Salespeople differ from customer service people and other knowledge workers in a number of critical ways.
Someone who has a sales personality is similar to athletes, to artists, to performers of all kinds. They prepare, and then they deliver.
They recuperate, they prepare, and they deliver again.
When they’re “on,” they have to turn it completely on, and hold nothing back.
Sellers, like basketball star Kobe Bryant, are also streaky.
The other night Kobe scored 84 points, coming in second behind all-time NBA great, Wilt Chamberlain. If you remember back to the beginning of the season, Kobe was cold, and he under-performed.
Any Laker fan would say, so what, he’s hot now, and it’s all that matters!
Absolutely!
All that matters is getting to the post season, racking up enough victories to get a shot at the title.
Selling is the same way. We don’t have to close everybody; in fact, it’s impossible.
But when we know we’re hot, we should never, ever let ourselves stop, because like Kobe, we will get cold, sooner or later, and frighteningly few of our shots will fall into place.
But right now Kobe is in the zone, and he can do no wrong. It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it?
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.
A fantastic lounge lizard recipe for: Caribbean Ice Tea, with Blue Curacao liqueur, gin, Bacardi® white rum, Jose Cuervo® Especial gold tequila, Absolut® vodka and sweet and sour mix.
Category:Cocktails – Long drinks
Ingredients:1 part Blue Curacao liqueur 1 part gin 1 part Bacardi® white rum 1 part Jose Cuervo® Especial gold tequila 1 part Absolut® vodka 1 part sweet and sour mix
How to: Mix all of the ingredients together and serve over ice. Garnish with an orange.
Glassware:Hurricane Glass
What’s in it for you?
(per 15 oz serving)
Calories (kcal) Energy (kj) Fats Carbohydrates Protein
A fantastic lounge lizard recipe for: Boston Punch, with Champagne, cider, brandy, triple sec, dark rum, lemon juice, soda water and sugar.
Category:Punches – Champagne
Ingredients:75 cl Champagne 28 cl cider 14 cl brandy 2 oz triple sec 3 oz dark rum 4 oz lemon juice 40 cl soda water 1 tbsp sugar
How to: Dissolve sugar and combine ingredients in a punch bowl with sufficient ice to chill. Add thin wedges of apple. Serve in wine glasses. (16 servings.)
Not all mannequins are made to look like full-grown adults. Child mannequins are also common in many clothing stores. A child mannequin is the same as an adult mannequin except that it is built to the scale of a child. These mannequins are made specifically for displaying children’s clothes. A child mannequin is made of the same materials as an adult mannequin and has the same level of detail.
Child mannequins are commonly found in department stores as well as stores that specialize in children’s clothing. Child mannequins come in many sizes, ranging from toddler size to adolescent. A child mannequin is needed to display the store’s inventory in a realistic manner. Customers want to get a good representation of what the clothes will look like on their children. Child mannequins show parents exactly how the clothes will fit on children similar in size to the mannequins. Many child mannequins have feet and a head to show what entire outfits look like. These mannequins can model hats and shoes as well as shirts and pants. Other child mannequins consist only of a torso held upright on a stand. These child mannequins take up less space than the full-size models and are perfect for displaying shirts and blouses.
Child mannequins are exactly the same as adult mannequins in all aspects, except for size. They are made of fiberglass, plaster, or wood, just as adult mannequins are. As with adult mannequins, child mannequins can have real human hair and have extremely detailed facial features. Most child mannequins are stuck in a stationary pose, but some are adjustable and feature moveable arms and legs that can be set in different positions.
Child mannequins are vital to stores that sell children’s clothing. They can give parents a good idea of what the store’s clothes will look like on a child.
Mannequins Info provides detailed information about display, female, and child mannequins, and advice on where to buy mannequins for sale, plus used and wholesale mannequins, and more. Mannequins Info is the sister site of Store Fixtures Web.
POS terminals have revolutionized the way consumers buy their goods and services. Even more so they have revolutionized the back end operations of retail stores. They have simplified the way that inventory is tracked. POS terminals help order new inventory, they keep track of sales and manage profits. Most importantly they provide the manager of retail stores with an efficient way to analyze information, make decisions and carry out those decisions.
