Author: gvtadmin

Word Count:
547

Summary:
Help your customers make informed purchasing decisions!

Keywords:
sales advice, stop selling, success,

Article Body:
As conflicting a statement as it may seem many would be wise to subscribe to this advice.

If you are a sales person, you are in one of the toughest professions out there. It has been said less than 1% of the population has what it takes to be successful in sales. Those are not great odds. But many of us are attracted to the sales arena. We are the modern day gladiators who face daily challenges, survive and often thrive. We like helping people; we enjoy the competitive nature and recognition that comes with being successful at what we do.

So how do some men and women rise to the top while so many others only dream about success?

Many of the top sales professionals I know have been fortunate to have had a mentor somewhere along the way who shared nuggets of golden advice. Many years ago my Regional Sales Manager made a statement one day that offended me. It also changed my life.

He said, “Clayton you’re a good sales person, but you could be a great sales person.” As one of the top sales people in the region my ego was bruised. I went away mad that he would say such a thing. I considered myself a dedicated student of selling, I had been on many sales courses and my results were very good.

His statement rolled around in my head for the balance of the day and that night. I needed to understand his thinking. The next morning, I worked up some courage, not really sure what I would hear and went into his office to ask him what he meant with his comment the day before.

He asked me to sit, and began by telling me how pleased he was that I was on his team, and explained he believed his role was to get the best out of people. I told him I felt a bit insulted, I considered myself better than just good at sales. He reassured me I was, but if I wanted to be a great sales person I had to listen carefully to some advice. I still remember as if it were yesterday, at 9 am on a Friday morning he said two words that stunned me, “Stop selling.” I was dumbfounded, stop selling? He went on to explain, “Your job is not to sell anything. Your job is to help your customer make an informed purchasing decision.”

Well he had to repeat the statement two times before the light bulb began to come on for me. Of course he was absolutely right. I needed to move from being a gladiator ready to do battle, to becoming a trusted advisor. My responsibility was to bring subject matter expertise to the table and help the potential purchaser understand the pros and cons of their decision. It is their money, it is their decision. Had I done everything I could to help them make an informed one?

Over the years I have shared this nugget with many “good” sales people. I smile as I watch their reaction when I suggest they can improve their sales if they STOP SELLING. If you practice this philosophy today I commend you. Should you adopt it going forward, I wish you much personal success.

Word Count:
584

Summary:
It didn’t take much to convince me to leave Toronto Canada in the middle of winter and go to Scottsdale Arizona. Little did I know how much that trip would change my outlook on selling.

Keywords:
sales advice, spotlight on customer, top sales people

Article Body:
Many years ago I attended a sales workshop in Arizona. It didn’t take much to convince me to leave Toronto Canada in the middle of winter and go to Scottsdale. Little did I know how much that trip would change my outlook on selling.

Let me digress for a moment. Upon arrival at the hotel I was immediately impressed. A beautiful setting, first class service, lovely room, and sun, lots of warm sunshine! The next day, regrettably we were indoors for the first of three days in a meeting room, 17 of us, indoors in Scottsdale. On the breaks many of us would rush to stand outside and enjoy the sun. It was on one of these breaks we were standing at a side entrance to the hotel when a large number of very tall men approached. Now I’m not a tall person. I stand 5’7″ first thing in the morning before gravity sets in. Turns out these “giants” were the San Antonio Spurs basketball team in town to play the Phoenix Suns. They were using a side entrance to avoid fans at the front of the hotel. I don’t think I came up to the belly button of one of them!

But back to the sales workshop. Our facilitator had a captivating Texan drawl, causing me to listen intently to his stories and tips based on years of experience. The content was terrific, the group really bonded, and the three days evaporated. Towards the end of the final day I just had to ask a question of our workshop leader who had so impressed all of us. I was about to have one of those “ah huh” moments in life.

