Mar 12

10 things to help your company to slow sales during the holidays

Business Sales Articles No Comments »

Stir inches and waiting to reach a business? Why is not this idle time to set up for further success for the new year? Here are my 10 picks, but you have to do everything. Moreover, only a little 'you will receive another step higher on the scale of business.

1. Evaluate your virtual team and make the necessary changes.

Are administrative tasks taking most of your time and think of the work at your company? ThenHire a virtual assistant. (See my article on this topic on [http://www.EzineQueen.com/everything.htm].) Paying taxes too? Meet to talk to your accountant about it more and more aggressive, with depreciation or dates agreed for a new interview accounts. The same goes for his lawyer – is the love of him? Otherwise, take the time to ask for advice.

2. Learn how to get more business through your website.

Want companies are growing24-7 leads and sales? Then see how your site may work better for you. For help in creating copy that sells, sign up for Red Hot Copywriter Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero of Red Hot e-zine Copy.com. To get more targeted web visitors to sign up for free e-course Marc Harty is StrategicTraffic.com. Gave me a lot of new ideas!

3. Renew your e-zine, or start an e-zine.

Remember that a list of hot prospects ready is your gold mine, and with an e-zinePositions for sales of more on a regular basis, and the long term. The beginning of the new year is the perfect time to release the first issue! If you do not publish, to be ready with all the great resources http://www.EzineQueen.com.

4. Clean suggest that the mail box for everyone!

Open e-mail, follow to the people, information is not recorded or deposited in the right places — I need to say more? Delete e-mails that are more than a few monthsold. Set up e-mail folders to help you more organized in the future. And if the program allows, set "rules" to automatically sort incoming e-mail threats in these folders.

5. To you register your rooms, library, desk, etc.

Is your office a fire hazard? You made a huge pile of paper, like a large rodent to find something to rustle? If your spouse does not even enter the premises? Put to good music, to dig and pile. Sure to have manyGarbage sacks and cardboard boxes of files at your fingertips. (And a good glass of wine is always more fun.)

6. The upgrade or clean your computer.

Your computer probably has the most information that your company is crucial in order to take care of it! Now is a good time to do a review. Update (you still have the Windows 95 operating system?) Recovery of unnecessary files to store the old files on a CD for free, add more storage space for all downloads and no maintenance.Not sure how to do this? Find a geek for hire to come and help you.

7. Let your customers know how much I appreciate their business.

Whether it's holiday cards or notes of thanks, this is a good exercise for your company and you. Car of the universe, you know what you have, just to show you appreciate things better in the future.

8. Plan a teleseminar next.

For a quick cash flow, planning to payTele-seminars! This phone-based events are simply too large and can be generating revenue. Each host you on a topic, you're qualified to talk about it, or invite a special guest interview. In order to encourage applications to provide special rates for holidays to register these before the new year. (More information on how a successful teleseminar with host [http://www.EzineQueen.com/teleseminar.htm])

9. Enter your 25 best performance for the past year.

This exercise is very simplepowerful. Time goes by so fast that you forget to pass the good things to celebrate. First we light a candle and write my 25 shows. Then, in each case under, I read aloud. After the last, I put out the candle, and then immediately make a list of 10 goals for the new year. (After recognizing all the really incredible things you this year, you feel incredibly powerful and have set even higher!)

10. Really enjoy the holidays!

Yes! I understandin recent years have been run like a mother in December of each year, and suddenly the next year is here. Christmas and New Year with fire, like a freight train, and I'm Back to the Grind shortly after. Where is the joy, peace and love?

I remember that the holidays – a step back and appreciate what you have to enjoy your family and friends to give to others, and to be good for themselves. To take a walk in the snow, go to the tree with lightsChildren receive, massage, and plan a relaxing day shopping week.

Remember, we only have so many Santas in life.

(c) 2003 Alexandria K. Brown

Tagged with: • • •
Mar 11

GAS Up Your Sales Business

Business Sales Articles No Comments »

We are your sales activities where you want to be? Are you satisfied with your business?

