Closing the Sale...

Getting a client to say, "Yes" can be one of the most difficult things to do, or it can be as easy as merely asking for the order. If you have taken the necessary steps and completed the groundwork, then you may find fertile fields for sales growth await you.

"Nothing happens until someone sells something!" This is so true! You can be the best manufacturer with the highest quality products, but if you can't sell your products, then you won't get to make very many.

Let's look at some things you can do to help close the sale and get the client to say, "Yes."

* The first thing you must do is listen very carefully and ask open-ended questions so you can help your clients identify their needs. You are now prepared to show them that what you are selling will meet those needs.


* As you are asking questions, listen for signs that they are ready to buy. Some examples might include, "How long would it take to get one?" "Is this the latest model?" or "What terms will you give me?"


* Never answer questions with a simple "Yes" or "No." Be prepared to ask questions of your own. For example, the question about delivery could be answered with, "When do you need it?" You could answer the question about the latest model with something like, "Would you like the latest model or would you be interested in something else if we could save you some money?" If you choose your return questions carefully, they can help lead to closing a sale.


* Sometimes it is helpful to set a deadline to get a person to make a buying decision. If you are planning a price increase, encourage your customer to place the order by a certain date to take advantage of the reduced cost. This sends a message that you are working with them to get a good deal—a message they will appreciate.


* Set yourself apart from other salespeople by becoming your customer's new best friend. Constantly look for ways to serve your customers better. Try to be a resource for the latest information, and be ready to help them do a better job. Rather than being known as only a salesperson, share your knowledge and become known as a resource. This will create added value to your customers.


* Be accessible. If they can't find you when they need you, they will look for someone else.


* Be enthusiastic, and let it show! You can do this with your voice, facial expression or the way you move. A kind, genuine smile is an invaluable asset for a salesperson. People want to do business with those who are upbeat and positive. If you enjoy what you are doing, it will show!


* When closing your sale, avoid options of "Yes" or "No". or questions like, " Did you like the product i am offering?" or "Would You like to go in for this product?"- the Chances of the prospect saying "NO" are higher. Always consider offering alternatives. People like to have choices. Examples- What Did you like in the product i am offering, the quality or the value add?" or You can use this to your advantage by saying, "Which of these choices would you like—A or B?" With this close, you are likely to make a sale of one kind or another. Even if you are selling a single product, you can still offer choices of color, delivery or terms, for instance.


* One final technique is the authorization close. When you have finished your sales pitch, ask if the customer has any additional questions. If he has none, make a check mark on the sales contract where the client needs to sign. Pass the document over to him and say something like, "If you will just authorize this, we can get started right away." The word "authorize" is less threatening than the word sign, so customers are more likely to sign when asked.

If you are prepared for it, closing a sale can be a natural part of your conversation with customers. Work to refine it so that it grows easily out of your discussion. Establish a relationship with your clients. Believe in what you are selling, and implement some of these techniques. Then watch your sales grow!


All The Best
Regards
NM!!!

Closing...Having the Winning Edge

No, we're not going to talk about those stale, worn-out closes that every salesman and his dog have used for ages. Those hackneyed closes insult the intelligence of your prospect. What I'm about to show you is radically different -- so brace yourself for an explosive nitro boost to your sales earnings.

Let me ask you a question:

FACT: In a typical sales encounter, 80% of prospects will say, "No" to your sales offer. During tough economic times, this can be as high as 90% or even 95%. (I'll bet you already know this from experience, don't you?)

Q. Have you ever come across those rare Marketing people who sell phenomenally well even during the worst economic times - even while doing business in highly competitive markets - and even when the price of their product is well above their competitors' prices?

Those super salespeople sell like crazy - may come hail or storm -- and there's no such thing as a "blank day" -- or a blank week or month for them. And what's more - they make it look easy. You know why? Because it is easy - if you know how.


Here's a story that will make the concept crystal clear for you:
How a Corning Glass Salesman Sold Every One of His Prospects

Here's an awesome strategy developed by a salesman at Corning Glass on the year that Corning Glass came out with safety glass.

This salesman went throughout the country and before long, he became the top-selling salesman of safety glass for Corning Glass in North America. At the national sales convention, he was given a big prize and an award. And they said to him, "Please tell us your secret. How is it that you sold so much more than everyone else?"

He said it was simple.

