Sales Training By Thought Transformation-Common Mistakes In Sales

Common Mistakes In Sales-The Deal Killer


Good intentions often make us say things we shouldn’t, especially when the pressure’s on and the customer’s complaining. So, what do you do in such circumstances? Below, you'll find some common mistakes we make—no, here are some deal killers:

Denying the customer’s right to his experience. A common mistake is to blurt out variations along the lines of, “Oh, that’s not true!”… “I’m sure our employee didn’t mean it that way!” … or “No one’s ever complained about that before!”
• What the customer hears: “You better prove you have a case before I believe you enough to help you.”
• What’s better? Listen. Your job at that moment is to fully understand the customer’s experience of the problem.

Blaming the customer. This can happen subtly, an accusation made via implication or nonverbals, but just because it may be inferred or unspoken does not mean the customer hasn’t picked up on it. “Well, we could’ve gotten this done on time, but we didn’t get your content until a week after it was promised to us.”
• What the customer hears: “It’s all your fault. You’re not easy to work with.”
• What’s better? Alert the customer to budget or timing concerns before they become issues, and remember you’re in the business of providing solutions. You’re not there to ward off imagined litigations by assigning blame.

Typecasting the customer. This happens in the most egregious circumstances, when the workplace culture has become so politicized that an adversarial “us-them” attitude has developed. Customers are outsiders, therefore they’re “idiots”… “crazy” … “ill- informed”….
• What the customer hears: They don’t need to hear anything. Sooner or later, that attitude of condescension or resentment seeps through employee pores and taints interactions with your customers.
• What’s better? Workplace culture attitude adjustment. Better make it quick too.


Thought Transformation provides sales training courses to individuals and corporations. Thought Transformation has 20+ sales training programs designed to help you make more sales and outsell your competition. This is your opportunity to learn from sales expert Linda Bishop, contact us today and see how we can help you achieve success!

Making More Sales With LinkedIn

 

Are you using LinkedIn and other social media tools to connect with both customers and prospects? If not, you're missing out on potential contacts and sales. LinkedIn is a great professional social media website that has dozens of great features to help you in your sales program. 

Start making more sales with LinkedIn by keeping your profile clean and professional. I can't stress this enough. Everything that you write and say has to be professional because others will judge you on these factors. If you're posting articles, videos, or media, keep your professional image at all times. Remember, potential customers are always watching.

LinkedIn is a great way to not only make more sales, but generate leads and contacts. Make sure you're using LinkedIn to your advantage. Social media platforms are a great to get new customers and generate interest. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, and other social media sites must be optimized and professional.

Thought Transformation offers a variety of different sales training programs that can immediately having you making more sales and out-selling your competition. We offer 20+ sales training courses that are designed to help you succeed in any sales market. Visit our website and learn from one of the best sales experts in the world. Atlanta's Thought Transformation provides single sales training classes, half-day classes, and full-day classes.

Take a Persistence Inventory

Take a Persistence Inventory

The book, “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill has sold more than 50 million copies since it came out in print. It’s a great read with a lot of practical advice on how to mix up your own magical formula for success.

I’m a sales professional, and I’m well aware that my paycheck is directly linked to my willingness and ability to persist. Hill’s “Persistence Inventory” is a useful way to take stock of what I’m doing, and what I need to do better.

Or as Hill puts it, “These are the weaknesses that must be mastered by all who accumulate riches.”

Napoleon Hill’s Persistence Inventory:

1.      Failure to recognize and to define clearly exactly what one wants.

2.      Procrastination, with or without cause.

3.      Lack of interest in acquiring specialized knowledge.

4.      Indecision.

5.      The habit of relying upon alibis instead of creating definite plans for the solution of problems.

6.      Self-satisfaction (which can be tough to recognize at times in my opinion!)

7.      Indifference, usually reflected in one’s readiness to compromise on all occasions, rather than meeting opposition and fighting it.

8.      The habit of blaming others for one’s mistakes, and accepting unfavorable circumstances as unavoidable.

9.      Weakness of desire, due to the choice of motives that impel action.

10.  Willingness to quit at the first sign of defeat.

11.  Lack of organized plans, in writing, so you can analyze your thinking.

12.  The habit of neglecting to move on ideas, or grab opportunity when it appears.

13.  Wishing instead of willing.

14.  The habit of compromising with poverty instead of aiming at riches.

15.  Searching for all the short-cuts to riches, trying to get without giving a fair equivalent in effort.

16.  Fear of criticism so you don’t create plans and put them into action.

As you think about these items, I challenge you to answer the core question Hill asked in his book: Can you imagine yourself as a millionaire?

And what would you need to do differently when you’re selling to achieve that?

