Sales management careers should be fulfilling and fun and I have had the wonderful opportunity, or in fact privilege to sales manage and influence sales people. I see sales management as one of the most important obligations and responsibility of any sales leader. I have always tried to sales manage and lead with more emotion and passion for each individual as an individual and not just an instrument for generating profits.

Social theorists and academics have suggested that the beliefs in people, their intellect, abilities, emotions and ethical values are the core of our social existence.

One of these theorists is an individual by the name of Dr. Clayton J.C. Lafferty who had studied the management competency of humanistic-encouraging or what is now often referred to as emotional intelligence has defined it in the following way:

“Humanistic-Encouraging measures an interest in people, a tendency to care about others, and the ability to encourage them to improve.”

Sales managers with stronger humanistic-encouraging competencies are more able to have these conversations, according to Lafferty, as they accept others for who they are - without question or criticism. I believe that humanistic behaviour encourages personal growth and the development of human existence within the multiple layers of our varied social frameworks. We therefore have a social obligation to become better, more caring sales managers so that we are able to engage all of our sales people individually.

I have come to believe, based on personal observations and experiences that what seems of utmost importance to my role as a sales manager, was to leave behind legacies for others to continue. Using a nickname from my past I call these Fossils.
Fossils, by my definition, are ideas or impressions left on sales people that have proven themselves over time. They have become embedded permanent imprints or disciplines in how I sales manage people.

I have personally defined the role of a sales manager in the following way:

“An individual with the accountability and responsibility to create a working environment where sales people are able to enrich their thinking, abilities and experiences on a continual basis while maximizing value for their clients.”

It all starts with your thinking or your mindset. The best in sales and sales management are positive thinkers. They think positively about their desire to achieve results and about their relationships with their clients. They regularly review their activities and goals and they think in an enthusiastic, “can do” mindset; Aligning the creative mind in harmony with their emotional intelligence which influences their focus, motivation and confidence.

I have found significant gratification in supporting an environment where each sales person has the opportunity to apply themselves, fully leverage their intellectual curiosity, align positive thinking, enhance ability and enrich his or her value to each client relationship. Sales management thinking and behaviour had become of great personal importance to me over the years as I assessed my own achievements.

They were collective achievements, largely due to the thinking, ability and motivation of sales people who strived to meet sales targets and personal bests but who also sold on the basis of mutual benefit. The more I had been able to assist in developing sales people’s thinking, ability and their desire to achieve, the more likely I was able to achieve what I set out to accomplish and the more rewarding it was for me personally. The more humanistic-encouraging the practices the more I have had a positive effect on enhancing the thinking, abilities and motivation of sales people. I believed these competencies became my own competitive advantage and brand.

In conclusion, it is important to note that sales management careers should be fulfilling and fun. If done with heart, emotion and the right mindset your career can be one of the most fulfilling and satisfying aspects of what makes up a large part of your life. It is my hope that for those I have had the opportunity to influence that I have done so with a positive and memorable way. I hope that I am remembered for bringing an aspect of enthusiasm and emotion to a role that is at the heart of organizations; that of a sales manager.

Ron Foss is the Director of Operations of SalesDialogue Systems Inc. a company committed to assisting sales professionals better understand how their thinking and internal conversations impact sales success. Learn more at http://www.salesdialogue.com/

Ron Foss is the author of “From Mindsets to Heartbeats”, based on his work and research on the Humanistic Competencies of Managers now referred to as Emotional Inteligence. He is a top sales and sales management leader in Canada with 30 years experience working with and developing sales people.

The story you are about to hear is true.

With the implementation of one well-crafted sales tactic, Gene surprised himself by making one phone call and getting a meeting with a senior executive. A man Gene and his team had been pursuing for more than one year!

The contract ended up serving the executive so well he had no reason to renew current contracts with eleven of Gene’s competitors.

What a day that was! Better yet, the days that follow continue to be lucrative with a steady flow of sales coming from the powerful strategy used that day.

One cold call, one meeting, one $13 million contract … ba-da bing, ba-da boom!

Play-by-play reports of big sales bring shivers of delight to sales professionals. We meet. We talk. We share our stories of success. After all, that’s where we get out jollies! We thrive on closing the deals … and no one appreciates the sophisticated subtleties of these stories like other sales professionals

The best-of-the-best know that within each story are nuggets of learning that will …if unearthed and applied … add greatly to their own success.

Gene decided to try calling this executive cold, without a “warm” introduction. His reasoning was, “I’ve spent months trying to get a hold of this guy. I have nothing to lose by calling his office myself.”