The Dow moved up and down, the economy grows. Many companies want more say about the economic pie so.

To get a greater slice of the pie can mean for you the fuel for change, that you are using the company will receive a selling system even greater. Perhaps, using the following keystrokes, you can start implementing the enterpriseThe success that you know that you deserve.

Objectives
Attitudes
Self Leadership

(OBJECTIVES As part of the strategic plan and has a right?) If a set of goals. What I learned from my clients that the aim and the achievement of objectives are not actively developed. People assume that everyone knows how to set and achieve both organizational and personal goals. This is a very bad situation.

Settings have to call people hate the cold? This isProvided that the approach is based on early childhood. Remember, your parents say something like:

Do not talk to strangers?
Do not go where no one wanted or invited?

These prohibitions first years of life are still with you and the success of today. The settings are not present in all aspects of our lives and businesses. You need to be rehabilitated, in C attitudes.

SALE SELF Sales Business Leadership Skills certain indications Skills, but the final commercial success is more about self-leadership skills and good social skills. Keeping employees themselves truly exceptional leadership qualities, including but not limited to:

Great listening skills
Empathy
Decision
Incredible writing, verbal and nonverbal communication
Time Management

dramatically to a significant sales activities. Now is the time to start your business GAS> Revenue, if you really want to reach a higher level of business success to be desired.

Tagged with:
Mar 10

You can deal with the double agent in a sales business?

Business Sales Articles No Comments »

Pitfalls of using a double agent in a transaction of business sale

Many people have dual agency as part of a property transaction and added awareness of the problems associated with dual agency. Be done, despite the conflict of interest, many people are not against residential or commercial transactions, with a double agent. The reason is very simple to use – until there is danger, the representation is not always good, the other side of the rulesmall. The property values are driven by compositions and cap, and prices in many cases, more money on the table, a small percentage of transaction value. Goods, the nature and the relative liquidity of real estate, buyers and sellers are comfortable with the risk.

But is this logic applied to companies, sales operations? Enterprises as compared to properties that are liquid, and opinions, and, finally, the dissolution rates vary widely from companyto the point. The amount may also change address due to the length of an agreement. In the area of sales operations, can not work with a trustee for you, you many costs.

We begin with an explanation of the "fiduciary duties" a. An agent used to represent a buyer or seller in a transaction has a duty of care. A fiduciary duty to the highest standards of care, whether capital or legally imposed. A trustee should be extremely loyal to themain. Among other duties, a trustee must not their personal interests before the duty, and a trustee, not the fiduciary position without express knowledge and consent of the customer benefits. A trustee has a duty, in a situation where there is no conflict of interest and where there are no conflicts of interest with other duties of care.

Given the magnitude of the sums at stake in a business and this trustResponsibility, we want ourselves to three main themes addressed by a double agent in a commercial sale.

1. Conflict of interest

This is by far the most obvious and most damning part is on both sides of a transaction of commercial sale. An agent company is obliged to serve the interests of its customers. Buyers and sellers, by definition, have a conflict of interest. Who should be the true teaching? The agent is looking for yourInterested? Some agencies tell clients that is assigned to specific people on the buy side and sell-side and create a Chinese wall.

Cover in practice, the wall between the two parties in the same society, even in a big company do this kind of conflict of interest, not to mention a small traditional mid-market intermediaries, rather 'like a sieve, like a wall Chinese. Agency in this situation constitutes a violation of the rules of being a trustee.

2. Advocacy

Any competent agent will tell you that when the interests of the two principles are in direct contradiction, the agent did not advise, advocate, or give a membership to a party, if this council is a party an advantage over others. Is not neutral or where favoritism would be illegal and, if the broker is responsible for potential damage. Careful double agent would avoid the risk of interest and will tell you that it will be very careful to ensure that bothParties equally and fairly. In other words, losing both parties "advocacy" for their health! Is that what you pay for your agent? Do not pay an agent, that supporters of your interests?

