Do your sales letters put prospects to sleep?

That’s a pretty sobering thought to consider — believe me, I know. Nobody sets out to create a sales letter that is more likely to lull the average reader into a semi-comatose state than garner a sale. But like it or not, these “snooze letters” are much more common than you think.

And you could unwittingly be among their ranks right now.

By their very definition, most sales letters are boring. The folks that write them (folks just like you and I) are NOT copywriters by trade — and mastering the subtle nuances of sizzling sales copy is often quite low on their priority list.

They already have their hands full trying to run the day-to-day aspects of their business. Who has the time to try to learn another skill?

But like it or not, you have to accept this one simple truth: If your prospects SNOOZE, you LOSE.

Sales Sizzle is a new graphics collection of (600) call-to-action, and attention-grabbing copy accent graphics that will SNOOZER to SIZZLER. Rendered in both print and web-quality formats, they are quick and simple tools that you can plug into your sales copy and command attention, evoke emotion and demand action.

Forget all the typical excuses:

• Idon’t have the time to create the images I need.
• I don’t have the software I need.
• I don’t have any graphic design skills.
• I don’t have the extra cash to hire a designer.

The Sales Sizzle collection requires NO SPECIAL SOFTWARE — you can add them into your Word documents, powerpoint templates, web pages, videos, and print promotional pieces with ease. They are rendered as transparent graphics, so you won’t need to worry about matching your background colors!

To learn more, or to pick up your copy, visit http://salessizzle.com.

Regardless of their position or job description, there’s an opportunity for all levels of workers to be salespeople, ambassadors, promoters, and cheerleaders for your company–and boost your profits and sales revenues in the process.

Here are 8 ways to make sales and profit promotion part of every person’s job description.

Create an easy-to-follow “package” for employees.
Come up with a bulleted list of messages about your products and services that tell a story, illustrate value, and trigger positive emotions. In every phone call, email, and face-to-face meeting, encourage employees to engage the client or potential client in a conversation that conveys your company’s valuable offerings, reinforces the company’s brand, and boosts its reputation. This isn’t about “overselling” for a person who is a nonsalesperson. It’s about subtle message-spreading. When everyone is speaking the same language and delivering a compelling message, it builds a powerful image of your company and the people behind it.

Make email an everyday marketing tool.
For every email that leaves your office, create a tagline below the signature that promotes the website, has the company logo, emphasizes the mission statement, links to a blog, or even offers a service. Adding a pertinent article link in the email, such as a new research study or a hot trend, is a good way to get your company’s information passed along virally when receivers forward that great link to others.

The body of emails, too, can house reference links, videos, and researched material pertinent to a client’s questions, which makes them selling tools. And emails to business peers, vendors, and nonclients are as important as any professional client correspondence because you never know where a new client is lurking. Respectfully ask your employees to pay attention to grammar, spelling, accuracy, and email etiquette.

In face-to-face encounters, look sharp and be positive.
Whether it’s a face-to-face meeting, a service call, or a web conference, insist that employees dress appropriately, arrive promptly, and treat the client with utmost respect. A company with consistently well-dressed, considerate, articulate professionals then becomes part of your brand and image. And finding a way to say “yes” instead of “no” when answering a client’s question will go a long way in creating a positive image.

Recruit profit-boosting talent from within.
Every employee has a hidden talent that can be tapped to promote the business and improve profitability. For example, which of your employees has a knack for Facebook or Twitter? Who has a design flare to help update the company website? Who writes with sparkle and pizzazz, and might be a great blogger? Which of your employees is good with web conferencing, online forums, and CRM software? You can also diversify tasks departmentally. For example, your HR department can learn to be astute in locating potential sales opportunities. Your part-time receptionists could research market trends online. At a brainstorming meeting, ask employees what ideas and hidden skills they have for generating more profits and sales. You’ll be surprised by what they come up with.

Foster and inspire self-growth.
One of the best ways to improve your company’s image, performance, and profits is by raising the caliber of your employees. But here’s the catch: Motivate your existing employees to bump up their skills rather than trying to find outsiders to do the tasks. To promote self-growth efforts that aren’t job mandated, it’s useful to copy the tactics of large corporations. These include: starting an in-house newsletter; setting up roundtables, conferences, lunchtime meetings, and webinars; and rewarding employees’ self-driven accomplishments and development.

Build a pro-company attitude.
The easiest way to get everyone at your company rooting and working for its success is to formally ask employees what’s working and what’s not working. Ask these same questions of clients. The trick is to show everyone involved in your company that you are listening and want to make things as good as they can possibly be. When you find problems, fix them. When you are looking for solutions, always keep sales and profitability in the forefront of the equation.

