Many top sales representatives feel that the sale is as good as closed if they can just obtain an appointment or meeting with a decision-maker. Their feeling is that their prospective customer must need their products or services or they would not be willing to set an appointment in the first place. The following checklist has been developed to help you make the most of a favorable juncture of circumstances and build the trust levels that are vital to your overall sales success:

Smile! No matter what kind of day you are having, if you will smile it will give those people you contact a feeling of acceptance. It will also help you feel better about your day. Tape a smiley-face or the word “smile” on your desk or telephone to remind you of the importance of a smile on your face and in your voice. Top sales professionals use the technique of thinking of a funny story or the latest joke they have heard just before meeting a prospective customer. Thinking about the story or joke almost assures them of having a smile on their face as they meet a decision-maker for the first time. Make sure you are smiling as you call for appointments or are conducting a sales presentation.

Shake your client’s or prospect’s hand. A warm, firm, friendly handshake goes a long way in building a trusting relationship. It tells your clients or prospects that you are a friendly person and that you are glad to see them. If your handshake is limp it can leave a negative impression. It can be equally as bad to grip someone’s hand too hard. Remember you only have one chance to make a great first impression.

Ask an open-ended personal question. (Open-ended questions require an explanation and can rarely be answered with a “yes” or “no”). Psychologists tell us that when a person reveals something personal about themselves, it builds trust.

It’s vital for you to practice using open-ended questions to create a short period of small talk (the prospect doing 80% of the talking), at the outset of your presentation. Remember, people buy from people that they trust. When people start to talk about themselves, they start to build a trusting relationship with you so that later, as you discuss your products and/or services, the things you say will be believed.

Research shows that people decide whether to follow the advice and buy from a sales professional in the first two minutes of the conversation. By following the track outlined above, you can make the most of your initial contact and truly turn each meeting of transaction into a favorable juncture of circumstances (a sales opportunity).

A Favorable Juncture Of Circumstances is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

Give your product a distinct personality.
OfficeMax’s Rubber-Band Guy is an instantly identifiable, highly memorable character that has boosted sales and brand recognition. It personifies the brand while selling the message that whatever customers need they can get at OfficeMax.

Give them an interesting history lesson.
Some of the most common products we use today have the most interesting development histories. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, left historical records of a powder made from the bark and leaves of the willow tree to help heal headaches, pains and fevers. By 1829, scientists discovered that the salicin in willow plants was the key ingredient in aspirin, which was later repackaged and marketed by Bayer.

Sing your product’s praises.
Create a memorable catchy song, poem or jingle that that hooks in people’s minds. Gillette sold millions of razor blades using “The Best a Man Can Get,” which continues to stick in consumers’ heads, leaving a positive impression about the product’s unbeatable performance.

Re-package your product for the customer.
Create new convenience packaging that makes your product easier to buy, use or refill. Motor oil used to be sold in cans that required a punch-in can opener or separate punch-through spout. These were messy and troublesome to use. Now oil is sold in twist-open, easy-pour plastic bottles.

Let consumables take the lead.
Drop the price of your product, then promote and sell its consumables. Computer printers can be bought for as little as $20, yet the ink cartridges sell for $29 apiece. So don’t worry about making a big profit on devices, let your consumables take the lead.

Use viral marketing.
Viral marketing is any word-of-mouth or “tell a friend” mechanism that induces users to re-convey a marketing message to other sites or users. Leveraged by the power of the web and email, viral techniques can create exponential growth in your product’s visibility.

Customize your product.
Try to give customers exactly what they want by creating apparently customized versions of your product. Consider the success of Cycle 1, 2, 3, 4 Pet Foods, or Burger King’s “Have it Your Way.”

Go high tech.
Exploit the latest technological advancements in media to underscore your message. For example, explore the use of audio chips in magazines, brochures or mailers. The novelty of these devices gets people talking, and there’s that “V” word again (viral marketing).

Promote product sharing.
This can be done by showing how your product brings friends and family together. An emotional appeal like this can be very memorable. A good example is Almond Joy’s, “you can share half and still have a whole.” Another is the ubiquitous Friends-and-Family discount, which abounds in everything from cell phones to vacation packages.

Show your product being used by experts.
If possible, establish your product as the one used by recognized experts in the field. A case in point is Canon’s use of photojournalists to endorse its 35mm cameras.

Make your product sui generis.
Establish the fact that your product is generically in a class by itself. Consider Porsche’s use of the line “there is no substitute.” Or products that have become household words: “blow your nose with a Kleenex,” or “make me a Xerox copy.”