In practice, ensuring equality of service for both sides is difficult, and even if the agent is able to maintain ethical standards, officers of prejudices and interests, the scales tip in difficult situations.

3. Sensitive information

A business sale may be longand the seller or the buyer may have one or more personal experiences, although it can not be done at the expense of performance of the company, the experience can have a significant impact on the negotiations. Staff may be aware of such sensitive information that could, if they are disclosed to the other party, and the benefits of a demand side. If the agent is a client, the agent is clearly a strategy to minimize the impact of developing the most important. As a double agent to handle this type of workInformation about a customer? Would you trust your sensitive data with a double agent?

In practice, the game ends in a favorite or agent worst, one or both of the parties' interests are in the interests of the "get sacrificed done."

Summary: Business sellers and buyers must carefully examine their agents in a sales transaction business to choose. Ensuring equal service for customers is virtually impossible to work in the majority. IdeallyCase Scenario, neither the seller nor the buyer is a lawyer. At worst, one or both parties to be sacrificed. For this reason, some Member States do not allow dual agency. Many things can go through the use of agents that are put in the position of dual agents do not live up to fiduciary standards, and therefore missed.

For most entrepreneurs, is an activity of sale of a unique event, with a significant impact on the family, as well as the nestEgg is covered with hair. With so much at stake, can afford to employ a double agent?

Tagged with: •
Mar 10

The importance of B2B Sales Leads

Business Sales Articles No Comments »

There are many reasons why you can trust B2B sales leads. You can trust when they come from a credible company. It is likely that you will need additional revenue. Who knows, right? B2B sales leads from a credible company that are doing well. E 'can generate your leads for months or years in the position, the sales from your visitors to your online business. You can immediate results, that products and services we offer to interested parties.You can be sure that the cables are worthy and good. Some companies have terrible results that do not do something for you. It 'important to ensure that the project will generate more sales.

Additional revenue is the ultimate goal when you hire a company that has offered, with B2B sales leads for your business. This fact greatly improve your ranking website to generate more traffic to your website. This is the trafficking of persons Who are interested in what is offered. You could already buy in view of the products on your website. More turnover is almost guaranteed when the rental company the right.

B2B sales leads also help to provide branding for your company. Branding is important because people allow it, your institution of trust. Help build the integration with the online community when you improve your positioning and as a professional go over your communications> Company. There are many advantages to recruit a company for B2B sales leads. Your company will benefit from more traffic to your website. This will improve the positioning website and improve your sales. Any company can use to benefit from B2B sales leads. You need to create hype about your business and you have the right to lead, this is exactly what will happen.

Tagged with:
Mar 10

Sales and customer service – an essay

Business Sales Articles No Comments »

I want to say two business-related stories. One needs to do is wrong with a sales tactic, and one with a problem of customer service, leaves with a bitter taste in my mouth. These two stories are completely true, and is made in the same week.

Triple Dog Dare Media is in the midst of obtaining a GSA Schedule 541 – in other words, we seek to become a certified provider of Web-based marketing services for the federal government. As one who hasknown as the GSA Schedule process is not easy. You need a lot of obstacles to fill many forms, and I hope you get it right the first time.

Because of the enormous learning, hope, and I sucked the information on the left and right. We visited the sites, talked with people who have broken through the registration process to receive newsletters, and even at a very nice GSA conference in Palm Springs on vacation.

Of course, ifYou will receive a postcard at the B2G Institute invites us to the Marriott in Round Rock, Texas, to reach the landing in the field of public procurement, we thought, 'Why not? " We knew that we would have heard a range of two hours of sale, and are probably trying to sell the workshops and consultancy services to speed on the procedures for obtaining a GSA program. However, we thought we could use a longer piece in the puzzle on the road.

Be ', a mistake that will comebe. We have shown for this free workshop and began field sales. The man who gave the presentation that was to be a co-founder of the Institute. I say "apparently" because I do not know if I can trust what he said when we made exagerrations more or less located in different and lies.