Enlist club members–from your ranks.
Encourage employees to join the club. Everyone at your business should be using your products and services-and swearing by them. What’s needed is complete buy-in and dedication of the staff to the company so that insiders and outsiders both can sense and respect the pride and work ethic behind the door of the business. If you have a staff of 30, that’s 30 salespeople talking about your products and services to family, friends, friends of friends, and casual acquaintances after hours. You couldn’t pay salespeople to do that!

Actively promote team spirit.
Come up with fun and meaningful activities that demand cooperation and that foster team spirit among your workforce. For instance, sponsor a community event; have a company barbecue; hold a volleyball tournament; or get involved in a charitable cause. The more your employees come to see the company as their extended family, the more loyal they’ll be. Close-knit, loyal employees will be motivated to go above and beyond the call of duty to help their company succeed.

About the Author:
Patricia Sigmon is a successful entrepreneur, a sought-after speaker, and one of our leading experts in the field of profit management. She is founder and president of David Advisory Group http://www.DavidAdvisoryGroup.com, a boutique firm that specializes in helping CEOs and small and midsized businesses reengineer their business practices to generate more profit, cut inefficiency, and optimize their earning potential.

As an entrepreneur, it can sometimes be quite difficult to find new customers and build business, especially given the current economic situation.

Two years ago, Dr. Chris Woolaver launched his state-of-the-art orthodontics practice, Woolaver Orthodontics, in Ahwatukee, Arizona, on the outskirts of Phoenix. A Canadian by birth, Woolaver opened his office amid some fairly challenging circumstances.

“It was the middle of a recession and we were going into a well-established neighborhood,” Woolaver said. “I knew we’d have to work hard to get noticed, so we focused heavily on branding and building a reputation for providing the latest in advanced orthodontic treatment in an edgy and progressive atmosphere.”

His award-winning facility has more of a sports-bar feel — definitely not your typical dental or orthodontist office. Patients who come to Woolaver Orthodontics feel confident they will receive the most advanced treatment with the latest technology from the moment they walk in the door.

With his focus on branding and marketing, Woolaver is a master at maintaining and supporting his brand message throughout every aspect of his business. It’s a strategy that any branding expert will attest is spot-on for growing any kind of business, but one that isn’t exactly commonplace among private-practice medical or dental professionals.

In fact, Woolaver has even carried the branding theme through to his referral program, giving patients a $100 custom-branded Woolaver Orthodontics prepaid Visa debit card for each new patient they refer who begins treatment. Woolaver says that, while offering patients rewards for referrals is quite common in his industry, most practitioners might hand out Starbucks, Walmart or AMC movie cards, which essentially promotes those brands, rather than the practitioner.

“We’ve taken it to the next level by making it consistent with our brand. If I’m going to reward my patients for referrals, I’d rather do it in a way that promotes my business, rather than another company,” Woolaver said. “I hope to see thousands of these cards floating around the neighborhood. The more people use them, the more likely someone will see them and maybe ask, ‘hey, where’d you get that?’ That top of mind awareness creates continuous exposure, which helps build brand recognition and bring in new business.”

To create the cards, Woolaver uses IncentiveCardLab.com, a service of CardLab, Inc., that allows him to design his own customized card, complete with the Woolaver Orthodontics logo, and whatever message he’d like to include. The cards can be loaded with any denomination desired, but Woolaver says the $100 cards provide a compelling incentive for his patients. He gives out an average of 15 cards per month-meaning the cards bring in at least 15 new patients to his practice each month.

“Considering that the typical fee for complete orthodontic treatment is around $4,500 to $5,500 in this market, I’ll spend $100 for that,” Woolaver said. “The ROI makes it well worth it for me, and it’s great for patients too. There’s no limit on the number of cards patients can earn. I have some patients who have literally paid for almost half of their own orthodontic treatment by referring their friends.”

Woolaver issues the cards to both adult and adolescent patients (or their parents), and says the relatively small investment of $5.95 he makes to customize each card is well worth it to continue promoting his brand and his business. The cards can be used anywhere Visa is accepted and can be reloaded, if the recipient desires.

As Woolaver has found, when it comes to growing your business, it sometimes takes a bold new approach to a tried-and-true tactic. By thanking customers for their referrals with a unique and memorable gift like customized, prepaid Visa cards, any small business can create the kind of top of mind awareness and brand recognition that can increase revenue and build long-term growth.