►Learn More about Napoleon Hill at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Hill

Questions that Push a Buyer's Hot Button

You’re calling on a brand new prospect named Bud. After 15 minutes, you’re concerned. Bud’s cordial enough as you ask questions, but you can tell he’s not engaged. His practiced answers come quickly. As Bud politely recites plain vanilla facts, his eyes stray to his computer monitor. Opportunity is slipping away. You need to do something!

You switch directions and ask, “Bud, your competitors are always complaining to us about productivity problems. Is low productivity a problem for you?”

Bud straightens and looks right at you. Tilting his head, his tone intensifies as he asks, “What do you mean?”

YOU JUST HIT A HOT BUTTON! Your question started Bud’s emotional engine. You’re haven't reached the destination, but you’re finally on the road.  

Take a minute to think about the questions you ask.  

• What do potential customers complain about?
• What important problems do you solve?
• What unmet needs prompt a physical reaction, causing prospects to feel stress, discomfort, uncertainty, worry and doubt?
• What fears lead to change?

To make a sale, buyers must be motivated to make a change.  Motivation results from a prospect’s drive to resolve internal tension. Hot button questions start the buyer thinking about their situation and fulfilling unmet needs.

Hot button questions create opportunities.  Here the challenge. Come up with three hot button questions that turn on the buyer’s emotional engine. In your next prospecting call, take the questions for a test drive. Find out what works and practice.

Good selling!


Thought Transformation offers sales training courses in the Atlanta area. 20+ sales training classes that'll increase sales and help you out sale the competition. Sales training programs in Atlanta, contact us now!

Self-Taught Training  Learn sales training tips, techniques, and tactics from sales experts.

 

Pushing Start on Emotional Engines to Drive Sales

Has this ever happened to you? You sit down at your desk, ready to work. There’s a message from your boss in your email inbox that reads, “Congratulations. Your sales numbers were great last month. What do you think you’ll do this month?”

The message triggers a quick mental review of the opportunities in your pipeline. Not much there. Happiness vanishes and apprehension descends like a dark cloud. Your chest tightens and your heart, beating steady and slow a moment ago, thumps at twice its normal speed.

You’re feeling internal tension caused by unmet needs. To put it another way, you boss pushed start on an emotional engine. A moment ago, you were happy. Now you’re worried and far more motivated to call prospects than you were moments ago.

How do you motivate prospects to buy? What buttons should you push to start emotional engines that power more purchases?

In the next post, I’ll share my thoughts on how you can do a better job of asking questions to push start on emotional engines and get more selling opportunities.


Thought Transformation offers sales training programs in Atlanta and surrounding areas. Learn how to increase your sales and master any program or market. With 9 years of experience, we've helped thousands of people achieve their sales goals. Visit our website today!


 

How to Redirect a Conversation when Work Friends Whine

When a friend at work complains, and you’re in no mood to join in, one smart strategy to handle the situation is:
 

·         Let them talk for a minute or two.

·         Acknowledge the complaint with a neutral line like, “I can see why that bothers you.”

·         Follow the acknowledgement by asking, “What’s gone well for you lately?”
 

Complaints result from immediate feelings. Things go right and we’re happy. Things go wrong and we complain.

By redirecting thoughts to positive events, you redirect emotions in a positive direction as well.

BTW . . . redirection strategies also come in handy when you talk to customers and they start complaining. Good selling!



 

Sales Competition High? Learn How You Can Get Ahead

Sales Techniques, Tips, And Training



If you are new to sales, struggling to make sales, or have no sales training, Thought Transformation can help. Thought Transformation has helped thousands of people by providing affordable sales training courses. Thought Transformation delivers high quality sales training, giving you the knowledge and tools to make sales in any program. If you're interested in our sales training, please follow the link below. Thought Transformation offers 20+ sales training sessions!


Thought Transformation 


If you have additional questions or want to learn how Thought Transformation can help you, please call Linda Bishop at  1-770-846-3510

Would You Please Stop Whining? Sales Training Session

OMG . . . don't you get tired of selling coworkers who constantly complain. “The market is terrible. The company has quality problems. Prices are too high. Cold calling doesn’t work. The company should be doing more marketing to get quality leads.”

And it’s never the complainer's fault that they don't have any business. It's everybody else's.

Some salespeople are lucky. They have an office with a door, and they can close it to keep the complainer out. Other salespeople sit in a bullpen or in a cubicle. When a complainer corners you, there is nowhere to hide.

Listening to people complain when there is work to do is stressful, especially when you feel pressed for time. If you don’t have a strong relationship, you could nip the conversation off by politely stating you’re on a deadline to make a call or get information to a customer.

What do you do if the complainer is a friend, but you don’t have time—or you’re not in the mood to listen to depressing talk?  Look for the next post to handle this situation.



Sales Training Tips And Techniques



Struggling to make sales? Thought Transformation's sales training will give you the proper tools and knowledge to learn how to start making sales. If you're not making sales or your new to the "sales" field, our sales training will have you making sales in no time!