Think outside the demographic box.
Attract a new category of customers by thinking outside the box. Consider gaining younger or older buyers by expanding the utility and style of your product, e.g., cell phones for ‘tweens, or health bars for seniors.

Alex Kecskes provides a full range of copywriting services. Visit www.akcreativeworks.com for more information and samples.

12 Sales-Boosting Strategies is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

2. Reduce and Multiply
Big isn’t always better, sometimes quantity is more effective. Try reducing the size of your current advertisements and run more. Surprisingly, short ads often generate more response than long ads. Yep, keep it short and sweet, and watch the results.

3. Liven up Your Ads
Take a look at your current advertisements. Are they full of active, lively, colorfully stimulating phrases? Yeah, get rid of all those boring words and replace them with phrases like…it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3… hurry! Don’t miss out…Save, save, save!…Act now!… That’s right, keep things hopping and full of action for effective advertising results.

4. Give ‘em the Warm Fuzzies
People buy products for the feeling they get from the purchase. How do you feel when you get a new car? Yeah, excited, proud and anxious to show it off a little bit. Keep in mind these feelings, and draw word pictures with your advertisements that will stimulate them. Yeah, you’ll be surprised at the results you’ll get from encouraging and dramatizing the desires of your readers.

5. Send Them a Postcard
It only takes a minute to read the back of a postcard. Most people are just like you – busy, busy, busy. Regardless of how busy we are, all of us automatically read postcards that are short, clear and concise. Send postcards with short ads to your target audience, and watch the flood of response sweep in.

6. Pay Your Customers to Advertise
Nothing is more effective than word-of-mouth advertising. That’s right! Your customers can say it better than you could ever say it, so why not let them? Yeah, implement a reward program for referrals and watch your sales climb.

7. Say Thank You
It only takes a minute to put a thank you card in the mail to a customer, but the effects of your thoughtful act can create a loyalty that will last a lifetime. Yep, we all like to be appreciated…your customers do too.

8. Sell to Your Current Customers
The idea that sales growth comes from new customers isn’t always true. Yeah, you can increase sales with the customers you already have! Have you tried offering them a product that will complement the item they are buying? What about follow ups? It’s a lot easier to sell more to your current customers than to get new customers through the door. Don’t overlook the potential that’s in your store today!

9. Combine Items for Special Sales
Buying in bulk is ALWAYS cheaper…or is it? Consumers tend to feel that buyer in larger quantities is saving them money. Take advantage of that feeling. Group a few products together and advertise a special sale. Yeah, customers will feel pressured to shell out the dinero before the deal expires!

10. Surprise, Surprise!
Who doesn’t like a pleasant surprise? Yeah we all do, especially after we’ve made a purchase that our conscience is telling us we shouldn’t have. Do you want to get rid of those after purchase guilt trips for your customers? Give them a surprise at the register! They’ll leave feeling like it was their lucky day, rather than struggling with the after-the-sale blues.

11. Count the Losses
When we look at sales, we often focus on what will be gained by the purchase. What about the loss that results from failing to purchase? Most of us are more affected by losses than by savings. Let your customers know what they’ll be losing by failing to take advantage of your offer.

How many of these techniques are you using? Try implementing some new strategies and watch for new results! Yeah, nothing ventured… nothing gained. Sometimes it pays to take another look at what we’re doing, and take it up a notch. Give these 11 tips a try, and watch your sales skyrocket!

11 Proven Ways to Skyrocket Sales is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

Here are 10 tips that will save you from becoming the worst sales person in the company:

1. Not being punctual: being on time is very important to a customer. Take into consideration that many of your seasonal Christmas customers will be new. Your sales people will represent the first contact these customers have with your company. First impressions are lasting ones and your sales person need to make a good impression. Being on time will give a good impression to the client and increase their confidence in your company.

2. Poor presentation: some sales people just do not have all their ducks in a row and simply do not present the product well. A presentation is the first thing a customer will know about your product. If your product is not shown correctly to the customer he is very unlikely to buy.

3. Bad attitude: rudeness and unprofessional behavior is not acceptable under any circumstances. It is quite surprising that you will meet some sales people who are just plain rude and short with you the consumer. This gives the potential buyer the wrong impression about your company. They do not get a proper picture of the product, as they will probably not even wait for the presentation to end. You will lose many sales like this.