About the Author
David S. Jones is CEO of CardLab, Corp. the global leader in customized, pre-paid Visa incentive cards for employee incentives, customer rewards and personal gift-giving. The company’s easy-to-use custom card design and distribution services make it simple, fast and affordable to send FDIC-insured incentive cards in any denomination from $5 to $2500 to anyone, anywhere, with no minimum order and no setup fee. For more information, visit http://www.giftcardlab.com.

Let’s face it… few people, if any, get a big thrill out of cold calling to drum up business.

When I started my freelance career, I decided that I wouldn’t do any cold calling. No how, no way!

I told myself that cold calling isn’t really efficient. And in some cases it truly might not be.

But I must admit, I was probably a bit scared of cold calling. I had always felt that a cold call is an intrusion that doesn’t start you off on the right foot with someone. And as a beginning freelancer, there was probably a lack of confidence at work, too.

Not exactly the winning recipe for a successful cold call, is it?

Because I had a few breaks go my way when starting out, I didn’t need to make calls… referrals and repeat clients kept me busy and still do.

But as I planned to break into a new niche recently, and with far more confidence in myself and what I offer than I did years ago, I took the advice of my business coach to stretch outside my comfort zone and give cold calling a try.

The first thing I did was get a good list of businesses that I knew, through some basic research, used services I provided. I wasn’t going to waste time, as some do, making random phone calls and hoping for the Law of Averages to quickly lean my way.

The second thing I had to do was strike the words cold calling from my vocabulary. Those words carry too much emotional baggage that we’ve all picked up through the years as people have joked and complained about the process. Or we’ve picked up negative feelings about it because of those unwanted dinner-time calls.

But just changing vocabulary and mentally pumping yourself up before a call isn’t enough as I quickly found out. I was too focused on trying to make a sale.

Again, credit to my business coach for pointing out the problem. I was trying too hard to make a sale when I should be trying to make a friend.

Ah! I wish I could accurately describe the feeling of a concept becoming totally clear.

While I wasn’t doing the high-pressure sales routine on these calls, I did put too much pressure on myself to make an actual sale, if not at that moment, then soon.

But with the “make a friend, not a sale” approach, I’m now just looking to have a conversation to figure out if there is some common ground between us. Maybe that happens during the first call. Or more likely another call is scheduled at a more convenient time.

The truth is, a call out of the blue can be an intrusion. Your prospects are not sitting by the phone, waiting for your call. When you’re pushing to do too much in that first contact, it’s not surprising that you’d have less success. You have become that creature that people want to chase away.

For cold calling veterans, this is probably obvious. But if your background doesn’t include sales, chances are that “obvious” isn’t so obvious until you’ve wasted a ton of otherwise good chances figuring it all out.

So to help you from fumbling around, let me share what I do when I make a call to a targeted prospect.

I introduce myself, explain what I do, and what value I offer. I also acknowledge that they’re probably busy at that moment and, if this isn’t a good time, ask whether there is a more convenient time for them to talk about their needs and determine whether we might be a good fit.

If so, we schedule a time. If not, I’ll ask whether it’s worthwhile to check back in a few months. Some will say to call back, others will make it pretty clear that if they never hear from you again, it will be too soon. Either way, you clearly know what your next step is: Call back in X number of weeks or months, or cross them off your list.

That sort of clarity makes you far more efficient with your time.

Using this approach, the prospect feels less pressure because you’re not calling to push them to sign on the dotted line at that moment. Basically, you’re showing respect for the prospect’s time. You’re also not assuming you’re the right solution for their problems when you, as of yet, have no idea what their specific problems are.

Whenever a prospect and I do talk in-depth, I ask a lot of questions and try to understand the issues he or she is facing. Even at this point, my immediate goal isn’t to get a sale. It’s to listen and, where appropriate, educate and add some value. My primary goal at this stage is to become a trusted advisor… and better yet, a sincere friend.

And that’s one reason why so many people fail at cold calling. They’re usually doing it under pressure because they need sales now. But solid, long-term relationships with clients take time to cultivate. When you’re willing to take that time, your best prospects are more willing to give you the opportunity to show you’re the best choice.

Even in this age of social media where we understand the value of making personal connections – or friends – on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, we sometimes forget to transfer that approach to “old school” sales methods, like cold calling.

The funny thing is, in person, we often take this “make a friend” approach without thinking about it. Face-to-face, we may have more time to build a connection even if it’s just on the basis of being in the same place at the same time. We’re able to read body language and take in other input that’s impossible to do when on the phone.

