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.

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.

Not only has this got to be expensive, and an environmental nightmare, it’s irritating as hell to the consumer (me) because the mailman won’t leave the package at the house. Definitely a A client repellent experience. What post sale experiences do you have the negatively impact the customer experience?

Could you or your team be missing the one key to being a top performer in sales? Are you interested in sales because you want to make more money? When I ask this question to a group, immediately everyone's arm shoots up. The truth is, wanting to be good at sales just to make more money isn't all it takes to be successful.

What drives salespeople to perform? While money is one motivator, it’s not the only thing. In fact, most high-performing salespeople achieve their best results because they are motivated by accomplishment and recognition first, and money second.