4. Not being articulate: a sales person must know how to express himself with confidence and fluency. He needs to be able to greet the prospect and introduce himself with assurance. This will start the whole presentation off to a good start. When he actually presents the product he must be sure to do this in a confident manner. He should also be prepared to answer all questions concisely and well. If your sales person cannot do this, your sale will not go through.

5. Not listening to a customer: a sales person should not only be able to present your product but listen to the prospective buyer. There is nothing more irritating to the consumer than having a sales person go on about a product and not letting you ask a few simple questions. After all whose money is on the line here? Worse still is when you do finally get to ask your question and instead of giving you a straight answer they go off on a tangent and have clearly not been listening to you. This will make a customer angry and they will probably never do business with you.

6. Basing a sale on cost: it is extremely risky for a sales person to depend on cost to close the sales. The prospective buyer will be quick to take advantage when he sees that the deal depends on the cost factor. He will drive the price as low as he can and you will take a heavy cut in profits for the sake of a sale. The buyer may hold off and then not even buy.

7. Not knowing when to close a sale: This is a common fault but a lethal one. Many sales have been lost because the sales person did not know when to close the sale. A good sales person is in tune with the prospective buyer and knows instinctively when to move to close the sale.

8. Hard sell: Hard sell is when sales people try to push the sale on the prospective customer. This will make the buyer aggressive and he will try to get rid of your sales person as soon as possible. It is a proven fact that nobody likes to be sold to.

9. Inflexibility: a sales person should be aware of different personalities and various situations. They must be flexible and able to adapt to different circumstances. The presentation may be the same but the buyers are rarely the same. Each buyer wants to feel special and expects the sales person to understand his circumstances. Inflexibility will cost you many sales.

10. Not following up a hot prospect: Follow up is very important. It is actually plain good manners. You have spoken to a person who has expressed interest in your company’s product but may not have been able to make a decision yet. It is courteous and good for business to follow up with hem. You may even make a sale this way. If your sales person does not know how to do this you will end up losing valuable customers and sales.

10 top tips to become the worst sales person in your company! is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

Here are a few tips:

1. Pay attention to the exterior first. This is what potential buyers notice. Give priority to home improvements that are visible to the naked eye. Fixing the façade will get you a better price than ensuring the foundation is solid.

2. Tidy up the yard and garden. If there are signs of neglect most buyers will not even step in. what one needs to do is create a presentation. Make sure there are no tires or wood lying around and any loose shutters or storm drains and gutters are properly fixed.

3. It helps to landscape. This does not mean you need to spend on redesign. Prune hedges, trees, and shrubs. Weed flower beds and paint old pots.

4. Ensure that the roof is clean and sparkling. Have it power cleaned. Statistics reveal that 30% curb appeal is a sparkling roof.

5. Have the interior repainted and the carpets and vinyl flooring replaced. Most buyers want to move in right away. Few would consider investing in a house where they need to get work done.

6. Reduce clutter and spruce up the interiors. Sparkling windows, clean curtains, attractive upholstery, bright cushions, flowers on tables and a few paintings or photographs placed strategically make a room a home. It gives the place warmth and invites a person to take a look.

7. Pay attention to odors. What may seem fragrant to you may be repulsive to others. Invite a friend in to inspect on your behalf. Many find pet odors, smell of urine, sprays, insecticide, herbs, deodorants, incense, spices, and so on repulsive. Often if curries are cooked or egg or bacon fried the smell tends to hang around the house.

8. Spruce up the kitchen and bathrooms with friendly plants, colorful towels and inexpensive fixtures or brick-a-back.

9. Have the house cleaned from top to bottom. There should be no evidence of mold, mildew, or leaks.

10. Arrange the furniture and lamps to give a warm glow. If you have too much furniture or personal belongings of sentimental value have them stored. The closer the interiors come to being out of the glossies the faster the home will sell and that to for a good price.

Never overspend or make changes that are not in keeping with the neighborhood. If handled cleverly 80-90% of the costs of repair and sprucing up can be recovered. If emotions and sentiments cloud your judgment seek professional help, ask an interior designer or consultant to give you a few guidelines. The internet today is an invaluable source of information. Do some research which will clear your mind and give you direction. When in two minds seek the advice of the local real estate agent who has property values at the tips of his fingers and a licensed appraiser who would know what is best.