Gene called, spoke with his prospect’s executive assistant, and requested a 20-minute meeting.

When the gatekeeper asked the question asked by all gatekeepers, “What’s this meeting about?” Gene responded, “I want to know why he’s using eleven companies to do what his competitor across town just uses us to do.”

Those words prompted the executive to call Gene and schedule a meeting. During their face time, Gene outlined the benefits of: doing business with one vendor in terms of reduced paperwork, having easy access to one contact, and reducing expenses with volume discounts.

That’s the sales call that resulted in a staggering $13-million contract.

Yes, such deals are as simple and complex as all that.

There are important lessons to learn from that brief phone message. A few sentences can result in a tremendous increase in your meetings with high-level decision makers.

First of all, Gene called the executive’s office and let him know he wanted to meet.

Sounds pretty basic doesn’t it? Now, ask yourself, how many executives have you called this week, better yet, today? That’s the question Gene asked himself.

For months on end, he and his super sales team worked their contacts hoping for warm introductions right on up the organizational ladder. Contacts who had assured Gene they’d get him and his team in to see the President. Frustration mounted, as those folks inside the company were unable to follow through on their commitments. Twelve months after going down this path, Gene still wasn’t in.

When introduced to the concept of successfully cold calling executives, the light clicked on for Gene. He could clearly see a new solution for an old problem. He returned to the office, called the executive, and gave a good reason why the executive would want to meet with him.

Let’s take a few minutes here to scrutinize the few words that led to such powerful profits. You’ll find several tactics you can easily implement!

* State the purpose of the call … a 20-minute meeting with the executive.

* Leave a compelling message.

* Speak directly to the executive’s interests in bottom line terms with numbers the executive can sink his teeth into.

Then, take note of what Gene did not do. Take note, he did not “burn daylight” elaborating on:

* Who he was

* The name of his company

* What his company does

* How long the company has been in business

* And so forth … there was no fluff!

His words, information, and delivery positioned him as an important player in the executive’s world. Those very words compelled the executive to act quickly so as to capitalize on a timely opportunity.

Now, it’s your turn to give it a go. Call the top executive of a company you’ve been prospecting for awhile, follow-through with these tactics, and get ready to be awed by the spine tingling stories of success that come your way!

Forward this article to friendsthey’ll thank you for it!

For your FREE mini-course “Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents” visit http://www.ColdCallingExecutives.com! Or call Your Sales Coach for Extreme Profitability, author/speaker Leslie Buterin (like butterin’ bread) at (816) 554-3674 9-3 CST (that’s Kansas City/Chicago Time).

Hypnosis has been a taboo word for far too long. And many people
see it in a mystical light. Yet what they do not realize is that
hypnosis is a naturally occurring state experienced by everyone
every single day. And it is only in recent times, that business
professionals have discovered the power of hypnosis and boosted
their sales and their businesses.

So what specifically is hypnotic selling? It is a process to
trance your prospect with the product or service you offer as
the solution to their need or want. If you are wondering if this
is manipulation, it is not. To successfully become a hypnotic
salesperson, it is imperative to have the customer’s interest at
heart. Your focus should congruently be on servicing the
customer rather than just closing the deal.

KNOW YOUR PROSPECT

Hypnotic selling works because it helps you listen and pay
attention to the prospect in an entirely new way. You begin
listening to not only their word choice, but also the type of
language they use. The reason for success with this type of
sales approach is because it was modeled after successful
salespeople. It is exactly what top performers are already
doing. So this takes the guesswork out of it and gives you
specific tools and strategies to integrate into your own selling
style.

YOUR PROSPECT’S LANGUAGE

Let’s take a closer look at the three possible types of language
a prospect might use. Even though I’ll explain them as
individual types, it is important to note that we incorporate
all three styles, just at different times. When you reflect back
the client’s language, you create immediate rapport. Also,
learning a prospect’s individual style gives you keen insight
into their model of the world, which then allows you to tailor
your presentation.

“The Visual Prospect”

When you hear words like “see, appears, looks,” or phrases like
“picture this, looks clear, bright future,” these are all visual
words. This means we are accessing images in our minds to make
sense of the words. These images may be still or in a movie-like
sequence. They might be bright or dim, clear or fuzzy, in color
or black and white. This kind of prospect will probably will
move and speak quite rapidly.

“The Auditory Prospect”

There may be times when hear words like “listen, sounds,
clicks,” or phrases like “sound okay, listen to this, rings a
bell,” these are all auditory words. Here we are accessing
sounds to make meaning of the words we hear. These sounds may be
loud or quiet, clear or muffled, high or low pitched, pleasant
or unpleasant in tonality. This prospect will speak more
melodically.

“The Kinesthetic Prospect”

Sometimes you may hear words like “feel, grasp, grip, hold,” or
phrases like “take hold of, heavy feeling, or gut response,”
these are all kinesthetic or feeling words. This means we are
accessing our feelings to make sense of the words. These
feelings may be heavy or light, cool or warm, pressured or
tingling, moving or still. This kind of prospect will speak and
move quite slowly as he or she feels each word.

TEN TIPS ON EFFECTIVE HYPNOTIC SELLING

Executives and sales professionals alike always ask me what is
the fastest way I can learn these skills aside from attending
one of your Hypnotic Sales Trainings. And my reply is always the
same; there is no substitute for training and getting the
experience under your belt. However if there were ten tips that
I would want to impart to you at a training or otherwise, it
would be the following:

1. Find your own charismatic persuasion state. Before you ever
approach a prospect make sure you are in an optimal state of
mind. A quick mental exercise you can do is think of times when
you were humorous, highly influential, enthusiastic, and
confident, along with times when you were communicating
effectively and absolutely certain about yourself. Step into a
combination of these states before you take one step towards
your prospect. 2. Step into their trance. When you go into a
company you are stepping into their world, and their world has
its own pace and its own rules. So make sure you meet them where
they are. If it is a high energy place, increase your own energy
level. If it is slow and laid back, slow down with them. This
will allow you to step into the rhythm of their environment. 3.
Establish Rapport. Once you meet your prospect, get rapport with
them. Match and mirror their movements. Sit like they sit. Speak
only as fast they speak. Surprisingly, people like themselves.
And more importantly people like to see themselves in others.
And by matching and mirroring, you are unconsciously saying to
them, “I am as you are.” However, be subtle with this process.
Underplay it and they won’t even notice it. Avoid matching or
mirroring anything that is idiosyncratic to them such as a limp
or a twitch. That kind of overt behavior might break rapport. 4.
Bring them into your trance. When you feel you have established
a fair amount of rapport, then it is time to bring them into
your world. Get them to focus in on you, so they are no longer
distracted by their surroundings. In the old days of hypnosis, a
hypnotist would have you look at spiraling wheel. Hypnotic sales
professionals create the same kind of trance like state with
their presentations. 5. Get them into a good state. As their
attention fixates upon you, they might still be in the state of
mind of their last activity. If it was a pleasant, that’s fine,
if not, then make sure you get them into a good state of mind
(good mood). People make decisions inside of mental states. It
is important to get your prospect into a great state of mind so
when they decide to go with your product or service; they will
always associate good feelings to that decision. This is the
first rule to eliminate buyer’s remorse. 6. Find their emotional
triggers. People buy with their emotions and justify and
rationalize with logic. So it is imperative to discover their
emotional reasons for buying. Is it to move away from the pain
of not having your product or service (perceived benefit) or
pleasure of having it? Or perhaps a little bit of both. Once
triggers or hot buttons are discovered, hypnotic sales
professionals utilize them to persuade the prospect to buying
their product or service. 7. Become a storyteller. We all love
stories. Through stories you can convince someone of anything
because it is always done in a covert manner. Tell them stories
of previous customers and how happy they were for using you or
your service or product. Don’t say it like a testimonial;
instead share it with them like a drama. Watch some TV; drama
sells! Hypnotic sales professionals are master storytellers. 8.
Be the first to bring up objections. When a prospect brings up a
concern, it is called an objection. If you bring up the
objection, then you can frame its positive attributes and make
your product or service more compelling. Hypnotic sales
professionals are quite familiar with the common objections
associated with their industry, product, or service, and they
prepare themselves ahead of time to inoculate their prospect
from these objections. 9. Show them alternate futures. Use your
stories to paint them a picture of what it would be like to not
have your product or service. This goes back to discovering
their emotional triggers. If they are moving away from the pain
of not having your product or service, then really be
descriptive with this possible future. If they prefer to move
towards the pleasure of having your product or service; then
paint them a picture of how great it will be when they are using
your product or service. This is the second rule to eliminate
buyer’s remorse. 10. Thank them and reinforce their decision.
Always make sure you thank them because without them you would
not be there. Customers are the lifeline to any successful
business. Plant a seed for their next purchase and while they
are still in that great mood, suggest they share their
experience with their associates and friends. This is a hypnotic
way to ask for a referral. Two things will happen as a result of
their sharing of their experience. First, it will reinforce
their good decision about using your product or service. Second,
they will automatically enter into this great mood every time
they talk about you, your product, or your service. And when
their friends or associates inquire about the great mood, you
will get free publicity. This is the third rule to eliminate
buyer’s remorse.