I asked “If you could share only one piece of advice on how to be a top sales person what would that be?” I’ll never forget as he went into a pensive stance, holding his elbow while putting his forefinger to his lips, “What a tough question.” He then paused for maybe a minute or two, it seemed longer.

What he shared was so profound I have added it to my repertoire of sales truisms. It has shaped my philosophy and behavior ever since. He started by cautioning us that in the sales profession we run the risk of developing egos bigger than the moon. Top sales people think of themselves as super stars and want to be in the spotlight. Confidence he said is a good thing, and recognition at the appropriate time and place is important in fact necessary, but an unchecked ego can do damage. And here it came, he paused and with conviction added, “If there is only one piece of advice I’d ask you remember, it is to always shine the spotlight on your customer. They are the most important person, not you!” The room went silent. Our egos on pause, we reflected hard on what we just heard.

For some reason my thoughts turned to the Spurs who, two days earlier had walked past us. They play under the spotlight all the time. Fans pay to enjoy their athletic excellence on the court. We want them to be in the spotlight, we want them to succeed, and we want them to play to win.

In sales, we’re not playing basketball. It’s a different game, and it’s one of the best games in the world. If the sales arena is where you play and you want to win, remember these words of wisdom.

Always shine the spotlight on your customer.

If you’re thinking to yourself, “I think I need relationship help”, then you probably do. When things start to go south in a relationship, it seems that the last person you want to go to for help is also the one you should be talking to the most, your partner. Communication is essential in any relationship and when it breaks down it can sometimes be hard to get back but it’s not impossible.

Start by making a list of the things in your relationship that are bothering you. No matter what it is, be honest and don’t just make it all about the other person. Relationships take two to work or not work and if you are feeling bad about your relationship, so is your partner. When you’ve made your list, invite your partner to discuss the problems you’ve outlined.

During your talk, keep in mind to never, ever lay blame on the other person. Never start a sentence with, ‘YOU’ do this or ‘YOU’ do that. Start your sentences with, ‘I FEEL’ this and ‘I FEEL’ that. The only thing laying blame will accomplish is making your partner feel they have to defend themselves, probably start a fight and defeat the whole purpose of trying to improve your relationship. So be open and honest about your concerns but never be hurtful.

Make sure to ask your partner how they feel about the direction your relationship is heading. Find out what they think they need and/or want from you to make your relationship successful and then voice your own concerns, wants and needs.

If talking things through doesn’t seem to help, then it may be time to consult an ‘I need relationship help’ professional. That doesn’t mean your mother or your brother or your sister, aunt, uncle or cousin. Keep things between you private, the less input you get from biased sources the easier it will be to resolve the aspects of your relationship that need to be resolved. Families tend to take sides and that will only stoke the fire.

When you’ve talked about things and feel you both are ready to start seeing a relationship counselor, if you do, make a list (or take the one you’ve already made) of things to discuss. The relationship counselor will help you both sort things out and keep them in perspective. They know the right questions to ask and what buttons to push to get you thinking and can keep the discussion heading in the right direction.

A relationship counselor will give you exercises, or homework, to teach yourselves the art of communication outside his or her office. Follow what he or she tells you closely. Who knows, you may begin to have so much fun learning how to communicate with each other some of the problems your were facing may just fade away. It’s all perception and if your perception changes and you are seeing things from both sides instead of just your own, then maybe you could stop thinking ‘I need relationship help’.

You know what I do when I need love help? I think about the person I’m in love with and then list the reasons why I am in love with them. I think about the kinds of things they bring to my life like joy, passion, and romance, just to name of few. I also think about what I can do to make them happy. There is nothing better in the world than to be able to make someone else smile and if you are already in love with that person then that makes it even better.

Love is a wonderful emotion isn’t it? When your are in love with someone, it’s as if you can do anything, there is nothing you are not capable of. You are on Cloud 9 and everything they do is wonderful, they can do no wrong.