Perhaps on the phone we figure we’ve only got that one chance, so we have to move the process along faster than it really should move. Unfortunately, that can lead to you missing out on a chance to connect with a great, new client.

There are multiple ways to generate sales through calling. My suggestion is just one way.

But, if you’ve never tried cold calling, or had some bad experiences with it in the past, consider how the “make a friend” approach can change your results and your attitude toward what is perhaps the one of the best social media tools ever created: the phone.

About the Author:
Mike Klassen – The Magalog Guy – is a direct market designer, consultant and speaker. His free book, Increase Sales and Build Deeper Connections, is a guide on how to get prospects to pay attention to the story they want and need to hear before they buy. The book, and other free magalog and marketing resources are available at: http://www.magalogguy.com.

By the way, if you want to see a variety of magalog styles, my free webinar includes a number of samples and will fill in a lot of the details about magalog marketing including how to determine if one is right for you. Visit: http://www.magalogguy.com/webinars.

It was 4:45 p.m. on a warm Friday afternoon in Traverse City, Michigan.

In the extremely competitive business of lawn supplies and equipment, the Fergusons had a large area to cover. It included the upper half of the state of Michigan and the upper peninsula. Mackinaw City was 110 miles away, not including the ferry boat ride across the straits to the island. In addition to that, no motorized cars or trucks were allowed on the vacation island. It was going to take a minimum of four hours for them to reach the golf course via service truck. Chuck knew they needed to act fast if they were going to help solve this dilemma. After briefly conferring with his dad, Chuck asked Bob Jenkins if he could have the mower loaded onto a horse-drawn wagon and hauled over to the small airport that was located on Mackinac Island. The general manager answered yes, but asked Chuck to explain. Chuck replied that in an emergency like this, the Fergusons could use their family airplane to fly the repairman with the parts necessary to repair the mower.

After Chuck hung up the phone, he quickly called down to Larry, his top mechanic, to see if he would be willing to work a little overtime. Larry eagerly agreed. As an extra measure of service, they decided to pull out the back seat of the airplane and load up a brand new Jacobson greens mower to take along as a loaner. Chuck and Larry took off, and when they landed, they were greeted by a very worried Bob Jenkins. Chuck’s mechanic, impeccably dressed in his dark blue uniform, shining tool box in hand, went right to work on the disabled mower. It was repaired within 15 minutes. Bob was ecstatic. Then, in a grand gesture, Chuck and his mechanic unloaded the brand new Jacobson greens mower. They explained that they wanted to leave it as a backup (free of charge) just in case anything else went wrong with the repaired mower. They would pick up the loaner on the next service call. The general manager was more than satisfied. The next morning, the greens were mowed and the players commented on how beautiful the golf course looked. The prestigious golf tournament was a success. As it turns out, the brand new Jacobson greens mower never left the island. The general manager thought it would be a good idea to have a back- up mower just in case they ever needed it again.

The story doesn’t end there. A few months later, Ken Ferguson and his son attended the Annual Turf Grass Conference at Michigan State University. As they were sitting at their table finishing their dinner, one of their main competitors walked over and said, “Ken, I don’t know how you do it. I don’t know how you keep the Grand Hotel golf course account. We’ve been calling on that place for years. We buy that general manager the best steaks, bring him the finest scotch, and we still can’t get any of his business! How do you do it?” Ken Ferguson looked up at him and replied “Uhh, I don’t know, it sounds like you’re doing everything right to me. I wouldn’t change a thing.” Through this lesson, the message is clear. By going the extra mile for our customers, by being there when they need us, we will keep them as loyal customers for a long, long time.

About the Author:
Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting Development & Training. He is a small business consultant, trainer, and author.

Over the past 27 years, he has worked with his clients and helped them to change their business paradigms. Tom shows small business owners how to “think outside the box,” tap the potential of their managers and employees, and take action to help make their businesses more profitable and successful.

He is author of two books, Making Service Count – Leveraging Customer Satisfaction to Make Your Small Business More Profitable and his second book, How to Keep a Positive Attitude in a Sometimes Negative World. His business articles have been published in over 47 countries and have appeared in local publications such as Crain’s Business, the Detroit Free Press.

When businesses decide to move forward on a purchase, they base their decision on a value assumption of what they feel they’ll get out of the product they buy.

Understanding how price is linked to value can help your company position its products and services to garner the attention of prospective customers.

Increased Competition from a Global Economy:
We’ve all heard about the global economy. While we know what it means, sometimes we are not fully aware of its impact. We tend to operate in our own little world, and see our competition as being closer to home, or at least relegated to whom we know and see.