POS terminals are much like cash registers in that they handle the money as customers purchase goods and services. However, they are much more than cash registers. POS terminal stands for point-of-sale terminal. Each terminal is a station that is tied to a central database that handles all of the sale or transaction. Because they are tied to a central database many POS terminals can be linked together to provide the same transaction tasks across a single store or even multiple stores.
POS terminals can handle many tasks that are related to sales. One such task is inventory control. POS terminals can help manage inventory. When a person purchases a product the information on the product that they purchase is stored. That information can be used to calculate the remaining inventory. This data helps the manager know when to purchase more products. Many software packages will actually tell the manager when it is time to replenish the inventory. Some will even order more inventory automatically.
A system like this does not work for all businesses or even all industries. The liquor industry for example would not benefit from a service like this. To facilitate accurate inventory tracking for places that sell liquor, liquor control systems were invented. To track liquor a measuring device is placed on the spout of the liquor bottles. Then as the drink is poured the liquor is measured by the device then the information is transmitted to the pos system where it is recorded and the total is calculated. This is especially convenient for mixing drinks.
Another useful feature is that reports can be given in real-time. Because each POS terminal stores the transaction information in a central database reports can be generated from that information without downloading the information from each terminal at the end of the day. The types of reports that can be generated can be anything from the gross sales of the day to the number of products sold. These features are very useful for store managers who need to know how well a promotion is working.
POS Terminals can save money and time. The need to constantly check the inventory manually is reduced because the computer takes care of the tracking. The computer can also handle much of the financial data which reduces the staff required to handle those functions. One company Comcash says that an effective POS system will boost profit $20,000 to $100,000 a year depending on the business.
POS terminals have changed the inner workings of most retail stores. They have made it easier to track and manage inventory. They have simplified many of the tasks associated with transactions. POS terminals have even increased profits for many retail firms. Little by little they are changing the way we do business.
I would like to share a disturbing little secret with you. Almost 70% of the people you do face-to-face business, with will never speak to you again!
It’s not that they didn’t like you or get value from your services, but they just don’t
care. They have other things on their minds. The kids need new clothes, the furnace
needs repairing, and the car is making that strange knocking sound again, and, of
course, there is a big report due tomorrow. These are the things that take up your
customer’s bandwidth. They haven’t thought about you since you last spoke to them
weeks ago.
So, why wouldn’t they think about you? Didn’t that last marketing campaign garner
great results? As the available research suggests, it’s not that they don’t like you,
but rather, they simply forgot about you. They have other things on their minds and
there wasn’t any good reason to think about you. By the way, popular research
suggests that, in general, only about 8% of customers are dissatisfied with the
product or service they received. To illustrate this, I recently worked with a company
that has served over 3,000 clients in the past 3 years. In this same period, they have
never sent out a ‘thank you’ card, email or direct mail piece to these former clients.
What’s more surprising, is that they were still getting a third of their new business
from referrals. So, why are they not reminding happy, satisfied customers that they
are still around and looking to make even more happier, satisfied customers? The
answer is simple: they are just too busy with managing the day-to-day business, to
create marketing pieces to reach out to the customers.
Instead, they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on expensive shotgun-style
advertising to get the attention of potential customers. It’s much easier to call up
the Yellow Pages and place a year’s worth of ads, than it is to create a meaningful
relationship-based campaign. Relationship-building campaigns take time and
energy; something we don’t often have much of once the daily workload is taken
care of.
To change this, a campaign was conceived which would thank the 3,000 past
customers for their business and remind them that referrals had been the key to the
company’s success. The campaign also provided each past customer with both
online and offline tools to pass on consistent referrals. At the same time, the
company reduced its print ad placements to ensure results were not overshadowed
by alternate forms of lead generators. The result: this company was able to triple
revenues in just 12 months, almost solely attributable to referrals.
In business, there is no better way to grow than through referrals, which are the
most effective form of marketing/advertising for many reasons. Firstly, they are the
most cost-effective way of generating business and revenues. Referrals generally
make decisions more quickly and are likely to purchase more often. The best part is
that less negotiation and convincing is required to enroll them, because they already
trust you and have seen your results, first-hand.
But referrals don’t happen by accident. They are the product of a great customer
experience, including sales, marketing and customer support efforts. What we
sometimes forget, though, is that we have to remind customers how great their
experience was, so that they will be more willing to make further referrals. ‘Out of
sight’ is definitely ‘out of mind’, in this case.
So, how do you remind your past clients of their experience with you, without
becoming just another telemarketer? This is best done in a four-step plan:
1. Identify the ideal referral candidates.
2. Articulate the company USP and how it relates to their network.
3. Create the ideal environment for referrals.
4. Thank the referrers.
If you have a small business or practice and can afford to meet with your entire
network in person, then one-on-one meetings are the best approach. By creating
appointments to meet and educate others in your network, you can develop
numerous ‘pots on the stove’. Each educated referrer then becomes an evangelist
for your services. It is also important to realize that it is not the referrer that offers
the opportunity, but rather their network of potential clients. You can expect to see
the number of referrals increase with the number of referrers you have ‘activated’ in
your network, and that number will grow exponentially as you ‘activate’ more and
more people.
Recently, I observed how when two people sat down and systematically went
through their rolodexes, they were able to generate over 50 potential referrals for
one another. This one-on-one meeting was the result of a past meeting where the
two people were introduced. Finding that they could not work directly with one
another, they decided to try linking their networks together to create further
opportunities.
Another excellent example of networking, was when one of my former clients
hosted a cocktail party to ‘enlighten’ a group of carefully selected, well-connected
individuals in their business network. The cocktail party aimed to educate these
people, so that they would be better informed about the host’s professional
services, and, therefore, more likely to see potential referral opportunities. A short
presentation that clearly articulated their USP gave the audience improved insight
into a complex service offering, resulting in the host’s desired outcome; more
referrals.
Further creative ideas for active referrals come to mind: seminars, educational
workshops, letters of introduction, brain trust meetings, developing an advisory
board of well-connected people, sporting events and partnerships, to name a few.
In summation, I believe that referrals are the most efficient form of marketing/
advertising available, and the best way to make referrals work for you, is to stay in
contact with your network constantly.
Here is a list of elements for a successful referral marketing campaign:
**Referrals are not based on a transaction, but rather on an ongoing relationship.
**We should connect people with no thought of what we may get in return.
**Figure out how to overcome the resistance of asking for the referral.
**Educate your network about what you do.
**Ask for appropriate referrals.
**Assist referrers in doing their work by passing on cards and materials.
**And lastly, please don’t forget to thank them for their help…
Richard Banfield is based in Boston, Massachusetts, where he lives with
his wife and their two young boys. He is always available for
discussions about extraordinary marketing and can be contacted at:
Richard is an experienced marketing executive, entrepreneur, coach, speaker,
workshop leader, writer and business developer. He has founded
several companies throughout his career and describes himself as a ’serial
entrepreneur’. He has lectured on the subjects of marketing and online
advertising and has authored guides to sales, account management, global
business development and marketing strategy. Richard also writes extensively
on entrepreneurship, marketing, networking and the philosophy of working in a
modern society. Richard has consulted and coached Marketing Strategy and
Management to clients in the US, UK, Europe and Africa.
So dude! You are done with the homework, ready to make a graduation party invitation soon. Well, nice to know it. Have you really done your homework? Have you planned the date, time and location of your graduation party? It is really nice if it is so, but if not then you must take care of something before making a graduation party invitation.
First thing is to get the procedure wrapped in a paper. Yes, do write down what you are going to do, its always helpful. And pay attention that bad management can destroy everything. Even a bad graduation party invitation can present your willfulness as a regular tired paper piece. Sure, you do not want it to be so.
