tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346743312024-03-08T10:26:35.997-06:00The Only Sales Blog You NeedA blog for sales managers and salespeople. Share a tip. Tell us a success story. Share your knowledge and passion for sales.<br><br>
<center><a href="http://masteringselling.com/affiliate-sales.html">Click here for Affiliate Success</a></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-65910481164899447052006-12-03T05:28:00.000-06:002006-12-03T05:36:21.773-06:00It's That Time of Year<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Every business has periods where the activity is greater than other times. That can make forward planning a tricky thing. If you are in an extremely busy period there is little time for that. Take advantage of times when things are quieter to plan. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Write out what you want to accomplish and refer to it. Set timelines for completion. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">A new year is upon us. Do not look back in December of 2007 and say..."I have one month's experience twelve more times." Make a plan to increase your experience by a year.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Learn more about your products or services. Develop a better follow-up system. Teach yourself something that is unique to your industry. Commit yourself to implementing that great idea you have. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-47132030140677411502006-11-27T08:44:00.000-06:002006-11-27T08:50:57.443-06:00Jobs in Auto Sales<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I get frequent requests from people who want to learn more about sales and more particularly how to get into auto sales. With over 21,000 franchised car dealers in the U.S. I can say there are plenty of dealerships wanting to hire good salespeople. In most cases previous experience is not required. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The common mistake sales candidates make is not preparing a strategy. Here is a page on my website that will help prepare you for a successful interview.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/auto-jobs.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/auto-jobs.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-67290023519479144062006-11-26T07:04:00.000-06:002006-11-26T07:11:40.082-06:00Mentoring Salespeople<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I received another email for a request to serve as a mentor on an individual basis. I am first, extremely flattered. That means the information I am providing seems worthwhile and of benefit. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Unfortunately I cannot mentor on an individual basis. There is not enough time to do the job properly for thousands of pupils. What I can offer is an alternative. Reading this blog. Looking at the mentoring section of </span><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/mentoring.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">my website.</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I do want to thank everyone who emails me with this request. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Best of luck in your selling efforts.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-59033563635818547742006-11-23T04:56:00.000-06:002006-11-23T05:00:10.617-06:00Sales Meetings or Training Meetings?<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I had a request from a sales manager wanting to know the difference between a sales meeting and a training meeting. He concluded by asking if they really aren't the same. The short answer is NO, they are not. There is quite a difference and it's based on what the purpose is. You can find information on each type by following these links.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Sales Meeting</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/sales-meetings.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/sales-meetings.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Training Meeting</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/training.html">http://www.masteringselling.com/training.html</a><br /><br />As always, best of luck in your sales efforts.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-16259520649860856712006-11-22T07:18:00.000-06:002006-11-22T07:24:05.459-06:00Automobile Sales Training<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I had an email from a dealer yesterday who asked, "Who is responsible for training the salespeople at the dealership?" The simple answer is...You are, Mr. Dealer. Your management team does the training, or they should. But ultimately you are responsible for insuring it is done, done effectively and is beneficial. Here is where I directed him.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Dealers and GM's</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/automobile-dealer.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/automobile-dealer.html</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-12874450910871797772006-11-21T06:43:00.000-06:002006-11-21T06:46:16.476-06:00Sales Leadership Skills<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I received an inquiry from a sales manager regarding the best skills for leadership in sales. I directed him to this information. When is the last time you thought about what skills great leaders have?</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Sales Leadership</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/sales-leadership.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/sales-leadership.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-54063678614369254112006-11-20T16:44:00.001-06:002008-11-01T15:16:51.987-06:00The Sales Desk<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">This series about auto dealer sales training continues to receive great response. The question was put to me, "What is the primary role of the sales desk." There are two answers, one from the perspective of sales management and the other from sales people. Here is the information:</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">For Salespeople</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/sales-desk.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/sales-desk.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">For Managers</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/desk-manager.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/desk-manager.