10 tips to maximizing sale of your home is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

Here’s something profound. The reason most of us do not get referrals on a routine basis is because we do not ask for them on a routine basis. Well, it’s almost that simple. What would be the upside on your year-end W-2 if you asked for 2 referrals from each of your new customers? Let’s say you average 6 sales per month. That would be 12 referrals per month or 144 per year. Conservatively, you close half of those warm leads. Multiply 72 by your average revenue per sale. Then calculate your commission percentage off the total revenue sold. Now ask yourself if you can afford not to ask for referrals on a routine basis.

Tip # 2
Develop a process to ‘Set the Stage’

Asking for a referral is one thing, but how many times do you actually get one? Execute a Powerful Routine after you sign up a new customer, and request permission for 3 additional minutes to get their professional feedback. Ask a series of questions soliciting their opinion on ways you can be more effective with your sales process, from initial contact to point of sale, with individuals in the same industry and parallel titles. You are now setting the stage for your future success. Over time, your contacts will give you a free ‘Masters Degree.’ Remember to ‘Pack your bags, but set the stage.’

Tip # 3
Communicate to a “Win-Win” Agreement

Be honest and sincere in reference to the importance of referrals for running your business effectively. Tell your story. If you have a high referral ratio let them know that and why it is high. Customers respect a good businessperson more than a good salesperson. Try to pick a time when the contact would feel comfortable giving a referral to help your business. That may not be at the point of sale, but upon service implementation or some time in the future when you have proved you delivered what you promised. The important point is you must define with the contact when it can happen or what criteria need to be met for it to happen.

Tip # 4
Follow through in order to receive a consistently high ratio of referrals.

You may not ask for a referral until (a) the service has been implemented and (b) the customer is satisfied. But as described in Tip #3, you want to minimally set a referral foundation at the point of sale and receive a commitment to when you’ll receive one. Now, this is very important. Always write in your day timer in front of the contact when the expectation is set, and let them know you are making note of it. Treat it like an appointment for your future success. It’s found business and will afford you a higher closing ratio, shorter sales cycle and most importantly, more referrals! So, follow-up and get it!

Tip # 5
Develop a Referral Program

Be creative. Give up some money. Maybe it’s a gift certificate to a local restaurant (hopefully a customer) or a graduated percent off of their next invoice. An entrepreneurial mind will come up with a few flexible programs that fit your level of buyer. After all, you’re not putting anything out until the referral is sold. The old saying, “money makes money” is still true. Beside the tax right off (check with your accountant), contacts absolutely enjoy getting a little something. Measure the ROI and the benefit will be evident.

Tip # 6
Become the Messenger

Be sure to give the referral gifts out promptly on sold referrals. Deliver it in person, since it also serves as an excellent time to prime the pump for additional referrals. Don’t underestimate the power of this simple discipline. I have experienced ‘millionaires’ who reopened their black books after receiving $20 dollar gift certificates. After all, it’s not the amount but the gesture. And because you are spending your valuable time being the messenger, you will without a doubt focus on receiving one or two more warm leads.

Tip # 7
Promote a Grass Roots Chamber Program

Offer local Chambers a deal they can not refuse. Chambers want to offer their membership a better deal, one that their members can not receive from regular street pricing. They are open to donations to help their chamber and are also motivated to grow their membership. Instead of offering a residual based off of sales, offer to bring them in a certain number of new members each month. After all, a certain percentage of businesses you call on will not be members, and if you can show them a return on their investment, they will certainly join the Chamber to receive it. By helping others you will see your referral ratio reach the sky!

Tip # 8
Identify Potential ‘Bird Dogs’

‘Bird dogs’ are used by hunters to point and fetch game birds for their owners. In sales, a ‘bird dog’ is someone who has multiple relationships with your potential customers and they are motivated to routinely feed you contacts for your marketing efforts. Research potential business people that may fit into this profile, and take them out to lunch. Explain your referral program and how it could supplement their core business revenue stream. For potential ‘Big Hitters’ be prepared to customize your referral program to align with their motivations. Treat them like gold and they will open up their Rolodex.

Tip # 9
‘Get Married’ to a Collaboration Partner

There are companies that provide products or services in your ‘value chain’ but do not compete directly with your product or service. Those companies and the professional individuals that sell for them should be a point of concentration for you to identify and contact for strategies of collaboration. I refer to this relationship as “Natural Marriages.” Contact 3 sales professionals that seem to indicate a ‘natural marriage’ for you and them. Outline what’s in it for them. Then ask them what you could reasonably expect over time.