WHERE DO YOU BEGIN?

One begins to master hypnotic selling by starting with the first
tip and really getting that down well. The process to master
hypnotic selling is the same way you would eat a watermelon; one
bite at a time. The key here is to integrate it into your own
style, not to become a robot. Add your own flair once you have
mastered each skill set.

After you practice each tip, you will notice an apparent
increase in your sales, improved relationships with old and new
customers, and more referrals. Now as you are starting to
understand the secrets of top performers using hypnotic selling,
consider what it would be worth to you. Calculate the value of
the life of a customer. Aren’t these skills worth your
investigation?

If you aren’t sure if I used hypnotic selling techniques
throughout this article you may want to read it again!

Many sales meetings are boring and a waste of salespeople’s time, say the majority of salespeople I interview. A review of what’s going on in the market is good to know, but to be effective, sales meetings need to be a lot more than that venues for quick market updates.

Inviting a vendor’s sales representation to present a product training program never hurts, but if product knowledge were the criteria for success in sales, about 90% of the fledgling salespeople in North America who are about to lose their jobs would be top performers. While product knowledge is important, it won’t turn a mediocre performer into a top producer.

What’s missing in most of the salespeople I meet is a general lack of sales skill. But rarely do I see sales meetings focus on teaching salespeople how to sell more products to existing customers or how to penetrate a prospect who is giving the lion’s share of his purchases to the competition.

Here are several ideas that will allow your sales force to leave their next sales meeting with enough ammunition to improve their performance:

1. Ask two or three of your top salespeople to join the manager or sales manager on a panel. Give the sales force enough advance notice to identify several sales obstacles they are facing and jot each of them down on a separate piece of paper. At the sales meeting, call out the question and allow the panel to respond with their most effective ideas.

2. Invite three loyal customers to attend your next sales meeting and answer questions from the sales force about what services they most appreciate from a salesperson and what it is about your company that makes them such loyal customers.

3. Invite each salesperson draw a number out of a hat to determine the order each salesperson will present a 15-to-20-minute sales presentation on a key product line that the company is emphasizing. What makes this approach especially effective is to capture each presentation on video. When the presentations are over, replay the video and ask the audience to critique each presentation.

4. Ask each salesperson to present to the sales force background and details on one of his or her key prospects. Invite the sales force to make suggestions as to what the salesperson might do differently to penetrate this account.

5. Buy a copy of the One-Minute Salesperson for each salesperson to read, then at the sales meeting, go around the room and ask the salespeople to tell the group what they plan to do differently after reading this little book.

6. Announce a sales contest that will reward the sales force with a weekend getaway if they achieve a measurable goal over a measurable time frame. Goals could include:

• Bring in five new credit-approved customers who purchase a minimum of $10,000 over the next 120 days.

• Identify each salesperson’s year-to-date gross margin. Improve individual gross margin by one percentage point over the next 120 days.

• Achieve a sales goal on an emphasis product line over the next 120 days.

7. Identify specific problems your company’s typical customers frequently face and brainstorm specific techniques to help your customers overcome them.

8. Brainstorm what your company has to offer customers in your industry that your individual competitors cannot match. What sets your company apart from each of your key competitors?

Set a personal goal to make your company’s sales meetings more fun and more effective in 2005.

Bill Lee is author of 30 Ways Managers Shoot Themselves in the Foot. $21.95 plus $6 S&H. All credit cards accepted. http://www.BillLeeOnLine.com email: blee@BillLeeOnLine.com

Do you want to be a sales champion? There are a few small secrets that will help you achieve these goals.

Commit to your goals. Write down your sales goals for this week, this month, this quarter and this year. I urge you to use specific numbers that challenge you, but are attainable. Post these goals in your office, commit yourself to meeting or exceeding those numbers. Commitment is the foundation that enables you to proceed with the remaining steps.

Ask involvement questions. Your No. 1 goal is to find the prospects’ need and then fill it. Sales champions use their time to find out what potential clients really need. This encompasses two purposes: one that you are interested in helping the prospect; two that you keep them interested in your presentation.

Maximize your time. Many amateurs spend a large percentage of their time prospecting. Sales champions develop systems that maximize their time and enable them to spend time doing what earns them money.