Every time you put a question to the public and then listened to the answers that are not in line with his program, he would say something like, 'Well are at a free seminar at the centerthe day, which means that how busy you say? "

Following the presentation, asked if we have a written plan or strategy was working. Some of us have, but many do not. He said: "You know, if you do not plan, you can call yourself an entrepreneur. You're just a boy who shot and trying to make ends meet. You must have a vision and you have to communicate in writing that vision to others."

For me with the feeling that I haveagreed with his approach. It's not like we had paid, and vote for him in our good business sense! Have you tried our money, for heaven's sake – and because she was injured in a complete marketing!

Next he gave us an example of a woman who has won a contract worth $ 1 million for the maintenance of the websites of the Government of the United States. "Now anyone can do web design. It is a popular game for kids!" Hope and I exchanged glances with several other IT consultants in the room and shared a laugh. This boy was left to score pointsand right!

Since the 2-hour workshop began dismantling began our host brought his step. He was tempted, in fact, make us long to get to a class of the weekend on public procurement. He mentioned that Texas will be secured only 28% of federal funds for our State, that other people were outside the State grab most of the bids. What is lacking here in the Lone Star State – we were stupid or something?

He concluded by saying: "Look, thisthree-day workshop is usually € 5995, but for you in Texas, we crush up to $ 2995. If you do not have $ 3000, really have nothing. It is not today, and you do not want 10 years ago. "

Wow. There was no way, we start with our money, at this point. We want to discover this contractor federal government, thanks to our own. The B2G Institute had a perfect opportunity to teach us a thing or two, maybe enlighten us then lead us to the right to close the sale, but have opted for the hard sell too unbearable.

One may ask: Does it work? I watched the people submitted to 7 (of 20) for the program. Each of them had identified himself as a child or entrepreneurs gonnabe / entrepreneurs beginning of the program. I talked with some people who have gone without signing the documents, and each of them were disgusted by the hard sell, and were experienced> Entrepreneurs.

Okay, so here's Part 2 We have banks with Wells Fargo for about 4 years. The relationship goes well, most of the time to say this, that, in general, we blissfully unaware of each other, except to make deposits and write checks.

One of our major customers wrote us a great deal of control last week we are happy to quickly and deposited. With money in hand, we met our obligations (including settlement), and went merrily on our way.

The day after payday, I wastried to make a payment online for a product and my credit card was always rejected. When we investigated we found to our horror that there is no money in our account of enterprises and that our line of credit is exhausted. What happened? We started calling frantically.

It was discovered that our clients had dropped our check had been canceled at the time of its bank, Bank of America. There was no reason given. None was reported. It 'just happened.

Well, our verywonderful client issued a second check, which we have filed, and we have everything resolved after 12-14 hours.

The next day, we received a letter in the mail from Wells Fargo, on 5 days earlier. The letter stated that the check was from our customers has been withdrawn, the Bank of America. This information was valuable, but it came a few days too late to avoid disaster.

Hope to discover how a call to see if Wells Fargo for instant e-mail might get signed. Wewaiting for a quick e-mail would be more convenient for Wells Fargo (no stamps or printing letters, envelopes, etc.).

Once again, we were sadly mistaken. One would have thought, we asked for the moon!

Hope spoke about three different people at Wells Fargo, asked for e-mail notification, and the repetition of why at any time. It 'was finally deposited in a voice-mail survey.

We do not know if anyone listens to Wells Fargo to our theme. We do not know if it was played also byWho can do anything.

Why do they do a form on their website that you us to sign on daily e-mail to alert? Do not know. This is life in the banking fast track.

Both happen to us in the same week. Everything seemed a bit 'stupid – this is a group of people with the malicious tactics to win new customers, while the other group does not own attention to the customers they already have. Perhaps the first group believes that its informationis so valuable, we will say our forward-mouth, checks in hand, no matter what they do. Perhaps the second group, the number is too painful for us to switch to another supplier.

Why do I say this? You can imagine that I am quite annoyed at the B2G Institute and the participating banks, but that's not the point.