There are so many different ways to express your love; cards, flowers, love letters, an intimate candlelit dinner under the stars, the possibilities are endless. My favorite way to show someone I love them is the candlelit dinner. To me, taking the time and preparing a perfect meal then presenting it in the perfect setting says a lot to the person you have prepared it for. It makes them feel special and loved.

When I need love help, I just start with a little planning. I find a recipe for something I know they like and match it with a good wine. Set the perfect table with a table cloth, cloth napkins and candles as the centerpiece. The meal is served on fine china and I have soft, romantic music playing. It’s as if we are the only two people in the world. Nice.

I do like to write love letters and poems also. Love letter writing is a dying art, I think letter writing in general is a dying art due to the invention of the internet and cell phones with email, texting and whatever.

It’s a shame that those first feelings of love you experience don’t last, life always seems to get in the way. Though, now that I think about it, I suppose those first feelings are replaced with others, like security or contentment. Some people might think that being content in a relationship is a bit boring but if you are with the right person contentment is a plus.

It means you are comfortable. You don’t have to try to impress the other person or try to win them over. You already have and they have accepted you for who you are, unconditionally. What more could you ask for?

Here is a good test, if you are in a relationship and you can sit in the same room, in silence, for more than 10 minutes without feeling like you should say something, that probably means you are content in that relationship and there is nothing wrong with that.

So on occasion, if you need love help like I need love help, just try some of these suggestions and I bet you’ll find you’ll be content in no time.

If you are hurting over a breakup relationship help is not as hard to find as you might think. It starts with you. If you feel you have the strength to tackle the way you feel by yourself then do so. Step back and assess your situation. Ask yourself how you really feel and be honest with yourself. Breaking up with someone is tough and you need all the strength you can muster to get through it.

First, and this is very important, let yourself feel the pain. Go ahead and wallow in it for a while. But only for a while. You need this very important step. Stay in bed for a day and cry your eyes out. Go get that pint of ice cream (or gallon) and sit in front of the TV and eat it til you can’t eat anymore. Punch a pillow. Throw marshmallows as hard as you can into the sink. Do whatever you need to do to constructively deal with your pain. Believe this or not doing this is actually setting the foundation for the next weeks and months to come as you settle back into single life.

Dealing with your pain the right way can be empowering. That that doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. I know you have heard that saying and it is true. Like I said, if you are hurting over a breakup relationship help yourself. You will come out the other side a better, more confident person.

Now, what do you do after your day of wallowing? Wallow no more! Onward and upward! You are probably better off without the one you broke up with anyway. Seriously, take a good long look at your life and start to make some plans. Having a goal in mind will help keep you focused. Make a list of things you want to do. Take a vacation, go back to school, reconnect with old friends or heck, clean out that closet you have been meaning to get to. Organize your thoughts and your life and the rest will follow.

I believe, like many people do, that everything happens for a reason. Something good always come out of a bad situation. You just have to wait for it. Don’t go looking for it, it will come to you. I also believe that everything we go through is a learning experience and you take what you learn from one experience to the next. Some call this learning from our mistakes. I like to think it’s a little more spiritual than that. So you just went through a breakup, that person wasn’t ‘the one’ anyway and you knew it from the start. So you take what you learned from that experience and tuck it away. Now you have that information to fall back on when your ‘the one’ makes their way into your life.

Once again, take a day and wallow then make a plan, set some goals, and organize things. Then you won’t need any more hurting over a breakup relationship help.

Nobody in their right mind would try to convince you that we live in a stress-free world. While it is true that men and women both are subjected to stress, it seems that men tend to have a harder time dealing with it. It used to be conventional wisdom that men had more stress than women, but ask any woman and you will find out that simply isn’t true. In some ways, women are at a disadvantage when it comes to dealing with stress, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

For one thing, a lot of women are mothers and have full time jobs as well. In a perfect world, men and women would share all of the household responsibilities equally, but study after study has shown that women do much more of the work around the home, and that’s even if they work outside of the home.