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-53717178743411449742006-11-20T10:53:00.000-06:002006-11-20T10:55:57.760-06:00More Auto Sales Training<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The initial response to online auto dealer sales training has been phenomenal. Received lots of requests for more on presenting a four square to a customer. Hope you find this info helpful. Best of luck in your selling efforts.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Presenting a Four Square</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/four-square-presentation.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/four-square-presentation.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-62091971418447826952006-11-19T08:47:00.000-06:002006-11-19T08:52:04.183-06:00Automobile Sales Training<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The final steps in the Road to a Sale are completed. Thanks for the great and positive feedback this project has generated. Bookmark the site as one of your favorites, new information is added at regular intervals.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Step 10-Proper turn to F&I</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-10.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-10.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Step 11- Proper Delivery</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-11.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-11.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Step 12- Follow-up and ask for referrals</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-12.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-12.html</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-55831549711227615182006-11-18T08:09:00.000-06:002006-11-18T08:13:09.971-06:00Automobile Sales Training Update<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Steps 8 and 9 of the Road to a Sale are now completed. View them by clicking the links.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Step 8- A Commitment to do Business</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-8.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-8.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Step 9- Negotiate and Close</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-9.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-9.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Wishing you continuing success in your sales efforts.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-27796505374213117582006-11-18T05:08:00.000-06:002006-11-18T05:16:33.956-06:00New Car Dealer Invoice Pricing<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Wow. I have had a lot of activity at my website about what car dealers pay for cars and questions about dealer invoice on cars. You can find the detailed information at </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/dealer-invoice.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/dealer-invoice.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">but here is a short discussion. All dealers pay the manufacturer exactly the same amount for like-equipped vehicles. There might be a very small difference in the total dealer invoice amount based on the ad group assesment the dealer belongs to but other than that there is no variation. It is part of the dealer's franchise agreement. Read the in-depth info by clicking the link above.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-91439810546367630752006-11-17T18:20:00.000-06:002006-11-17T18:30:54.429-06:00Road to a Sale<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Thanks to all who have given great feedback and positive response to the Road to a Sale information for automobile salespeople. This is a work in progress and I am happy to say that 7 of the 12 steps are now available. They can be located here:</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Step 1-Proper Meet and Greet</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-1.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-1.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Step 2-Proper Fact Finding</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-2.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-2.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Step 3-Selecting a Vehicle from Inventory</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-3.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-3.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Step 4-World Class Product Presentation and Demonstration</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-4.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-4.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Step 5-Evaluating the Customer's Trade-in</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-5.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-5.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Step 6-What Being Seated and Relaxed is Really About</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-6.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-6.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Step 7-The Trial Close</span><br /><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-7.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/road-to-a-sale-step-7.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Bookmark this blog or add the site </span><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> to your computer when you click the link.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-84333049525836659972006-11-17T18:11:00.000-06:002006-11-17T18:18:12.778-06:00Feature Function Benefit Presentation<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Had a request today to talk about Feature Function Benefit sales presentations. In a nut shell this technique tells the customer <strong>what it is</strong>-the feature, <strong>what it does</strong>-the function and <strong>why they should have it-</strong>the benefit. This technique and words to use can be found at:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/salestraining-ffb.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/salestraining-ffb.html</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-24318818526274273662006-11-12T06:38:00.000-06:002006-11-12T06:44:30.940-06:00Online Automobile Sales Training<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I have received a number of requests to add an online automobiles sales training course to MasteringSelling.com . I have begun the additions and they can be located at </span><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/automobile-sales-training.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">http://www.masteringselling.com/automobile-sales-training.