Ask your current clients for referrals as you close the deal, so you’re striking while the iron is hot. Ask for referrals from prospects that do not buy from you. It is a simple idea, but it yields great rewards.

Prepare for objections. The most common rejections will be related to time, money, and fear. Fear of rejection is normal for human beings.

Here are a few simple steps for handling objections:

Receive the objection. Allow your prospect to complete his or her train of thought before offering a rebuttal. Never interrupt.

Acknowledge and clarify the objection. Endorse the fact that your prospect has offered a great idea and valid point. Ask some questions to make sure you understand the objection, which also allows the prospect to explain his or her idea completely.

Answer the objection. This is where you address the objection. Many salespeople lose the sale here. Amateurs dance around the issue and usually never get back to asking for the commitment. You need to not only answer the question, but focus on following up with a closing question.

Create a win-win close. Sales champions create value in their product or service to move forward with their proposition.

Here are a few strategies they use to close the deal:

Trial close: Give the client a few choices for moving forward to purchase your product or service.

Assumptive walk-through close: Let me walk you through this so you get a complete understanding of how this is going to work for you.

Then walk your potential client through the steps of your process, getting him or her to visualize a simple, effective means to move forward. Finish with: Most important, if you have any questions, I want you to call me so I can either help you answer them or put you in contact with the right people who can. I want to save you time and money. So please feel free to call me anytime.

Method of payment close: Are you going to use a credit card or check to purchase today?

Give unlimited follow-up: Implement strategies to communicate with your clients regularly so you can build trust, loyalty, and additional selling opportunities. Champions use thank-you cards, emails, voicemail messages, birthday cards, holiday cards, newsletters, and personal phone calls. They stay in touch at least once every three to four weeks.

About The Author

Derrick Pizur runs High Quality Multiple Domain Hosting, which specializes in high quality web hosting services. Need hosting contact us today!

The retail luxury sector continues to see accelerated growth with Neimans, Nordstroms, Bergdorfs,etc. all reporting significant increases over last year and many exceeding targeted expectations. The demand for luxury in all categories is projected to increase well into 2006. This trend carries into the pet industry with a growing demand for interesting designs, fabrications and style. The customer that is buying from key designers such as Dolce & Gabanna, Armani, Chanel, Luis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Ralph Lauren, Versace, YSL and Gucci are all clients that buy because of what the brand represents. Style, design, sophisticated taste level and recognition in the marketplace. This is the customer that represents the true luxury market.

The luxury sector of the pet industry has been targeted as a category with the most growth. True luxury products are beginning to surface in the pet industry due to the trend in the marketplace and the increase in consumer demand. Pet carriers are a prime example. Two years ago, the highest price point on many websites for a pet carrier was $199.00. Now, the category has grown due to demand with price points now from $400 - $900.00+. The requirements of dog carriers today are for style, fashion, Italian Leather, quality hardware and workmanship in the construction of the bag. Carriers are now doubling as a handbag as well as a dog carrier. This has resulted in the need to raise the standards on pet carriers to accommodate the luxury client. Fashion, quality, function have now become synonymous with what a pet carrier must represent.

While carrying a more expensive line in a boutique may appear to be risky, what needs to be assessed is the amount of profits that selling luxury items can bring. If a luxury carrier retails for $900.00 and the wholesale is $450.00, a profit of around $300 - $400 depending on a stores’ overhead costs can result from the sale of one bag. At a retail price point of $200.00, that has a wholesale of $100.00, 3-4 bags would need to sell to achieve the same type of profits that a luxury bag will earn. In addition, the following are what a luxury customer can do for your store.

1. The luxury customer is more affluent. Therefore, the client has more disposable income to spend on other items in the Boutique.

2. The profile of a luxury customer is often one that purchases the complete ensemble. This means increased sales on matching collars and leashes for the bags along with clothing for the dog.

3. The customer is continually one that wants to be updated. Therefore, he/she will welcome the phone call when new items arrive. Keeping in mind that the true luxury customer is not concerned with price. When it comes to buying for themselves or for their beloved pets, price is never an issue. It’s always about styling and quality.

4. A boutiques’ buying strategy must always be to look for those items that create the “wow” factor. This means that items should never be merchandised in mass quantity but merchandised so that it becomes an absolute “must have” for the customer. The item must make a statement on its own.

5. Merchandise should always be rotated with different styles featured daily. The more movement that takes place in a store will create a newness and freshness thereby driving clients into the store.

