The telephone is your lifeline to sales.

Technology comes and goes but the phone will likely be your lifeline to revenue for decades to come. If the phone is one of our primary modes of engaging the marketplace, why do so many sales professionals perform so poorly on this stage?

Selling is about connecting and engaging with the other party. Your sales quota may be stressful, but there’s rarely gain in exposing that to your prospect.

Although we know that the goal of networking is to discover new business opportunities, it's more than a "paint by the numbers" process. It takes time, patience, and creativity to cultivate people into our lives. The key is to make networking become a natural part of everyday life.

When I first started consulting businesspeople, networking was starting to get a bad reputation. People saw trade shows, business seminars, and community events as "targets" to pass out and collect as many business cards as possible. Ultimately, people networked when they needed something from someone. I agree that type of attitude can be detrimental to our sales success.
To make positive networking become a part of your everyday life, start with a strategy and begin the process. Begin to imagine that many people you meet can lead you to potential business. Now plan a strategy that will...

Before we begin calling, we should have already mapped out the times on our calendar we’ll be asking for appointments.
 
Remember, when calling for appointments, we recommend asking for specific dates and times in our opening. We’ll cover the reasons for that next week. For now, let’s talk about the concept of knowing when we want the appointment, as that will become an issue whether you ask for a specific date and time up front or not.

How to generate leads more effectively? Does  cold calling still have any value in today’s business? If you are desperately searching for the answers to these questions – then the NEW August Edition of SOLD is a five star publication for you! Learn the secrets of prospecting and  more from the best sales experts of the world. The mag is iPad, Iphone or Ipod compatible.  http://www.soldlab.com/free-magazine/

To really understand you business, a good place to start is by asking probing questions.  Ask yourself the below questions to improve sales success and boost sales motivation.

I like social media. I spend some time out here, and I have developed some nice relationships. Some of those relationships have turned into real personal relationships. Some of them have turned into business relationships.

The idea behind social media is connection, engagement, and sharing. It’s about winning friends, and sometimes it’s about influencing people. Some people struggle to understand this, mistakenly believing that they need to tear others down.

Want to know the quickest way to connect with others on LinkedIn? Join a group. 

Groups are an easy way to meet people and develop relationships that can be leveraged for business.  You can join up to 50 groups, but a more effective strategy is to limit yourself to 10 or 20 groups, so you have time to participate and engage in discussions, and make meaningful connections. Here are a few tips on how to use groups effectively to build your business: 

1. Join groups related to your target audience. Find groups that don’t have...Read more at http://www.soldlab.com/news/2011/7/26/how-to-use-linkedin-to-make-more-sales-to-read-more.html

The critical factor in selling today is risk. Because of the continuous change, rapid obsolescence, and an uncertain economy, the risk of buying the wrong product or service has become greater than ever before.

One of our powerful needs is for security, and any buying decision that represents uncertainty triggers the feeling of risk that threatens that security.

There are four main factors that contribute to the perception of risk in the mind and hear of the customer.

Risk Factor 1: Size of the Sale
The first factor that contributes to...Read more at http://www.soldlab.com/factors-of-risk-in-selling/

Everyone who wants to increase sales in the next 3 months raise your hand… Good! The question is how do you make sure the spike in sales and activity becomes the “new normal” of your sales team? 

What you’ll take away from this seminar:

Email prospecting can be a very effective way to reach key contacts and turn them into sales leads.For that to happen, you want to master the Glimpse Factor and give your prospects a reason to respond to your message.

1. Doing your homework is key.

A number of sellers pointed out that what makes their email so relevant is the research they do beforehand. When it comes to understanding your prospect's business – not to mention the challenges he or she is facing right now – there's no substitute for doing a little bit of reading. You don't need an in-depth survey, 10 or 15 minutes for top prospects will give you the information you need to personalize your message.

2. Be current and relevant.

Set up Google alerts or a similar newsfeed to...Read more at http://www.soldlab.com/news/2011/7/19/8-tips-for-increasing-your-email-prospecting-response-rate.html