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Good luck in your selling efforts.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-1163077532534632362006-11-09T06:50:00.000-06:002006-11-11T07:01:20.352-06:00Learning Sales SkillsI had a comment made to me by a new sales trainer. She said, "Some people just don't get."<br />That is true. But I also had to remind her of a couple of things.<br /><br />First, not everyone has the same amount of desire for or commitment to success.<br />Second, not everyone learns at the same rate. She wanted to know what was reasonable to expect in terms of time for people to "get up to speed." I told her the same thing about learning I told her about the desire and commitment comment above, not everyone has the same amount of desire to learn or "get up to speed.'<br /><br />What I did offer her was a short list of the stages of learning. I advised her to categorize each of her people according to their level of knowledge and begin the training from that point.<br />Still awaiting the results from her but here are the levels of learning suggested to her.<br /><br />1. UNCONSCIOUS INCOMPETENCE<br /> People are not aware of the skills required. Most of your new hires and "rookies" fall into this category.<br /><br />2. CONSCIOUS INCOMPETENCE<br /> They are now aware that they lack a skill or level of knowledge. They realize that learning a new skill or improving a previous one will improve their effectiveness.<br /> <br />3. CONSCIOUS COMPETENCE<br /> They can perform the skill “at will”. It is not yet second nature but they have the mechanics of the skill or knowledge .<br /><br />4. UNCONSCIOUS COMPETENCE<br /> The skill has become second nature. The salesperson has mastered the skill or knowledge and can use it effectively during the course of their daily business activities.<br /><br />Are you a great teacher, trainer or sales manager? SiteSell can <a onclick="window.location.href='/cgi-bin/counter.pl?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyks.sitesell.com%2Fmickey1.html&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.masteringselling.com%2Fskill.html'; return false;" href="http://myks.sitesell.com/mickey1.html">turn your knowledge into a business</a> in your spare time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-1162820669401962552006-11-06T07:39:00.000-06:002006-11-11T07:01:19.738-06:00The Difficult Propsect<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I have received requests to talk about how to handle difficult prospects. Here is the short version:<br /><br />Do not, as human nature makes us do, decide prematurely they are a "waste of time" or adopt an "I'll show you" stance. Neither of these will lead to a sale.<br /><br />Give the propsect a chance to "get if off their chest". Just say..."Mr. Prospect, it sounds like you've had a bad experience with (the product, the company, another salesperson). Would you mind telling me what happened? I don't want give you the same experience."<br /><br />This will allow them to blow off some steam, calm down and more importantly if you are paying attention tell you exactly what not to do if you want them to be a customer.<br /><br />Only you can decide, at that moment, whether the prospect is lost forever or there is a chance to earn their business.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-1162812744935883792006-11-06T05:30:00.000-06:002006-11-11T07:01:19.167-06:00Election Day<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Examine the candidates and the issues and Vote on Tuesday. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-1162552910851101882006-11-03T05:16:00.000-06:002006-11-11T07:01:18.567-06:00Sales Managers....You Are Not Alone<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Research you may find interesting, or disturbing, dependent upon your point of view.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Two nationally known companies conducted a study that looked at sales processes, sales effectiveness and sales management effectiveness. Here are the results.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br />· <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">82.29% of the companies said they were not following the sales processes currently in place.<br /></span>· <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">41.48% indicated their salespeople were performing below expectation</span><br />· <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">8.13% of salespeople were described as consistent peak performers</span><br />· <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">90.47% said salespeople to maintain a proper balance between prospecting, presentation, negotiation and business management<br /></span>· <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">41.89% train on a sporadic basis<br /></span>· <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">25.32% were not currently engaged in ongoing training</span><br />· <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">22.36% train weekly<br /></span>· <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">10.43% train monthly<br /></span>· <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">52.34% of sales management say they are too busy or do not have time to train</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">More detailed information can be found at <a href="http://masteringselling.com">MasteringSelling.com</a></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-1162384216870933262006-11-01T06:22:00.000-06:002006-11-11T07:01:18.013-06:00Do You Know Your Value?<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The greatest thing about being in sales is the income potential. Which leads to the title of this post. Do you know your value? Rather than spend hours figuring how much you make per hour worked, how much you make every time you make a sales call make it easy on yourself.<br />Look at your paycheck for the pay period and that is EXACTLY what you are worth. Every time you get paid you know.<br /><br />The important decision to make is...is the amount sufficient to satisfy you? If so, congratulations. If not your course of action should be to improve your performance and boost your income. How?<br /><br />By taking inventory of yourself. Are you really putting forth the effort? Are you growing? Are you working smarter, not harder? Do you manage your time effectively? Do you know your product or industry? How about your attitude?<br /><br /></span><a href="http://masteringselling.com"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">MasteringSelling.