Graduation Party Invitation Card
So what are you going to do? Are you thinking of sending personal message to everyone? Are you thinking of phoning everyone? How many people are there count first and then decide what the best move is. Well, I suggest you to go for a lovely graduation party invitation card that represents both your feelings and your joy.Select it properly; read the words if they really are saying what you want to say. Look at the graphics, if that reflects you or not. Photographs have a deep psychological effect; is there any photo that makes someone grabbed by your appearance in his/her memory?
Come on! It is your graduation party invitation. You are not taking it loosely. You have to be selective at your best. Few lines can express a whole lifestyle. Some people live a lifetime in a moment. Some words contain a heart on the paper. Look closely if the words really make a request to come to your graduation party and share your joy. Add a cheer to your feelings by adding photos, and selecting a photo graduation invitation is concerned to you.
There are varieties of cards; you can go for searching the best fit until you find one.A proper desperation can bring you everything then why not a suitable graduation card. Our catalogues display carefully designed, elegant invitation cards with sweet messages!
Keep specific attention on the graduation party details. How much you are going to tell to people in your card. Too much babble can be harmful and too little may look rough. Find out brief but sweet message to present your stand to all people. Moreover, when you are done with all, close the envelope, write the name of receiver in an artistic handwriting and send your graduation party invitation. Team Sports Uniforms
A fantastic lounge lizard recipe for: Brandy Daisy, with brandy, lemon juice, superfine sugar, grenadine syrup, maraschino cherry and orange.
Category:Cocktails – Short drinks
Ingredients:2 oz brandy 1 oz lemon juice 1/2 tsp superfine sugar 1/2 tsp grenadine syrup 1 maraschino cherry 1 slice orange
How to: In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the brandy, lemon juice, sugar, and grenadine. Shake well. Pour into an old-fashioned glass and garnish with the cherry and the orange slice.
Effective persuasion is more a case of pressing the right buttons than most people realize. If you could learn to be even more persuasive than you already are imagine the difference that would make to the quality of your life. Consider for a moment the difference it would make to your confidence and to how other people treat you if you could count on always being able to express your self in a way that causes people to really pay attention to you.
Just a few critical distinctions can supercharge your communication skills:
1 Appeal To Peoples’ Values
Values are the criteria by which people make sense of all the information they must process before making a decision. In simple terms, your values consist of what is most important to you.
When you ask someone: what is most important to you about ….? They will tell you their values. Let’s say you ask them their career values, what is most important to you about your career? They might answer: money, approval, and winning. Speak to them in terms of these values and you will have their attention, talk about what is not important to them and don’t be surprised if they fall asleep!
In the case of this example if you wanted to hire this person, you would grab their interest by showing them how they could have more money, approval and win more often with your company. If instead you talked at length about the modesty, politeness and punctuality of the workforce you would be wasting your time.
2 Let Go
Have you ever wanted something so much that your nerves got in the way of expressing yourself clearly? That rush of excitement just seemed to burn out some critical speech circuits!
When you absolutely need to be at your persuasive best ironically you must also feel that you can walk away from the deal or discussion without getting what you want. Developing emotional detachment while still pursuing your goal is a powerful skill that more people could do well to master. How can you let go of the feelings while still wanting the goal?
Run through the scenario again and again in your mind, and see everything working out in your favor. Picture it, hear it and feel it going your way. Only when you have visualized this in great detail are you ready to let go.
Ask yourself: could I just let go of wanting this to happen? Spend a few minutes asking this question until you feel at peace about your goal, when you feel at ease you will know that you have let go.
Letting go is vital if you are to be at your persuasive best. The best influencers prepare emotionally in advance of the big event, you now know how to join them.
3 Be Persistent And Count To Ten
I once worked for the best salesperson I have ever come across. I could never figure out what it was he did differently to everyone else. What was the secret to doing so much better than everyone else?
One day I asked Paul what his secret was and he told me. He said that he will listen to *No* ten times before he even considers giving up on a prospect. Whereas most salespeople grow weary or give up after hearing No the fifth time, Paul is only getting started!
I took on board his philosophy and immediately found that I was catching more of those tricky sales as well as enjoying the selling game a little more. Be persistent with a smile on your face and count to ten!