After a week full of events that brought a lot of things into sharp relief for me. Told me that certainly think our fundamental convictions. Then I realized that probably notshare our beliefs with you, so I decided to do.

Here they are:

Education, information, increase – then sell.
Technology should be the business of serving not only a cool conversation piece.
Responding to the customer, no matter what, as soon as possible – but you get the whole story!
Take the Obnoxious marketing and sales.

Basically, I try to do the opposite of many people in our industry. Everyone knows that software development is a riskFailure rate (70% of all projects, for one reason or another), and there are just the kind of company that a customer when a project is too sticky to decline given up.

We stand by these convictions, 100% of the time? I have this theory, the performance of basic beliefs is like server uptime. You can try to reach 100%, but it does so well when you come to the knowledge of 99.999999%. (And perhaps they are too hard on Bank of America – is perhaps one of his core beliefs, irrational andCreate difficulties for others.)

That said, if you find that we have violated a basic belief, you can contact Hope Doty (our president) at 512-751-9107 or 512-750-3835 Thomas Meyer. We will listen, we act, and we are not uncomfortable.

Tagged with: •
Mar 09

Revolutionizing Online Storefront Regional Business Sales

Business Sales Articles No Comments »

Online Storefront revolutionize an important area of the small business community in those days. Many small businesses in the past, is primarily on local customers and local advertising, simply because they do not have the resources or expertise to branch. These small enterprises not only the staff or time to reach a wider audience. The ubiquity of the Internet and the availability of options on-line store has everything for a few dollars > Entrepreneurs.

In the early days of the Internet retail giant, used primarily been a number of traditional shops across the country or around the world on-line transactions. These were the companies could afford the exorbitant costs involved in developing an e-commerce website and get easy baskets for individuals to obtain. They also had storage facilities and software companies and specialists from the source code to maintain their online store> Revenue.

Today, however, there are many e-commerce software packages and online storefront, the arch base completely customized. These packages can also be set to small businesses and shopping programs for easy use of active customers to sites that matter. Home Small businesses can now offer a variety of shipping options, credit cards and PayPal transactions and detailed information on everything from inventory available packages for theirCustomers. Want to spend hours a day, as a response e-mail and procurement, automated software programs, is limited to providing products and services for streamlined online transactions.

This new line of solutions for generation storefront can be customized to enable contractors to give us the opportunity to have their personal Web sites look that reflects their product or service in a unique style. With the purchase of software packages for an online store, that the flexibility of gainand time. Instead of searching for hours, days or weeks to develop storefront, they use a custom plug-and-play package that fits models, the combination of functionality and design.

Online store solutions are for those that do not involve computer skills perfectly detailed. Small business owners understand the basics of the Internet, but not in the depths of computer programming skills are ideal candidates for windows software and hosting packages. OneGroup, the benefit is great, took craftsmen. Although the artists, jewelry design, good quality to make a sculpture or paint original artwork, are qualified in their respective fields, many do not feel enough computer expert to develop their own site from scratch and have no idea how to set up a basket system for customers who are their creations.

Craft shop online programs allow you to use templates and skins to customize a particular style of the website, upload theirto give your photos or graphics, the site has a custom look for a minimal investment of time. Shopping options can be easily set up and adjust inventory changes regularly, and the development of artistic craftsmanship. It expands the audience base for contractors – known and admired by regional and nationally recognized may develop later in other countries. While local galleries offer a wide regional audience, a well-designed site with an online store, thereCraft an audience as big as the Internet.

More and more small businesses are increasing individual artisans and merchants with the Internet sales. Through the use of on-line store, you can download the software packages, which they certify that they are what their customers great options and reliable service .

Tagged with: • • • •
Mar 09

The X Factor In Sales Success

Business Sales Articles No Comments »

Do you know how to apply the power of the X factor? The X factor in sales is simple multiplication of events and sales strategies that lead to sales. If business or salespeople apply this simple equation, they are released from the limits of time and energy.