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> is a great place to take a refresher, remind yourself of the importance of attitude and develop a new sense of purpose.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-1162241303900925992006-10-30T14:32:00.000-06:002006-11-11T07:01:17.798-06:00Employee Discipline or Termination<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">If you are a sales manager yor job requires you to either discipline or terminate employees. As difficult as this is you must always think before you act.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Ask yourself the following:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">WHAT ARE THEY BEING DISCIPLINED FOR?</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Is the cause of your action is due to a violation of company policy, departmental policy or poor judgment? Your response to each will vary.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WILL SAY TO THE EMPLOYEE</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Is this intended to be a warning or the fatal blow to their career? </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">GIVE THE EMPLOYEE A CHANCE TO STATE THEIR CASE</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">If you are disciplining someone as a warning prior to termination should the event re-occur get their acknowledgement in written form.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">DO NOT DISCUSS YOUR PLAN OF ACTION </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Any discussion of what you plan to do should include only the employee, the person you report to or the human resources department.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">BEFORE YOU TERMINATE</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Why are you considering formal termination? Poor work standards? Make certain you have given this person every opportunity to perform. If you hired them, you must have seen something that showed promise. If firing an employee is your only alternative involve your supervisor or human resources.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">DO NOT TERMINATE IN ANGER</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Business decisions based on sound principles are not personal attacks against the employee. If you are angry take a step back, calm down and proceed with a clear head.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE EMPLOYEE TO LEAVE THE PREMISES</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Depending on the circumstance make it easy for them to remove their personal affects after hours if possible. Do not let them disrupt or taint the attitude of others.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Whether your decision involves discipline or termination know your company's policies regarding these matters. Involve your human resources department at the earliest possible time.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-1162125444483137622006-10-29T06:09:00.000-06:002006-11-11T07:01:17.436-06:00Website Advice<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Since posting the article "Teach Your Site to Sell" (see September article archive below) I have been asked what program or system a beginner should use to build a successful website to promote a business. Everyone has different needs and levels of expertise. I can only speak from my personal perspective.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Not too long ago my computer experience consisted of web surfing for information and sending e-mails. When I made the decision to create a website, </span><a href="http://masteringselling.com/about.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">which is another story by itself</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, I spent countless hours looking for an easy way to build a website. I needed something that did not require me to know much about computer language, html, etc. I also needed something that offered the "do's and dont's" of how to promote a website. Millions of sites exist with millions of varying viewpoints. It is, at times, difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff. I narrowed my list down to three programs and really took an in-depth look at each. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Based on my requirements for website building I chose <a href="http://compare.sitesell.com/mickey1.html">SiteSell</a>, or more appropriately, SiteBuildIt.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">The upfront cost of $299USD was a little higher than the other two programs but what I found was SiteBuildIt, SBI for short, contained everything I needed at no additional charge. The other programs I investigated had add-on fees for anything other than the basic design and web hosting service. When I made a checklist of what I would utilize SiteBuildIt was, on an annual basis, much less.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">I still know very little about web hosting, website design and search engine optimization, or SEO, as it is called. What I do know is my site is operating efficiently, making money and easy to use. The biggest bonus is the forum section where other SBI users share helpful tips on everything from getting started building a website to advanced html coding. SBI also has a <a href="http://store.sitesell.com/mickey1.html">module for business owners </a>who want to sell their goods online. I recommend you take a look at <a href="http://passion.sitesell.com/mickey1.html">SiteSell</a> if you are serious about creating a successful website.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-1161861522855071102006-10-26T05:17:00.000-06:002006-11-11T07:01:17.061-06:00Take Time to Manage Your Time<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Identify items as urgent, important and secondary.Devote time to each but do it in the proper order. <strong>Urgent activities</strong> take priority over everything else. Anything that is hindering the completion of a sale is an urgent activity.Do nothing else until these are completed, you have scheduled their completion or delegated the completion to someone else.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Important activities</strong> occur daily. These deal with current business and ongoing programs that lead to furthering business. Included in this group is sales follow-up, customer follow-up, training, recruiting and hiring.