In truth, your competition is but a few clicks away; if customers can find a product they perceive as being a better value, your company will lose business.

A global marketplace brings global competition — customers don’t lack for options to select from, and they no longer have to accept the status quo. Your company has to be faster, smarter, and better at everything in order to keep your customers, and sell to new ones.

Case Study Analysis:
Does your product last longer? Does your product offer more benefits to customers and allow them to save money? If you’ve ever had a product that does these things, but not been able to turn these selling points into sales, then you’ve failed at putting these product attributes front and center in the eyes of your customers. Effective supporting documentation about your product or service can help you address this.

Now, we’re not talking about infomercials — you need solid, substantiated data that illustrates the benefits of the product or service your company is offering. It’s not enough just to say it does what it does. Customers hear that same pitch from everyone. Instead, give them proof. Keep it simple and provide them real case study analysis on how the product works.

Social Proof in the Form of Testimonials:
Anyone can get a testimonial from a customer. A company could sell the worst product in the world and still find someone, somewhere, to say it’s the best thing since Wonder® Bread. Therefore, forget about the simple and straightforward testimonial that says the product does what it does. Been there, done that.

What you need is to provide your customers the ability to speak directly with other customers who’ve benefitted from working with you. Perhaps you conduct a teleseminar with a client, and allow them to share their results — and field questions directly from other prospects during the call. If you have an active forum or community within your website, this provides an excellent platform to allow customers to share their results. Focus on developing excellent customer service both before and after the sale, and the raving fans and product evangelists will follow.

Product demonstrations that matter:
Forget the controlled demonstration. Take it a step further and perform a product demonstrate at your customer’s facility. Being able to show the product is one thing, but having the ability to troubleshoot problems for your customers is something else entirely.

Customers need to feel taken care of — if they see your product and your sales people as the solution to their problems, they’ll come to see your company as a valued and trusted partner. Your sales team must be seen as experts in their field. If they are seen as experts, they’ll have the ability to make your products shine.

Selling products and services is all about solving problems — alleviating the concerns and apprehension of customers. While your company may be both professional and reliable, your customers may have dealt with companies that were less than dependable. Focus on addressing those concerns and providing proven solutions, and you will consistently turn more prospects into customers.

About the Author:
Traci Hayner Vanover, aka The Promo Diva®, is a business consultant and publicity expert specializing in working with small businesses, authors and startups. Drawing on over twenty years experience in the fields of marketing and promotion, Traci’s blog, located at http://www.PromoDiva.com, blends helpful tips and resources with a healthy dose of humor. Traci is the founder and publisher of ESBJournal.com.

The other day I walked into a national grocery store in my hometown of Canton, MI.

A few weeks later I was making a purchase at one of the local discount stores that sells everything for a dollar. This time the clerk’s response after I thanked him was simply the word “yeah.”

Here is where a small business owner can set him or herself apart from the rest of the competition at the point of sale and can clean up big time. What they must do is train all employees to consistently use the magic words “please” and “thank you.”

By having employees look the customers squarely in the eye and sincerely thank them for doing business with them, they will sell subconsciously to that customer’s built in expectations of being appreciated and valued. Charles Lamb, the great English essayist said it best when he was quoted, “Damn it, I like to be liked.” Your customers like to be liked, so why not teach and expect your employees to treat them with care and respect. It will help your business become more profitable.

Of course it cannot be forced.  For example, there is another very well-known retail chain that has a small printed sign by the cash register that reminds the cashier what to say to the customer when the sale is completed. At one time, this retail chain even had a campaign giving the customer five dollars if the cashier didn’t say “thank you.” Unfortunately, it didn’t work. The result was a cashier who sounded like a robot and avoided making sincere eye contact with the customer at the close of the sale. What the management of this retail chain did not understand was that it was not possible to force its’ cashiers to be sincerely courteous to the customer.

Since you can’t force your staff, co-workers and managers to treat the customer courteously in person or on the telephone, what do you do to get that kind of consistent behavior from them? One way to make this hope a reality is to hire people who have three important qualities:

1. They like themselves.
2. They like other people.
3. They have a sincere desire to help and serve other people.

You have to hire people who have some of the above qualities. From there you educate, train, and reinforce them positively for consistently demonstrating sincere courtesy to the customers.

What we are talking about is helping staff, co-workers and management learn how to be more authentic; helping them develop their self-confidence to the level where it is easy for them to treat others with courtesy and respect. The example you set is the most important aspect. The way you treat your staff, co-employees and managers lays the groundwork for how they will treat the customer.