The power of X in mathematics takes advantage of multiplication. In computers, we use the X to signify the multiplication of something. In sales, we can apply the same power when we multiply our efforts instead of simply adding single efforts over and over again. The difference between addition and multiplication is the difference between success and mediocre results. Successful sales professionals apply the power of multiplication, X instead of + or addition.

The Additional Sales Challenge

If you are asking yourself, why all businesses or salespeople don’t apply the principle of multiplication, it is a good question. The challenge of this question lies with the way salespeople are taught to sell. Most salespeople are taught to perform one task at a time and follow the best practices over an over again. The teaching of more calls on more contacts is the principle of addition, not multiplication. Making more calls will certainly improve sales and make more time for selling. However, there is a better way to improve sales.

Sales Automation Multiplies Success Results

We are taught in school that man learned how to use tools and become greater than all the beasts of the planet. The same principles are true in sales if we apply power tools to multiply our efforts in sales. The advancements in technology allow us to reach more people and businesses by multiplying our efforts. We can adopt sales strategies such as email marketing, pod casting, mailing and automated sales systems that multiply our sales efforts.

One of the greatest multiplication sales strategies is referral based marketing. Referrals multiply our sales efforts. A referral is like multiplying yourself. Instead of making sales calls ourselves, we can employ the power of multiplication from our customers.

If you are not adopting the X factor in sales, you are limiting your sales success to only your efforts. Expand your horizon in sales and use the power of X.

Tagged with: •
Mar 09

Planning For The Slow Season Of Your Business To Increase Sales

Business Sales Articles No Comments »

Every business experiences slower periods. For some, they sell more during the Christmas season while others move at a snail pace. Some sell more during the summer and others less. The key is being aware of your seasons and alternatives available to solve the challenge and change the results.

All businesses need down time, breathing room to re-evaluate where we’re going, and where we’ve been. What’s working and what’s not? What changes need to occur and where we want to go in the future?

Have you planned your breathing room time into your calendar year?

As a coach and independent professional, I know by personal experience and through the feedback of my clients, that during the slow times, stress, fears, and challenges on how to pay the bills increases. Sometimes, stress increases without any money factors because we’re not used to having additional time on our hands, so our brain manifests things to fill the void. So, what are the alternatives? Good question. Let’s explore the possibilities…

You can use the “save for a rainy day” philosophy by moving a certain percentage from a regular account to a money market or savings account for those rainy time periods.

You can plan out, on a paper calendar your seasonal periods. Look at your Income Statement for the past few years and you will see a pattern appearing. If that history isn’t available, ask others in your field area. As a coach, I’m in the personal development field. I would contact others in this field, like speakers, trainers, who have experience and history and interview them on the question.

After you review your historical financial information, keep in mind that future economic conditions will influence your seasonal plans. This requires a strategy on who and what you are going to use for economic indicator flags. This may require a financial planner, economist, or other professional on your support team. Reading the paper or watching the news is all well and good, however, it can also add to confusion. Too many cooks in the kitchen syndrome. Choose one or two cooks and ask the others to leave the kitchen.

Remember, there are different seasons all over the world. When its summer in the United States, there is a different season in Australia and Japan. If your marketing vicinity is global, you need to plan your seasons very carefully. Each requires different marketing strategies and procedures. When marketing in the U.S. reduces, marketing in other countries will most likely increase. Especially if you are in the bathing suit business.

If your business is strictly local, you can create additional products or services that will only be available during that season. This can maintain momentum. You can use the “limited availability” technique for these products.

You can use this time for vacation, organize, plan, create new products, and use your rainy day funds for support.

As well as, establish new joint ventures, expand personnel, test new product ideas, clean up backlogs in filing or emails, send out thank you gifts, upgrade your computer, or learn new software.

Keep in mind that leaving some of these to-dos might be detrimental to your revenue generation thinking. Allowing a build up of the items that support your success, as mentioned in the above two paragraphs, can create a desire to create your own self-fulfilling prophecy. You will intentionally create a slow period when a natural occurrence wouldn’t regularly happen. An indicator can be if sales don’t return after the slow cycle. Pay particular attention if it occurs.