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Secondary activity</strong> includes anything in your job description that does not deal directly with customers or making a sale. The simple way to prioritize is to WRITE IT DOWN in order of importance and cross it off when completed. If you have a task that is scheduled but not yet completed be certain you follow up until it is done. A hint here:the best organization system ever created is the legal pad. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><strong>Acknowledge every Person in the Building</strong>. Management by walking around is a vital part of your success. Spend time every morning walking through your place of business. Acknowledge everyone there. A wave, a quick smile. You do not have to engage them in conversation. The benefits are enormous. The first impression you create is that you genuinely care about their well being. When you need a favor it will be easier to get it done. Do not make the mistake of being the type of manager who goes to work, goes in their office and appears only when they want something.<br /><br /><strong>Touch Every One of your Salespeople</strong>. They need to know you have a genuine interest in their success. Simply ask them the following question. “What can I do to help you make a sale today?” This simple question will get all the information you want regarding what they are going to do today. </span><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/daily.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Do you know what they are going to do?</span></a> <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">They will tell you about each and every deal they have working, customers they are going to contact, appointments, etc. Avoid the frustration of demanding they come to you with their daily work plan.By asking them what you can do to help you will not only get the information, they will come to expect it and have their game plan prepared. It might take several days for the idea to become part of the routine but once it is ingrained it will never go away.<br /><strong>Look at Your Numbers</strong>. Look at the numbers that tell you about the performance for each of your salespeople. Be reminded that you cannot manage results, they have already happened. You are merely trying to identify trends in your salespeople before they become a problem.<br /></span><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/numbers.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Take time to analyze the numbers.</span></a><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Look at Your People</strong>. Are they ready to work? Their time must be managed by you. Activity breeds activity. If they knew how to stay busy they wouldn’t be idle in the first place. Get them involved in meaningful activities during slow traffic periods. Product knowledge, certification, helping newer salespeople, etc. These are things we never seem to find time to do. By getting them involved early each morning you set the tone for the day. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><strong>Look at Your Advertising</strong>. Is it there? You pay money to advertise. Make sure the ad ran. This is important every day but especially if you are running a promotion. More than one sales manager has had egg on his face by not doing so. Sidenote: In the Sales Meeting module I use a Red Tag Sales Event as an example of how to structure a meeting. </span><a href="http://masteringselling.com/sales-meetings.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Take time to look at it.</span></a> <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">What is the competition advertising? Do not make the mistake of waiting until the last minute deadline established by the newspaper and just throwing something in to have representation. It’s quality, not quantity that counts. What is the message? Why is it different? Why should they call? Who is your ad designed to attract? </span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><strong>The Secret of Time Management is Managing Yourself</strong>. It is setting priorities, taking charge of your situation and utilizing your time to its highest potential. It means changing habits or activities that waste it. Attempting to do too much at once will insure you completely lose track of time. Break tasks down into components that can be easily managed. All successful time management begins with planning and focusing on the plan.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-1161789518018573602006-10-25T09:16:00.000-06:002006-11-11T07:01:16.730-06:00New Information at MasteringSelling<span style="font-size:85%;">I have added some </span><a href="http://masteringselling.com/sitemap.html"><span style="font-size:85%;">new information </span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">to the site. Hope you find something you enjoy and can share.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-1161626836977383282006-10-23T12:04:00.000-06:002006-11-11T07:01:16.305-06:00Freedom of Choice does not mean Freedom From Consequence<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Before you say "I always make the right choice" consider what the questions are.<br /><br /><strong>Do I have a plan? </strong>Yes, you do.<br />It either includes a well organized day that will produce results or it doesn't. That is your plan. If you choose not to plan... Here is the consequence...<br />You will continue to get more of the same. Do you like where you are right now? If you have a genuine interest in improving begin by having a plan. Not just a plan for the day, a plan for life. Write it down. Refer to it. Add to it. Change it if necessary.<br /><br /><strong>Do I know my product? </strong>If you do not...<br />Here is the consequence... Your presentation will be weak. Your customers will not see themselves using your product. There will be no emotion. Selling is about </span><a href="http://masteringselling.com/productpresentation.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">presenting your product with enthusiasm.</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> Hard to be enthusiastic over something you know little about. Knowing "just enough" won't do it either. You will be like all the other salespeople your customer has spoken with. AVERAGE. Who wants to be average?<br /><br /><strong>Am I just going through the motions? </strong>I make the number of sales calls my manager asks me to. I meet the minimum quota each month. I make enough to pay my bills. If this is the choice you make...<br />Here is the consequence... You will never be better than you are right now.<br /><br /><strong>Do I have an effective follow up plan?