Therefore, in summary, hire the right people, teach them how to be consistently courteous and watch your customer retention and purchase rate go up. You will be glad you did, and so will your customers.

About the Author:
Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting Development & Training. He is a small business consultant, trainer, and author.

Over the past 27 years, he has worked with his clients and helped them to change their business paradigms. Tom shows small business owners how to “think outside the box,” tap the potential of their managers and employees, and take action to help make their businesses more profitable and successful.

He is author of two books, Making Service Count – Leveraging Customer Satisfaction to Make Your Small Business More Profitable and his second book, How to Keep a Positive Attitude in a Sometimes Negative World. His business articles have been published in over 47 countries and have appeared in local publications such as Crain’s Business, the Detroit Free Press.

You can contact him at 734-812-0526 or visit his website at http://www.tomborgconsulting.com.

Even as the economy hints at making a rebound, markets are becoming more competitive and products are rapidly commoditizing.

Traditionally, sales organizations were charged with executing successful growth strategies.  However, in today’s upside-down economy, all employees are being asked to contribute to achieving revenue goals by upgrading their sales capabilities as part of an overall commitment to growth. Therein lies the first dilemma: how to acquire new customers and increase the number of products and services purchased per customer, while maintaining the high level responsiveness customers have come to expect. Despite the economic downturn, customers still demand high levels of service.

If you can identify ways to transform your employees’ service best practices into “service-selling” behaviors, you can expect to increase your customer base and your bottom line. That’s the second dilemma: convincing your service employees to integrate selling practices into their customer interactions. It means getting these employees to move beyond their current perception of what sales is, and to how their use of ethical principles in selling can be a service to their customers.

Understanding Service-Selling
In a pure service culture, organizational and employee behavior is contingent on their knowledge and skill in responding to customer questions or concerns.  However, in a service-selling culture, employees practice the attitudes, beliefs and skills to proactively seek to understand customers’ wants and needs that will increase the value created in every customer experience. Service organizations that have not made this transition will find organic growth difficult. In fact, research has shown that a positive customer-service reputation does not guarantee you will be the first choice by consumers.

In order to achieve significant growth, everyone in an organization must enhance their commitment to identifying the specific wants and needs of their customers and demonstrating how the organization’s products and services can fulfill them. By helping your service-selling teams to develop the attitude, beliefs and skills to provide more value to customers, they will build stronger emotional bonds in the relationship, a key prerequisite for customer receptivity and loyalty.

Overcoming the Barriers to Change
Many organizations serve their markets and their customers with a high level of personal “touch”. Even in today’s troubled economy and despite more aggressive competition and little differentiation, most committed service organizations can maintain their reputation for providing a high level of customer focus. At a time when most consumers feel “like a number”, this has great appeal.

But the successful transformation from a service culture to a service-selling culture can have many barriers- and most of them have nothing to do with knowledge and skill. Many employees struggle with the concern that embracing a sales philosophy may not be in the best interest of customers.  As a result, they are resistant to adopting a service-selling philosophy.

To make matters worse, this negative view of selling has created a cynical perspective with leaders in many organizations. Although non-sales leadership may still be committed to growth, they will resist a strategy that may force superior service to take a back seat.

A successful transformation must engage the hearts and minds of employees and their leaders. To accomplish this, they must learn to embrace the definition of selling and service as two sides of the same coin. In our experience, employees will change their perceptions if they discover that selling, like service, is focused on identifying and fulfilling needs to create value for customers (rather than pushing products).  In fact, if selling can be redefined as ‘doing something for someone’, your team will give themselves “permission” to ask the extra question or provide the added benefit that increases value. Once this is achieved, you will be on the path to transformational change.

Building a Bridge between Service and Selling
Organizations that encourage their employees to practice ethical principles while selling and serving customers, will find their people willing to reach beyond their traditional roles and establish a foundation for deeper, more productive customer relationships. Here are ten ethical Principles that, if consistently applied, will assist your employees build their service-selling relationships with your customers:

• Service and selling are an exchange of value.
• Service and selling are not something you do to customers; it’s something you do for and with them.
• Developing trust and rapport precedes any service or selling activity.
• Understanding a customer’s wants or needs always precedes an attempt to offer a solution.
• Service and selling techniques must give way to values-driven principles.
• Truth, respect and honesty provide the basis for long-term success with customers.
• Service and selling pressure is never exerted by a service team. It’s exerted only by customers when they want or need the solution being recommended.
• Dealing with customer concerns is never a manipulative process.
• It’s a strategy to overcome problems … when customers want to overcome the problems.
• Getting agreement to a solution is a victory for both the service team and the customer.
• Ethics and values contribute more to sales and service success than techniques or strategies.