Tip # 10
Join or Start a Lead Group

You have to eat lunch, right? So why not join or consider developing a Lead Group of entrepreneurial individuals who are motivated to get together twice a month to share leads. Find individuals who are accountable to bringing in the minimum amount of leads each meeting as outlined in your group’s business rules. Make sure every member is covered by the 80-20 rule, getting 80% of their leads from 20% of the members. And don’t be shy about charging a quarterly membership fee. That way, members have some ‘skin’ in the game.

10 Tips to Increase Your Referral Ratio is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

1. Test and Evaluate
Have you ever wondered just how much of your advertising budget should go toward experimenting with the latest marketing strategies? Marketing gurus say… spend 20 percent looking for new and improved marketing methods, while the remaining 80 percent uses the “tried and true” marketing strategies to keep the profits flowing.

2. Capture Attention on your Website
Use headlines that leap out and grab the reader’s attention to moment they open your Web page. Hey, they’re just like you… if their attention isn’t caught immediately, they ‘re ready to surf on the more exciting things!

3. Use the Best-Kept Marketing Secret – Postcards
Postcards are quick and easy to read, not to mention the fact that you can shave off a great deal of wasted advertising expenses by targeting your market. Hey, they’re cheap and convenient for you, and they get read more than other types of advertising materials… a winner all the way around!

4. Let Customers Sell You
Some things sound better coming from someone else. Yes, it’s hard to brag your business up as effectively as a satisfied customer. Testimonials are evidence that you deliver what you promise. Paste them across ads, your Website, and any other sales copy you happen to distribute.

5. Just Ask
Great salesmen take the time to listen to the questions the customer has, identify their wants and needs, then ask for the sale. That’s right, they’re not afraid to just ask them to buy! Sometimes customers just need that little bit of pressure to cement the deal.

6. Raise the Value
Sometime value is only in they eyes of the beholder. You can raise the perceived value of your products by pointing out benefits that consumers may have overlooked. While you’re at it, raise the price. Yeah, we all know that more valuable items have higher price tags! Don’t be surprised if your profits skyrocket.

7. Make it Easy to Decide
Have you ever had a hard time deciding what to buy? Uh-huh, you don’t always come to a conclusion immediately. Every time a customer walks out of the store without making a decision, you take a big chance on losing the sale. Keep the options to a minimum to maximize the sales numbers.

8. Break it Down
Got a big ticket item? Break the price into bite sizes for more appeal. Yeah, 90 cents a day sounds much cheaper than $325!

9. Create Bonuses
An unexpected bonus with a purchase makes it seem like you got a lot more for your money. Keep customers smiling when they walk away from the cash register, and they’ll keep coming back for more.

10. Handle Customer Complaints With a Little TLC
Don’t waste time getting to the bottom of the problem. Customers want to feel they are being heard, or they wouldn’t take the time to complain to you. Are you afraid that you’ll be losing profit, if you have to bend too far backwards to accommodate them? Think of it this way… an unhappy customer you turn into a happy customer will become a loyal customer. Yeah, it’ll pay in the long run.

10 Low-Cost Sales Boosters You Don’t Want To Overlook is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

1. Headline
The most important thing in a sales letter is the headline, it can’t be emphasized more. Use a red headline to grab attention. Make sure the headline is catchy, in bigger font, and preferably in the font Tahoma.

2. Attention
You need to start your sales copy by getting the prospects’ attention. After the headline does its job, you’ll need to get your prospects’ attention by telling them what they are seeing here. Tell them right away what they are getting in the sales letter they are reading now.

3. Interest
You’ve got your visitors’ attention, what you need to do next is start telling them a story and have them interested in what you have to offer. Interest them by mentioning what You have for Them – them, them, them, you’re always thinking of the benefit on Their side!

4. Desire
When they are ready to know what you want to offer them, then it is a good time to make them want it more. Mention how your product is able to change their lives, tell them how bad things can turn to good after getting your product – always remember that it’s about them, not you!

5. A Call To Action
Already have them thirst for your product deeply now? Great – you are now going to sell them the product. Urge them to buy your product, tell them that they must have this product of yours.

6. Long Copy
It is proven more than enough that direct sales letter with a long copy of a single page works the best to sell a product. This way you can list out everything your prospects need to know and wouldn’t let them have a moment to be confused at all. You get their attention, interest them, explain everything, get their desires out and Bam – sell them the product.

7. Testimonials
Nothing is better than a proof from people who have their lives changed because they purchased your product. By providing testimonials, you get a third party to support you and that urges your prospects into buying more easily. We rather purchase something people recommend, don’t we?

