedIn: Todd Schnick Intrepid Marketing Blog: Todd Schnick’s Intrepid Marketing Blog

Doyle Slayton is an internationally recognized Sales and Leadership Strategist, Speaker, and Blogger. He is the founder of SalesBlogcast.com, the online community where business professionals network, share best-practices, and make each other better!
Some of Doyle’s most popular writings include, Four Disciplines of Extraordinary Leaders, 10 Things I Love About Cold Calling, Trust and Credibility, Social Web Your Career to the Next Level, and many more! Throughout his career, Doyle has consistently achieved the #1 ranking among all producers in the company. He has a track record of coaching his managers and his staff to consistently rank among the top teams in the country.

 

Twitter: @salesblogcast  Facebook: Salesblogcast LinkedIn: Doyle Slayton Sales Industry Blog: SalesBlogcast

Drew is one of those rare individuals with not only 28 years of true sales and business development experience but advanced degrees in sales productivity. He has been there and done it so he knows your pain! Not many can factually make such as claim. His background in sales began in the 1980’s, during which he serviced and sold real time information based products to the world’s largest commercial and investment banks. He’s created a multitude of relationships with the CEO’s and CIO’s of major Wall Street firms’ to help them make better investment decisions for their clients. Drew is also the creator and coordinator of the Sales Leadership Program at St. Louis University, one of only 14 accredited programs in the United States offering a degree in professional selling!

Twitter: @drdrewsalestips Facebook: DrDrewStevens LinkedIn: Drew Stevens PhD Sales Leadership Blog: Drew Steven’s Blog

With over 30 years in corporate America along with teaching in public education, Leanne brings a no nonsense solution approach to her sales and business relationship. She is a top sales expert with a Masters in Science, and the author of over 1,600 articles. She is a weekly business columnist for Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana, a regular contributor to NBiz Magazine and other regional business journals as well frequent contributions to EzineArticles, Sales Gravy, Evan Carmichael, and Sales Bloggers Union. In June of 2010 Leanne published her first book, Be the Red Jacket in a Sea of Gray Suits, the Keys to Unlocking Sales Success.

Twitter: @coachlee Facebook: CoachLeanne LinkedIn: Leanne Hoagland-Smith Increase Sales Blog: Leanne Hoagland-Smith’s Blog

Bringing in 13 years of broad management experience with expertise in Strategic Sales, Marketing, and Business Operations. Theresa is a Successful entrepreneur and the current CEO of Success Trek, Inc.. Her vision and company have a large focus of providing for-profit and non-profit organizations with business solutions to help them overcome their unique business obstacles. Her other strength areas include recruitment, management, finance, proprietary software, facilitator, training & education, community relations/development. Unlike a “one-size-fits-all” organization, Theresa brings a vision to Success Trek™ that is client-driven and helps them discover their own solutions, develop their own strategies, and create their own paths to success.

Twitter: @successtrek Facebook: Success-Trek LinkedIn: Theresa Valade Success-Trek Blog: The Success-Trek Blog

Step back into the most primitive of times in your life as a child and we can utilize some of that information to help us grow and expand our businesses today. When we were in Kindergarten, or even Grade-school, Middle School, and High School we shared, and we did it lot.

Sharing is one of the key forms of gathering new valuable and relevant information. The Sales Corner LLC was defined on the basis of sharing. It’s important to share knowledge and information without expecting anything in return. It can help you become credible and a utilized resource. It works for us, and it will work for you too.

Below, we’ve identified 5 Great Opportunities that you can start utilizing today, or work into your current sharing plan and begin growing your business and bringing attention to what you are doing. By sharing what you know, others can learn. By learning, they can identify. By identifying, people start working together as a team, promoting each other in what they do.

 

Sharing Wealth and Knowledge Tip #1
You never know what someone will discover, or engage with you about...
Often times a subject or content matter will be interesting to more then just you. It might be interesting to 5 people, or 50 people that all have an interest in your topic of discussion. Utilize your current resources and tools to start a discussion on your blog, on your website, on your email, or wherever it is that you are reaching your audience. Suggest a title of discussion, and write your thoughts on the discussion, and open it up to feedback and others interjections and let the wheels roll. You may find you can identify needs to address or prospects to engage. By discussing what you know, and basing your topics on experience of your reality people will come to understand you in the discussion, and you will come to understand others as well.

Sharing Wealth and Knowledge Tip #2
Create a niche website or blog only dedicated to your knowledge and experience...
A lot of people think that they don’t know what they would do with a website if they had one, or no ideas on where to start building a website or what should be on it. The answer to this is simple. If you have a website, what is the image and purpose you are trying to achieve with it? How useable and resourceful is it for others to come to and keep coming back to? Evaluating what your “website mission” is will be critical to establishing your ring of those around you that want to gain information from your wealth and knowledge of information. Keep your website valuable, and relevant to your mission. Establish a means of communication mediums, and feedback mediums that allow interaction to take place in your common community.

