Colleen’s Blog

It’s amazing what 5 hours of uninterrupted time with no Internet or phone can do to your productivity:

Do you find yourself struggling when you have to present to a senior decision maker of a company? I am often asked how salespeople can make this process simpler so I have created this 7-step plan to make it really easy for you to get through a presentation with high-level managers and/or officers. 1. Prepare! You may have heard the common real estate adage; "location, location, location." In sales, we have a similar saying; "prepare, prepare, prepare." I’m sure that you don’t regard presentations to top executives to be casual and friendly conversations but, it's extremely important to give the customer the feeling that it is. Without rigorous preparation, this is no easy feat. Once you have organized your notes and slides, try practicing to yourself as you do everyday tasks. 2. Begin At The End Think of any advertisement for a product you see on television or a flyer. There's never a picture of the factory where the product is created, only the product itself. Learn to apply this idea to your business as well. Never start a presentation with an introduction to your company. The first thing prospects want to know is what you can do to solve their problems or challenges. Try to begin with your conclusion. Start by reviewing the prospect's issues, and what you can do to solve them.

Asking for a referral can be a challenging process. You might be uncomfortable asking for the referral, as well as worried about the best language to use so that you don’t sound desperate for new business.

Do you find yourself using sales lines you heard in Hollywood films like Tommy Boy or The Boiler Room? If so, it may be time to consider a new route. Chances are those movies were not made to demonstrate solid sales techniques to the audience! They will do little to no good in building proper rapport with prospective clients. Consumers want to buy from people they like and that they trust. Let's take a look at four key principles needed to build high trust relationships.

Have you recently asked yourself what the best way to strengthen your relationship with your client is? It's such a vital piece of information to have in order to keep clients doing business with you. Very few people though, actually take steps after corporate, business and personal rapport have been built with a client to ensure that the relationship gets strengthened further. Case studies and testimonials are often seen primarily as a way to attract new prospects. While there's no doubting they're effective at attracting new leads, they offer much more than what most people give them credit for! They are also an excellent method to use in strengthening relationships with current clients. When a client affirms their rapport to you, and put down in writing what a fantastic job you're doing (and I know you are!), it makes it difficult for them to then turn around and leave. It not only helps them increase their visibility to new prospects, or similar individuals in the same field, it allows you to cement your relationship with the client, and build a customer for life! What constitutes a good testimonial?