</strong> Are you in touch with your customers on a regular basis? Do your follow up efforts include something of value for you customers? Do you know how often you need to contact them? If not...<br />Here is the consequence... Your hard work to get them as a customer will be lost. Think of the time you spent making them your's. Without a good follow up system they will go elsewhere because they will forget about you. </span><a href="http://masteringselling.com/newsletters.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Why not work smart instead of hard?</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><strong>Do I really understand the psychology of selling?</strong> Sales is not about talking. You have two ears and one mouth, use them in the same proportion. Selling is about listening to your customer. It is being able to see things from their perspective. It is finding a solution to their problem. Do you sell this way? If not...<br />Here is the consequence...poor results. Why? Because your customer will perceive that its all about YOU and your needs. They will not see value, they will only see that you want to get their money. </span><a href="http://www.masteringselling.com/factfinding.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Get the facts</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> and they will have no problem making the choice to buy from you.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34674331.post-1161367570852504562006-10-20T11:47:00.000-06:002006-11-11T07:01:15.909-06:00Fix the Problem right the first time<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Do you feel like you start over every 90 days? Do you fix the same problem more than once? Do you ever wonder why? Simple, most managers fix things for the short term. Develop long term solutions and the short term will take care of itself.<br />I know what you are thinking...<br />Identify what is wrong and create a solution. That's simple.<br /><br />Doing this is exactly why you keep fixing the same issues over and over. There is an important step missing and it comes between identifying the problem and creating a solution.. That step is...<br /><br /><strong>Diagnose before you try to cure</strong><br />I learn easier when people give examples so let's do that here. Suppose we start with the most common of Sales Manager dilemmas.<br /><br />How can I get my salespeople to sell more?<br /><br />Here is the answer most people give without a thought. <strong>They need to see more people and they will sell more.</strong>That is a simple solution and your salespeople will do that for about a week. Then they will see their return on time invested isn't getting them much ahead of where they were. You, the Manager, pick up a little extra business. That extra business helps you reach your short term goal and now you can relax...until its time to repeat the process again before the end of the next sales period.<br /><br />Why not stop this viscious cycle. Fix it the first time and you won't keep re-visiting it.<br />Lets fix this problem together...<br /><br />Here is a technique I learned that will work with any problem, not just this one. I even used it when I was doing a backyard landscaping project. It sure cut down the trips to the hardware store because I had the answers on paper and all I had to do was put the plan into action.<br /><br />Plan? What plan?<br /><br />The well thought out one you are going to create. Just use the framework and plug in the variables. Let's begin.<br /><br />Identify the problem<br /><br />We need more sales<br />Here comes the part where you learn to stop fixing the same problem over and over.<br /><br /><strong>Diagnose before you try to cure</strong><br />What is causing the problem?<br />You know what the problem is, what is creating it?<br /><br />Are you sure you have the right people?<br />It all starts with good hiring practices. </span><a href="http://masteringselling.com/hiringtherightpeople.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">You can find that here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">.<br /><br />How is their product knowledge?<br />Learning is part of their </span><a href="http://masteringselling.com/daily.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">daily routine</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">.<br /><br />Have you trained them?<br />They learn from you. Develop the habit of </span><a href="http://masteringselling.com/training.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">training</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">.<br /><br />Are your sales meetings effective?<br />Here are the key ingredients for conducting a great </span><a href="http://masteringselling.com/sales-meetings.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">sales meeting</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">.<br /><br />Is it your attitude about the competition?<br />Your mindset regarding what is going on in the market has an impact on your people. Yes, lots of people are in your industry. Teach your people what sets your company, product or service apart. Share that knowledge with them.<br /><br />Have you established, in writing, what your objective is?<br />An unwritten plan is no plan at all.<br /><br />Keep accurate records.<br />Do you know how many customers your people are talking to and what the results were? Without the ability to track your business you will achieve inconsistent results. </span><a href="http://masteringselling.com/numbers.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Learn from the numbers.<br /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Have you analyzed how many salespeople you need?<br /><br />Have you analyzed your inventory in order to ensure you have enough stock and the proper stock?<br />Do not assume anything. Inventory management is critical. It must be sufficient to create the numbers you forecast and must be the right stuff. Look at it every day.<br /><br />Have you analyzed your business to determine the effectiveness of your advertising? Spending your ad budget just because money is allotted to it is not the best use of your money.<br /><br />Are we done yet?<br /><br />We will be when I remind you of this.... HOW DO I FIX THE PROBLEM?<br />Write down every item that comes to mind that might be causing the problem.<br />Analyze why you feel that way about each of the items.<br />Think about what might happen should you decide to change something.<br />Plan a course of action that will deliver the desired results.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0