For those who do not have a website, where to begin is a struggle sometimes. Often not realizing that whatever they like (personal interest), or whatever they can provide (personal knowledge or experience), can be put together in some form of digital media (website, blog, video, audio, etc) and shared among the ranks interactively, socially, (you tube, papers, online comments, etc..) and ultimately create a very valuable stream for others to congregate around. The Sales Corner has had many clients tell them that they are waiting for this or that to take place before they have a website, or this or that before they want to move forward in some way. They will continue by saying that they are ready for when “x” takes place, because they have taken the time to write content or otherwise create their content and “get it ready to publish”. All the while, their content sits on their hard drive, and isn’t doing anything for them to begin building the value it could bring to others. In a situation like this example, starting anything in the form of external communication would be positive. It would get a lot of wheels rolling with people’s interest, and continue to work for them while they wait for their “major” advances to take place.

Sharing Wealth and Knowledge Tip #3
Keep in contact and regular with your community...
So you’ve had a great idea today, or a thought to try something new to try? Have others tried it? What else can you learn from sharing your experience with those around you? What might you help others with if you shared? If you don’t say anything or bring up your thoughts or ideas, how can you reliably get any feedback on the subject outside of your own personal feedback which consumes your own limited thought process on the subject? Part of communicating, is keeping your information and communications transparent for others to know what’s happening and what might be going on inside your business, website, or head. Perhaps it’s something that will generate an enormousness amount of buzz, or create a large amount of sales purchases, or even just inquiries. Whatever it does, the affect is that it will shed new light, on you, on them, or both. Using email, social media, and other web tools is a wonderful way for you to stay in touch and provide valuable and relavent information to your community.

Sharing Wealth and Knowledge Tip #4
Don’t be afraid of experiencing failure. In yourself, or in others…
In a world where “living online” and having access to information and content 24×7 is the normal for many. It’s also the normal for many to get caught in a scam, or some kind of crazy strange scheme. For you and those around you there is an opportunity at any corner or avenue to spark a conversation or generate an interest socially.  You can do this through personal expression with an opinion, and idea, or even an achievement. You can actively engage any audience around you that may have any inclination to take an interest in you, or your subject. Go ahead and let people know what you’ve accomplished, and what you intend to accomplish. Let people know what you are thinking about, and would like to think about more of. It’s okay to be open and honest. Most of the time, as a human being, we rather people be honest with us, then hold back in their true feelings and thoughts. It’s okay to wish for bigger and better things. It’s okay to set milestones and have goals in mind. If you are afraid of not following through, or having something go south on you and how it might reflect, that’s normal, and it’s okay too because it’s okay to fail. In fact it’s good to fail. The Sales Corner has not always succeeded at certain things, but we’ve learned from them, and we pass our experiences and knowledge on as much as we can. In some places, failure is celebrated similar to a birthday part. We tend to remember important events like a birthday party, and so as a result, we remember why or how we came into failure, and we do our best not to make the same mistakes twice. As long as you’ve learned something, anything, from your failure, then how have you failed really? The reality is as Benjamin Franklin once said a few lines that can sum up his thoughts on failure as a great inventor, scientist, and statesman of our time: “Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.” and “I didn’t fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong.”

Sharing Wealth and Knowledge Tip #5
Be open minded, learn, and experience new things…
Those of us that never want to try anything new, or those that have no interest in being influenced by others will likely not become as successful as potential allows. We learn from those around us. This is why you see executives all together, or playing golf, or doing whatever the group is congregating at. They are establishing a circle, and within the circle they share. One way to establish a better understanding of ourselves is to gather the opinions and critiques of others around us. If we are the closed minded type, we will never be able to think “outside the box” for an alternative. If we don’t want to learn, we will never be able to know something new and gain more information to help. If we don’t want to experience new things or step outside our comfort zones, we will likely not be able to share both the positive and negative impacting scenarios in which we would have otherwise identified with new information, content, or knowledge. Being open minded, learning, realizing and experiencing, along with having the free will to choose which we accept and that which we do not, are given to use in order to become who we are or intend to be as we grow. These opportunities should be looked at as priceless and invaluable moments with privileges for which we can share with others to hopefully help them achieve, learn, and grow along with us. If we are not willing to accept any change or new information, then how can we be confident that we can express all of our abilities to someone else and help teach them to assist them to succeed or at least keep them from failing in the same ways?

 

If you like this article or content on The Sales Corner, we highly ask that you utilize our tools around the articles and on the blog to gain more knowledge, share, and help build a community and utilize The Sales Corner as a resource at your fingertips! We’re not going anywhere!

The Sales Corner tries to do it’s best at putting a significant amount of thought into our article composition and postings before we go forward and process our opinions and experiences. We only hope that we help 1 person a day, then if we are able to provide help to more then that, we’ve exceed expectations in ourselves and in our community. Ultimately anyone reading this content may realistically take only one thing away from it. Even so, it will continue to live forever and be available even to those who seek out helpful and meaningful ways to help themselves and others.

For some additional popular articles you can review these others which fit nicely into this topic of learning opportunities and sharing experiences;

5 Sales Tips to Improve Sales
and….
Sales Probing Question Ideas for Sales Professionals