Take the time to study the luxury customer. What their lifestyle entails. Two to three homes, travel schedules, professional careers, likes, dislikes, where they currently shop, what they wear, what kind of watch they wear, what kind of shoes and what designers they like the most. All of the above must be translated to each employee in the store so that everyone recognizes what the customer expects. Training will be key.

Believe in the products that are purchased, train the team on understanding the customer and build confidence through product knowledge and training. Doing so will translate to increased sales in the business and increased profits.

Hedy Woodrow is the CEO of Hedy Manon International. Hedy Manon specializes in luxury pet carriers that look like handbags and are fashionable. Prior to starting Hedy Manon, Hedy spent 20 years in the luxury fashion business as a Senior Vice President of Retail for a major luxury brand. Her broad retail experience included sales, marketing, and advertising, working with buyers, visual teams and planners. She has traveled extensively throughout the US and Europe attending high profile celebrity events that have given her exposure to a very high end client. Her insights come from personal experience both as a leader in the fashion industry and as a client. Her website at http://www.hedymanon.com features luxury products that are unique to the pet industry. The company name was changed from Designer Paws International to Hedy Manon International late 2005.

I am not the world’s most organized salesman. In fact, I may be the least well organized sales person you will ever know.

However, I do know one very important organizational fact regarding success in sales. If you don’t set aside time for Prospecting on a regular basis, that is daily or weekly, you will pay a price.

I recently wrote about the hills and valleys of sales. These are the times when you are really flying high and then the times when you are down in the valleys trying to climb up and see some day light.

The reason we get into those valleys is because we let “things” prevent us from doing what we need to do to stay on the hills. In my case, that is virtually always Prospecting.

I let myself get involved in other work and don’t Prospect. And this stuff is legitimate – really. I am working with someone else, working on a presentation, making speeches, or some other very important and worthwhile activity.

That doesn’t prevent the problem of a valley in my future however.

So what do we do? We make a sacred time each week that is just for Prospecting. Nothing short of death gets in the way.

Our BLITZ CALL® Prospecting System is designed specifically for regular periodic Prospecting. Not a “big deal” Prospecting event, but just a regular activity to keep your pipeline of Prospects full. If you try to make Prospecting an “event” then it will get too complicated and you won’t do it.

Once your Prospecting system is set up and running you will be able to Prospect without needing to do anything to prepare. Just do it. Nothing will get in the way.

That way you can spend your other time doing all the other things that must get done, while not avoiding the essential – Prospecting.

We have heard it all our business lives, but it is still true, time really is money.

Sell well and often!

Copyright 2006, WJ Truax

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bill Truax
www.BlitzCall.com
Bill@BlitzCall.com
800-253-1214

Bill is a Sales Management and Field Operations Consultant based in Cleveland, OH. He has 3 books and 2 CDs on prospecting, he also trains managers, conducts seminars and workshops, and makes calls in the field with sales professionals all detailed on is website http://www.BlitzCall.com

Picture this scene from the 1984 smash comedy movie from Columbia Pictures, Ghostbusters: Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray, aka… the Ghostbusters, are involved in a heated meeting with the Mayor and the Head of the local environmental agency. The city is in shambles because a legion of evil spirits has invaded and is currently wreaking havoc and chaos throughout the land. The perplexed Mayor feels that these Ghostbusters may be his only chance at saving the city, although he is not altogether convinced. Conversely, the Agency Head wants these Ghostbusters arrested and jailed for fraud.

Bill Murray’s character then presents the best sales presentation and close that has ever been written into a movie script! He proceeds to outline what has occurred in the city thus far and paints a vivid picture of what is yet to come, which happens to be far more horrible that anything that has happened thus far. The Agency Head then presents his argument, one that unfortunately does not provide a solution to their immediate problem, demanding that the Ghostbusters be arrested and thrown in jail. The Mayor, aware that his very soul and Mayoral term may be at stake, is faced with making a decision that will impact the current dismal situation. As both sides present their cases, he pensively thinks and studies the demanding, expressive faces of those in his chamber. What is he to do?

It is at this point that Murray’s character delivers the most incredible closing statement, one that should be a pivotal component in the curriculum at every sales training facility and secondary school. He states, “Mr. Mayor, if you retain our services and permit us to do our job, you will personally be responsible for saving the lives of millions of registered voters!” Of course, the Mayor chooses the Ghostbusters, orders the Agency Head removed from his office, and proceeds to set the tone for the remainder of the movie.