Several techniques are available that can help women start relieving stress. Here are some of the most effective methods for reducing stress.

Stress Relief Tip #1: Use the magic word. What is the magic word? The word is ‘no’. That’s right! Perhaps there is an inborn need women have to take care of things, or maybe it has been thrust upon them by society. Either way, they often find it hard to say no. While this isn’t always a problem if it doesn’t get too far out of hand, it can add to your stress if you start ignoring yourself. Besides, if you really want to help others, then doesn’t it make sense that you should be as free from stress as possible?

Stress Relief Tip #2: Go for a walk. Or, participate in any form of exercise. Walking, swimming, dancing, hiking, going for a bike ride, or any other activity will help you in several ways. It will give you time to clear your mind. It can also help you to blow off steam in a constructive manner. See, society generally says that women can express happiness and cry once in a while, but not show their anger. That doesn’t mean you should never get mad, but rather that exercise is a healthy outlet to get rid of some of the anger that can lead to stress. Of course, the fact that exercise will also make you healthier is just icing on the cake.

Stress Relief Tip #3: Treat yourself. You have to take some time to do good things for yourself, to do the things you enjoy. You don’t have to forget everybody else, but be sure to remember you too. Don’t just promise yourself that you will do something nice when you have the time. Instead, schedule time for yourself every day, or every week. And don’t feel guilty about it either; you’ve earned it. You will feel better, and the people around you will notice an improvement as your stress starts to melt away.

Word Count:
596

Summary:
It is often said that it is not who you know that matters, it is who knows you. Well I would like to extend this statement by saying that it is not only who you know and who knows you, but how well do you know them and they you?

Keywords:
sales,networking,business,trust,values,relationship building

Article Body:
It is often said that it is not who you know that matters, it is who knows you. Well I would like to extend this statement by saying that it is not only who you know and who knows you, but how well do you know them and they you?

In business, networking is the ultimate form of promotion. It can help you to obtain new clients, a new job, or even help you to move up the corporate ladder. It is the process of building relationships. Any time that you attend a meeting, trade show, or a social function, you are networking whether you realize it or not. It is the relationship that you have with people, a prospect or a client that makes the difference between success and failure.

Often we fail to realize the reasons that we have for doing business with an individual or a company. In the case of products that we regularly buy, what helps us to make the buying decision? There are those that will buy a specific brand of product because they trust that brand to be of a high quality or durability. There are others that will make a buying decision based on price, although this is less frequently the case. Often we simply do business because we feel good about it. In fact most purchases or decisions to do business are based on two things. Trust and comfort. Trust is a very intangible emotion or feeling. How do you measure it? How do you develop it?

Trust is measured by the feelings that are generated by a process of letting someone get to know more about you than just product, features and price. I know a gentleman who provides a seminar on selling to C-level executives. He says that to sell to the C-level executive you have to be more than a salesperson selling a product or service. To sell to the executive level, you have to be more of an advisor. You have to find needs other than the ones that you can fulfill and help them to fulfill these needs. In doing this, you become a “trusted advisor”. They feel “comfortable” that you have their interests in mind more than just making a quick sale and a commission.

In our daily process of seeking prospective clients, do we often just look for a person to pitch, or do we spend a bit more time getting to know them before we try to sell?

When we take the time to know a persons desires, dreams, and needs, and make an honest effort to help them realize that these things are important to us, we are really on the fast track to doing business with them. We are building the trust, confidence, comfort level, and most importantly the relationship that is needed to not only make the sale, but to create in them a resource for endless referrals.

As we go into the community meeting people who are prospective clients, we should keep the following in mind. The customer is a person just like me. The customer has needs other than the one that I can fulfill. Until I understand what the ultimate goal or dream of the prospect is, I cannot fulfill it with my product or service.

Selling and networking are about relationships. You sell in everything that you do whether you realize it or not. The time is now for more effective selling. Change the way you think about the prospect and the prospect will change the way that they think about you.