"First of all, I got some pieces of safety glass cut into 6" X 6" pieces as samples. Then, I got a ballpeen hammer. And then I walked in on the prospect and say, 'Would you like to see a piece of glass that doesn't shatter?' When the prospect says, 'I don't believe it,' I put the glass on the counter and I go whack it -- watch him protect his eyes -- and afterwards he'd say, 'Oh my God, that's incredible!'

"Then I'd say, 'How much of it would you like?' And I'd pull out my order pad and start writing the order."

Corning Glass was so impressed with this tactic that they equipped all of their salespeople with ballpeen hammers and sheets of glass, sent them out -- and they all sold truckloads of glass.

Okay, so not all of us are lucky enough to have a product that's as demonstrably superior as the safety glass from Corning.

You're missing the point.

The point is this:

The top salesman at Corning never had to "close" the sale in the real sense of the word. The presentation was so solid that there was no need to close. The sale was a done deal even before the salesman set foot into the prospect's office.

Now, let me ask you: How would your life change if you could sell that way everyday -- where closing became just an afterthought that you no longer had to dread?

Here's something that you'll find interesting: The top salesman at Corning Glass did 16 times better than the average salesperson in the company NOT because he was 16 times a better salesperson than the average one. What he had was a tiny advantage -- a winning edge.

Marshall McLuhan, the famous Canadian educator in mass communications, once said:
"All you need is an idea that is 10% new to make a million dollars."

That's all an idea has to be -- 10% new. It doesn't have to be a major breakthrough.

You've probably heard of the Pareto Principle -- the 80/20 rule -- which says that 80% of all sales are made by 20% of the Marketing people.

When you make it to the top 20%, you'll be earning a very comfortable income. But when you make it to the top 20% of the top 20% of Marketing professionals, you will then be in the top 4% -- and officially be one of the highest paid people in the world.

There are only a few degrees of separation between your present income and one of the highest incomes on the planet. It all boils down to the winning edge.

Your winning edge is nothing more than a marginal improvement to the way Marketing is normally done. The key to success is to develop that edge -- because once you develop it there is no reason why you cannot move rapidly into that coveted top 4% slot.

Its all about developing that winning edge. Something that is with in us. Experience is the biggest teacher in the world. It teaches us what no book, info or teacher / trainer can teach.

So got out in the market with a big broad smile, with determination in your eyes and confidence in your actions to get your share of Experience to Develop the Winning Edge.

Inspiration...

Until one is committed
There is hesitancy, the chance to draw back,
Always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation),
There is one elementary truth,
The ignorance of which kills countless ideas
And splendid plans: That the moment one definitely commits oneself,
Then Providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one
That would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision
Raising in one's favor all manner
Of unforeseen incidents and meetings
And material assistance,
Which no man could have dreamt
Would have come his way.
I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
-- W.H. Murray, from The Scottish Himalayan Expedition

Customer Nurturing / Preserving

Recreation is one of the most important things needed for human beings. But it’s best when u learn things at the same time. When we’re up to our necks in building a business, it’s difficult to recognize opportunities to further engage with your customers. Getting away allows YOU to be the customer and the service you receive might provide insight to what your customers may be experiencing. Unfortunately, I got an opportunity to be a customer and experience the same.
After few years away, my family and I decided to return to a resort in Panchgani we had been to several times before. In the past, our repeat trips felt like being at home – we were greeted by name, found special gift baskets in our room, were invited to special events for returning guests, and offered further discounts for returning – but this trip we received none of that treatment, despite stating it was a return trip when we made the reservation and when we checked-in. I didn’t think much of it until I spoke to other return guests around the pool – they had all received the “same” treatment.
Feeling a little hurt, I inquired with the hotel manager about the oversight – “We’re sorry sir, we just overlooked it,” she said. Isn’t it in your computer system and the orders automatically generated? “No sir, we keep track of it on paper and the manager on duty is required to make the appropriate phone calls to set-up all the arrangements.” I was shocked, to be honest. To make matters worse, nothing was done to rectify the error. Just, “Sorry”. We will NOT be going back to that resort.