Service Selling — the Great Multiplier
Most organizations understand that customer loyalty is a key factor in achieving profitable growth. If you define loyalty as the willingness of a customer to repurchase or provide referrals, than building high-value relationships is mission critical.  Today’s challenging landscape has forced us to look beyond the sales team as value creators. Unless everyone in your organization is willing and able to contribute to your growth strategy it is unlikely that you will achieve your revenue goals.

By engaging your employees’ buy-in to ethical service-selling behaviors you will not only increase your sales per customer, but also retain the service atmosphere your customers have come to expect. Service-selling is a value multiplier, as it increases sales, retains your customers, and drives more referrals from your client base. Dilemmas solved.

About the Author:
Walt Zeglinski is the CEO  & Chief Client Advocate for Integrity Solutions, a performance improvement company that helps its clients to create value for their customers. Walt has over 20 years of successful experience in the corporate performance industry, applying his expertise to successfully diagnose, plan and implement practical solutions for complex business challenges. He has worked with executive teams and frontline sales and service teams across most industries including financial services, healthcare, technology, hospitality and manufacturing. Contact Walt at http://www.IntegritySolutions.com.

How many times have you heard a person say, “it wasn’t my fault” or “I can’t believe someone did this to me” to news of down or lost sales?

A great leader can never be a victim and just as important a great leader cannot allow people on their team to be victims. We have all heard the phrase “crap happens” (or a variation of it), but how we respond to it (crap) determines whether or not a person is a victim. The same goes for your business, the economy is not causing your business to struggle; rather, how your business is responding to the economy is causing it to struggle.

For those looking for motivation, there are many sayings or famous quotes talking about taking control and not being a victim, for instance, Winston Churchill quipped a favorite, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” However, it takes a lot more than reciting famous quotes and great ideas to be a successful and victorious sales leader. It takes a true commitment, time, strong coaching, a willingness to learn and to take calculated risks and most importantly a refusal to be a victim blaming “the economy.” Despite the economy you can motivate your sales team by taking responsibility and placing the correct emphasis on logical sales goals and market share.

No Room for a Realist in Sales
Sales people don’t need to be realists; they need to be a blind optimist, it is finance’s job to be realists. The finance department needs to be realistic in setting budgets and expenses based on current trends and forecasts to ensure the financial safety of the company. On the other hand the sales people need to only think of how they will achieve their sales regardless of the situation.

When a sales person says “I am not a pessimist, I am realist”, I know one of two things are true: 1) whatever goal or obstacle is causing them to make this statement will stop them from being successful, because they have already accepted it, 2) maybe they accidently came to the sales team from finance, and perhaps they need to go back to finance. This is not a punt on finance by any means; rather it is an understanding that each role and responsibility has its place for a team to be successful. In sales there is no room for realistic goals and realists. This does not mean that a goal should be a pipe dream, it does mean a goal or result should be logical. The difference between logical and realistic is that realistic has limitations based on someone’s experiences and fears and logical deals only with the action and the allotted amount of time.
The question every sales team should answer when they are faced with an obstacle is “what can we do, that does not require any other departments or things we cannot control, to overcome this obstacle, then do it and do it again?” If your life depended on it, could it be done? Great salespeople are visionaries who live a dream and find a way to make things happen.

Market Share vs. Industry Status
There are a lot of companies in today’s economy blaming the economy and the their industry down turn for their results. This year it is the economy effecting sales, 3 years ago it was the competition cutting the prices of their product or service and before that it was the competition had a competitive advantage with something they didn’t have or the customer had no need. The economy is just another reason (excuse) why our sales are not where they need to be. This is not to say that the economy or budget restraints are not a real issue, but they are, and will always be an issue. The goal is the same, to increase sales, but the obstacles have changed. That does not mean there are more obstacles, just different reasons for not closing sales.

Unless a company has over 50% market share, the amount of market share will effects a company’s bottom line more than the industry’s down turn. The solution is to understand how the game has changed and change your game plan to make sure victory is the only solution. For most businesses the solution is to increase market share and that can be done by adding a new market segment or by taking customers from the competition. This requires a different skill set than getting current customers to buy more or account management. This skill set is not new, but it may be a skill that many veteran sales reps or top sales reps have not used in a long time.