8. Clean and neat sales copy
You don’t want to clutter your sales copy with fancy colors, graphics and so on. It is important that your prospects focus more on your words, the texts rather than the design of your sales letter, color of the background etc.

9. Write a story
A good sales letter will need to hook its readers without fail. We are used to finishing a single task – in this case, a story since young. Ever watched an exciting movie and stopped in the middle because you need to accomplish some other things? It feels voided if you do so, right?

This is the same case, people will try and finish every story they read, especially an interesting one. If you can write a good story and keep your prospects hooked right down until the order button, you succeeded.

9 Amazingly Easy Ways To Writing Your Greatest Sales Letter Ever is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

2) How did you earn your first paycheck, how old were you, and what did you do with the money? With this question you are probing to check their work ethic.

3) What are the top three leadership traits that you look for in a manager? With this question you are attempting to gauge their expectation and ascertain their preferred management style.

4) Have you ever failed at something and if so, why did you fail and what did you learn from the experience? This question lends itself to a discussion on resiliency, personal responsibility and tendencies under pressure.

5) Everyone has strengths and weaknesses as employees. What are your strong points for this position? This question gives them the opportunity to tell you what assets they bring to the table and how they see themselves fitting into your organization.

6) What is the one thing you would improve about yourself? This question gives you an indication of his or her self- assessment capability.

7) Other than family members, who has been the greatest influence in your life and why?

If you were to fail in this business, what do you think the reason would be?

Use these questions as a guide and add to them as you wish. by having a set list of questions it helps you move the interview process through efficiently and effectively. Based on the candidates’ answers to these and other questions you may provide, you’ll have a good idea if you’re ready to take the next step with this person.

Good luck

8 Great Interview questions to help you find the right Candidate is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

I have no idea if the story he told me is true or not. He has played a practical joke or two in his day. Short of travelling to Africa, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Even if there is a bit of embellishment to the story, it is a great tell with an insightful message.

In Africa, as Charles tells it, the natives have a clever way to catch monkeys. They take a coconut shell, cut a small hole in one end, and hollow it out. The hole is just big enough to allow a monkey’s hand to enter.

Then they attach a string to the other end of the coconut shell, place some peanuts inside, put the shell in the middle of a clearing and hide themselves behind a tree until a monkey comes.

The monkey smells the peanuts inside the shell … it reaches in to grab the peanuts … but when it does, its fist, full with peanuts, is too large to pull back through the hole.

The natives start pulling on the string and reel the silly monkey in. Why, because the monkey will not let go of those peanuts to save his life. All the monkey would have to do is let go of the peanuts. He doesn’t, as he has to have the peanuts.

I’m thinking there may be some truth to his story. I did a Google search “catch a monkey using a coconut” and found one hit on a bladder cancer website that included an article on relaxation that references an African legend, where they do they catch monkeys using coconuts with a banana inside. Seriously!

So let’s assume this monkey catching technique works. Chances are if you’re like me, you’ll never get a chance to try it out. I don’t recommend you doing this at your local zoo!

So why tell the story? Do you find yourself grasping a fist full of peanuts? Do you ever get hold of something and not let go? Do you want the peanuts so badly that you fail to consider other alternatives to achieve your goal? Are you flexible and effective in your thinking? Are you prepared to try other methodologies and techniques? Do you seek out others for advice? Do you use your power of observation on those who are successful?

I believe one of Charles’ greatest strengths is his ability to make things simple. Once he has done this, he shares the basics for success with his team. He then walks the talk and leads by example. He believes in his people, they believe in him. He’s the type of leader that wouldn’t use coconuts to capture monkeys, he’d sit down with them, and using his big smile and power of persuasion, have them convinced they should simply follow him home. They probably would!

Charles goes on to offer some simple advice on how to “get the peanuts.” I wonder if this is the basics of sales success.

1.Always be prospecting. “Everyone is an opportunity for new business or a referral.”
2.Keep the calendar full of appointments. “A body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest.”
3.Be proficient in your presentation skills. “Confidence sells.”
4.Your customers are a gold mine for future business. “Treat them right and they will take care of you.”
5.Set stretch goals. “Great things happen to those who make things happen.”
6.Hard work is just that. “Honest intelligent effort is always rewarded.”
7.Have fun. “Enjoy what you do and you’ll be good at it.”

Great advice Charles, thanks for sharing. Wishing you continued success!

7 Ways to Stay Sharp in Sales … or how to catch your first monkey is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com