So, what does this have to do with Marketing ? Many businesses take the approach that the marketing system is only for getting leads and pulling in business and prospects. Once they become customers, the responsibility for nurturing the customer belongs to someone else, usually a person. However, the same systems that are used to nurture leads can be used for customer nurturing as well. You can have follow-up e-mails, set reminders for phone calls, track customer activity and tie that into your cross-sell/up-sell programs. Most importantly, customers are your best advertisers. If you respect them, give them adequate service… they will give u the best business which even you or your best sales guy cant fetch.
Don’t forget to nurture your current customers as you did when they were prospects. They (and you) will be glad you did.

Most marketers make a mistake by selling or promoting a product…. Your customer doesn’t have to buy only the product… he has to buy your good will too which in turn will help your work grow in the long run. The sign of a Great Marketer is that his customers never forget him.

Hope this will Help….
All the Best
Regards
NM!!!

How to Get Re-Motivated...

We all have times when our motivation is lacking. The tragic events of 26/11 have caused us to experience many emotions. In addition to the feelings of fear, anger and confusion, we also may be less confident and have less direction and focus than before.
We must not forget and we must mourn the loss, but it's our patriotic duty as citizens of the free world to get on with our lives--to not let the terrorists succeed by sidetracking our economy and negatively influencing our way of life.
So how DO we get motivated again?
Perhaps it would be helpful to take a close look at motivation itself--what it is, what it's not and how we can increase our personal motivation.
I do motivational speaking, but I've always had some resistance to being called a motivational speaker. I don't even think it's possible to motivate someone other than ourselves. Certainly we can present information, help others to look at things in different ways, remind them of what's important to them, tell inspiring stories and help to increase their belief.
All of these things help. But the truth is we can only motivate ourselves. We might get pumped up by an inspiring speaker, a thought-provoking book or a motivational tape. But in order to have sustained motivation--the kind that will enable us to move past the inevitable roadblocks or challenges--we must dig deeper.
We must have motivation FROM THE INSIDE OUT. It can't be pasted on the surface. It must live powerfully and deeply within us.
We're either motivated to move toward something we want or away from something we don't want. One might think they're motivated by something higher or better than these two options, but if you examine your objectives carefully, you'll find that they will fit into one or the other.
The REASON we want to achieve something is far more important than the HOW to accomplish it. I often see people getting bogged down in the mechanics of reaching a goal (the HOW) instead of getting clear and committed to the why.
If my child is on the other side of a door in a burning building, I don't need to read a motivational book in order to psyche myself up to get through the door. The DESIRE to save my child provides the motivation to do WHATEVER I must do in order to achieve my purpose.
Assuming we're clear on what we want--and this can easily be an erroneous assumption--it is our desire and commitment more than any other one thing that determines our success.
Not long ago, a friend of mine shared with me that he always gets his business and personal income taxes done by the end of January. Not one to do so myself, I asked him how he did that. He said that the satisfaction of having this done and out of the way was stronger than any sense of dread he had about doing the myriad tasks needed to get the job done.
His focus was on what he wanted where mine had usually been on the distastefulness of the job. By focusing on the prize-- what we want and WHY we want it, we increase our determination and motivation to achieve our intended outcome.
The root of the word motivation is motive and means "An emotion, desire, physiological need, or similar impulse that acts as an incitement to action." I interpret this as the REASON for doing something. Motivation also denotes motion, action, doing something based upon a strong reason.
When I find myself less than enthusiastic about working toward an objective, I find it helpful to refocus on what I want and especially WHY I want it. In doing so, I regenerate the drive and dedication to make it happen and I place myself in a position to enjoy the journey.
The motivation that comes from inside not only lasts longer it produces a greater resolve and creates a passion that is not only powerful but infectious as well.
I encourage you to revisit your values, your mission and dreams. Remind yourself of why you have chosen to achieve your goals--why you are doing what you're doing. Only we can motivate ourselves to action. Only we can accomplish our dreams. Let's do it.

All The Best!!
regards
NM

Struggle a Little - Then Fly!

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly, that he brought home.

One day a small opening appeared he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours. It struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but, it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. He continued to watch the butterfly, he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and the body would contract. Neither happened!

In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.

The man acted with well-intentioned kindness but he didn't understand the consequences. The restricting cocoon and the struggle required to get through the tiny opening, were nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been and we could never fly.

So the next time you are faced with an obstacle,
a challenge, or a problem, remember the butterfly.
Struggle a little - then fly!

The Echo of Life

A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, the son falls, hurts himself and screams:
"AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating,
somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO,
but really this is LIFE.
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it.
YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!