The sales leader’s job is to help get the top reps past their egos and back into skill development and training of getting new clients. Watch for the fatal sales team mistake: when a sales leader relies on their top sales people to know what to do because they have been doing it for xx years or because they have always been on top. They will find themselves waiting for the market to change (and perhaps end up closing down completely while they wait), because they don’t change their sales people. To win in sales is to take control of your top sales reps and veteran reps and develop a sales plan and practice.

Victims blame others and situations for where they are in life or their performance and results. Victors and great leaders know that they cannot control every situation; rather they can control their response. We can prepare our best and change when our best is no longer working. Success and failure, both, are just a result of what a person or team does, and not a permanent state unless you chose it. The economy and belief between your ears will affect your success more than any stock market, government or competition.

About the Author:
Nathan Jamail, president of the Jamail Development Group and author of “The Sales Leaders Playbook,” is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur and corporate coach. As a former Executive Director for Sprint, and business owner of several small businesses, Nathan travels the country helping individuals and organizations achieve maximum success. His clients include US Army Reserves, Nationwide Insurance, Metro PCS, State Farm Insurance, Century 21, Jackson National Insurance Company and ThyssenKrupp Elevators. To book Nathan, visit http://www.NathanJamail.com.

Make no mistake, sales can be a noble and rewarding profession.

Start with yourself:
Understand that you will have to learn how to handle rejection. Be prepared! They are saying no to your offer. It has nothing to do about you and it is not personal. Even if you were to have everything covered, the best option, you may still not secure the business because of something completely out of your control. Learn to deal with setbacks, but always have a long term goal when dealing with a customer. You do not have to win all the business immediately. Perseverance will pay off. Make it your greatest asset.

Allow your customer to do most of the talking:
Sales is less about what you know, and more about allowing your customer to advise you of what they know, they need. Do not spend your time trying to convince your customer that your knowledge is greater than theirs. Being a knowledgeable representative is important, but expanding on your knowledge to the point of it overtaking the discussion, is not. Besides, the customer may have a unique application. One in which you have next to no experience in. Have the intestinal fortitude to allow your customer to do all the talking. Allowing yourself to appear as someone already understanding the situation will bestow a quiet confidence to your customer. Bottom line, they will let you know what they know, and what they need you to get them. That is of course
if you let them.

Ask leading questions & listen carefully:
Use questions to allow your customer to expand and explain their position. You are not the deciding factor in whether a sale is successful or not. Your customer has information that you need to know to do your job properly. Explain to your customer that you are ultimately interested in servicing them and can only do this if you have some understanding of their situation. This will open the door to questions about their preferences and beliefs and allow them to open up about what they truly need – not what you think they want.

Use pauses when answering or asking questions:
While this may seem rather odd, it is very impactful. Pausing when answering or asking questions shows sincerity and real interest in providing a good answer or making sure your question is clear. It demonstrates that you want to answer or ask the right question and that you think about what you have to say. Don’t go overboard, but use this tactic wisely to show your ability to think through the process.

Use the information provided properly:
It is not just about asking questions for the sake of asking them. It is about asking questions in the context of the conversation, and what you do with the information once you get it. Writing down answers in front of the customer, or on the phone, demonstrates real initiative. You are trying to make sure you have it right. If the information is unclear, ask again. Remember, your customer is the deciding factor. If they have information that decides how and why they make a decision, make sure you know what that is. Once you have it, use it properly.

Professionalism:
There are enough salespeople out there who will do and say anything to get the sale. This approach may work a couple of times, but eventually, it will become a problem. Your ability to distinguish yourself versus your competition will win out in the long run, if you remain professional in appearance and business approach. You represent your company, so do so with pride and do not sell yourself or your employer short by succumbing to the temptation to do or say anything needed to close the deal. Establish some basic guidelines by which you will not allow yourself to break.

The sales profession often carries the image of a used car salesman or a pushy salesman interested in an easy sale. While it is true there are always people out there that have a short sighted view towards sales, the ones who have a long term approach that puts the customer first, will always differentiate themselves. Understand that quiet confidence, professionalism and information gathering are simple tools to excel in a profession that directly impacts the enterprise’s bottom line.

About the Author:
Traci Hayner Vanover is an author, publisher, consultant and publicist, with over 20 years experience in the fields of sales, market research and promotion. Traci’s work has been featured in national magazines, books, ebooks, and websites. She is the publisher of Everything Small Business Journal. When she’s not working on ESBJ, Traci works with private clients as a publicist, copywriter and consultant. Find out how Traci can help you position your brand and take advantage of social media by visiting her blog at http://promodiva.com.