Choose to do some planning today on your seasons for the money results you want tomorrow. Identify when and where your business and industry seasons are, explore all possible solutions, and work through a plan to fill the void. The results will almost be a given.

Tagged with: • • •
Mar 08

Counter Sales – Defining the Role

Business Sales Articles No Comments »

As a counter sales person, when a customer walks through the door, you are generally the person they are looking for. The customer wants to place an order and expects you–the counter sales person–to take care of him. Although this encounter is usually brief, let’s examine what the customer’s overall expectations may be. What do customers expect of counter sales professionals? Since customer’s perceived value of you as a supplier drive their expectations, knowing the answer to this question is important to meeting expectations and building relationship equity.

CEO Strategist research indicates customers have the following expectations of counter sales personnel:

o Product and application knowledge in order to efficiently answer questions.

o An understanding of the customer’s business in order to make good buying recommendations and to ask intelligent questions to learn about his or her needs and interests, problems and types of customers they serve.

o Provide accurate pricing, inventory and timely service.

o Keep customers informed about new products, special promotions and company policies affecting the business relationship.

o Provide timely follow-up to customer questions, timely solutions to problems and timely complaint handling to ensure customer satisfaction.

o Demonstrate a service attitude that proves the customer’s business is valued.

o Possess a sales mentality to help match the right products and the right services to customer needs. This will provide your clients with choices of accurate information about the features, the benefits and the value of each.

The Rest of the Story

As the counter sales person you are definitely on the front line. Yet, everyone in your company also plays a role. Accounting, human resources, warehouse personnel, truck drivers, administration, information technology and even your receptionist, if you have one, are part of the service excellence formula. Why, because people from every one of these functions touch the customer in some form or fashion.

Purchasing plays a particularly important role. The purchasing department must be knowledgeable about every manufacturer and each product line, and aged and dead inventory must be kept at a minimum. Remember, the right product at the right time is a key expectation of the customer. Purchasing and inventory management play a key role in meeting customer expectations.

Counter Responsibilities–Juggling and Multi-Tasking

You are a frontline warrior who makes real time face to face contact with the customer. First and foremost, you are a salesperson. That deserves repeating. First and foremost, you are a salesperson. As a result, helping the customer buy is a key responsibility. But keep in mind that in the customer’s eyes, you are also the service person. You are their lifeline, their support structure and their solution to all problems. That translates into them wanting immediate attention to their needs. This can include pricing, problem solving, recommendations and even sometimes just someone to listen to their issues and/or problems. You will check stock, write orders, pick and pack and even invoice and collect on occasions. Indeed, you are –”director of first impressions,” so don’t underestimate your value or your impact on developing customer relationship equity. Frankly, you play a crucial role, which means you need technical knowledge, product knowledge, industry knowledge, leadership skills, and most importantly, people skills. You must be able to recognize opportunities to help the customer through suggestive selling, defining your value proposition and offering a choice.

Your knowledge, professionalism and people skills will lead to respect, which is the only platform able to support your efforts in building relationship equity. Look around, how is the counter organized? Are you always searching for product literature and flyers and promos, or is everything common to your customer base at your fingertips? What about your merchandising efforts? What does your storefront look like? Do you have shelf talkers?

The job of the front line counter sales person is not always clearly defined, but by nature it encompasses many responsibilities including:

o Sales–serving the customers at the counter or on the phone

o Up-selling and suggestive selling–giving the customer a choice

o Merchandising–maintaining stocked shelves and displays

o Order filling–picking, packing and pulling product for customers

o Administrative tasks–for returns, credits, lost sales, etc.

o Receiving and other warehouse duties

o Will-call

o Education–learning product lines/applications, including features, benefits, warranties and limitations, plus training and sales meetings

o Company policy–understanding policy for credit and product return/exchange

On top of all this, a counter sales person is often expected to support field sales by taking their calls for customer service issues, product inquiries and numerous other requests, and, they’re often subjected to disgruntled field sales representatives.

