"Sell More Profitably" Webcast

Have you signed up for the next webcast in the Relationship Building Strategies training series? This third session is entitled "Sell More Profitably."

Detailed information is below, and don't forget once you sign up you will receive the recorded presentation after the session plus a PDF of the PowerPoint used during the webcast.

Date: This Friday, October 8th

Time: 1:30 to 2:00 PM EST

Cost: $35

Click here for more information and to sign up.

101 Cold Call Tips

Have you heard that my new book, "101 Cold Call Tips" has been released and is available for purchase? This book will help you take your cold-calling skills to the next level. It features 14 tips to stop procrastination, 15 tips on rapport-building, 30 tips on how to be more efficient and effective, 12 tips on creating relevant messages and 30 tips to be a more powerful communicator.

PLUS BONUS SECTION ON GETTING PAST VOICE MAIL! Click here to order your copy for only $9.95!

The Emotionless Company

People can be loyal but companies never are. Loyalty is an emotion. It’s faithfulness, an allegiance where consistent, steadfast support is offered by the loyal parties. No organization feels emotion and many are corporate entities organized for one purpose—to make a profit.

All organizations seek dependable partners to help them succeed in their pursuit to achieve goals and meet objectives. Individual employees within organizations are permitted to be loyal to vendors as long as the organization is successful.

When targets are missed, loyalty is questioned and buyers must defend their choices with logical reasons for loyalty like:
• Expertise
• Equipment
• Turn-around times
• Dependability

What about your customers? Are they loyal?

Are you the first person they call when they have an opportunity? Do they allow you to quote on every job that fits your shop? Do they give you information and guidance on pricing so you have a real shot at getting the job? Perhaps they’re doing all of that, but it’s still important to recognize buyer loyalty is not carved in stone.

KeFactors Fridays: What I Learned Teaching My Kid to Drive

Nothing—but nothing—will test a parent’s nerves more than riding shotgun with an eager young driver who has yet to feel their own mortality, and sees the family car as the means to escape the confines of the life you have created for them.

It is possible, however, to derive leadership lessons even as your life is flashing before your middle-aged eyes.

• Screaming doesn’t help. Most intelligent people learn from their mistakes—when they’re permitted to make them. Should you tolerate a repetition of careless mistakes? No, absolutely not; but workplace experiments made in good faith will serve two purposes—one is to manifest process problems, and the other is to create enough pain that errors never get repeated. So screaming at your employees for genuine efforts and making the mistakes natural to that is…irrelevant.

• Give support. Even white-knuckled nervous support is better than nothing. As a leader, you don’t need to man the wheel, and you’re within your rights to say, “This approach makes me a little nervous, but if you think this will work, then let me know what you need to make it happen.” Your employees are looking to you for guidance and perspective. Anything truly ill-advised deserves your wisdom: “This, my friends and colleagues, is not a ditch we’d want to die in.” But once you promise support, you’re “in the car” with them. To the end of the road.

• Leave micromanagement to the amateurs. Most micromanagers believe they’re just being conscientious bosses. Not so. Sooner or later, everyone has to get their own feel for the turn of the wheel, and to navigate in ways that make sense to them. Micromanaging your employees to the last degree not only makes them feel rattled and disempowered, but broadcasts that you don’t understand your own job well enough to maintain a bigger- picture perspective.

Buyers Road Meets Sellers Lane

For any sale to take place, the buyer must:

• Like you enough to want to buy from you.
• Trust you enough to believe you're telling them the truth.
• Believe you're competent.
• Have a problem your product/service can solve.

A Short Survey

Today is the last day that I am asking readers to take a very short survey about this blog. It's less than 10 questions, should only take about 3 minutes to complete and one lucky survey participant will win a copy of my new book, "101 Cold Call Tips."

Click here to take the survey now!

Constructing a Relevant Message

Yesterday's post concluded with the thought when it comes to getting prospects to pick up the phone, you need to be polite, pleasant, persistent and relevant.

Here are some ways to construct a relevant message that matters to buyers:

• Be specific. Avoid vague and empty promises. Phrases like “We save you money,” are
fine if you follow the phrase by telling the buyer exactly how you accomplish that.
• Use positive language.
• Focus on helping people today.
• Communicate benefits—the “what’s in it for me” aspect of your product and service.

The right research helps you construct meaningful messages. In ten to fifteen minutes, you can
check out the prospect’s website, read the latest news release, and search for information on
the buyer. Making mention of information you uncovered tells the buyer you cared enough to
invest time in learning about them.