Murray and Aykroyd’s presentation and close incorporate so many classic techniques that often escape salespeople while presenting to their qualified prospects. I say qualified prospects because they were already in front of the decision maker, stating their case. They were not wasting their time presenting their solutions to the wrong person, incapable of making the decision that they were looking for. How many times do we make stellar presentations and wonder why the order has not arrived yet? Making an outstanding presentation of the features, advantages and benefits to the actual decision maker, then asking for a buying decision is paramount to a successful sale. This is why there are salespeople.

Their competitor, the Agency Head, was also in front of the decision maker, but he failed to keep in mind what was important to the Mayor. He was presenting what was important to him at the time. Does that sound familiar? How often are salespeople guilty of removing their focus from the buyer and his needs, only to focus on “what’s in this sale for me?” Zig Ziglar states it so eloquently when he says “You can get anything in life that you want, if you’ll help enough other people get what they want.”

The Ghostbusters kept their focus. They knew that the Mayor needed help. They had a solid, in-depth understanding of the problems facing him. They were aware of the political fallout and ramifications of the situation and the danger that was facing the city. They had their facts and they had a solution. Do we as salespeople always gather our facts, our knowledge about the company we are calling on, their markets, their competition and the problems they are currently facing?

The Ghostbusters were also well aware of their competition. In fact, the Mayor had called them all into his office simultaneously so that he could hear their presentations and come to a decision. We may infrequently find ourselves in a similar, uncomfortable situation, but do you actually know who all of your major competitors are? Are you mindful of their strengths and weaknesses? Can you present your case, focusing upon your abilities to adequately meet the needs of your customer without bashing the competition? You need to know your competitors.

The Ghostbusters actually closed. How many salespeople will make a magnificent presentation only to leave without asking for the order? Murray asked for the order and he utilized the key, all-important, personalized benefit to close. He knew what the Mayor actually wanted and offered it to him. The final close we utilize after our great presentation must present a win-win proposition for everyone involved. If done properly, your buyer cannot say no. He will be convinced, beyond any doubt, that your solution has more value than the price you are asking, and it will more than meet his needs. The sale is made!

Remember the outstanding Ghostbusters presentation and closing technique when you are planning your next call. Execute your plan and win the sale. Remember, your role as a professional salesperson is to provide enough value to offset the price that your product sells for and then to ask for the order. The customer will soon forget the price that he paid for your product or service, but he will long remember how well it meets his needs and solves his problems. He will remember you as well. Be a Ghostbuster, or sell like one anyway!

Daniel Sitter is the author of the breakthrough e-book Learning For Profit, the revolutionary “how-to” book providing simple, step-by-step instructions to teach people exactly how to learn new skills faster than ever before. It is what the author calls a “skinny book”, a new generation of e-book designed for busy people. Containing no “filler or fluff”, it gets right to the point with no wasted time. It can be read easily and quickly on a computer, a PDA or printed for later reference. Visit http://www.learningforprofit.com/ or contact the author directly. This e-book is currently available from c|net’s download.com, the authors’ web site and a variety of online book merchants. Mr. Sitter is a contributing writer for several online and traditional publications.

I receive e-mails on a regular basis from people who state that cold calling is working perfectly well for them and that they’ve become quite successful by it. That’s fine - as I’ve always said, if it works for you, then keep doing it. My materials are for people who either are not getting results from cold calling, or who simply do not enjoy it and do not want to do it anymore.

If you feel that cold calling is working just fine for you, this chapter is for you. The
problem with being satisfied with the results of cold calling is that you fail to see
cold calling’s biggest flaw and why it imposes strict limitations on your sales
production.

Here’s something to think about. Even if cold calling is working for you, you’re
failing to use the amazing power of LEVERAGE to your advantage. What I’m getting
at is the fact that as a cold caller, you can only make one call at a time or knock on
one door at a time. Add into that the fact that you must also fit appointments and
other work such as generating proposals into every business day, and your ability to
make a large number of quality cold calls diminishes rapidly.

Here’s the pattern I typically see – and that I experienced myself – with people who
rely on cold calling for generating business, and who feel that it’s working for them:

Month 1: Sales are down. Most free time is spent cold calling. Leads are
generated and plenty of first appointments take place but the salesperson falls short
of quota for the month.

Month 2: Numerous second appointments take place and proposals are
presented. The salesperson spends lots of time working to close sales and is
successful. Quota achievement is far in excess of 100% this month.

Month 3: The salesperson spends plenty of time on customer service issues this
month, and following up with all the customers who bought last month. After all,
it’s normal to be busy with these issues after a huge month. By the end of the
month, everything is taken care of, but sales are in the gutter and far below quota
this month because most time was spent taking care of all those issues, and to
make matters worse, the pipeline is now empty and there are no more prospects to
work on. The cycle starts all over again with month 1.

