Quote of the week

I'd like to wish you all a happy, productive and profitable 2011. Here is a quote from poet Ranier Marie Rilke to ponder as you ring out the old and ring in the new:

"And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been"


Let's make this the best year ever!

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Sales Resolutions #5

Here is the 5th and final sales resolution for 2011: Always think WIIFT. This stands for What's In It For Them. Whenever you interact with a customer you should always speak in terms of the value you deliver to them. Customers could care less about your publication, what they want to know is how you can help them accomplish their goals. Everything that you say, do or send to the customer should explain what you can do for them. Instead of talking about your circulation (10,000 copies) talk about the customers you bring to their business (10,000 people who want to buy your merchandise. When you give a price remind them what they are paying for, "just pennies per home delivered." In 2011 vow to communicate value every time you talk or write to a customer.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim B.

Sales Resolution #4

My 4th sales resolution is Use a presentation binder. A presentation binder (or pitch book) is an organized collection of sales materials. This should include any maps of your circulation, research statistics, testimonials etc. It is also a good idea to include samples of your products. Using these printed materials on a sales call lends power to your presentation. Many people are visual learners and using a presentation binder will make more of an impression than words alone. This also serves as a memory aid for the sales person and helps them to remember to present the full product line. Testimonials in print are much more believable than hearing the story from the sales person. Taking the effort to put together a sales binder will pay off in increased sales.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Sales Resolutions #3

My third sales resolution is: Take time to plan. We work in a fast paced business, we are always on the go. We are driven by deadlines and by our "to do" lists. Paradoxically one of the best ways to get more done is to stop doing occasionally and use the time to think. Schedule some time each week to plan your activities and reassess your goals. This will allow your to work smarter and be more productive. This allows you to be proactive rather than react to events. Taking the time to plan your presentations will greatly enhance your chances of closing a sale. When you shoot from the hip you are much more likely to miss. When things heat up and you are hyper busy, the temptation to skip planning increases. but this is a false economy. The best way to save time is to plan your time.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Sales Resolution #2

Here is my second suggested resolution for advertising sales people: Track your numbers. Sales people should keep careful records of their activities. As a sales person, I tracked my calls, my presentations, my closes, my sales and my sales revenue. This information kept me honest. The number of calls told me if I was slacking off. The number of presentations told me if I was using a good call opening and engaging the customer, the closes told me if I was keeping the customer interested with my presentation. The number of sales was a measure of everything I was doing. I used the revenue number to determine my earnings but also to calculate my average sales. the average sales revenue was a good way to know if I was "leaving money on the table." I always kept better records than my boss required. This data prevented me telling myself I was working hard when I began to cut corners. It is also a great way to tie your activities to your sales results. I always knew how many calls I needed to make to generate the income I needed to make. If you do this on an ongoing basis as you go through your day it requires very little time and produces great results.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling.

Thanks Jim Busch

Quote of the week

Here is a quote in the spirit of the holidays:

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." Winston Churchill

The holidays that close the year fill most people with joy. This is not because we get lovely presents and get to eat wonderful meals, actually it is just the opposite. The source of our joy is giving to others and the sharing of ourselves. Psychologists have called this phenomenon the "hedonic paradox." The true happiness comes from focusing on others rather than on ourselves. This is a lesson for those of us in business. The best way to be successful is to focus on making our customer's successful.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Sales Resolution #1

Here is the first in a series of resolutions for advertising sales people. This is a rather simple one--keep your mouth shut!. Sales people should resolve to listen far more than they speak on a sales call. Instead of making statements, they should ask more questions. Customers seldom lose interest or get bored when they are talking. In addition to keeping the customer engaged, when the customer is talking is talking you may learn something you can use to sell the client. Sales people are often tempted to keep talking about their products and themselves because they are more comfortable doing so. Talking about the customer's business may lead into unknown areas but this will enable you to sell programs that solve their problems.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch