Category: Attitude

Sales Tip – Be Responsive!

You can take this tip to the bank! Salespeople have always displayed varying degrees of responsiveness to client needs but today, this quality damn near seems to be a lost art. And, if you are dealing with a client who demonstrates a high sense of urgency, this characteristic isn’t even optional. If you want their business, you too will need to step up your pace. Let’s look at this another way. In a competitive situation, with all things being equal, who will get the business? Will it be the “highly responsive salesperson” or the one who “gets to it when it is convenient”? If you chose the latter … I sure hope that you will be more successful in your next selection of  a career.

What is responsive? Actually, it is a lot of different things, It is … Continue reading “Sales Tip – Be Responsive!”

Defining The Consummate NetWorks! Boise Member

The other day I was pondering the question … “What characteristics make up the consummate NetWorks! Boise member?” Actually, I think about that a lot. Some members in our group do extremely well while others … not so much. We have guests who attend our meetings who would be perfect for our group, and who by all indications would be extremely successful, yet they choose not to join. Hmmm. Here is how I would define that perfect member. They …

Have a target market that is business – We have made the choice to focus our group on B2B vs. B2C. In this way, our members share a common target market. We do have members who do both and even have a few who I would say are primarily B2C. B2C members will rely largely on referrals and introductions vs. general leads. That’s great but, those do take more time as our current members will need to get to know that new member fairly well before they will directly refer them to one of their accounts or friends. At the same time, this B2C member will be expected to contribute B2B leads as that is the focus of our groups. Continue reading “Defining The Consummate NetWorks! Boise Member”

If We Were The Lowest Price, You Would Be A Trained Monkey

For the majority of my career, I ran sales teams. I was constantly amused and perplexed by the statement that most, if not all, sales managers have heard over and over again … “I lost the deal because our price is too high!”.

I can only speak for myself but, about the only time that I buy an item based on price alone is if I do not perceive that there is any value associated with paying more. Canned corn comes to mind. I buy store brands. So what do I tell these salespeople?

“If we were the lowest price, I wouldn’t need you. All I would need is a trained monkey to take the orders.”

And, if you could process the paperwork correctly, that would make you a highly trained monkey. Seriously, what are salespeople good for if they can’t properly justify the price we are asking for our product or service? They expect us to be the lowest price and still pay them the highest commissions? Don’t answer that (smile). Here is another one of my favorites …

“There is no honor in being low bid”

Why? See trained monkey. Conversely, there is great honor in being high bid. You have demonstrated that you have a superior product/service and that it presents a better value than that which was offered by your competitors. And regarding your competitors, they have been stunned! They are forced to go back to the barn with the full knowledge that they could not even make the sale based on being the lowest price. How demoralizing is that? Things that make me (smile). Continue reading “If We Were The Lowest Price, You Would Be A Trained Monkey”

“I’m On Commission. I Can’t Afford NetWorks! Boise’s Dues!”

First let me state that NetWorks! Boise is not just for salespeople. Some of our best members are business owners & serve in a variety of capacities other than sales. That being said, if you are a commissioned salesperson and you are of the opinion that you can’t afford our dues, is that a joke? It must be because you can’t afford not to belong to NetWorks! Boise Valley! If you are a crummy salesperson, that’s different. Then again, we don’t want crummy salespeople anyway. NetWorks! Boise Valley is, quite frankly, a “no brainer” if you are at least partially compensated on your selling efforts and those efforts include cultivating new business.

Still, I hear it all the time …. “I can’t afford the $29 per week dues ($348/quarter) and my company won’t pay them for me.” Are you compensated, at least partially, by commission? Do you eat out for lunch at least once per week or do you “brown bag” it? How about coffee or a tasty adult beverage with a client or co-worker? Do you ever take clients to lunch?

Let’s talk about priorities and simple math. Your investment in NetWorks! Boise Valley is …. Continue reading ““I’m On Commission. I Can’t Afford NetWorks! Boise’s Dues!””

What Would Your Customer Say About Buying From You?

Or, are you too afraid to ask? That’s a bit of a loaded question. A lot of salespeople I know are either too afraid to ask their customers how they are doing, are too afraid of the answer, or see little to no benefit in doing so. Sad on all three counts. So, how would your customers rate you in the following categories (in no particular order)? Continue reading “What Would Your Customer Say About Buying From You?”

When Transparency Reflects “Stinkin’ Thinkin'”

With all due kudos to Zig Ziglar, this post is more opinion and observation than it is anything else. I have no professional experience or education in either of the subject areas. What I am is pragmatic. I look at the world, evaluate it’s condition, and take the steps I deem necessary to deal with it. I see a lot of folks talking today about the importance of being transparent. I hear that, in order to be successful particularly with social media, transparency is a must.

That’s all well and fine but, do some of us take this too far? Are we, in our quest for transparency, doing ourselves and those around us more harm than good? Does this need to be transparent translate to “unabashed and unbridled honesty in all things”? For some, it apparently does. I’m all for honesty but there has to be some limits …. Continue reading “When Transparency Reflects “Stinkin’ Thinkin’””