“Many counter sales persons keep their RED CAPE under the counter at their fingertips.”

Summary

The counter sales person plays a pivotal role in sales success. They are a key link to the customer; a crucial ingredient in the service excellence formula. Don’t underestimate their impact on customer relationships, sales growth and profitability. Customers have higher expectations of counter sales people as their face-to-face contact than anyone else in the company. They want to get the right product, at the right time, at the right price. They also want to talk to knowledgeable total solution providers who do more than just write orders and handle complaints.

Tagged with: •
Mar 08

Everyone is in Sales

Business Sales Articles No Comments »

How many sales people do you have at your company? Now how many employees do you have at your company? If the number of sales people at your company is less than the number of employees you have, you are wrong. Every employee at your company is in sales no matter what their job description is.

Every employee represents the company they work for whether they recognize it or not. Everyone has their own personal network in the business world and in their personal lives. A personal network and business network often overlap; creating selling opportunities through the day-to-day interaction your employees have with others.

It is a fact that people love to talk about what they do for work and love to talk about what they know well. “What do you do for work?” is one of the most common questions asked when you first meet someone. It is a question people feel comfortable answering and a topic they find easy to discuss. It is likely that each of your employees have numerous opportunities to tell others about themselves, where they work and what they do for work. What do your employees say when they are asked about their career and the company they work for?

Do they simply say, “I work for Company X and I do X”? Or do they have a compelling statement that explains their company to potential customers and also explains how their role and responsibilities benefit the company and its customers? Do they know what a qualified buyer is? Do they know how to articulate the benefits of doing business with their company? Would they even know the steps to guide a potential customer to connect with a sales representative at the company if the opportunity presented itself?

So how do you maximize selling opportunities and turn every employee into a sales person? Here are a few suggestions:

Train Every Employee

People need to know the most effective way to communicate and present the company and its products and services when communicating with others. They need to know what to say, how to say it and what defines a prospective buyer among many other things. Create a training class that teaches every employee how to best represent the company and identify prospective customers in any environment.

Give Every Employee Business Cards

Everyone who works for your company should have a business card, regardless of title, rank or role. Business cards are an accepted and required tool utilized during most networking situations and allow people to share their company and contact information. They cost pennies per card so don’t be cheap.

Create an Elevator Pitch and Have Every Employee Memorize It

An elevator pitch is a thirty second commercial that introduces your company, explains what your company sells, how you help customers and a hook question to grab their attention and continue the dialogue. Think of it like this: If your employee was stuck in an elevator for 30 seconds with a potential client, what would they say in that short period of time to grab their attention and move them forward in the sales process? Ask one of your employees to explain what your company does. Every employee should know what to say.

Ask Employees To Network

Every employee should be utilizing Linked In (www.LinkedIn.com) and other networking tools to help promote themselves and their company and stay connected to contacts. Try sending a handful of employees to local networking events to meet prospective customers and gain valuable contacts that may be beneficial for your company in numerous ways.

Create Referral Programs

If someone wanted to be in sales, they probably would be. Do you really think John and Jane in Finance want to be involved in selling? If you want all of your employees to sell, give them a good reason to do so. Pay them! Create a referral program that tracks and compensates employees for referrals that turn into business. This will encourage people to look out for potential business opportunities when they otherwise might not have cared. Pay for results and watch your sales grow.

Recognize Top Non-Sales Employees

When a non-sales employee brings in a customer, publicize it! Recognize the person and let everyone in the company hear the success story. Recognition is a fast, effective and inexpensive way to drive behavior. Most people enjoy being recognized, especially if they are in a role that doesn’t tend to be put in the spotlight.

By implementing these simple and inexpensive initiatives within your company, you will see increases in revenue, employee satisfaction as well as a stronger team environment. Good luck!

Tagged with:
Previous Entries
preload preload preload