The buzzword of advertising and marketing companies for the new millennium is “Branding”. Companies are spending millions and millions of dollars identifying themselves as a brand or something different in their competitive community. What sets one company apart from another? In order too not only make the customer conscience of where they made their purchase, but in making it an experience to be remembered as well. Most companies spend five, six or even as high as ten percent of their total sales on advertising and marketing. We are talking major dollars. Look at the advertisements that cost two million dollars during the Superbowl. All placed with one purpose in mind, that being name and/or brand recognition. Do I agree with branding and name recognition? Yes I do.

In today’s competitive environment you need to “Brand&rdqu...Read More

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Ask not what your company can do for you, but rather what you can do for your company. Business in the year 2008 is a give and take. For your efforts in sales you are rewarded with money and/or benefits, in return you are expected to show up on time and put in an honest days work. You are expected to give your best effort with every customer, contribute to the team effort when it comes to non-selling duties, pull your own weight, pay for your own income with productivity, prospect, generate leads and thus generate sales.

However, too many salespeople that I encounter are waiting for something to happen. They expect the advertising to pull in thousands and thousands of people. They think the brochures, displays, signage, and/or general word of mouth will cause their company to become the latest hot bed of traffic, sales and profits. We all know that...Read More

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One of the things that I appreciate the most about our profession as salespeople is that we control our own destiny. As a salesperson, you alone wake up every morning and choose what the outcome of the day will be. You alone can decide if you are going to repeat the actions of the past or look for new and better ways to do your job. You alone control your attitude, enthusiasm and commitment.

Just as a company has to reinvent itself on a regular basis so must you, the sales professional. Look at yourself and your profession as a one-person organization. You are a one-person sales organization that has the capability to make as much or as little money as you decide you want to make. You can decide for yourself if you are going to be an entrepreneur or an employee. You can be a success or a failure. You can excel or remain idle. You can lead a great life or you can lead a b...Read More

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Did you ever notice how at a social function, a wedding, company party or hospitality get together how the people that seem to be having the most fun are the people that are dancing. They are laughing and carrying on just having the best of times. They may in fact be the only people at the wedding who are dancing, but nonetheless, no one is going to stop them from having a terrific time.

Then did you ever notice how when you are at the same wedding or social function how miserable some people look, those people that weren’t dancing. Ask the people who weren’t dancing what they thought of the reception, they will tell you how boring it was and that they actually couldn’t wait for the bride and groom to cut the cake and throw the garter and bouquet so they could leave.

The bottom line is that people choose to make the social function a gr...Read More

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Product knowledge is one of those things that you may never need to use, but you absolutely have to have. When starting a career in sales I would even say that product knowledge is more important than sales training. Should a salesperson not be able to answer questions about the product there is only one sales technique that could save the sale. That technique is known as a turnover. Customers can be like blood hungry sharks when they find a weak aspect of the sales presentation or of the salesperson.

People don’t necessarily buy our products for what it might have; they buy our products for what they might do for them. In many cases it is purely an emotional reason behind the purchase. In other cases the purchases are based on the technical aspect behind the product. Then product knowledge is paramount to the purchase. Add to that the industries that also repair ...Read More

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The entire process of adding-on can be perceived as being very pushy and aggressive. This is true not only in the customers mind, but in the salesperson’s mind as well. Yet, adding-on is and should be a customer service. The customers may really need the items you sell. They just may not know they need it yet, or they are unaware of the wide range of different items you sell.

When I first became involved in the jewelry industry, I heard a jeweler say that pearls were a traditional gift for the groom to give to the bride. I wondered at that time if my wife was disappointed years ago when she didn’t receive a wedding day gift from me. I had never heard of the tradition and didn’t know it even existed. Whose fault was it that my wife didn’t receive a wedding day gift? Was it my fault or the jewelers that sold me the engagement ...Read More

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Whatever happened to manners and common courtesy? I remember when people were actually friendly to one another. I even remember when you would walk into a business and would be greeted with a friendly “hello”. There was even a time when a salesperson would answer a question in a caring manner. Whatever happened to those days?

Going into the majority of restaurants you are greeted with something like; “Two? Come this way” or “Two for dinner? It will be an hour do you wanna wait? Very rarely a “Hello, How are you? Thank you for coming in.” Just a little simple common courtesy is all I am asking.

I was in a shoe store the other day and an elderly woman asked the salesperson, (a term I am using very liberally right now) “Would you mind punching an addition hole in the strap on my sandals?&...Read More

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Work is, or should be, play with a purpose. We all spend the majority of our lives working. This being true then shouldn’t work be fun? I think so. I consider myself to be very fortunate. I love the work I do, I truly enjoy the people that I meet and the places I get to go. The rewards of the job are tremendous. As an added benefit I have a lot of fun doing what I do. OK, I admit the last few weeks the airlines and airports, delays and lost luggage have been driving me a bit crazy, but still I am having fun.

The question is are you truly having fun working where you are working and doing what it is you are doing? If it isn’t fun, then I would guess you are not being as productive and successful as you possibly could be. I am not professing that you should leave your job. What I am saying is that if the fun and the passion has somehow ...Read More

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I was recently reading a book entitled “Just Say Yes”, by my friend, Phil Nulman. In the book Phil quotes a recent survey that stated that the primary reason customers will leave a business relationship is indifference. It wasn’t poor service or even abuse that ranked highly in the survey. As a matter of fact, the survey stated that 68% of the people surveyed said they would leave a business relationship because of indifference.

Further, as I have stated before, as much as 80% of your business is done with 20% of your customer base. To that end, the name of game in sales seems to be increasing your customer base. Increasing the customer base will increase the pure number of customers thus causing you to increase sales with the top 20% of your customer base. Realizing that as much as 25% of your customer base goes away on an annual basis, then you see ...Read More

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The other night my wife and I were at a restaurant with another couple. The waiter approached the table with a nice greeting and then asked “Can I start you off with a drink? Would you like a mixed drink "er" ice tea "er ah"  coke?” He went all around the table asking each of us would you like this "er" that "er ah" that. The "er ah" question has to be the most aggravating question in the world. Yet, the same habit is dominant in many salespeople.

I consistently hear salespeople asking questions like; “Is this for a special occasion "er ah" birthday "er ah" anniversary?” “Would you like to get her a bracelet "er ah" necklace "er ah" ring?” “Is this the first place you have shopped "er ah" have you been...Read More

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In running there is a term known as “Hitting The Wall”. What the term means is that mentally, emotionally, and physically the runner is totally and completely drained and can’t take another stride. They are simply out of gas. Each and every runner has a different point at which they hit the wall and cannot continue.

I believe the same thing is true in business as well as with individual salespeople. Every business and every salesperson will eventually “hit the wall”. The business or salesperson will not be able to go any further, produce any more or reach the next level of sales and productivity. Sales will level off and complacency may even become commonplace. The business and the individual will keep doing the same tasks, selling the same way, and producing the same results.

The only cure for “hitting the wall&rdquo...Read More

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Do you really know your customers? Do you know what is going on inside their heads? Are you empathetic to the wants, needs, desires and concerns of the customer? Have you put yourself in their shoes and really know what they are feeling? If you haven’t, then you probably aren’t as successful as you could be in sales.

Each and every customer is different. They all have different reasons for buying or not buying. The only way to maximize every potential sale is through getting to know your customers. Some customers might be buying to show love, commitment and adornment. Others may be buying to celebrate a special occasion. Still others may buy for the prestige or status along with numerous other reasons that customers buy.

The top salespeople are those that are great listeners and those that ask outstanding questions to e...Read More

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