As you can see, this cycle of cold-hot-cold guarantees failure and is one of the key
reasons why cold calling rarely, if ever, results in success. If anything, it allows
salespeople to make quota every third month, barely avoid probation, and therefore
keep their jobs.

By contrast, systems of self-marketing allow you to use the power of LEVERAGE.
Let’s say you do well at cold calling and continue to make, say, 30 calls a day. What
if you could put systems into place that effectively made an additional 300 calls per
day while you’re free to do other things? If your 30 calls per day generated one hot
lead, wouldn’t a system that performs the equivalent of 300 calls generate 10 hot
leads in a day?

This is the power of leverage, and this is where those who rely solely on cold calling
are missing out. If cold calling works for you then keep it up, but doesn’t it make
sense to add to it and increase your number of leads exponentially? Then you’ll be
so busy with all the appointments that you really will drop cold calling after all – you
won’t have time for it anymore with so many people calling you, ready to buy!

Frank Rumbauskas is the author of the hit sensation “Cold Calling Is A Waste Of
Time: Sales Success In The Information Age”. His training and products teach
salespeople how to generate hot leads without cold calling and how to keep their
power and remain in control of sales situations. For more information please visit
http://www.nevercoldcall.com

The secret of a web site’s success is just traffic.. and all you
have to do is to attract as many new visitors as possible. Right?

Wrong!

A site cannot become truly popular unless it appeals the new
users so much, that they decide to come back again and again,
this is what I call return traffic

I’m sure you have favorite places in the web where you stop by
every now and then to get the information and entertainment. We
all have, and we are part of their return traffic. So one of
your important goals as a webmaster is to make your site such a
place, that you start receiving return traffic.

If you succeed in building your return traffic so, you can be
sure that your advertising revenues will be higher, and more
products you will sell.

WHY IS RETURN TRAFFIC IMPORTANT?

Everybody in business knows that it takes more than one contact
to make a sale. The more times people are exposed to your
message, the more they tend to believe in it.

If you sell banner advertising space, the more visitors you
have, the more contacts you can sell

A visitor that isn’t ready for you offer today, might be ready
for it the next time he comes., or when the time is right.

Those who regularly visit the same site (return traffic), often
mention it to their friends, family and colleagues. And when
people tell about you to their acquaintances, they start a
traffic virus, because they will spread the word to their own
acquaintances and so on. (word-of-mouth is the primary source of
traffic for many larger sites). And most probably they too will
become part of your return traffic.

HOW CAN YOU CREATE RETURN TRAFFIC

The first one is obvious: Have a great site! Fill it with high
quality content! If you aren’t 100% sure on how to do it, you
can read: Make Yor Site Sell! http://myss.sitesell.com/ RB.html
is the best book you can read about how to create return traffic
to your site

Update it continuously to retain the interest of your visitors.
Add unique, fresh content every now and then or at the very
least improve the content you already offer to temptate return
traffic. (do it once or twice a month).

Add a “What’s new” page or somehow inform your return traffic
about your recent developments.

Remind people to bookmark your site. Remembering Internet
addresses is difficult, being bookmarked ensures that you won’t
be losing return traffic

Start a newsletter. Even if people bookmarks your site, they are
unlikely to ever return once they leave. Editing a newsletter
takes a lot of work, but gives large rewards in return. If you
can subscribe and send and e-mail with your newsletter to your
visitors, they won’t forget you, and you won’t be acused of
spamming.

Give something valuable for free, this is a sure-fire way to get
some return traffic, specially if every month you offer
something different.

Open a discussion forum. A well-maintained, busy discussion
forum can become a huge success and a huge source of return
traffic. You will have to stop by every now and then to remove
offensive content, answer questions and make sure that
everything is going all right. But be carefull, your site must
be very popular, when you start your forum. If your site doesn’t
get enough traffic, the forum won’t be frequented by many users
and there will be very few new messages and very few return
traffic.

If you want return traffic, make your address easy to remember.
What’s easier to remember?
http://members.fortunecity.com/bestcountrymusic/ or
www.best-countrymusic.com In places like AdGrafix
http://www.adgrafix.c om/info/rbonomi and SiteBuild It
http://buildit.sitesel l.com/RB.html you can get your own domain
for a few dollars a month. If you value your site at all, go
professional, get your own domain, it looks more serious and
reliable, and it’s easier to remember for return traffic.

Written by Dr. Roberto A. Bonomi